The bribery scheme was hatched in the halls of the United Nations in New York and spanned several continents. Chi Ping Patrick Ho, a Chinese national, and Cheikh Gadio, a one-time foreign minister of Senegal, plotted to bribe high-level African officials to secure business rights for a Shanghai-based energy and financial conglomerate. Their targets: Idriss Deby,…
Read the full storyYear: 2017
The Weekly Presidential Radio Address Goes on Hiatus
The White House confirms the weekly presidential radio address — a fixture for decades — is on indefinite hiatus. “We received quite a few comments and a lot of feedback that the weekly address wasn’t being used to its full potential,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in response to a VOA question during…
Read the full storyAmerican Atheists Inc. of Cranford Sue to Halt Annual Blessing of the Shelter Animals
An atheist group has its hackles up over an annual event that it calls unconstitutional – the blessing of the animals at the Bergen County Animal Shelter. The group, American Atheists Inc. of Cranford, claims in a federal lawsuit that the Teterboro shelter’s event, in which animals are blessed by a Franciscan reverend, violates the First…
Read the full storyGymnastics Doctor Larry Nassar Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault Charges, Faces At Least 25 Years Behind Bars
A day after Gabby Douglas added her name to the list of star gymnasts who say they were molested by Dr. Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor pleaded guilty to sexual assault charges and will face at least 25 years in prison. The 54-year-old Nassar, who also served as a sports doctor for Michigan…
Read the full storyFact Check: Seismologists Aren’t Actually Predicting dramatic earthquakes for 2018 – It’s One Hypothesis from One Study
Headlines all around the world stopped just short of announcing impending doom. “Deadly earthquakes could hit a BILLION people next year because of Earth’s slowing rotation,” warned The Daily Mail. “Upsurge in big earthquakes predicted for 2018 as Earth rotation slows,” The Guardian also read. But that’s misleading at best, and fear-mongering at worst. Here’s…
Read the full storyCommentary: Time for China, Japan to Join ‘Developed’ Nations at WTO
By Robert Romano China ($11.2 trillion) and Japan ($4.9 trillion) combined make up 21 percent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, according to the World Bank, having benefited from preferential treatment in global trade deals, and are still being treated as “developing” nations under world trade rules. At institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), developing economies do not have to play by the same rules on tariffs, subsidies and other trade barriers as developed economies like the U.S. The policy, called “special and differential” treatment, has been a mainstay of world trade rules since at least the Tokyo Round of GATT that began in 1973, when developing economies in the Asia-Pacific region argued for special protections. Back then, the concept was called “non-reciprocity.” It states, “The developed contracting parties do not expect reciprocity for commitments made by them in trade negotiations to reduce or remove tariffs and other barriers to the trade of less-developed contracting parties.” And specifically, that “the less-developed contracting parties should not be expected, in the course of trade negotiations, to make contributions which are inconsistent with their individual development, financial and trade needs, taking into consideration past trade developments.” Now, more than 40 years…
Read the full storyCalifornia Judge Blocks Trump’s Sanctuary City Order
A federal judge in California blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order reducing funding for sanctuary cities Monday, limiting the administration’s ability to punish municipalities that violate federal immigration law. The permanent injunction follows a preliminary ruling, issued in April, in a suit filed by the city of San Francisco and Santa Clara county. “The Counties have…
Read the full storyNashville Mayor Megan Barry Defends Mass Transit Plan, Raises Cost
Nashville Mayor Megan Barry defended her controversial mass transit plan Monday at a Rotary Club meeting, reports the Nashville Business Journal. And on Wednesday she raised the cost – from $5.2 billion to $5.4 billion. Barry’s plan has faced a growing chorus of critics who have questioned its costs and practicality. But in her speech to the Rotary Club’s Nashville chapter, Barry tried to dispel three myths she said critics have created about her proposal, which involves building a light rail network, improving and expanding bus service, and building an underground tunnel downtown. She wants Davidson County voters in May to approve four tax increases, including a sales tax hike, to help fund the project. The project’s price increase is the result of new plans to extend the Charlotte Avenue light rail corridor. Resources have already been found to cover the expense and the proposed tax increases won’t change, Barry said in a press release. Barry said Monday the three false ideas promoted by critics are that transit ridership is falling, Nashville doesn’t have the density to support light rail, and self-driving cars will eliminate the need for mass transit. Saying that it’s “disingenuous to dance on transit’s grave,” Barry pointed to…
Read the full storyTelevision, Music, and Broadway Star David Cassidy Dies at 67
After struggling with dementia and cascading organ failure, David Cassidy has died, as confirmed by his publicist. He was just 67 years old. The Los Angeles Time reports: The singer and actor died in Fort Lauderdale after being hospitalized in Florida for multiple organ failure, including his liver and kidneys. His death was confirmed by Jo-Ann Geffen. The singer had also suffered from dementia in recent months, and had announced he would stop performing as the disease worsened. “I will always be eternally grateful for the love and support you’ve shown me,” he said in a statement earlier this year. “I still love very much to play and perform live. But it’s much more difficult for me now. I’m not going to vanish or disappear forever.” Cassidy had booked small acting gigs before he first shot to fame playing singer Keith Partridge on ABC’s “The Partridge Family,” a gentle sitcom take on the family-band genre. The series, which also starred Cassidy’s real-life stepmother, Shirley Jones, debuted in 1970 and ran for four seasons. Frustrated by his “Partridge Family” persona, Cassidy sought to shed his character’s clean-cut reputation and embrace the culture and politics of the far-left hippie movement, which led to his notorious…
Read the full storyTonight on ABC: ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’
It isn’t Thanksgiving time if you haven’t yet watched “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.” Luckily, ABC makes it easy for people to do just that by airing the special each year right around the holiday. The network normally airs the holiday special the day before Thanksgiving, and this year is no different. It will be broadcast Wednesday,…
Read the full storyMusic Spotlight: Carly Pearce
Carly Pearce named Pandora Artist to Watch 2018 Reigns Atop Canadian Mediabase & Billboard Country Airplay Charts
Read the full storyTracy Lawrence Announces 12th Annual ‘Mission: Possible’ Turkey Fry and 3rd Annual Concert
NASHVILLE, Tennessee–Tracy Lawrence and Friends Announce the 12th Annual “Mission:Possible” Turkey Fry at the Nashville Rescue Mission followed by a concert at the Wildhorse Saloon featuring Halfway to Hazard, Ben Gallaher, William Michael Morgan, Luke Combs, Jamie O’Neal and Clay Cormier. Enlisting help from fellow Nashville music, sports and entertainment celebrities, as well as a host of volunteers, Lawrence and friends will fry up to 600 donated turkeys ensuring a warm meal for those less fortunate this Thanksgiving. States Lawrence, “When their kids are out of school, so many families don’t have food to eat.” Mission:Possible and other outlets deliver to government housing along with the Men’s and Women’s shelters to help ensure they have something to eat. The Mission:Possible Turkey Fry started twelve years ago on a Thanksgiving morning when Tracy Lawrence met with friends and family and decided this would be a good way to give back to our community. “It started small and the next thing you know, you get sponsors and it turns into this big amazing thing and it’s starting to spread around the country.” This year LouAna Oil is helping by donating oil for the fryers and Blue Rhino is donating all of the propane. Sam’s Club is also…
Read the full storyVice President Pence Cuts Checks to Candidates, Including Rep. Marsha Blackburn for Her U.S. Senate Bid
Great America Committee, a newly-formed PAC controlled by Vice President Mike Pence, has begun cutting checks to a number of Republican candidates for office in the 2018 midterms, Politico reports. Representative Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN-07) Senate campaign is among those first recipients of the funds, along with some 36 other elected office hopefuls, many of whom have a long history of loyalty to the White House. Via Politico: The vice president is giving financial support to a slate of high-profile candidates that includes Missouri Senate hopeful Josh Hawley, Nevada gubernatorial contender Adam Laxalt, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who is eyeing a potential Senate bid. Not on the list: besieged Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who is facing accusations that he engaged in sexual misconduct with teenagers when he was in his 30s. Looking to reward those who have been loyal to the administration, Pence is wading into several prospective primaries. Among those getting checks are Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Senate hopeful who is facing a fight for the Republican nomination, and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso. Several potential Barrasso primary opponents have emerged, including investor Foster Friess and Blackwater founder Erik Prince. “I am honored to have the support of such…
Read the full storyNeal McCoy’s Hot New Single ‘Take a Knee My A**’ Excoriates NFL’s Kneelers As It Climbs Country-Music Charts
Country music singer Neal McCoy’s newly released single about the NFL is climbing the charts, but you’ll probably never see the song performed at halftime. Released Nov. 10, “Take a Knee My Ass” was ranked first on Amazon’s digital country songs and fourth on the iTunes Top 100 Country Songs Chart as of late Sunday. Mr.…
Read the full storyFourteen Students Charged in Brawl Fueled by Ethnic Tensions at Nashville’s Overton High School
Fourteen students at Overton High School in Nashville faced charges Tuesday after a massive fight broke out on campus. Police said the brawl was between male students of Latino and Kurdish descent ranging in age from 14 to 19. There were no serious injuries. Twelve juveniles were charged with disorderly conduct, with one also charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. The student put his hand on the officer’s holstered gun during the struggle, according to a spokesman with the Metro Nashville Police Department. All twelve were taken to juvenile detention. Two adult students, 18-year-old Bayar Abdullah and 19-year-old Azad Abdullah, were charged with disorderly conducted and issued misdemeanor citations. Located on Franklin Road north of Brentwood, Overton High School is one of the most diverse high schools in the South with hundreds of immigrant and refugee students. The school was placed on lockdown around 11 a.m. because of the fight. WSMV News 4 reported that the fight broke out upstairs in one of the freshman hallways and bathrooms. According to WSMV: A student told News 4 there is one hallway inside the school that is referred to as the “Kurdish hallway,” and another is referred to as the “Mexican…
Read the full storyLamar Alexander Calls Restoration of West Tennessee Doctor’s Medicare Billing Privileges ‘Good News for the People of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick’
Senator Lamar Alexander called the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to restore the medicare billing privileges for Dr. Bryan Merrick “good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick” in a statement given to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Alexander called on Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to hold hearings in the Senate Finance Commmittee he chairs on the Obama-era regulation that was used to revoke Dr. Merrick’s Medicare privileges in March. “This is good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick, and I am glad that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has resolved this situation. I especially appreciate the hard work of Representative David Kustoff to solve this problem — his efforts to fix this problem were very important to all of us,” Alexander said in the statement. “I’m happy to hear that CMS has decided to do the right thing and allow Dr. Merrick to return his attention to his patients and the people of McKenzie,” former Congressional candidate Dr. George Flinn told The Star. Flinn was one of many West Tennessee community leaders he advocated on behalf of Dr. Merrick after his Medicare privileges were…
Read the full storyTennessee Education Commissioner to Reconvene Task Force on Student Testing
Tennessee education commissioner Candice McQueen has announced the reconvening of a special task force on student testing and assessment. The state for the past few years has struggled with problems with testing vendors and growing concern among parents and others that students are overtested. McQueen started the task force after taking office in 2015 to get feedback from educators, parents and stakeholders and has made it an annual practice. Past recommendations from the task force have included shortening some state tests and eliminating the SAT-10, Explore and Plan exams, among other suggestions. “This task force has been critical in our work to improve the testing experience for students while providing better information to teachers and parents,” McQueen said in a news release Monday. “As in the past, I am confident that this group will continue to provide meaningful, actionable recommendations for improving both district and state assessment programs.” Many new participants will join the third annual assessment task force. Here is a list of task force members, with an asterisk beside the names of new participants: Candice McQueen, Tennessee Commissioner of Education Sara Morrison, Executive Director, State Board of Education Dolores Gresham, Chairman, Senate Education Committee John Forgety, Chairman, House Education…
Read the full storyRemembering President John F. Kennedy 54 Years After His Assassination
On this day 54 years ago, November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a wild-eyed Communist with delusions of grandeur. Instead of typical recitations of the events of President Kennedy’s last day and its gruesome end, here is a list of some of the more noteworthy accomplishments during our 35th president’s short time in office… Broke the ‘Catholic Ceiling’ Although many questions surround the 1960 presidential contest between Republican nominee, Vice President Richard Nixon and Senator John Kennedy, the Democrat won the day, becoming the second-youngest chief executive in our nation’s history (the youngest is President Theodore Roosevelt, who was 42). But what made Kennedy’s election groundbreaking was that he was the first Catholic to hold the presidency in our overwhelmingly Protestant nation. Pro-growth economic policy and tax reforms Upon assuming office, the United States’ economy was weighted down by a nagging recession. Kennedy’s pro-growth economic policy positions led to the most significant tax reforms since President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal. The cornerstone of JFK’s bold plan was an across-the-boards tax cut and a new investment tax credit. Throughout the Eisenhower era, the average GDP had grown an average of only 2.2% each year – a paltry rate…
Read the full storyFemale Genital Mutilation Rampant In the U.S.
Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone. Those African nations are notoriously associated with the gruesome ritual of female genital mutilation—but it also occurs in the U.S. where an alarming number of women and girls are subjected to such torture that Immigration and Customs Enforcement pledges to stop, according to an announcement Monday. It’s estimated more than 500,000 women…
Read the full storyCommentary: Giving Back at Thanksgiving
Poor and starving people are not particularly appealing news stories, but fighting poverty is and should be a moral imperative for citizens in our cities, state and nation. Educators are often on the frontlines.
Read the full storyWhite House: The Opioid Epidemic Even Worse Than We Thought
The opioid crisis is killing thousands more Americans than previously thought and its economic toll reached half a trillion dollars in 2015, the White House said Monday in a report that reexamines the reach of the prescription drug and heroin epidemic. Drug overdoses are the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., outnumbering car crashes…
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Public Schools Administrator Accused of Sexual Harassment
An administrator with Metro Nashville Public Schools has been put on paid administrative pending an investigation into charges of sexual harassment. Moreno Carrasco, executive officer for priority schools, received a letter from employee relations last week citing “accusations of harassment committed by you towards female staff members at MNPS.” The letter noted that “this period of administrative leave is not a form of disciplinary action, it is just for the purpose of investigation.” Carrasco was tapped by Superintendent Shawn Joseph in summer 2016 to lead efforts to turn around the district’s lowest-performing schools. Joseph had recently been named superintendent and knew Carrasco from when they both worked in Maryland. Carrasco held positions in Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland as a central office administrator and school principal. In 2007, he won the Met Life High School Principal of the Year award for Maryland, given by the National Association of Secondary School Principals. In a Metro Nashville Public Schools newsletter at the time Carrasco was hired, Joseph called Carrasco “one of the strongest school leaders I have worked with.” “He can be a coach, a strategist and a mentor, which is exactly what our highest priority schools need,” Joseph said. “He learned…
Read the full storyConservatives Blast IRS Request to Keep Tea Party Targeting Testimony Secret
Conservative leaders on Monday blasted a request by a pair of former top IRS officials for a court order to keep sealed their testimony related to the agency’s targeting scandal. Lois Lerner and her deputy Holly Paz cited fears for their personal safety in asking a federal judge last week to keep tapes and transcripts of…
Read the full storyHomeland Security Ends Temporary Deportation Protection for 60,000 Haitians
President Donald Trump’s administration will end a temporary quasi-amnesty program for almost 60,000 Haitians, but only after a long delay, senior officials said Monday. Officials speaking on condition of anonymity told reporters that Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke had decided to end the program for victims of the 2010 Haitian earthquake but delay its implementation…
Read the full storyDale Earnhardt Jr. Remembers the Past and Looks to the Future Before His Final Race
Screenshot – Dale Jr It’s the end of an era. Dale Earnhardt Jr. handed his racing helmet over to team owner Rick Hendrick following his final lap at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Nov. 20, and thus ended his career behind the wheel. Watch the video Although Junior is part of a racing legacy with his dad, NASCAR…
Read the full storyImmigration Activists to Hold Vigils in Nashville and Memphis Tonight to Promote DACA Amnesty
Supporters of allowing DACA recipients to remain permanently in the U.S. will hold a vigil this evening outside the Nashville offices of Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Bob Corker (R-TN) on West End Avenue. The vigil at 6:30 p.m. is organized by the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and JUMP (Jóvenes Unidos por un Mejor Presente, or Youth United for a Better Present). A similar vigil sponsored by TIRRC and the Memphis Youth Association will be held at City Hall in Memphis at 6 p.m. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was started by former President Obama with an executive order and granted illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. if they met certain criteria. In September, President Trump rescinded DACA and turned the issue over to Congress to consider a legislative solution. Nearly 800,000 young people nationally have been granted DACA status and there currently are around 690,000 recipients, including more than 8,300 in Tennessee. Activists want Congress to pass a “clean” DACA bill granting residency without approval for the legislation being contingent on funding for a border wall and strengthened interior immigration enforcement, as President…
Read the full storyLift the Vote Urges American Christians to Join ‘#RedWednesday’ in Support of Persecuted Christians Around the World
Lift the Vote, a non-profit project that focuses on Christian voter engagement, is encouraging Christians throughout the Volunteer State and the country to support the “#RedWednesday” effort organized by two Christian organizations based in Great Britain that calls attention to persecuted Christians around the world by using the color red on Wednesday “as a symbol of Christian martyrdom.” As Breitbart News reported, “On 22 November, churches and public buildings around the world, including the houses of the British Parliament, will be lit up in red as a sign of solidarity with persecuted Christians across the globe,” adding: Numerous studies have shown that Christians are by far the most persecuted religious group in the world, with some 90,000 Christians killed for their faith in 2016 alone, while as many as 600 million were prevented from practicing their faith. The event known as #RedWednesday calls attention to the plight of Christians in hostile situations around the globe by using the color red to evoke the notion of Christian martyrdom. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Catholic organization that assists persecuted Christians, has organized the event in conjunction with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). “We are supporting this movement and encourage churches…
Read the full storyDavidson County Sheriff Daron Hall to Seek Fifth Term
Davidson County Sheriff Daron Hall is seeking a fifth term as sheriff. A Democrat, Hall announced last week that he is preparing to run in the May 1 primary. The general election is Aug. 2. First elected sheriff in 2002, the Nashville native is currently serving his fourth consecutive four-year term. Before becoming sheriff, Hall was chief deputy for the sheriff’s department. Earlier this year, Hall opposed efforts by Metro Council to pass sanctuary city bills. Proponents of the legislation wanted the sheriff’s department to get court-approved warrants to detain illegal immigrants who come into contact with law enforcement instead of simply following procedures set forth by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The proposed legislation was withdrawn because of public protest and the opinion of Metro’s law director, who said that under state law, the council can’t stop the sheriff from cooperating with federal immigration authorities. Hall has also drawn attention for his efforts to decriminalize mental illness. He oversaw the design of a behavioral care center that will sit next to the new downtown detention center. The center will be for people for whom it is deemed more beneficial to receive therapy than serve time in jail for misdemeanors. Both facilities are set…
Read the full storyChristianity Today Editor Attacks ‘Pence Rule’ for Interacting with Women but Others Defend Vice President
When it comes to the steps he takes to safeguard his marriage, Vice President Mike Pence can’t get a break. Not even after the recent flood of revelations about indecent behavior on the part of power players in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. In March, the Washington Post ran a profile of Pence’s wife, Karen, which recalled how Pence in 2002 told The Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and won’t attend events with alcohol if she’s not with him. Both Pence and his wife are evangelical Christians. The Washington Post piece prompted a backlash, even among some evangelicals, who said Pence’s approach goes too far and insults women. Many conservatives are saying news stories this fall about entertainment figures and politicians behaving badly proves the wisdom of Pence’s rule. But not Katelyn Beaty, a Christianity Today editor who took Pence to task in an op-ed for the New York Times last week titled “A Christian Case Against the Pence Rule.” Beaty wrote: I know many Christians who keep some version of the rule. These men have good motives. Their stated intent – marital fidelity – is noble, and one that I respect. But the Pence rule is inadequate to…
Read the full storyHillary Clinton: Bill Clinton ‘Probably Survived’ Early Battles Because Fox News Didn’t Exist
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told a Little Rock audience over the weekend that her husband’s first White House bid was successful in large part because Fox News Channel did not exist. Bill Clinton, his wife, and long-time ally James Carville convened at the Clinton Foundation on Saturday night to celebrate the 25th anniversary of…
Read the full storyPresident Bill Clinton Still Silent About the 26 Flights On Convicted Sex Offender Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’
Former President Bill Clinton continues to remain silent about the 26 flights he took aboard convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet, dubbed the “Lolita Express,” which reportedly offered underage girls to passengers to rape. Fox News wrote in 2016 that the Lolita Express, a Boeing 727 jet, was “reportedly outfitted with a bed where passengers…
Read the full storyFranken Will Not Resign, Is ‘Doing A Lot Of Reflecting’
Democratic Minnesota Sen. Al Franken is not planning to resign amid allegations he groped and made unwanted sexual advances towards news anchor Leeann Tweeden. A spokesman for Franken told The Minneapolis Star-Tribune on Saturday that the senator was not going to resign, but the sexual assault claims have made him do “a lot of reflecting” on…
Read the full storyRepealing Obamacare’s Individual Mandate Won’t Cause Doomsday Democrats Promise
If Congress moves forward with repealing Obamacare’s individual mandate through tax reform, it would likely not lead to the coverage losses that some of the program’s supporters tout. The Senate is currently proposing repealing the Affordable Care Act’s mandate that all Americans purchase health insurance or pay a penalty through its tax reform proposal, a proposal…
Read the full storyCommentary: In the Great Battle for Integrity, Who Wins, Neil Gorsuch or Al Franken?
by Jeffrey A. Rendall It may be a little hard to remember now, nearly ten months later, but the newly sworn in President Donald Trump created waves throughout the country when he introduced a little known federal judge from Colorado as the prospective replacement for the late legendary Justice Antonin Scalia at the end of January. Neil Gorsuch and his wife Marie Louise stood patiently behind President Trump as the announcement was made to the country. The Justice-to-be then delivered a brief but stirring tribute to the man whom he would succeed and promised, if confirmed, to do everything in his power to maintain Scalia’s tradition of upholding the original meaning of the Constitution. Because of his conservative textualist philosophy Gorsuch endured a grueling senate confirmation battle at the hands of the desperate Democrat opposition which ultimately ended in the slim Republican majority’s “nuking” of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, which then paved the way for the appeals court judge to elevate to the high court with 54 votes. It’s safe to say Gorsuch has not disappointed conservatives ever since, and many see the newest Supreme Court Justice as the most successful fulfillment of any of Donald Trump’s…
Read the full storyCelebrate the Holidays With a Star-Studded “CMA Country Christmas” Airing November 27th on ABC
CMA Country Christmas airs Monday, November 27th on ABC.
Read the full storyActivist Who Promoted Controversial Mexican-American Curriculum in Arizona to Speak at Vanderbilt
Curtis Acosta, an activist and former high school teacher involved in promoting a controversial Mexican-American studies program in Tuscon, Arizona schools, will speak at Vanderbilt University Dec. 7. In 2010, in response to criticism of the instructional program, Arizona passed a law banning materials that promote overthrowing the U.S. government and inculcate racial resentment and ethnic solidarity. Most of the law was upheld by a federal judge when challenged. The case was appealed and went back to trial and in August the same judge ruled that the ban is racially discriminatory and violates students’ constitutional rights. “Acosta’s presentation will focus on that victory by examining the connection between the racist and dehumanizing policies in Arizona with the current national political climate that is affecting youth, people of color and other marginalized communities,” says a Vanderbilt University news release. The Tuscon Unified School District in 2012 dropped the Mexican-American studies program so as not to lose state funding. But controversy continued over instructional materials as educators pressed to teach the same themes as part of a “culturally relevant” curriculum. The Daily Caller reported that teachers received approval to use texts including “Occupied America,” “Message to Aztlan” and “Chicano!” There also was controversy over Rage Against the Machine’s “Take…
Read the full storyFans Mourn the Loss of Music-Legend-Turned-Television-Star Della Reese
The Salvation Army Sally Awards Rest in peace, Della Reese. The “Touched By An Angel” actress and music legend passed away on Sunday, Nov. 19, according to PEOPLE. She was 86 years old. “On behalf of her husband, Franklin Lett, and all her friends and family, I share with you the news that our beloved Della…
Read the full storyCharles Manson Goes to Hell
Charles Manson, the evil man who orchestrated ten murders committed by his cult of followers in 1969, has died and gone to hell at the age of 83. The end came for Manson at a hospital in Bakersfield, California. Convicted of the murders in 1970, Manson has been in a California prison ever since. The Associated Press recounts the crimes and subsequent trial: A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of L.A.’s rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war — an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter.” The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California’s Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself…
Read the full storyThe World Mourns the Loss of the Iconic Mel Tillis
The country music world is mourning the passing of another legend. Country music great and distinguished singer-songwriter Mel Tillis passed away on the morning of Nov. 19. According to a statement from his publicist, Mel died as a result of respiratory failure. He was 85 years old. …
Read the full storyTexas Budget to Include $20 Million for Pro-Life Options
Texas has allocated $20 million in its 2018-2019 budget to go to a pro-life program that offers alternatives to abortion and provides services to new parents. “If they’re self-sufficient through the process of childbirth and afterward, that saves the state money and makes for much happier women and children and families,” Texas Alliance for Life Executive…
Read the full storyMuseum of the Bible Opens in Washington, D. C.
A larger than life entrance greets visitors at the new Museum of the Bible in Washington — dramatic 12-meter-tall doors containing text from Genesis 1, the biblical creation of the world. The gateway allows entry to all things about the Bible, spanning several floors in the large building, which is located near the National Mall, Smithsonian…
Read the full storyNFL Player Sits During US National Anthem, Stands for Mexican National Anthem
Marshawn Lynch has been the subject of plenty of national anthem criticism this year. On Sunday, he made a statement even louder, reportedly opting to stand for the Mexican anthem and kneel for the American anthem: Marshawn Lynch sits during the US national anthem, stands for Mexican anyhem pic.twitter.com/8wdaKprEki — Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 19, 2017…
Read the full storyDespite Plunging NFL Ratings, Goodell Contract Extension Expected to be Completed Soon
A proposed contract extension for commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly is on track to be completed soon despite Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones recently threatening to sue the NFL if the extension is approved. Goodell’s proposed extension is expected to be completed at or before the NFL owners’ Dec. 13 meeting in Dallas, sources familiar with the…
Read the full storyNorth Carolina County Slashes Funding To Volunteer Fire Dept Over Confederate Flag
A North Carolina county will slash funding to a volunteer fire department because of the department’s flying of a Confederate flag, according to a Thursday report. While the fire department obtains $19,000 annually and $400,000 every 10 years for a new truck, Montgomery County, N.C. commissioners said they will only cover the group’s fuel and maintenance…
Read the full storyFar Left Democrats Call for Replacing Al Franken in U.S. Senate with Keith Ellison
Progressives aligned with the Bernie Sanders camp called for replacing disgraced Sen. Al Franken with a fellow Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Keith Ellison, as support grew Friday for the senator’s resignation. Justice Democrats, a group of former Sanders campaign staffers and others prominent leftists, launched a petition Thursday asking Mr. Franken to resign following the release of…
Read the full storyIslamic Center of Tennessee Imam Preaches Against ‘Enemies of Allah’
In July, Imam AhmedulHadi Sharif told his followers at the Islamic Center of Tennessee (ICT) that if the Muslim ummah loses the struggle over the al Aqsa mosque, the “enemies of Allah would come and try to destroy the ka’aba” (at 22:43 in the video below). According to Muslims, the ka’aba is the building at Mecca that houses a sacred black stone. Sharif’s sermon about Muslims’ claim to the al Aqsa mosque was given during the conflict surrounding the mosque after two Israeli police officers were killed by three Israeli Arabs who had smuggled weapons into the mosque. Subsequent security measures of metal detectors and security cameras undertaken by the Israeli government were ultimately withdrawn after Palestinians led violent protests and a terrorist killed three Israeli civilians during their Sabbath meal. In his sermon, Sharif tries to differentiate between what he calls “ethnic” Jews and Zionist oppressors who he calls “the number one terrorists in the world,” but nonetheless, incites hatred against Jews who believe that Israel is the Jewish homeland saying: We do not hate the ethnic Jewish rather we do hate the oppressors of this Zionist because the Prophets of Allah some of them were from Bani Isra’il so…
Read the full storyCommentary: Is Today’s American Intelligence Community Trustworthy?
by Printus LeBlanc Since President Trump took office, there have been multiple reports of friction between the President and the Intelligence Community (IC). This is disconcerting because the President needs the community especially in the tough times we are currently facing, North Korea, Iran, and terrorism. If the people of the IC would take a minute and put themselves in the shoes of the President, they might see why there is friction and that the friction can be fixed. Most Presidents have either served in the military or were elected officials before becoming the President, therefore they had contact with the intelligence community. President Trump was not in the military nor a politician before deciding to run for the office, therefore he did not have prior interaction with the intelligence community. All the President knew about the IC was what was reported by the media. What were some of the main media stories being pushed by the media about the IC prior to Donald Trump’s election? Before the election: The mainstream media lambasted the IC for the Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) debacle. The coalition never found the WMD stockpiles or the mobile labs that were the motive…
Read the full storyNew Jersey Sues Big Pharma CEO For Illegally Pushing A Deadly Fentanyl Drug
Officials are in New Jersey are expanding the focus of their lawsuit against a top manufacturer of a fentanyl-based medication to include the company’s CEO. New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Friday that the state is amending its current consumer fraud and false claims complaint against Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. Porrino is targeting…
Read the full storyThe Rock Music World Has Lost an AC/DC Legend at the Age of 64
malcolm young dead Malcolm Young, one of the co-founders of the Australian rock band AC/DC, passed away on Saturday at the age of 64. The Young family became a phenomenon for their role in shaping the rock world with hard-hitting music that bridged generations. Malcolm’s younger brother Angus, 62, is famous for the on-stage antics that…
Read the full story‘Justice League’ Delivers, But Without a Superhero-Sized Punch
LOS ANGELES, November 18, 2017 – DC Comics latest film, Justice League flew into theaters nationwide over the weekend, but it hardly stands up compared to ‘Batman v. Superman.’ The action-packed, superhero driven film features the standard superhero and villain dynamic. Villains are here to destroy, heroes are here to fight back for those who can’t.…
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