Month: March 2018

Report: Painters Union Center in Nashville Luring Illegal Aliens Using False Information

Chris Alto

An “ICE Free Zone” flyer  was reported to have been posted on the door of the new worker resource center opened in Nashville by Local 456 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT). Regardless of the union’s effort to lure illegal immigrants to the the center, it is not, according to ICE guidelines, off bounds to immigration officials. The Star asked ICE Public Affairs Officer, Mr. Nestor Yglesias whether an “ICE Free Zone” would discourage ICE officers from entering the premises if they had probable cause to believe a removable alien was inside the building. Mr. Yglesias referred The Star to the FAQ on Sensitive Locations and Courthouse Arrests posted on ICE’s website. “Sensitive locations” are those places where ICE enforcement and removal actions are less likely to occur although there are circumstances under which, exceptions will be made and enforcement actions will proceed. Places like the union’s Nashville office are not included in any of the “sensitive location” categories. Local 456 has teamed up with the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) and Worker’s Dignity Dignidad Obrera to provide information and assist those who seek out the center’s resources. Nashville Workers Dignity organized in 2010 to represent “wage theft” from low wage…

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Commentary: Close the Primaries in Tennessee for a Strong Two-Party System

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by Tracy Miller, PhD   Williamson County Republican Party released a Resolution to Close the Primaries in the state of Tennessee late last week.  But why?  Isn’t it better to let Democrats help decide which Republican they like most or (perhaps) hate least? Recently, screen shots have been flying around where people admit that in order to get elected they have to slap an “R” in front of their names.  Hang out at the polling stations and you often can hear groups of Democrats mumbling about holding their nose and voting for this or that Republican candidate – the one who is most like a Democrat or the one who has the least chance of winning. This is especially true for the primaries – think NFL draft where we try to assemble the Republican lineup for the upcoming season.   No harm in letting the Patriots or the Texans help us choose our players, right?  After all, some of our opponents are often friends and all-around good sports.  Maybe a few extra Monday morning quarterbacks or opposition party coordinators can help, right? Wrong.  Enough of the comedy.  All an open primary does is allow the powerful to remain in power – because…

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Ten Teens Arrested in Nashville for Aggravated Rioting during ‘National Walkout Day’ Violence

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Just short of a week after students from across the country participated in the so-called “National Walkout Day,” Metro Nashville Police announced the arrest of ten teens for their role in the outrageous and violent behavior at Antioch High School. Eighteen-year-old Fiacle Mugisha (pictured) was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with aggravated rioting, along with nine other classmates. They include two 17-year-olds, two 16-year-olds, four 15-year-olds, and one 14-year-old who also face aggravated rioting charges, but in Juvenile Court. According to the MNPD statement, “The students are alleged to have been screaming and yelling while jumping on a School Resource Officer’s police car, causing serious damage to the roof and hood.” As The Tennessee Star reported: Some students at Antioch High School took the opportunity to sow chaos and destruction Wednesday during the so-called “National Walkout Day” organized by the far-Left group, Women’s March only one month after the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida. NewsChannel5 reports that the Metro Nashville Police are looking into incidents of a few students taking down a flag and jumping on a police car, but that no arrests or citations have been issued. Fellow protesters posted some of the incidents on social media.   Several media outlets report that the violent…

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College Student Back in Class After Being Kicked Out for Defending Two Genders

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Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s president on Monday allowed a student who had been kicked out of a religious studies class for claiming there are only two genders to return to the course, intervening before the Academic Integrity Board could rule on a dispute.In an email to the campus, IUP President Michael Driscoll said he decided to “indefinitely pause” the proceedings — while reserving the right to restart the process.

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Poll: Majority of Americans Believe ‘Deep State’ Controls Washington

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A large bipartisan majority of Americans believe that Washington is controlled by a “Deep State” of unelected government officials, according to a new poll. The Monmouth University Poll found 60 percent of respondents feel that unelected or appointed government officials have too much influence in determining federal policy. The belief is consistent regardless of party affiliation, with 59 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of Republicans and 62 percent of independents agreeing that appointed officials hold too much sway in the federal government.

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Commentary: Our Public Schools Are Less About Learning and More About Indoctrination

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By Printus LeBlanc   It has been almost a week since the “student” walkout over school safety. After studying the event and the aftermath, it has become increasingly clear the walkout was nothing more than a political stunt. It had nothing to do with safety; it had nothing to do with allowing students to voice their opinions, it was all about progressives in national politics and the schoolhouse using children as political props. This begs the question, why are we funding these political indoctrination camps? The students didn’t walk out over cellphones and driving. The students didn’t walk out over bullying which leads to thousands of teen suicides each year. No, the students walked out over the Second Amendment which the progressive left has been trying to eliminate for decades. Following the horrendous events in Florida, progressives seized on the opportunity to use the children to get what they wanted. A few examples across the nation show just how political the walkout was. A student in Hilliard, Ohio made the decision he did not want to get involved in the politics of the anti-gun debate. He chose to stay in class. The student should be celebrated for wanting to concentrate…

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The Public Tells Hollywood Once More: We Want Faith-Based Films

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Whenever a faith-based film performs well at the box office, many in the industry may be surprised — while the rest of the country is not. This trend continued over the weekend with the release of “I Can Only Imagine.” The movie focuses on singer Bart Millard’s relationship with his father before the elder man passed away when Millard was just 18 years old. The movie embraces the theme of forgiveness, specifically when it comes to family members.

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MSNBC’s Barnicle Claims Obama Era Was ‘Virtually Scandal-Free’

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MSNBC senior contributor Mike Barnicle gushed over former President Barack Obama Tuesday on “Morning Joe,” claiming with a straight face that Obama’s eight years in the White House were “virtually scandal-free.” Barnicle was interviewing Robert Gibbs, Obama’s first White House press secretary, when he lavished President Donald Trump’s predecessor with unvarnished praise. Without attempting to disguise his less than favorable opinion of Trump and his administration, Barnicle asked Gibbs about “the damage that’s being done to the institution of the presidency today” after eight years under an “exemplary” president.

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Conservative Grassroots Leader Andy Ogles Wins Republican Nomination for Maury County Mayor at Convention

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Conservative Grassroots Leader Andy Ogles Wins Republican Nomination for Maury County Mayor at Convention

The Maury County Republican Party held their nominating convention Saturday, and in a surprising twist, selected former Americans for Prosperity State Director and U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles to be the Republican nominee for County Mayor. “Maury County faces major fiscal issues in the coming years, and I think I am the candidate to solve them,” Ogles told The Daily Herald moments after his nomination. State Rep. Sheila Butt (R-Columbia), who is not seeking re-election in 2018, nominated Ogles for the office at the convention on Saturday. “I have worked with Andy Ogles on several issues over the past few years. I was delighted when he and his family chose to move to Maury County several years ago,” Butt told The Tennessee Star in an exclusive statement, adding: Andy understands the issues facing our community and the process of governing. He understands budgets and taxes. He understands the importance of a community being financially sound and meeting the needs of a growing population. There are challenges ahead for Maury County. We are in the process at the State level of passing a Private Act that will help with the accountability and the transparency of our County budget. There are real problems that need to be addressed. Andy…

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Bill Making It A Felony For Local Elected Officials To Vote In Conflict With State Or Federal Laws On Immigration May Die In Summer Study

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — After hearing the presentation and debate on a bill that would make it a felony for local officials to vote in conflict with state or federal laws on immigration or historical memorials, the House Criminal Justice Committee voted to send the bill to where many go to die — summer study, especially during an election year. The sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro), told The Tennessee Star following a voice vote, “They just voted for sanctuary cities.” White’s bill, sponsored by State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) in the Senate, would make it a Class E felony for a local official to knowingly vote for an ordinance or resolution that is in direct conflict with state or federal laws relative to immigration, such as sanctuary cities, or historic monuments. As previously reported by The Star, the crime would be punishable only by a fine, any elected official convicted of a felony is subject to the removal from office. The bill passed the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee the week prior, and then headed to the full Committee where there was debate for more than 30 minutes, primarily coming from State Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) toward the…

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State Sen. Todd Gardenhire Sponsors Bills to Punish Illegal Aliens Who Commit Crimes But Reward Parents of Illegal Alien Students

Chris Alto

Lacking any consistent rationale, State Senator Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), the perpetual sponsor of the Senate’s bills to give illegal alien students taxpayer-subsidized in-state tuition, last year co-sponsored a bill allowing judges to give illegal aliens convicted of felonies longer sentences based on their immigration status. The bill was signed into law in 2017. While Gardenhire is willing to punish illegal aliens who commit crimes, he prefers to dismantle state law and reward parents for violating the country’s immigration laws, forcing Tennessee’s taxpayers to provide a free education for the children they brought with them. English Language Learner (ELL) services in Tennessee’s public schools are funded through the state’s education funding formula called the BEP (Basic Education Program) and comes primarily from state and local revenue meaning that every Tennessee taxpayer shares in the cost regardless of which county’s schools are providing the services. State education funding provides 70 percent of the expenditure leaving the local share at 30 percent. In fiscal year 2012, total funding for ELL services was $70 million with the state share at $49 million and the local share at $21 million. The most recent fiscal year’s total funding has grown to $122.3 million with the state share…

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State Legislator Calls For Serious Discussion of General Assembly and TDOT Approval of Transit on State Highway or Right-of-Way

Laura Baigert

A serious policy discussion regarding approval by the Tennessee General Assembly and Commissioner of Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) of a local government transit system on any state highway or state highway right-of-way is being called for by State Senator Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield). Roberts has introduced an amendment to SB2477 amending Public Chapter No. 998 which took effect on July 1, 2014, and addressed bus rapid transit in a dedicated separate lane or other separate right-of-way. At the time, then Nashville Mayor Karl Dean was pushing for a $75 million trackless trolley, dubbed AMP, that would connect East Nashville with West End. Public Chapter No. 998, which came from Senate Bill 2243 by State Senator Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and former State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), dealt with bus rapid transit on state highways and state highway right-of-ways. The law, which in itself was an amendment to existing Tennessee Code Annotated 7-56-102, stated that “No local government or any transit authority created by any local government shall construct, maintain or operate any bus rapid transit system using a separate lane, or other separate right-of-way, dedicated to the use of such bus rapid transit system on any state highway or state…

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Commentary: #NeverTrump Senator Jeff Flake and His Do-Nothing Establishment Cronies Don’t Deserve to Lead

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By Robert Romano   Sen. Jeff Flake is retiring. Because he no longer has the support of his own constituents in Arizona. Which is no surprise. Flake does not represent his constituents on issues they care about. He is for open borders on trade and illegal immigrant amnesty. Early polling in a potential primary showed he was going to get clobbered, and so he announced his retirement, giving a widely hailed speech on the Senate floor where he declared “I will not be complicit” with President Donald Trump. Ironically, apparently recognizing that the Presidency is a vehicle for getting things done, when it came time to vote for the Trump tax cuts or put Neil Gorsuch on the Supreme Court by eliminating the Supreme Court filibuster, Flake voted “Yes.” So, when Sen. Flake appears on CNN to suggest Republicans “might not deserve to lead” because they are following President Donald Trump, take it with a giant grain of salt. Flake is really speaking for himself. It is he who does not deserve to lead. He wouldn’t even take his stance to voters and attempt to defend it at the polls. Now, why should anyone support him? He couldn’t follow a president who proposed historic…

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Highlights from the Final Brexit Agreement

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David Davis and Michael Barnier

by Rev. Ben Johnson   On Monday afternoon, David Davis of the UK and Michel Barnier of the EU revealed that their governments had agreed on the shape of their relationship during the first two years after Brexit. Here’s what it will look like: A 21-month transition period: The UK will officially leave the European Union on March 29, 2019. Monday’s announcement adds a 21-month transition period, which will end on December 31, 2020. During this phase, the UK will enjoy all “the benefits, the advantages of the single market and the customs union,” Barnier said at today’s joint press conference in Brussels. The UK hoped for a full two years, but Davis deemed the agreed time limit “close enough.” Businesses had hoped for a period of stability to adjust to a post-Brexit business environment, and the government wanted more time to negotiate a final agreement with the EU. Adam Marshall of the British Chambers of Commerce called the agreement “a milestone that many businesses across the UK have been waiting for.” The UK will accept EU decisions with no input: In that 21-month period, the UK will be a rule taker, not a rule maker. The UK agrees to “be bound by the obligations…

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State Sen. Mark Green and State Rep. Bryan Terry Unapologetic About Not Giving In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens

Chris Alto
State Rep. Bryan Terry and State Sen. Mark Green

State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and State Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) are clear that the goal of their in-state tuition bill is to block awarding the state benefit to illegal aliens. Their bill augments the Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” with precise language identifying in-state tuition as a state benefit. Terry’s explanation leaves no doubt in this regard: In-state tuition only covers between 25-75 percent of the cost to provide the college education. Taxpayer funds support the rest. That is clearly a state benefit. Any attempt to exclude post secondary assistance in the definition of a state benefit is contrary to the facts and our bill will ensure taxpayers are protected. There are U.S. citizens who live out of state, but pay business or property taxes in Tennessee. They still must pay out of state tuition. We shouldn’t be incentivizing illegal immigrants to take advantage of Tennessee taxpayers when we don’t even provide a courtesy to Americans who are investing in our state. And his bill, HB2101 directly contradicts State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill, HB2429 which is trying to exempt in-state tuition from state law that defines what is a “state or local public benefit.” Last week the House Education Subcommittee…

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Topping Predators Tall Task for Sabres

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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’

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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’

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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’

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

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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

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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

Jason M. Reynolds

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Chris Alto
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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Lent Is a Microcosm of Life in its Entirety, with All Its Trials

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Calvary

There are those of us who remember how as schoolboys, the clever use of rhythmic dactyls in Virgil’s metrical Latin verses made unforgettable the sound of horses galloping. And one of my schoolmates gained fleeting fame when our French teacher announced that, as our classmate was recovering from an appendectomy, the first words he whispered as he came out of the anesthesia were from a line in LaFontaine’s fable about the Crow and the Fox: “Matitre Corbeau sur un arbre perche…”

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Further Testing Issues Show Implementation Problems at Tennessee’s Department of Education

Bob Goodwin
McQueen

After three years and little success, the Tennessee Department of Education remains riddled with problems implementing statewide online testing platforms, TNReady. According to an email blast from Chief Information Officer for the Tennessee Department of Education Cliff Lloyd on March 6, the state’s online testing platform experienced more technical difficulties this week. “The problem was related to a rogue process that was running in the data center where NextEra is hosted,” Lloyd said. “The problem was identified relatively quickly and the process was shut down, but unfortunately it did negatively impact about fifteen districts.” The email blast was sent to educators across the state as they tried to log into their state-mandated testing platform, but it wasn’t these teachers’ first report of problems from the department; in fact, it wasn’t even their first update this week. “Yesterday I wrote to you and explained the diagnosis and remediation of a problem in the NextEra testing platform that made logging on to the system difficult,” Lloyd wrote earlier in the email. “While that problem is now solved, unfortunately we encountered another problem today.” From the original vendor failing to create a functioning testing platform to thousands of tests being incorrectly scored to…

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Diane Black Marches in Houston County Irish Day Parade on St. Patrick’s Day

Tennessee Star Staff

On Saturday Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) marched in the Irish Day Parade in the Houston County community of Erin, an annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. The parade was the final event of a week long festival of all things Irish in the community that takes it name from the Emerald Isle. Participants and parade watchers wore green, the color long associated with Ireland, which is known for its lush green countrysides. Houston County is a small rural county just west of Dickson County, the western edge of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area, with a population of a little more than 8,000. Erin, the county seat, has a population of 1,300. St. Patrick’s Day Parades in which politicians march have long been associated with large northeastern cities with large Irish populations dominated by the Democratic Party, such as New York City and Boston. The first St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the United States was held in Boston in 1737, organized by the Charitable Irish Society. New York City soon followed suit, organizing its first St. Patrick Day celebration in 1762. Chicago, which began celebrating St. Patrick’s Day in 1843, adds a little flavor to the celebration by…

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Senate Panel Calls for Special Counsel to Investigate DOJ Handling of Dossier

Tennessee Star Staff

Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are formally calling for a second special counsel to investigate the FBI and Justice Department’s handling of the Steele dossier. The Republicans, led by Chairman Chuck Grassley, last month called on the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General to explore the FBI and DOJ’s handling of the salacious document.

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Trump’s Personal Lawyer John Dowd Calls for End to Mueller Probe After McCabe Firing

Tennessee Star Staff

President Trump’s personal attorney called on the Justice Department Saturday to immediately shut down special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, after Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ firing of FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe. Attorney John Dowd said Mr. Mueller’s investigation has been “corrupted” by political bias since the beginning.

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Facebook Suspends Trump Campaign Data Firm Cambridge Analytica

Tennessee Star Staff

Facebook says it has suspended the account of Cambridge Analytica, the data analysis firm that helped Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, for failing to delete user data. Also suspended were the accounts of its parent organization, Strategic Communication Laboratories, as well as those of University of Cambridge psychologist Aleksandr Kogan and Christopher Wylie, who runs Eunoia Technologies.

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Commentary: Democrats and RINOs Driving 2018 Omnibus Spending

Tennessee Star Staff

by CHQ Staff   If you thought electing a Republican majority in Congress would usher in an era of fiscal responsibility, think again. While the tax cuts championed by President Trump have so far kept revenue at record levels – even with lower Money burningtax rates – Congressional spending is skyrocketing, in large measure because Democrats’ big government policies and programs are still driving spending. For fiscal 2019 year the Pentagon’s budget will be $647 billion and the nation’s domestic budget will be $597 billion. Here are just a few of the areas where conservatives think federal spending could be eliminated entirely that, according to our friend Rachel Bovard writing for the Federalist, look like they will be included in this year’s omnibus spending bill: Full funding for Planned Parenthood Republicans have made it a central campaign promise for years now to end taxpayer funding for America’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. This issue has gained urgency in light of the Department of Justice investigation into the organization’s dealings in fetal tissue. Yet, drafts of this latest funding bill preserve the $10 million a year that Planned Parenthood receives from taxpayers. Conservative House Republicans are making an admirable play to…

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