Ford will increase its investment in electrification, planning to spend $11 billion by 2022 to create hybrid and all-electric versions of its vehicles, the company announced Sunday at the Detroit Auto Show. Ford executive James Farley said the increased expenditure essentially doubles and extends Ford’s previous $4.5 billion investment in electrification until 2020.
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A diamond thought to be the fifth largest of gem quality ever found has been discovered in Lesotho, miner Gem Diamonds said Monday, and could be worth as much as $40 million. The company unearthed the D-colour stone at the Letseng mine in the landlocked southern African country and described the 910-carat find as of “exceptional quality”.
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Religious groups are planning more than the annual holiday celebrations that note the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. this year. The holiday honoring the Baptist civil rights leader falls on his actual birthday — Jan. 15, 1929. But King also will be remembered in the spring, five decades after his April 4 assassination in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky, a Republican, announced in a news conference on Friday that Kentucky Medicaid recipients will have to either work or be in a jobs training program to continue receiving benefits. Bevin’s announcement comes just days after the Trump administration said it will allow states to impose work requirements for Medicaid recipients, as Fox News reported: “Our policy guidance was in response to states that asked us for the flexibility they need to improve their programs and to help people in achieving greater well-being and self-sufficiency,” Verma said, noting the agency has received demonstration project proposals from 10 states: Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin. The test programs, according to CMS, could make work, “skills training, education, job search, volunteering or caregiving” a requirement for Medicaid for “able-bodied, working-age adults.” It would not apply to those getting benefits due to a “disability, elderly beneficiaries, children, and pregnant women.” Kentucky’s new work requirements mandate that able-bodied adult recipients participate in at least 80 hours of “employment activities,” (jobs training, education and community service) each month. “Kentucky’s waiver, submitted for federal approval in 2016, requires able-bodied adult recipients to participate in at least 80 hours a month of “employment activities,”…
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After Utah Senator Orrin announced his retirement in early January, rumors swirled about former Governor of Massachusetts and former 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney making a bid for the seat. On Sunday, Romney reportedly texted a top Utah businessman a very blunt response. “I’m running,” Romney wrote in a text to Utah top businessman Kem Gardner.
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Chelsea Manning, the transgender Maryland woman convicted of sharing thousands of military documents with WikiLeaks, has filed to run for Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin seat in this year’s election. Manning declared her intentions Jan. 5 with the Federal Election Commission, which posted the document on its website Thursday. She is running as a Democrat.
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By Printus LeBlanc A slew of recent reports painted an unflattering picture of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). These are the latest in a long line of suspect actions by the unconstitutional agency. It is time to do something about Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) pet agency. In December, the New York Times reported on a group of CFPB employees using encrypted messaging applications, such as WhatsApp and Signal, to communicate amongst one another on their government-issued phones. The group calls themselves “Dumbledore’s Army.” The group is using the apps to avoid creating official records of what they are doing, and according to the article, they have the goal of undermining the orders of the newly appointed Director Mick Mulvaney. This is problematic for two reasons: Actively disobeying orders to undermine your boss’s lawful order is a violation of the federal employee oath of office. Disobeying lawful orders fails to faithfully discharge the duties of the office. If the group is conducting work business with the apps, it is a violation of the Federal Records Act. The act requires all federal agencies to preserve the records of anything that relates to a government employee’s duties. Those using the apps…
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WGNS radio in Murfreesboro hosted a listener-run debate between former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) and Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves on Friday. The two men are competing for the Republican nomination in the special election primary for the 14th State Senate District scheduled for next Thursday, January 25. The seat opened up in November when former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) resigned in November to take a job with the Trump administration’s Department of Agriculture. Radio host Bart Walker laid out the ground rules for the debate, stating that all of the questions would be provided by the listeners, either via text or phone call, and that the candidates were not required to speak on every issue. “If you think to yourself, ‘Man, I just don’t want to answer that question,’ just be quiet. You don’t have to say a thing,” he said. One of the first questions, submitted by a listener via text, dealt with the gubernatorial race: “Who are you supporting for Governor?” Joe Carr answered first, and said he is supporting Mae Beavers for Tennessee’s next top executive. After Reeves did not offer an answer, moderator Walker began to ask the next question, but Carr interrupted, saying “Well…
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Jake Tapper of CNN allowed Ohio Gov. John Kasich to claim without challenge on Friday that agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency are deporting “thousands” of so-called dreamers under President Donald Trump. Tapper had the “NeverTrump” Republican on his Friday afternoon show, CNN’s “The Lead,” when Kasich made the claim.
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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) insisted Sunday that President Donald Trump did not refer to Haiti and some African nations as “s***hole countries” — and they blasted Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) for his “history of misrepresenting what happens in White House meetings.”
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DACA is back up and running, Homeland Security announced this weekend, saying President Trump’s attempt to phase out the Obama-era deportation amnesty is on hold while they fight a court case that ordered them to begin accepting applications again.
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President Donald Trump suggested last week that lawmakers bring back “earmarks,” a practice that for centuries helped transform Washington into a “swamp” riddled special interests, out-of-control spending and unaccountability. “Maybe all of you should start thinking about going back to a form of earmarks,” Trump said Tuesday to a group of Republican and Democratic congressman gathered…
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The war of words is heating up between former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) and Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves in their battle for the GOP nomination for the 14th District State Senate seat vacated by former State Senator Jim Tracy(R-Shelbyville) late last year. Thus far however, there is no sign that the fiery rhetoric is translating to turnout in early voting. Early voting began on January 5 and runs through January 20, 2018. Primary Election day is January 25th with the primary winner advancing to the March 13, 2018 Special General Election. The first week of early voting (with the January 12 snow and ice storm closing polling locations early) have only produced 1,432 total votes in the Republican primary election in the five counties involved: Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore and Rutherford. Only 190 votes have been cast in the Democratic Primary, where Gayle Jordan is the sole candidate. The icy conditions on January 12 have raised increased concerns among both political camps that similar conditions on Election Day mean locking in votes during the early voting period is even more crucial. In 2011, State Senator Kerry Roberts won a Special Election to fill the vacancy created after then-State Senator Diane…
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by Robert Chovanculiak New internet technologies and companies fight against the public institutions on various fronts. The media headlines are full of it: They want to ban Uber in London and have already done so in Paris.They want to ban Airbnb in Prague and have de facto banned it in Berlin.The opponents of the sharing economy are accusing it of not following the regulations. The advocates for the sharing economy say that these regulations do not apply to it. Now, it is not important which of these two camps is right. It is important to realize that this is not the first case of regulation and innovation crashing. Practically every era has had its Uber or Airbnb.The problem is that people are dying and laws are changing, so these examples are long forgotten today. Container Innovation An example of this innovation is a standardized cargo container. Today, there are more than 20 million of these containers around the globe and we move practically everything in them. This innovation from the late sixties completely changed the world. It transformed the way the ports are structured and operate, where the factories are built, and how international trade and globalization have developed. Before…
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Australian researchers have demonstrated a ‘speed breeding’ technique for common crops. Their method yields far more food per unit area than conventional farming, relying on specially calibrated LEDs that emit light at specific frequencies onto crops to accelerate plant growth.
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Tennessee weighed in as the Number Five Growth State, according data released by rental giant U-Haul. The top-five status represents another huge gain in ranking over the last three years of reporting. Of all the one-way U-Haul traffic in Tennessee, the statement reports that arriving trucks made for a whopping 50.3 percent – catapulting its ranking seven spots in one year. Tennessee came in at number 12 in 2016 and was number 34 in 2015. Jeff Porter, U-Haul Company of Nashville president said, “We have no state income tax, beautiful weather and Southern hospitality. Growth isn’t restricted to Nashville, either. We’re seeing job growth everywhere. Nashville has started to grow up rather than out. There are new condos and high-rises. The Gulch is an up-and-coming community downtown. The district has an industrial history but has become a hot spot for the younger generation.” The areas within Tennessee that saw the most “incoming” activity are: Maryville, Murfreesboro, Columbia, Lebanon, Athens, Clarksville, Oak Ridge and Brentwood paced Tennessee’s net gain of one-way U-Haul trucks. The company said that Kingsport, Collierville and Franklin were among other notable cities to post strong net gains. U-Haul calculates their annual ‘Growth State’ list by observing the net gain of one-way U-Haul truck rentals entering a state versus leaving…
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by George Rasley, CHQ Editor [Editor’s note: This commentary contains strong adult language not suitable for young children.] We’ve observed an interesting phenomenon since Donald Trump was elected President; it is now common for almost any political discussion to include the phrase “normal Americans” to contrast what people outside the Beltway think about issues versus what the establishment elite think about the issues. Does that mean that liberals are not “normal?” We think it does, and we cite the liberal explosion of outrage over the President asking why we need more immigration from “shithole” countries as evidence. In an Oval Office meeting at the White House Thursday, ABC News reports that President Trump grew frustrated at a proposed bipartisan immigration plan that would scale back the visa lottery program, but not eliminate it, asking those in the room why they would want more people from Haiti, Africa and other “shithole countries” coming into the United States, according to multiple sources either briefed on or familiar with the discussion. ABC reports the president suggested instead that the U.S. should have more people from places like Norway, whose prime minister he met with Wednesday, according to these sources. Note there’s no firsthand…
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New Jersey health officials warned Friday that travelers flying through Newark Liberty International Airport earlier this month may have been exposed to measles. An Indiana University student who arrived on an international flight through Terminal C on Jan. 2 was later found to have a confirmed case of measles that was not diagnosed until days later. …
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Glenn Simpson, the Fusion GPS founder who sponsored the unverified anti-Trump dossier, claimed in August and again Jan. 2 that the FBI has a source inside the Trump camp who lent credence to the document. When a transcript of his secret August testimony was released on Tuesday, news headlines immediately latched onto the disclosure as a boon to a dossier whose core charges of Donald Trump-Russia collusion have been denied and not confirmed publicly.
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President Donald Trump just doesn’t make sense to those who are prisoners of the conventional political wisdom that has prevailed in the nation’s capital for many decades. He tweets. He says odd things. He speaks his mind, sometimes to the detriment of his day’s messaging goals. He sounds a lot like a few of the nation’s…
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Iran has warned Washington the nuclear deal between Tehran and major powers “is not renegotiable.” The foreign ministry said in a statement that Iran “will not accept any change in the deal, neither now nor in the future” and it will “not take any action beyond its commitments.” Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Twitter…
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Sen. Rand Paul threatened to filibuster the FISA bill Friday if certain changes were not made. “If there were ever something worth filibustering, I think it would be filibustering for the Bill of Rights,” Mr. Paul, Kentucky Republican, said on Fox News.
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Keith Jackson, the folksy voice of college football who for decades weaved backwoods wit through Saturday afternoon ABC broadcasts, has died. He was 89. In a 52-year broadcasting career, Jackson covered a wide variety of sports for radio and TV, including a rowing competition in the former Soviet Union, but he was best known as ABC’s voice of NCAA football — and for the homespun phrases he used in reporting it.
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Carbon fiber is the Superman of materials. Five times stronger than steel and a fraction of the weight, it is used in everything from tennis rackets to golf clubs to bicycles to wind turbine blades to passenger airplanes to Formula One race cars. There’s just one catch: Carbon fiber is made from oil and other costly ingredients, making the end product exceptionally expensive. That’s why carbon fiber shows up in race cars but rarely makes it into minivans.
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Trump on Saturday blamed Democrats for blowing up the deal to protect “Dreamers” from deportation. “The Democrats are all talk and no action. They are doing nothing to fix DACA. Great opportunity missed. Too bad!”
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Meltdown and Spectre take advantage of the way the processors in phones, computers, and servers operate. We’ll give it to you straight: There is bad news and good news about Meltdown and Spectre, the two new computer vulnerabilities.
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Tennessee safety Todd Kelly updated his status following reports that he was taken to a local hospital on Thursday night. Kelly tweeted that his injured knee “gave out” and resulted in him “slipping and falling.” However the safety confirmed that he is “doing well” and is “looking forward to returning next season.” pic.twitter.com/GEbamEncUq — Todd Kelly…
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by Timothy Summers Protecting individual privacy from government intrusion is older than American democracy. In 1604, the attorney general of England, Sir Edward Coke, ruled that a man’s house is his castle. This was the official declaration that a homeowner could protect himself and his privacy from the king’s agents. That lesson carried into today’s America, thanks to our Founding Fathers’ abhorrence for imperialist Great Britain’s unwarranted search and seizure of personal documents. They understood that everyone has something to hide, because human dignity and intimacy don’t exist if we can’t keep our thoughts and actions private. As citizens in the digital age, that is much more difficult. Malicious hackers and governments can monitor the most private communications, browsing habits and other data breadcrumbs of anyone who owns a smartphone, tablet, laptop or personal computer. As an ethical hacker, my job is to help protect those who are unable, or lack the knowledge, to help themselves. People who think like hackers have some really good ideas about how to protect digital privacy during turbulent times. Here’s what they – and I – advise, and why. I have no affiliation or relationship with any of the companies listed below, except…
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Under a tight deadline, the Nashville Metro Council approved – by an overwhelming margin of 29-to-1 – a proposal to add Mayor Megan Barry’s ambitions $9 billion mass transit plan to the Davidson County ballot May 1 as a referendum. The sole ‘no’ vote was cast by Councilmember Angie Henderson (District 34). However, during her vote, she made clear her objection was not due to her disapproval of the Mayor’s plan, but rather she felt the mass transit proposal had issues within the details that should be addressed first: “I want to state that I do support this being on the ballot for referendum for decision by our constituents. But I think from a committee standpoint, at this juncture, related to my concerns about the plan – seeing that my vote does not necessarily keep this from advancing – I am a ‘No’ vote today. That does not mean I am a no vote end.” Watch the entire council meeting: In all, the Mayor is asking voters to raise four separate taxes – including the sales tax – to pay for the plan, made possible by the notorious gas tax hike known as the IMPROVE Act Tax Cut Act of 2017. “The…
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Outgoing Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said Thursday that he would punch President Trump if he ever tried to “get in my space.” During an interview Thursday on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” host Chris Matthews asked the Virginia Democrat how he would react if Mr. Trump leaned over him during a debate, as he did with Democratic rival Hillary…
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In a statement released on Thursday, Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves attacked former State Rep. Joe Carr’s (R-Lascassas) initial “question mark” rating from the National Rifle Association, contrasting it with his own “A” rating. Both men are vying for the Republican nomination in the January 25 special primary election in the 14th State Senate District. Former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville) resigned from the seat in November to accept a position with U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Trump administration. On Friday, Carr hit back. “Today I am pleased to announce that the NRA has scored my record and gave me an A, just as I expected,” Carr said in a statement. “My score is not qualified with a “q”, indicating it is based on responses to a questionnaire, but on my actual RECORD and RESULTS as a legislator. The mudslinging and misinformed attack from Shane Reeves, and his attempt to create an issue over the NRA delay in recording my score — through no fault of my own — is just another example of ‘his shoot first aim later’ approach in his campaign,” Carr continued. “Earlier this week Shane Reeves launched a mudslinging attack against Joe Carr concerning the National…
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The U.S. ambassador to Panama resigned Friday, saying he can no longer serve in his post under President Trump. Ambassador John Feeley wrote a letter to the State Department announcing his decision, Reuters reported. “As a junior foreign service officer, I signed an oath to serve faithfully the president and his administration in an apolitical fashion, even when I might not agree with certain policies,” Mr. Feeley said in the letter, Reuters reported. “My instructors made clear that if I believed I could not do that, I would be honor bound to resign. That time has come.”
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Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) Headmaster Bradford Gioia announced Wednesday the private, all-boys secondary school has accepted $90 million bequeathed from the estate of Horace Frank Burkholder, Jr. Burkholder, who graduated from the Nashville-area Academy in 1956, died in December. He was 81. “We are humbled by this extraordinary gift, a legacy given to MBA, its mission and community, by a graduate who preferred to remain understated and anonymous while he was living, giving this bequest selflessly in the highest form of nobility, generosity, and expression – to better an institution he loved,” MBA Headmaster Bradford Gioia said in a statement. In their remarks about the extraordinary inheritance, MBA said that Burkholder graduated from the school in 1956, was the captain of the State Champion 1955 football team. The school newspaper, ‘The Bell Ringer’ has archived articles from his time on the Big Red team where, as a Back, “Hajji Horace” Burkholder was a star. According to his obituary, Burkholder returned to his beloved Nashville after graduating from the University of Kentucky, where he joined Equitable Securities Corporation and worked in Municipal Bonds, and for six years, served in the Tennessee National guard. Over the years, he became known as a generous Nashville community philanthropist. In 2005,…
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Twitter says that individuals shown in an undercover video casually talking about how they plan on censoring certain viewpoints on the social media platform were speaking only “in a personal capacity.” They “do not represent or speak for Twitter,” a company spokeswoman said. The video in question, secretly recorded by Project Veritas, shows eight current or…
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President Trump kept the Iranian nuclear deal in place Friday for another 120 days but warned it’s the last time, as the U.S. seeks a tougher agreement against Tehran with European allies, and the administration slapped Iran with fresh sanctions unrelated to the agreement. “This is a last chance,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.
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Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) claimed Thursday that chain migration “doesn’t, for the most part, exist” and slammed those who believe in “this idea that chain migration is real.” She made her comments during an interview on CNN’s “At This Hour.” Jayapal, who immigrated to the U.S. from India as a teenager, urged lawmakers to avoid including chain migration limits in their proposals for how to solve their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) dilemma.
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President Donald Trump reportedly suggested the United States shouldn’t take in immigrants from Haiti or other “s—hole countries” because they do little to bolster an America First agenda – and now the world is on fire, tittering about racism and vulgarities and the foul-mouthed impoliteness of this White House commander-in-chief. But really folks, this is why Trump was elected in the first place.
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The Cloud Hill real estate development partnership announced Friday in a short statement it has withdrawn from the Fort Negley/Greer Stadium mixed-use project, citing concerns over an archaeological report which found that there is a great likelihood that the graves of slaves who build the historic fort are still resting on the grounds. At issue is a final report released by Tennessee Valley Archaeological Research (TVAR), a “consulting firm is located in Huntsville, Alabama [that works] closely with State Historic Preservation Officers and their staffs . . . to provide clients with an efficient process to comply with historic preservation laws and regulations,” which found that among the undisturbed soils along the periphery of the property indicate “that impressed slaves were likely buried in these areas during the construction of Fort Negley, it is highly likely that human remains are still present in these areas.” The proposal submitted by the Cloud Hill Partnership “accepted by Nashville Mayor Megan Barry to redevelop Fort Negley Park calls for affordable housing subsidized by government programs including tax credits and Section 8 vouchers,” The Tennessee Star reported in July, noting: The plan by Cloud Hill Partnership has already drawn fierce opposition because of concerns about historic preservation.…
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WASHINGTON — As he rejected a bipartisan compromise Thursday to resolve the standoff over so-called Dreamers, President Donald Trump asked participants in an Oval Office meeting why the U.S. should accept immigrants from “shithole countries” in Africa, according to two people briefed on the meeting. “What do we want Haitians here for?” the president asked, according to two people who were at the meeting.
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The Trump Administration signaled Thursday that it would once again allow states to impose work requirements for some Medicaid recipients. Gubernatorial hopeful Representative Diane Black (R-TN-06) released a statement supporting the decision: As Chairman of the Budget Committee, I have pushed for work requirements for able-bodied, adult Medicaid recipients. I’m thrilled President Trump agrees and has announced he will give states the flexibility to create work-based health care programs that fit the needs of our individual states. I’m confident that we in Nashville know more about what the people of Tennessee need than bureaucrats in Washington. When I’m elected Governor, I will immediately request a waiver from HHS to allow Tennessee to impose work requirements for able-bodied, adult Medicaid recipients. It’s not just about protecting taxpayer dollars from fraud and abuse; it’s about creating a culture of work and the dignity that comes from that work. Having grown up in a family that had to work hard for everything we had, I know that work is the only way up in this great country. Black is currently well in the lead of the five-way field of Republican candidates vying to be the next governor of Tennessee, according to in the…
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In light of Democrats – and some Republicans – push for “amnesty now, reforms later,” gubernatorial hopeful Mae Beavers issued a statement Tuesday reiterating her support of President Trump’s plans to secure the nation’s borders, as well as implement critical reforms to the immigration system including ending the practice of so-called “chain migration” and the Visa lottery, making mandatory the use of the federally run E-Verify by every employer in America. “The cornerstone of President Trump’s campaign was to secure our border and stop the flood of illegal immigrants into our country,” Beavers pointed out. “Millions of Americans voted for him based on that campaign promise alone, and I have every confidence that President Trump intends to fulfill his promise,” adding: I encourage the Tennessee Congressional delegation to stand solidly with President Trump in rejecting any and all attempts to water down his campaign promises with some sort of ‘we will get to border security later’ scheme. Congress has promised to secure our border AFTER we grant certain levels of amnesty before. We always get the amnesty…but never the increased border security and enforcement of our immigration laws. I am calling on our entire Tennessee Senate and Congressional delegation to make it…
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Former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) released a scathing radio ad in response to the recent attacks from rival Republican, Murfreesboro businessman Shane Reeves. The two men are vying for the Republican nomination in the January 25 special primary election for the 14th State Senate District to replace former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), who resigned in November to accept a position with the Trump administration in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The one-minute advertisement is different than the other ads we’ve seen in the course of this special election, in that it is focused solely on criticizing Reeves for ‘mudslinging,’ and how his behavior seems to contradict his electioneering persona as non-politician and man of faith. The sharp-tongued script is delivered dry–meaning there is no music or audio effects of any kind–and, apart from the campaign finance disclaimer at the beginning, the lone voice is that of a single, clearly irritated woman. Listen: TRANSCRIPT: Shane Reeves seemed like such a nice young man, then I started getting his postcards attacking Joe Carr. Shane Reeves says he isn’t a politician, but you can’t get much more “politician” than slinging mud just to win a political campaign. I expected better of…
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Tennessee Comptroller Justin Wilson’s Office of Research and Education Accountability (OREA) released a series of reports Wednesday, including an examination of sexual misconduct involving students and educators that found taxpayer-funded public schools are rife with opportunities for bad actors to infiltrate the system and exploit children. A .pdf copy of the report’s 12-page Executive Summary is embedded at the end of this article. The genesis of the policy-and-procedures review seems to stem from the spate of reports over the course of the last several months of no less that four separate cases of sexual abuse by school personnel with students, including the notorious case of one teacher kidnapping a Maury County student that made national headlines for weeks. The report specifically mentions the USA Today grading Tennessee a dismal ‘F‘ after the news organization said they looked into “each state’s efforts to reduce the chances that an employee with a history of sexual misconduct could move from one school to another without repercussions.” The Comptroller’s investigation focused on five key areas: Hiring practices for school personnel in Tennessee, including information about other states’ practices The state’s records concerning teacher licenses and the actions taken against them for incidents of misconduct A provision within the…
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by George Rasley, ConservativeHQ.com Editor It was great to see President Trump at the top of his game yesterday; completely in charge as he stage-managed a White House meeting with congressional leaders. The often-recalcitrant Republicans came across as the President’s docile supporters and the Democrats looked completely flummoxed by an in-command Donald Trump. The only bad thing about the meeting – and make no mistake it is very bad – was that the whole meeting was about how to grant amnesty to the millions of illegal aliens that Obama attempted to legalize through his unconstitutional Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. We tend to agree with author and conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who, in a series of tweets and interviews, denounced President Trump’s apparent willingness to make a deal to allow so-called DREAMers to remain in the country. Coulter called out Trump for his squishy language about the wall and for expressing a willingness to work with Democrats on DACA. Three of Coulter’s tweets nailed our take: “But don’t worry! There will be “border security”! (Political euphemism for: You’re not getting wall.)” And: “This DACA lovefest confirms a main thesis of Michael Wolff’s book: When Bannon left. liberal…
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Williamson County businessman Bill Lee made news Thursday with his announcement of the 100-plus member “Business Leaders for Bill Lee Coalition.” “I’ve spent my entire professional life in business, and I appreciate the support of these impressive leaders,” Lee said in a statement. “Business leaders know how to make a payroll, create jobs and grow our economy, and we need more of their know how and expertise to help improve government even more.” The coalition spans the entire state and will be Co-Chaired by three members representing East, Middle, and West Tennessee, the statement said: Kelly Wolfe, Mayor of Jonesborough and President of Wolfe Development – East Tennessee Cordia Harrington, Founder and CEO of The Bakery Cos. – Middle Tennessee Ruste Via, CEO of Christian Family Medicine – West Tennessee “As a businessman, I know we need business principles in government – putting people first, getting the job done, and being a man of your word — are important traits for the leader of our state. Bill Lee is that kind of leader,” said Wolfe. “As business leaders, we know Bill Lee is the most qualified candidate to lead Tennessee into the future. Bill brings real world business experience and…
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With the votes of 16 out of the 22 Wilson County Commissioners, businessman Clark Boyd was appointed to serve in the Tennessee House of Representatives through the 2018 election cycle. “Thank you to the Wilson County Commission for their appointment to serve the 46th district. I embrace the opportunity to serve my community and I look forward to getting to work!” Boyd posted on his Facebook page. The State District 46 seat, formerly held by conservative State Rep. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon), was vacated last month when Pody won the special election to replace his long-time friend and ally Mae Beavers, who in turn resigned her State Senate seat to focus on her run for Governor. Fellow candidate, well-known activist Menda Holmes, withdrew her name from consideration for the appointment, and called on the commissioners to select an interim appointee who was not currently a candidate that would act as a “place-holder” until the regular elections concluded. As The Tennessee Star reported: Two issues arise from an interim appointment by a county commission. The first is that only the county where the departing legislator resides makes the interim appointment, leaving other counties within the district without a vote as to the interim appointee. The…
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Hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico on Wednesday launched a new drive to become the 51st US state, with the island’s governor demanding an end to “second-class” treatment of its citizens. Puerto Rico’s more than three million residents are US citizens, with no obstacles to living and working on the mainland.
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The announcement in November that Humboldt, Tennessee is getting the Tyson Foods plant that was rejected by citizens in Tonganoxie, Kansas, raises legitimate questions about whether the new plant will attract refugee workers to the area. In their press release, Tyson Foods said the company had “accepted the invitation of city, county and state leaders to build a new chicken production complex in the City of Humboldt, which is part of Gibson County in western Tennessee,” and included words of praise from Humboldt Mayor Mavin Sikes, Gibson County Mayor Tom Witherspoon, a Democrat who has endorsed Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd in the Republican gubernatorial primary, and Gov. Bill Haslam: “This is an historic day for Humboldt, Gibson County and West Tennessee,” Humboldt Mayor Marvin Sikes said. “I want to thank Tyson Foods for their commitment to our community and region. The significant job creation and capital investment that will result from this project will have a positive impact on our community that will last for many years, and I could not be more excited about the future of Humboldt and Gibson County.” “Many years of dedicated work from countless Gibson County citizens and volunteers have laid the foundation for the…
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Jon Pace, a longtime FedEx employee, has loved math since high school. Today, he’s a flight operations finance manager with the Memphis-based delivery behemoth—and is also now credited with discovering the largest prime number currently known. It’s a whopping 23.2 million digits long.
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Belly flab is like a storage unit for the rest of your body. Every January, fat’s in the crosshairs of health columnists, fitness magazines, and desperate Americans. This year, PopSci looks at the macronutrient beyond its most negative associations. What’s fat good for? How do we get it to go where we want it to?
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