Topping Predators Tall Task for Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres ended one long streak against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday. It will be a whole other task when the Nashville Predators visit on Monday. The Sabres (23-36-12) snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Blackhawks on Saturday with a 5-3 home victory. It was Buffalo’s first win over the Blackhawks in nearly a decade, with Buffalo’s last win over Chicago coming in December 2009.

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Federal Judge Dismisses Tennessee Refugee Resettlement Lawsuit, Cites State’s ‘Lack of Standing’

Refugees

On Monday U.S. District Judge Stanley Thomas Anderson dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state of Tennessee in August alleging the federal government unconstitutionally coerced it into subsidizing the federal refugee resettlement program, citing a lack of standing. In its filing, one of the arguments advanced by the state said that the federal government violated its sovereignty–guaranteed by the 10th Amendment–by requiring Tennessee to provide Medicaid benefits to refugees resettled directly into the state by the federal government without the state’s approval, or else put into jeopardy almost $7 billion of medicaid funds if it refused. Reuters reports: But in a 43-page decision, Chief Judge S. Thomas Anderson of the federal court in Jackson, Tennessee said the state lacked legal standing to sue. The judge called the prospect of a Medicaid funding loss “speculative,” and said Tennessee had taken no steps to deny Medicaid or other benefits to refugees. He also said Tennessee could not have been surprised that a growing number of refugees might boost state health care costs, and that it has “always been foreseeable” that periodic international humanitarian crises might cause an influx. “None of the events described by plaintiffs represents a departure from the understanding pursuant to…

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Diane Black Calls Federal Judge’s Dismissal of State’s Refugee Resettlement Lawsuit ‘A Slap in the Face to the Overwhelming Majority of Tennesseans’

Diane Black Calls Federal Judge’s Dismissal of State’s Refugee Resettlement Lawsuit ‘A Slap in the Face to the Overwhelming Majority of Tennesseans’

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) issued a strong statement reacting to U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson’s dismissal Monday of Tennessee’s refugee resettlement lawsuit against the federal government just moments after it was published. “I am incredibly disappointed with Judge Anderson’s decision to dismiss Tennessee’s case,” Black said. “This is a slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans who are sick and tired of being forced to foot the federal government’s bill for resettling refugees.” Turning her ire to the “status quo” of management of Tennessee’s previous top executives, she added, “The last two governors have outsourced refugee resettlement, and I believe it’s time for the state to take back that responsibility. As governor, I will not tolerate this federal overreach, and I will fight to empower our citizens and keep them safe.” Black’s statement points out that even though Tennessee opted out of the federal refugee resettlement program, 2,397 refugees arrived in the state in 2016, resettled by the federal government in a refugee admissions program managed in the state by Catholic Charities of Tennessee. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, a 10th Amendment violation by the federal government for forcing the state to accept refugees and…

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Gino Bulso Files His Completed Petition to Run for GOP Nomination in State House District 61

In his bid to replace retiring Representative Charles Sargent (R-Franklin), Gino Bulso, an attorney in private practice for more than 30 years, filed his completed nominating petition Friday. The filing qualified him to appear on the ballot August 2 for the Republican primary represent the people of the 61st State House district that includes Brentwood, north Franklin, and Grassland in the northern part of Williamson County. “We could not have chosen a better place to live and raise our family,” Bulso said in a statement, adding: It is easy to understand why so many families fall in love with the quality of life and exceptional schools we have in this community. Our challenge now is to preserve what makes Williamson County such a special place. Our crowded roads and classrooms, for example, are serious issues that require immediate attention. Fixing these problems is a big part of why I am running for the State House in District 61. Election rules state that candidates must file a completed petition signed by at least 25 residents eligible to vote in the election on or before April 5. Bulso’s petition contained the maximum 50 signatures permitted. A graduate of Emory University Law School, Bulso has practiced law…

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Former FBI Exec Says Top Feds Plotted to Protect Hillary Clinton

There were “high-ranking people throughout the government” with “a plot” to protect 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and “basically frame” President Donald Trump, former FBI Assistant Director James Kallstrom warned Sunday on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo.” Kallstrom, whose 27-year career in the FBI culminated in his serving as assistant director, made…

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Volunteers Presenting Alternatives To Nashville’s Proposed $9 Billion Transit Plan Build Strong Case

A group that is opposed to the $9 billion light rail transit plan is making waves on social media. Better Transit for Nashville’s Facebook page like count reached nearly 2,900 last week compared to Transit for Nashville’s page total of just under 2,700, the former reports in an email newsletter. BTN calls itself an all-volunteer local group. BTN’s popularity may be due in part to its running the numbers on the light rail plan’s alleged drawbacks. Nor is Facebook the only social media platform BTN is using effectively. Its YouTube page has posted a number of videos laying out details such as this: “In 2.5 years, (ex-Mayor Megan) Barry spent $2.4 million on frills, bodyguards & her love affair. The video has all the data. Now she wants to spend $8.9 BILLION for a transit plan that directly serves the rich & only 2% or less of commuters. The plan will spend $568,000 per current transit rider.” The per rider number is garnered from an $8.9 billion cost divided current transit riders totaling 15,650. BTN cites these sources: MTA audits; apta.com BTN says light rail will serve parts of five roadways and 6 percent of downtown workers. The group contends…

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Donald Trump Moves to Discredit James Comey, Andrew McCabe; Claims Bias in Robert Mueller Probe

President Trump on Sunday used his Twitter platform to try and discredit James Comey and Andrew McCabe, whose FBI careers were cut short amid acrimony over the Russian-meddling probe and how the bureau handled probes into the Clinton family. Both men reportedly kept memos detailing their interactions with Mr. Trump, which could factor into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of any ties between Russia and the Trump campaign, or fuel potential obstruction of justice charges against the president.

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Sharing o’ The Green: Americans Spent a Record-Breaking $5.9 Billion on St. Patrick’s Day

Maybe they’re tired of the winter, or suffering from political fatigue. Whatever the reason, Americans are dropping an unprecedented $5.9 billion on St. Patrick’s Day this year according to the National Retail Federation. A decade ago, Americans were spending about half that amount. “The holiday falls on a Saturday this year, so Americans will have more time to splurge a little,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the retail group, which expects 149 million adults to celebrate the day.

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Commentary: The Left is Going Crazy – This Time, Over the Andrew McCabe Firing

By Rick Manning   Former Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Andrew McCabe has been fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the left is going crazy. McCabe’s firing was recommended by the FBI’s internal career civil service run Office of Professional Responsibility, and the Attorney General acted accordingly. The Office of Professional Responsibility has been run by Robin Ashton who was appointed to the post in 2010 by former Attorney General Eric Holder, who extolled her, “As a veteran career prosecutor, Robin is uniquely qualified to serve as Counsel for Professional Responsibility, and I am confident she will lead the office with the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and dedication.” During Holder’s tenure as Attorney General, Ashton was awarded the Attorney General’s Claudia J. Flynn Award for Professional Responsibility in 2013, the Attorney General’s Award for Outstanding Leadership in Management in 2010, as well as receiving was the recipient of the United States Attorney’s Award for Meritorious Service in 2010. The Washington Post reported about the March 14, 2018 recommendation saying, “The FBI office that handles employee discipline has recommended firing the bureau’s former deputy director over allegations that he authorized the disclosure of sensitive information to a reporter and misled investigators…

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Meet Hillary Clinton’s Other, More Powerful Shadowy Oppo Research Firm

Fusion GPS has gotten all the headlines but there was a second even more powerful and mysterious opposition research and intelligence firm lurking about with significant political and financial links to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign for president against Donald Trump. Meet London-based , founded by three former British intelligence operatives in 1995…

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Ex-Facebook Employee Rips ‘Mark Zuckerberg’s Secret Police’ Used to Prevent Media Leaks

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s quest to keep employees from talking to the media has current and former insiders likening his tactics to something out of an Orwellian police state. A new report on Silicon Valley tech giants by the U.K. newspaper The Guardian features former Facebook loyalists who describe a working environment of perpetual “paranoia” due to a “horrifying” level of internal surveillance. The newspaper spoke to multiple sources on condition of anonymity about Facebook’s “rat-catching” team, which they claim exceeds reasonable means of preventing leaks.

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US Fed to Raise Rates with Trade Tensions on Horizon

The Federal Reserve this week will fire the opening salvo in a series of interest rate hikes this year, hoping to get out in front of an expected pickup in inflation. The first rate hike of the year is overwhelmingly predicted by futures markets, analysts and investors alike to come Wednesday at the conclusion of the Fed’s two-day policy meeting. It also will be the first under newly-installed Fed Chairman Jerome Powell.

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Tennessee Legislators Continue to Deny Voters Right to Elect State’s Attorney General

State Sen. Ken Yager

The Republican dominated General Assembly has already moved the appointment of judges to the Governor and if they have their way this legislative session, they will continue to keep the selection of the state’s chief law enforcement officer out of the reach of Tennessee voters as well. Forty-three states elect their Attorney General. Sen. Ken Yager (R-Kingston), chief sponsor of Senate Joint Resolution 611 which partially reforms selection of the State Attorney General, has previously stated that selecting an AG through popular election is the least-preferred method of selection Yager’s resolution would instead require the General Assembly to confirm the Tennessee Supreme Court’s Attorney General nominee and if rejected, require the court to submit another nominee. The AG’s term would also be reduced from eight years to four years. In the past, the state’s Supreme Court has held a public hearing during which lawyers applying for the AG position made presentations in open court. However, most of the court’s process is kept from public view. Judges conduct private interviews of the candidates and there is no record of how they vote on the AG nominee. Yager’s resolution would open the Supreme Court’s process – “[t]he nomination shall be made by the Supreme Court in open court…

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