Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Calls Report by WTN’s Brian Wilson That Sources Say She Visited Mt. Olivet Cemetery with Bodyguard Boyfriend ‘False and Slanderous’

On Monday embattled Nashville Mayor Megan Barry called a report by WTN’s Brian Wilson that sources say the mayor and her bodyguard boyfriend Sgt. Rob. Forrest visited Mt. Olivet Cemetery at sunset on several occasions over a six month period “false and slanderous.” Last week, NewsChannel 5 reported, based on sources as well as security video footage shot by nearby local businesses, that Barry and Forrest’s SUV had repeatedly visited the Nashville City Cemetery on a number of mornings for short periods of time, ranging from 12 minutes to 24 minutes. Wilson’s report, which aired on 99.7 FM WTN’s Nashville’s Morning News at 5:05 am and again at 7:05 am on Monday, relied upon sources he considers credible.   At 9 a.m Monday, Mayor Barry sent out this tweet:   Mr. Wilson, your story is false and slanderous and I would appreciate it if you would stop spreading these lies. — Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) March 5, 2018   Wilson punched back, inviting the mayor on his show for a full hour on Tuesday to discuss these and other allegations.   The Tennessee Star contacted Mayor Barry’s office and asked for responses from the mayor to two questions: 1. Mayor Barry today…

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Anti-Skullduggery Act Invoked in Sumner County Commission GOP Primary Marred by Allegations of Candidate Intimidation

The little-known and rarely used “Anti-Skullduggery Act of 1991” has been invoked by Sumner County officials in the already contentious Republican primary in the 7th District of the Sumner County Commission. The colorfully named law, enacted as TCA 2-5-101(h)(1) provides that if a qualified incumbent dies or properly withdraws on the last day for withdrawing, additional candidates may qualify within seven days of the original withdrawal deadline. Effectively, the Anti-Skullduggery Act allows a seven day extension for new candidates to qualify and an additional four days after the new qualifying deadline to withdraw. According to Sumner County Administrator of Elections, Lori Atchley, the purpose of the Act is to prevent an incumbent from setting up their replacement with a last minute qualifying petition and withdrawal by the incumbent. In the case of the Sumner County 7th Commission District, single-term incumbent commissioner JoAnne Kemp intends to move out of the county in a relatively short timeframe, and, as such, withdrew her name as a qualified candidate. Unintentionally, Kemp’s withdrawal occurred on the final day, thereby legally requiring the Sumner County Election Commission to extend a qualifying and withdrawal period limited to the 7th County Commission district. The original filing deadline for the May 1…

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Analysis: The Top 6 Logical Fallacies to Look Out For in Today’s Gun Control Debate

by Jon Miltimore   In 2017, the data website FiveThirtyEight declared that the U.S. had become more polarized on the issue of guns that at any time in the nation’s history. Because of the emotional nature of the debate, both gun control advocates and Second Amendment proponents increasingly resorted to violent rhetoric (“burn her!”), conspiracy theories, and especially irrational thinking. Here are six of the most common logical fallacies you’ll find in the current debate on guns in America. 1. Non Sequitur Non sequitur translates as “it does not follow.” They are more common in casual conversation than formal debate. Example: I can’t believe you didn’t like The Last Jedi. You loved The Empire Strikes Back and Mark Hamill is in The Last Jedi. It does not follow that all fans of the original Star Wars trilogy will like The Last Jedi just because Luke is in the movie. In the gun debate, argument sometimes devolves into non sequiturs. Example: I don’t support the murder of innocents; therefore I don’t vote Republican, since Republicans often support the Second Amendment. 2. False Dilemma/False Dichotomy News media are notorious for presenting public options as a binary choice: do nothing or pass federal gun control legislation. “Donald Trump does nothing; Paul Ryan does nothing; Mitch McConnell does nothing,”…

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Senator: Kim Jong Un Must Realize Trump Is ‘Very Different’ From Previous Administration

Tennessee Star

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un must realize that Donald Trump is a “very different” U.S. president with a different policy than that of the previous administration, an influential U.S. lawmaker has said. “Kim Jong Un is dealing with a very different person in President Trump,” Republican Senator James Risch of Idaho told VOA’s Korean Service “He’s not dealing with President (Barack) Obama anymore.”

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President Donald Trump Mocks Democrats, Media, White House Turnover, and Self at Gridiron Gala

President Trump shrugged off the latest staff resignations in the West Wing Saturday night with a big dose of humor, calling it “another calm week at the White House.” In a speech at the annual Gridiron dinner in Washington, Mr. Trump took self-deprecating aim at his management style, and also poked fun at Democrats, the media and some of his own advisers.

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Trump Administration Strikes Multiple Deportation Deals; What’s in Them?

The Trump administration reports it has succeeded in reducing the number of countries that refuse to accept citizens deported from the United States. The administration says more than a dozen countries have been removed from the “recalcitrant” list. That opens the path for deportations to begin for some of the roughly 100,000 people from recalcitrant nations who have final orders of removal.

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Australia Warns of Trade War, Pushes for Trump Tariffs Exemption

Australia Sunday warned against tit-for-tat retaliation and the outbreak of a trade war that could slow global economic growth, as it pushed to be excluded from US President Donald Trump’s steel and aluminium tariffs. Canberra has sought to be exempt from the hefty tariffs, citing an understanding reached with the United States at G20 meetings last year. There are also local industry concerns that the tariffs could see cheap steel destined for the US flood the domestic market instead.

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China Will ‘Take Necessary Measures’ If US Harms Trade

China will “take necessary measures” if the United States harms the country’s economic interests, a Chinese official said Sunday, as President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium. “China doesn’t want a trade war with the United States,” Zhang Yesui, spokesman for the National People’s Congress, told a news conference on the eve of the rubber-stamp parliament’s annual session.

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Sen. Gardenhire Bill Removes In-State Tuition From Definition of State Benefit So He Can Give it to Illegal Aliens

Desperate to give illegal alien students in-state college tuition, Sen. Todd Gardenhire’s bill SB2263, removes publicly subsidized reduced college tuition from the current state law definition of “state or local public benefit.” SB2263 would amend Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” which defers to the federal law definition of  a “state or local public benefit.” A 2017 opinion issued by Attorney General Herb Slatery notes that this federal law was “based on Congress’s asserted interest in ‘remov[ing] the incentive for illegal immigration provided by the availability of public benefits.’” But the federal law does permit states to grant public benefits to illegal aliens through state legislation. The AG’s opinion was in response to a 2017 bill sponsored by Gardenhire and Rep. Mark White who is also committed to securing in-state tuition for students unlawfully present in Tennessee. White has sponsored the House companion bills to Gardenhire’s Senate bills. Their 2017 bill would have allowed the governing boards of state colleges and universities to grant in-state tuition to illegal immigrant students. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee but failed in the House Committee in a 6 – 6 tie vote. White “preserved” the bill by rolling it to the 2018 session instead…

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