Faith: Verse of the Day for Friday, September 15

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing September 15, Friday Isaiah 9:10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”    

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Producer Reveals How Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp Reached the Big Screen

Tennessee Star

“I’m a fan of the books. That’s how I got to this property, actually,” producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura (pictured above left) told LifeZette in an exclusive interview about the film “American Assassin,” which hits theaters this Friday. “American Assassin” is based on the popular book series by the late author Vince Flynn, about counterterrorism agent Mitch…

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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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Conservative Activist Rebecca Burke Announces GOP Primary Challenge to State Rep. Charles Sargent

On Thursday conservative activist and Republican State Executive Committee member Rebecca Burke announced she is a candidate for the Republican nomination to represent the 61st District in the Tennessee House of Representatives, a seat that is currently held by State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin). The district represents parts of Franklin and Brentwood in rapidly growing Williamson County. “I am starting early because there will be a lot of political noise for voters to digest leading into the governor’s race and U.S. Senate race, not to mention local races,” said Burke, a resident of Franklin, in a statement provided to The Tennessee Star that announced her candidacy. “Many think that we should be worried about the ‘Swamp’ in Washington D.C., but my sights are focused on the ‘Swamp’ in Tennessee,” she added. In June of this year, as The Star reported earlier, Burke spent several weeks working for Republican Congressional candidate Karen Handel, who won the hotly contested special election in Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District over the heavily financed Democratic candidate, Jon Ossoff. “Burke, 62, has spent over 35 years as an aggressive and outspoken conservative activist. She has been known to out-work opponents as a campaigner and strategist and to…

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Family Action Council of Tennessee Joins Amicus Brief Supporting Christian Baker in Same-Sex Wedding Case

  The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) has joined 32 other family policy councils nationwide in filing a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of a Colorado baker accused of discrimination for declining to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding. This fall, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the major, closely-watched case involving Jack Phillips and his family business, Masterpiece Cakeshop. The Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that a state law could force Phillips to create a custom cake that conveys a message contrary to what he believes as a Christian. Phillips and his attorneys petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMn3WycWJsg The amicus brief was drafted by David French, an attorney and senior writer for National Review who lives in Columbia, about 45 miles south of Nashville. In a letter to supporters, David Fowler, the president of FACT, said joining the amicus brief is in keeping with “our mission to defend free speech and religious liberty.” The Supreme Court has received at least 45 friend-of-the-court briefs in support of the baker. The support comes from 479 creative professionals, 20 states including Tennessee, and 86 members of Congress, all Republicans. A variety of legal experts, civil rights advocates and…

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Illegal Immigrants Will Receive Free Health Care Under Bernie’s Single Payer Bill

Illegal immigrants will seemingly be eligible to receive Medicare benefits under Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ single payer health care bill, released Wednesday. The bill, dubbed “Medicare For All Act of 2017,” extends an enhanced version of Medicare coverage, absent virtually all out of pocket costs, to every U.S. resident, regardless of age or immigration status. “IN…

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Commentary: Tennessee Attorney General Abuses His Position to Offer Political and Not Legal Opinion

  Disregarding the Constitution, foundational principles of federalism, immigration law and his statutorily prescribed duties, Tennessee’s Attorney General Herbert Slatery III, the state’s chief legal advisor, has used his position and office to advance a political agenda on behalf of illegal aliens in the state. Forty-three states elect their Attorney General unlike in Tennessee whose state Constitution directs the State Supreme Court to make the appointment for a term of eight years. Elected Attorney Generals are viewed as more accountable to the public and more independent from the governor. Elected AGs are also viewed as having more credibility should a situation arise requiring investigating wrongdoing by any state official including the governor. Prior to his appointment as Tennessee’s Attorney General, from 2011 – 2014, Slatery, also from Knoxville, served as counsel to Governor Haslam. “In addition to providing legal advice to the Governor, he oversaw the process for judicial appointments, coordinated the legal affairs of the executive branch for the Governor, assisted in the development and implementation of legislation, and reviewed requests for executive clemency and extradition.” Using his official letterhead, Slatery informed Sens. Alexander and Corker that Tennessee would not challenge the DACA program despite admitting the likelihood of prevailing. Slatery’s…

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Mass Transit Opponents Draft Open Letter to Mayor Megan Barry Asking Her to Reconsider Plan

Tennessee Star

  Tea Party activist Ben Cunningham is leading an effort to collect signatures for an open letter to Nashville Mayor Megan Barry asking her to reconsider a proposed $6 billion regional mass transit plan. The letter asks Barry to move the Nashville area “forward toward 21st century transit technologies and away from obsolete, extremely costly commuter railroads which will burden Nashville taxpayers for decades. Riders nationwide are abandoning these out-dated commuter railroads because so many new transit technologies offer so much more.” The tentative mass transit plan for Middle Tennessee, designed to be phased in over 25 years, calls for light rail along Gallatin Pike, Charlotte Pike, Murfreesboro Pike and Nolensville Pike, and for light rail connecting Nashville and Clarksville, as well as for rapid buses. Barry is committed to putting a referendum on the ballot next year to raise taxes for mass transit, and pro-transit groups are stepping up efforts to win over the public. However, Cunningham is advocating for a referendum that would limit Metro Nashville’s debt level, which could impede the mass transit project. The open letter to Barry says: Transit technology is undergoing an amazing revolution. Riders are demanding solutions that deliver more privacy, more safety, and more convenience.…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Thursday, September 14

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing September 14, Thursday Jude 1:18-25 “In the last days there will be people who don’t take these things seriously anymore. They’ll treat them like a joke, and make a religion of their own whims and lusts.” 19 These are the ones who split churches, thinking only of themselves. There’s nothing to them, no sign of the Spirit! 20 But you, dear friends, carefully build yourselves up in this most holy faith by praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 staying right at the center of God’s love, keeping your arms open and outstretched, ready for the mercy of our Master, Jesus Christ. This is the unending life, the real life! 22 Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. 23 Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin. The sin itself stinks to high heaven. 24 And now to him who can keep you on your feet, standing tall in his bright presence, fresh and celebrating – 25 to our one God, our only Savior, through Jesus Christ, our Master, be glory, majesty, strength, and rule before all time, and…

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Art Laffer Endorses Diane Black for Governor, Joins Campaign as Economic Policy Adviser

Tennessee Star

  Conservative economist Arthur Laffer on Wednesday endorsed U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-6) for Tennessee governor and announced that he will serve as her economic adviser. Laffer, who was a close adviser to former President Ronald Reagan, lives in Nashville and earlier this year voiced criticism of the gas tax hike passed this spring by the state legislature. Laffer also was an economic adviser to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. “Diane Black knows exactly how to keep Tennessee’s economy growing rapidly by ensuring that Tennessee keeps tax rates low while paying its bills and protecting its taxpayers,” Laffer said in a news release. “I moved from California to Tennessee eleven years ago for these very reasons, and I couldn’t be happier with my adopted home state. There’s no one more qualified and prepared to lead Tennessee into a new era of prosperity than Diane Black.” In the 1980s, Laffer became known as the father of supply-side economics because of his influence in a movement to cut taxes. That time period saw great economic expansion in the U.S. “Art Laffer has the greatest fiscal policy track record of the last 40 years,” said Black. “I am honored to have his endorsement and…

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Leah Remini Wins Emmy for Scientology Documentary, Forgives Mom for Introducing Her to ‘Cult’

Actress Leah Remini took home an Emmy for her A&E documentary series “Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath,” publicly forgiving her mother for introducing her to what she described as a “cult.” Ms. Remini, a former Scientologist, gave an emotional speech Saturday night after winning for outstanding informational series at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in…

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House Speaker Beth Harwell Banks on Experience in Run for Tennessee Governor

  House Speaker Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) told the Beacon Center of Tennessee last week that her “core conservative values” and experience in the state legislature make her a good candidate for governor. A Nashville-based nonprofit that promotes the free market, the Beacon Center is conducting Facebook Live interviews with gubernatorial candidates on issues facing the state. “I think I have core conservative values that I’ve taken to state government and put them into place, and because of that I think we do in fact have a good, well-run state government,” Harwell said. Harwell said that in her leadership role she has “led in some of our state’s boldest and most successful   initiatives – everything from eliminating the inheritance tax and gift tax to making us the third lowest taxed state in the nation and the lowest debt state in the nation – but also reforming our unemployment and workers compensation laws, making this a very legally stable environment for businesses to flourish.” Harwell also touted sponsoring legislation allowing for charter schools and for making Tennessee friendly for homeschoolers. In addition, she mentioned a program launched last year that allows parents of children with special needs to access a variety of educational…

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Seattle’s Democratic Mayor Resigns in Wake of 5th Child Sexual Abuse Allegation

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigned Tuesday, just hours after new allegations that he sexually abused a younger cousin decades ago in New York. Murray, a former Democratic state legislator elected mayor in 2013, said in a statement he is resigning effective 5 p.m. PDT Wednesday. “While the allegations against me are not true, it…

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Commentary: McLaughlin Poll Warning for GOP – Back the Trump Agenda or Face Defeat in 2018

  by ConservativeHQ.com Staff   Last week we told you about a recent poll by respected pollster John McLaughlin which showed that, in spite of Leftwing attacks on freedom of speech, Americans overwhelming support the First Amendment and freedom of thought and speech. But as our friend Dr. Timothy Daughtry pointed out in a recent article for Townhall there’s a lot more to the poll than support for freedom of speech. Daughtry says that, for the Republican Party, the central message of the poll is “dance with the one who brung ya,” and more specifically, dance with the Trump voters and their agenda. The message of that McLaughlin poll could not be clearer or simpler for Republicans as they choose in the coming weeks between the agenda of President Trump and the agenda of the Beltway insiders: The base that brought you to the dance supports the Trump agenda. Dance with your base and win. Dance with the Beltway and lose. Here are just a few highlights Dr. Daughtry culled from the poll: Voting to increase the debt ceiling without new constraints on spending will make 62% of voters less likely to vote to re-elect a Member of Congress. “Bailing…

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Robert Ranco, Texas Lawyer Behind Betsy DeVos Sex Assault Tweet, Resigns From Firm

A lawyer that sparked outrage after tweeting that he’d be “OK” with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos being sexually assaulted has resigned from his Texas law firm. Robert Ranco, a partner at the Carlson Law Firm who disagreed with the Trump administration’s plan to reform how accusations of sexual assault are adjudicated on campus, wrote in a…

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Violins of Hope Coming to Nashville in March to Teach About the Holocaust

Amnon violins of hope

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The Violins of Hope are coming to Music City. The instruments were played by Jewish musicians interned in concentration camps during the Holocaust in Europe during World War II. Today, the collection is traveling across the U.S. to educate people about the Holocaust and inspire discussions about music, art and justice. The collection came to the U.S. in 2012 and its stops have included the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Cleveland and Sarasota, Florida. The Violins of Hope will arrive in Nashville next year in mid-March and stay through May. The Nashville Symphony hosted a press conference Tuesday at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center downtown to unveil plans for related musical performances, art exhibits, lectures and more. More than two dozen Nashville-area groups are involved in the project. They include the Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, Nashville Public Library, Nashville Ballet, Frist Center for the Visual Arts and Vanderbilt University. “We are thrilled to be working with so many enthusiastic partners on this historic initiative,” said Alan Valentine, president and CEO of the Nashville Symphony. The instruments were restored and refurbished by Israeli luthiers Amnon and Avshi Weinstein. They are the subject a book by James…

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Latinos For Tennessee Defends Nashville Statement Endorsing Traditional Marriage

Tennessee Star

  Latinos For Tennessee is defending the Nashville Statement, a declaration by Christian evangelicals that upholds traditional marriage and maintains that homosexuality and transgenderism are sinful. Tommy Vallejos, the group’s board chairman, says the swift backlash against the statement is “outrageous.” The statement was approved Aug. 25 at a meeting of evangelical leaders in Nashville and was named for the city in keeping with a historical Christian practice of naming doctrinal statements for the places where they were written. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, a progressive Democrat, spoke out against the statement, tweeting that it “does not represent the inclusive values of the city & people of Nashville.” Three Nashville progressives started a counter statement that says, “God does not need you to change.” The Nashville Statement has also drawn criticism from some Christians who attend conservative churches who say it was too harsh and not helpful to the discussion of LGBT issues. A Sept. 9 news release from Latinos For Tennessee noted that the Nashville Statement reiterated “a set of beliefs and principles that are shared by millions of Americans and the majority of Tennesseans, according to some polls.” Vallejos, who is a pastor in Clarksville and a Montgomery County commissioner, said…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Wednesday, September 13

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing September 13, Wednesday Genesis 39:21-23 the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did 2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.    

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REPORT: SEC Decides Gainesville Good-to-Go to Host Tennessee-Florida Game

The annual SEC East rivalry game between Tennessee and Florida won’t need to change its location after all. SEC officials have reportedly decided to keep Saturday’s game from Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, despite the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the local area, according to Volquest.com. BREAKING: Tennessee to play at Florida as scheduled at…

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Game of Thrones Season 7 Recap (SPOILERS)

  It’s almost hard to talk about Game Of Thrones in anything resembling a succinct manner these days. The show is so expansive, and the fans are so deeply involved with theories, that even the smallest of points seem to require hours of debate. Therefore, recapping an entire season seems frankly exhausting. But I’m going to try it out here by focusing on some of the biggest moments, both experienced and yet to come. Obviously, many spoilers follow.   The Coolest Moments Arya Meets Nymeria – Pretty much all Thrones fans want more of the direwolves, and Arya’s had been missing for more or less the entire duration of the show. In the books, there are occasional references to an unusually intelligent wolf leading a giant pack, and it’s assumed that it’s Nymeria. Early in this season, Arya collided with some form of this mini-narrative, and came face-to-face with her old Direwolf, Nymeria. Even cooler: Nymeria refused the offer to reunite and took off on her own path, prompting Arya to sadly (but also approvingly?) gasp, “that’s not you.” It’s actually kind of sad – but the callback behind it was fantastic. It had to do with Ned Stark, who…

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Southern Baptist ERLC’s Russell Moore Collaborating with Christians Who Promote Wealth Redistribution, Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants

  Russell Moore, head of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), will speak at a conference in North Carolina this weekend alongside two Christian activists who promote economic redistribution as well as progressive ideas about race and immigration. Moore’s own progressive views on race, immigration and social justice have been an ongoing source of controversy. While he has a loyal following among some Southern Baptists and other Christians, especially younger ones, he has been widely criticized by more conservative evangelicals. The ERLC is the public policy arm of the Southern Baptist Convention and has offices in Nashville and Washington, D.C. Critics of the ERLC under Moore’s leadership are concerned not only about the views he expresses but also about the left-leaning groups with which he associates. John Perkins and Noel Castellanos are the other two keynote speakers at the “Courageous Conversations Conference” Saturday in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, hosted by Word Tabernacle Church. The focus of the one-day conference is on race, but an emphasis on economic redistribution is interwoven with the activists’ teachings. Perkins is the founder of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and Castellanos is its current president. Started in 1989, the CCDA grew and became more organized…

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Commentary: When Will Our Leaders Get The Message Of 9/11?

  by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ.com Editor   In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center in New York, struck the Pentagon in Washington, DC and brought down United Airlines Flight 93 in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, President George W. Bush said: “The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war.” Time and again since President Bush spoke those words events have proven him wrong, yet American political and military leaders persist in trying to sell – and perhaps believing – that “Islam is peace.” What those who are ignorant of Islam – as President Bush obviously was – fail to grasp is that the peace that Muslims value and claim to stand for is the peace of the Ummah – the worldwide community of Islam – not peaceful coexistence with those of other faiths or those who have no faith at all. Believing the lie that “Islam is a religion of peace” is why President Trump’s current national security team – or more correctly the Obama holdovers running…

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Donald Trump’s Travel Ban Temporarily Restored as Supreme Court Issues Stay on Lower Court

The Supreme Court on Monday temporarily restored a Trump administration executive order that blocks thousands of refugees from entering the United States. The decision comes after the Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to block an appellate court ruling issued last week that would require the U.S. to admit any refugees who are already working with…

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Tennessee Attorney General Slatery Pushes Amnesty For Illegal Immigrants On Advice From Soros Funded Organization

Tennessee Star

  Prior to withdrawing Tennessee from the coalition of state Attorneys General challenging the 2012 DACA program Attorney General Herbert Slatery, III, met with Stephanie Teatro, a co-Director of the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), who convinced Slatery to ignore the Constitution and the entire body of U.S. immigration law and advocate instead for illegal aliens in Tennessee. After meeting with Teatro, Slatery reneged on his commitment to the coalition of Attorneys General challenging DACA. Even though there was no statutory or Constitutional authority for Obama’s unilateral action on DACA, or the fact that DACA does not alter anyone’s illegal immigration status, Slatery chose instead, to join TIRRC’s push for passage of the “DREAM Act of 2017” which would grant amnesty and a path to citizenship for the DACA eligible. Slatery’s push for amnesty is also in line with the campaign being led by the New American Economy. In 2013, this same organization then called the Partnership for a New American Economy (PNAE), was championing the “Gang of Eight” immigration reform bill which included amnesty and was supported by Sens. Alexander and Corker. GOP gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is a named member of the PNAE. In his letter to Sens. Alexander…

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Memphis Imam Raises Money For Islamic Charity U.S. Congressman Says Has Ties to Muslim Brotherhood

Last week, Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, introduced an amendment to the State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Act blocking any U.S. funding to Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW). Between 2015 and 2016, IRW received $370,000 in federal funding. DeSantis explained to the Free Beacon that: U.S. tax dollars cannot go to groups involved in funding terrorism. Any group tied to Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood should be ineligible for funding.  It is a slap in the face of the American taxpayer to allow such groups to receive federal funding. Founded in 1984, IRW is headquartered in the UK but operates as a franchiser of sixteen charity affiliates comprising the largest Islamic charity in the West with revenues in the hundreds of millions. Islamic Relief USA (IRUSA), reputed to be one of the largest affiliate funders of IRW, is also inter-connected to IRW through leadership. For example, IRUSA’s former CEO, Abed Ayoub also served on the governance committee of the IRW. Between 2012 and 2016, Memphis Imam Yasir Qadhi has been helping IRUSA raise money speaking at a dozen fundraising events. More recently, he undertook an eight-date tour in the UK to raise money for the parent organization IRW. Britain’s Charity Commission which…

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REPORT: Senator Bob Corker Considering Retirement

  Senator Bob Corker is considering retirement, according to a CNN report breaking this morning: Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker, the influential chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee who was once considered for a spot in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, is weighing whether to call it quits next year. Corker told CNN last week that he has not made a decision about his future, and appeared to confirm Trump’s tweet that he asked the President for political advice about whether to run for reelection. “As far as what am I going to do in the future, I’m still contemplating the future,” Corker said in an interview. “It’s a tremendous privilege to do what I do, and to weigh in on the big issues. … But I have not decided what I’m going to do in the future.” The junior Senator has been oddly quiet about any 2018 re-election run as possible candidates consider challenging him in the August primary, and investigations into some too-good-to-be-true stock trades develop. CNN continues: A source familiar with Corker’s thinking said the Republican is legitimately torn about whether to remain in the body another six years or to return to his roots in the business sector.…

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Hurricane Irma Prompts President Trump to Call Governors of States in Storm’s Path, Including Haslam in Tennessee

President Trump made phone calls Sunday morning to governors of Southern states bracing for Hurricane Irma, which earlier had made landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida. Mr. Trump spoke with governors in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. Federal preparations for disaster response continued, including briefings for the president and vice president at Camp David, the White…

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Robert Mueller’s Donald Trump Investigation Hints at Russia Financial Crime Accusations

Special counsel Robert Mueller is obsessed with President Trump’s network of business interests for suspected money laundering as a critical focus of his investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election last year, according to sources from the intelligence community close to the former FBI director. One of the sources, who spoke on the condition of…

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