April 2018 - Tennessee Star

Nashville Transit Plan: On Track or Off Track?

April 30, 2018May 13, 2018 Admin

Gill Transit plan

by Steve Gill As Nashville voters head to the polls on Tuesday to determine the fate of the $9 billion/$5.4 billion Transit Tax there are few public polls that give insight into what voters are thinking. One of the only public polls was one conducted by The Tennessee Star a few weeks ago that showed Nashville likely voters overwhelmingly opposed to the interim Mayor David Briley-supported plan. (Briley himself faces voters in a May 24 election that will decide whether or not he keeps his temporary job.) While there have been rumors that other polls have been conducted, none have been released publicly. Presumably, if the pro-transit forces had a poll showing an imminent win they would have primed the pump with that information to energize their voters. They haven’t. Another indication of what may be coming with tomorrow’s election results is the bleed of support among Metro Council Members and mayoral candidates. Few, if any, notable public leaders in Nashville have moved TOWARD the plan in recent weeks. Plenty have moved AWAY. Meanwhile, the increasingly hysterical pro-transit reporting by The Tennessean has moved from encouraging taxpayers to embrace the plan to demonizing any and every individual or group…

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Nashville Mayoral Hopeful Carol Swain Urges Responsible Gun Ownership

April 30, 2018April 30, 2018 Admin

Carol Swain at the Nashville Armory

Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain took to the Nashville Armory last Wednesday to keep up-to-date on her permitting education requirements, putting the “walk” with the “talk” on her support for 2nd Amendment rights. “After the terrible tragedy at Waffle House, I began to think about my responsibilities as a gun owner,” Swain said in a statement released by her campaign on Monday. “It isn’t enough to have a carry permit. One has to train and practice to become proficient,” the former Vanderbilt professor continued. “I am a permit holder and I, like every gun owner, have a responsibility to spend time at the firing range practicing and familiarizing myself with my weapon. The knowledge needed to pass the written test is only the first step to responsible gun ownership,” Swain added. Briley made gun control the second major issue in the mayoral race with his far left call for “more gun control” made in a statement he read in a press conference last Sunday just hours after an emotionally unstable 29-year-old allegedly shot and killed 4 people at a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee in the early morning hours earlier that day. Swain is the leading challenger to Briley in…

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Diane Black: Passing the $9 Billion Nashville Transit Plan Will Hurt The Tennessee Economy

April 30, 2018April 30, 2018 Admin

Diane Black discusses the transit plan

In a weekend interview with WSMV, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), a candidate for the GOP nomination for governor, said that in her opinion, passage of the $9 billion transit plan up for a public vote on Tuesday would hurt the Tennessee economy. “It would cause the cost of living to go up substantially, and you know who this hurts? And do you know who this hurts? The low-income folks,” Black said. Today, the Volunteer State boasts some of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, which many economists point to as the reason why people from across the country are choosing to relocate here. But Black warns all that could change should the transit proposal pass. “Why would we want to do something that would cause the taxes to be the number one highest tax of any city in the entire country?” she asked rhetorically. A decade ago, voters in California passed a similar measure, with the goal to better connect the northern and southern cities in the state. However, delays, poor planning, and budget overruns have increased costs to taxpayers seven-fold. “California has their transit system – it started out ten years ago at $10 billion,” Black noted. “It’s now over $70,…

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Predators Win Double Over-Time Thriller 5-4 to Tie Series With Jets

April 30, 2018April 30, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Preds

The Nashville Predators won a thriller against the Winnipeg Jets 5 to 4 in double over-time Sunday night at the Bridgestone Arena to tie their second round Western Conference Semi-Finals series in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs at one game apiece. Kevin Fiala hit the game winner 5:37 into the second over-time period, after the game ended tied 4 to 4 in regulation, and neither team scored in the first over-time period. “Craig Smith and Fiala skated up on a 2-on-1, and Jets defenseman Byflugien failed to block Smith’s cross-ice pass to Fiala who beat goalie Connor Hellebuyck with a backhander,” ESPN reported of the winning goal. Video: OT GWG. #StandWithUs | #WPGvsNSH https://t.co/FScfJSDSnv — p-Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) April 30, 2018 ESPN provided this game summary, via the Associated Press: Ryan Johansen scored two goals, Viktor Arvidsson had a goal and two assists, and P.K. Subban had a goal and an assist as Nashville won both its 100th postseason game as a franchise and coach Peter Laviolette’s 50th with the team. Filip Forsberg also had three primary assists for the first time in the postseason in his career. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and had an assist. Byflugien had a…

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Democrats Ignore Dossier In Russia Report, In Stark Contrast To Their Early Rhetoric

April 30, 2018April 29, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross What a difference a year makes. At a House Intelligence Committee hearing just over a year ago, Democrats on the panel focused heavily on the infamous Steele dossier, the salacious and unverified report alleging that the Trump campaign conspired with the Russian government to influence the 2016 election. California Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the committee, made numerous references to Steele’s claims during an opening statement for the hearing, which was held on March 20, 2017. Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro pressed then-FBI Director James Comey about specific allegations made about Trump associates in the dossier, which was written by former British spy Christopher Steele. Indiana Rep. Andre Carson and California Rep. Jackie Speier, two other committee Democrats, also hyped the dossier. Democrats seemingly had high hopes for the dossier back then. The report, published two months earlier by BuzzFeed News, included damning allegations that if true would likely lead to Trump’s impeachment. “According to Steele, it was Manafort who chose Page to serve as a go-between for the Trump campaign and Russian interests,” Schiff said in the hearing, referring to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page. Steele’s dossier alleged…

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Exclusive Interview: Ben Carson on Draining the Swamp, Fighting Poverty, and Kanye West

April 30, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Ben Carson

by Genevieve Wood Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson spoke to The Daily Signal’s Genevieve Wood about his policy goals at HUD, what it’s like to serve under President Trump, and Kanye West’s recent tweets. An edited transcript of their interview is below. Genevieve Wood: Secretary Carson, thank you for talking with the Daily Signal. Ben Carson: Absolutely. My pleasure. Wood: So you’ve been in office now a year and a half almost, right? Carson: Almost. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Wood: Coming up on it. What have been the biggest challenges for you at HUD? Carson: There have been several challenges, but the biggest challenge is when I first came in there were no assistant secretaries or deputy secretaries, so it was like drinking from a fire hydrant every day. But it worked out OK, and we had some tremendous people—career staff and political appointees—who were able to really step up to the plate and help. But that has worked out extremely well. Probably one of the things that surprised me the most was how disorganized the financial structure was. Wood: Of…

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Three Revelations From New York Times Reporter’s Book on Hillary Clinton

April 30, 2018April 29, 2018 Admin

by Katrina Trinko New York Times reporter Amy Chozick’s new book on her time covering Hillary Clinton doesn’t show either her employer, The New York Times, or Clinton herself in a particularly flattering light. Chozick, a member of the largely female press corps that followed Clinton on a near-daily basis at times, crisscrossing the country with her, reported on Clinton’s 2008 campaign for The Wall Street Journal and her 2016 campaign for The New York Times. And in “Chasing Hillary: Ten Years, Two Presidential Campaigns, and One Intact Glass Ceiling,” Chozick talks about what it was really like. I’ve assembled three of the revelations I found most interesting. But first, a couple of caveats: I’m not familiar with Chozick’s reporting for the Times, so all my assessments are based on a reading of the book itself. And secondly, Chelsea Clinton is already alleging Chozick got facts wrong, although Chozick is pushing back, noting her book was reviewed by a fact-checker. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Now to dive in … Hillary Clinton didn’t act like a feminist heroine on the campaign trail. For years, it’s…

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The Mooch Goes After Michelle Wolf For Tasteless ‘Atrocity,’ Compares Her To Michael Wolff

April 30, 2018April 29, 2018 Admin

by Nick Givas Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci expressed disgust at comedian Michelle Wolf for her attacks on White House press secretary Sarah Sanders at the White House Correspondents Dinner. “I think what you guys are missing is, you think it’s totally okay to take a cheese graters to somebody’s face, grate their face, drop the cheese grater and say, geez, part of your job is to have the right side of your face bleeding,” Scaramucci said on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” Sunday. Scaramucci called the insults to Sanders an “atrocity” and compared Michelle Wolf to “Fire And Fury” author Michael Wolff. “I think the hostilities need to be de-escalated on both sides,” Scaramucci added. “It’s not just the White House. What happened last night was an atrocity, and it was like literally watching Michael Wolff with a wig on. I thought Michelle Wolf was Michael Wolff, actually.” Host Brian Stelter appeared shocked at Scaramucci’s use of the word atrocity and said there are worse tragedies in America more deserving of attention. “Okay. I’ll tell you why it’s an atrocity,” Scaramucci shot back. “Because it doesn’t help what you’re trying to achieve and what I think all of us are trying to…

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Commentary: Cleaning House Is Not Enough

April 30, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by George Rasley, CHQ Editor The appointment of Ambassador John Bolton as President Trump’s National Security Advisor and the confirmation of CIA Director and former Representative Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State brought two solid conservatives with great credentials and a commitment to President Trump’s national security policies into his administration. Gone are the ineffective Rex Tillerson, who never seemed to click with Trump and his policy goals, and the near-treasonous H.R. McMaster who, as National Security Advisor, was a Fifth Columnist for maintaining Obama’s disastrous policies on the Iran nuclear deal, the war Islam has declared on the West and Chinese expansionism, to name just three of his more obvious betrayals of Trump’s campaign promises. But what about the staffers and underlings that Tillerson and especially McMaster brought into the Administration? Ever since General Mike Flynn was ousted as President Trump’s National Security Advisor the NSC has slid steadily back toward Obama-like postures toward the war Islam has declared on the West and especially on dealing with Iran. The reason for this slide back to Obama’s policies is the hiring of LTG H.R. McMaster as National Security Advisor, who in turn retained many of Obama’s staff that Flynn…

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Kasich Squashes Rumors Of POTUS Bid But Promises To Restore Pre-Trump GOP

April 30, 2018April 29, 2018 Admin

by Chris White Ohio Gov. John Kasich dismissed rumors of a presidential bid Sunday shortly after suggesting he can bring the GOP “back” to where it presumably was before President Donald Trump was elected. “We should care about people from top to bottom, not just those at the top,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I can bring that party back. That’s what I’m going to do in one way or another.” Kasich did not specify how the party had been led astray, but he did suggest that the “Republican Party left me.” Kasich did not directly address his opinion of Trump during the interview, but he has been critical of the president and the Republican party since his 2016 presidential campaign ended ignominiously. Ohio Gov. John Kasich: "I didn't leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left me" https://t.co/UOBi8kKD5g pic.twitter.com/MHl9tVibp3 — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 29, 2018 He called Trump’s response to white supremacist violence in Charlottesville “pathetic,” pilloried Trump’s executive order on refugees and migrants, and sided with NFL players in an ongoing dispute over the appropriateness of staging protests during the observance of the national anthem. Speculation ratcheted up in 2017 that Kasich was considering a bipartisan presidential bid…

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Mount Juliet and Lincoln County Win High School State Co-Championship in Tennessee Star Constitution Bee

April 29, 2018April 28, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Mount Juliet High School and Lincoln County High School were declared co-champions in the State High School Team Competition of the Spring 2018 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee held at the Williamson County Administrative Complex on Saturday. Mount Juliet jumped to an early lead, with 9 points, one for each contestant, followed by Lincoln County with 2 points. One point each was awarded to Central Magnet School of Murfreesboro, Columbia Central High School, Stewart Creek High School, Ravenwood High School, John Overton High School, and the home school team. All told, 17 points were distributed as the competition began, one to the high school of each competitor. Mount Juliet added to its lead with a strong performance by students who provided correct answers when the remaining contestants “Asked a Friend” for help from their positions in the “Friends of the Court Bench,” where students who had been eliminated from the individual competition went to be able to add points for their high school after Rounds 1 and 2. Contestants in Rounds 3 through 7 “asked a friend” for help on four occasions. On three of those occasions, students from Mount Juliet High School–Sophia Maas and Oren Kagan–provided the contestant with…

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Cooper Moran of Lincoln County High School Wins Individual Championship at 2018 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee

April 29, 2018April 30, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Cooper Moran Wins Constitution Bee

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Cooper Moran, a junior at Lincoln County High School, won the individual championship at the Spring 2018 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee, sponsored by the Polk Foundation, held at the Williamson County Administrative Complex on Saturday. Moran was presented a check for $3,000 as the first winner of the Andrew Woodfin Miller Foundation Scholarship, which was provided through a donation to the Polk Foundation, and presented by Constitution Bee master of ceremonies Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star. In addition to the scholarship, Moran will receive a free trip for two to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of events of his choosing. Moran told The Star that his mother, who was among those in the audience on Saturday, will be accompanying him to the nation’s capitol for that trip. Moran hopes to attend Vanderbilt University and plans on majoring in political science. He intends to become a lawyer. Three students, including Moran, survived seven rounds of competition involving increasingly difficult questions and an Essay round to compete in the dramatic championship round. The other two students in the championship round were Amanda Nolan of Mt. Juliet High School and Aryan Burns, also of Lincoln County…

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Mt. Juliet’s Jimmy Hayes Steals the Show With ‘Soul Man’ Version of Preamble

April 29, 2018April 28, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–Mount Juliet High School senior Jimmy Hayes stole the show in the Preamble Challenge warmup round for The Tennessee Star Constitution Bee Saturday with his “Soul Man” version of the Preamble, earning him “The Most Creative Preamble Award” and an extra point for his Mt. Juliet High in the team competition. Amanda Nolan, Jimmy’s Mount Juliet High classmate, wowed the judges and the audience with her pitch-perfect a capella rendition of the “School House Rock” song version of the Preamble, earning her “The Most Entertaining Preamble Award, and an extra point for Mt. Juliet High in the team competition. Alexis Henderson, a senior at Stewarts Creek High School from Smyrna, delivered the most compelling oration, earning her “The Most Persuasive Preamble” and a point for her high school. The idea behind the Preamble Challenge is to give the competing students an opportunity to begin the competition by having some fun, win points for their high school in the team competition, and get “on-stage” one time before facing a potential elimination question. Most of the competing students chose to deliver the 52 words of the Preamble in classic oratorical style, but, as in the Spring 2017 Tennessee Star Constitution Bee,…

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Commentary: Civil Asset Forfeiture Isn’t About Crime – It’s About the Money

April 29, 2018April 28, 2018 Admin

by Michael Maharrey Last month, a Minnesota House committee passed a bill that would reform asset forfeiture laws to prohibit the state from taking property without a criminal conviction. It would also close a loophole that allows police to circumvent more strict state laws by passing cases off to the federal government. But the bill faces significant law enforcement opposition as it continues through the legislative process. A bipartisan coalition of 15 representatives introduced House Bill 3725 (HF3725) on March 14. The legislation would reform Minnesota law by requiring a criminal conviction before prosecutors could proceed with asset forfeiture and would end civil asset forfeiture in the state. Grassroots activists on the ground in Minnesota say powerful law enforcement lobbying interests could jeopardize passage of HF3725. Follow the Money Police opposition to this legislation in Minnesota is illustrative. This same kind of intense push-back happens in every state that considers asset forfeiture reform, and the arguments being used by Minnesota police lobbyists feature the same twisted logic and duplicity we see across the country. Several law enforcement officers representing various lobbying groups testified during the House committee hearing on HF3725. They swore asset forfeiture wasn’t about the money, but virtually all of their…

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Trump Takes Apart Another Favorite Tool Enviros Use To Push Climate Crusades

April 29, 2018April 28, 2018 Admin

by Chris White The Trump administration released a new set of regulatory guidelines all-but destroying activists’ ability to cajole and browbeat retirement pension funds into taking up green energy investments. The Labor Department issued a warning Monday to managers of retirement funds to avoid using politically motivated investment strategies to tackle environmental issues. Several retirement funds have used exotic techniques during the past several years to submit proposals designed to push political campaigns. Using resources to promote so-called environmental, social and governance (ESG) proposals is a violation of a pension fund’s fiduciary duty unless the proposal can financially improve the company’s value. If the shareholder cannot demonstrably prove the proposal’s financial benefit, then pension recipients can sue the retirement fund for mishandling their money. “Fiduciaries (including investment managers) may not routinely incur significant plan expenses to pay for the costs of shareholder resolutions or special shareholder meetings, or to initiate or actively sponsor proxy fights on environmental or social issues,” a DOL press statement on the rule change notes. The new guidance rule comes as reports consistently warn about the real-world consequences of forcing pensions to take up green activist agendas. A report published in July 2017 suggested public pension funds…

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Pennsylvania’s Atty Gen Josh Shapiro Sues Little Sisters of the Poor to Remove the HHS Exemption from Paying for Abortion Meds

April 29, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Joe Carter Once again, the Little Sisters of the Poor are having to go to court to defend their religious freedoms against government intrusion. The Little Sisters is an international Roman Catholic Congregation of Religious Sisters that serves more than 13,000 elderly poor in 31 countries around the world. The first home opened in America in 1868, and now there are nearly 30 homes in the United States where the elderly and dying are cared for. A few years ago, the Obama administration’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) attempted to force the Little Sisters and other groups groups into providing insurance coverage for contraceptives, sterilization, and abortifacients. The Little Sisters objected on the ground that the requirement violates their religious liberty as protected by the First Amendment and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). In early October, HHS issued a new rule that protects religious non-profits like the Little Sisters, ending their four-year legal ordeal. But shortly after, according to Becket Law, the state of Pennsylvania sued to take away the Little Sisters’ religious exemption. Represented by Becket, the Little Sisters went back to court to ensure that they can continue their vital ministry of caring for the elderly poor without violating their…

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Progressives Use ‘Lawfare’ to Target Their Political Opponents

April 29, 2018April 28, 2018 Admin

Tennessee Star

by Printus LaBlanc The Democrat Party has unveiled a not-so-new technique to attack their opponents. Everyone knows about the typical intimidation techniques such as boycotts, protesting, and rioting. Lawfare is an asymmetric technique using the legal system against an enemy. Keeping their enemies tied up in court and legal costs demoralize and sometimes forces the opponents to quit. Republicans need to wake up to tactics of the left and realize they are sometimes playing into their hands. This has been a successful strategy for the Democrat Party so far, as we have seen with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn. After the fraudulent Mueller investigation was started, it quickly became apparent Flynn was one of the primary targets. After months of interviews and interrogations, Flynn finally gave in and pled guilty to lying to the FBI. The charge had nothing to do with what Mueller was supposedly investigating, it was just another scalp. Shortly after the guilty plea, the mainstream media concluded Flynn must have lied to the FBI if he pled guilty. It quickly became apparent the plea had nothing to do with guilt or innocence, it had more to do with finances. Flynn was going broke defending himself…

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Commentary: ‘The Bible’ Is the All-Time Bestselling Book – But Do You Know What the Next-Best-Selling Book Is?

April 29, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Imitation of Christ

by Daniel Lattier If someone asks you to name the all-time bestselling book, you’d most likely answer “The Bible.” And you’d be right. According to Guinness World Records: “Although it is impossible to obtain exact figures, there is little doubt that the Bible is the world’s best-selling and most widely distributed book. A survey by the Bible Society concluded that around 2.5 billion copies were printed between 1815 and 1975, but more recent estimates put the number at more than 5 billion.” But you might not have heard of the second-most sold and translated work of Christianity after the Bible… It’s The Imitation of Christ, written by the medieval monk Thomas à Kempis (1380-1471). The Imitation of Christ is a 15th-century devotional work that calls its readers to a radical living of the Christian faith. In the four books that comprise it, it counsels readers to reject the “vanities of the world”, to cultivate silence and turn inward, and to “take up the cross” by embracing suffering and humility in their lives. The fact that between 1500 and 1650 over 650 editions of it were produced, in a wide variety of languages, is a testimony to a less-secularized time in the history of…

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Focus on the Family’s Dr. James Dobson Endorses Carol Swain for Nashville Mayor

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

The founder and Chairman Emeritus of the pro-life, pro-family group, Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson endorsed Carol M. Swain in her bid to become Nashville’s next mayor in the upcoming special election May 24. “It is my pleasure to be among the many conservatives who are supporting Carol Swain’s candidacy for Mayor of Nashville, Tennessee,” Dobson said in a statement; adding: Carol Swain is a brilliant woman of humble beginnings, who has the education, intelligence, and character to provide inspirational and Godly leadership for Nashville. She understands the importance of the institution of the family and just how vital thriving families are to building strong communities. She is a proponent of protecting the rights of home school parents and also recognizes that school choice is the key to improving both private and public education. For years, I have joined millions of people across America in praying that God would raise-up leaders to restore this great nation. I am excited that Carol Swain answered that call and has stepped up to offer her services to the people of Nashville. As a private individual, I am honored to endorse Carol Swain for Mayor, and pray that her election will be…

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Conservative Pundit Warns Republicans: ‘Drain the Swamp’ Is Not Just a Slogan, It’s a Mandate

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

Drain the Swamp, Donald Trump

Conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star contributor Steve Gill said on The Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville Friday that every politician currently serving in office is being evaluated by voters right now as to how effectively they have lived up to concerns about the overreach and bloat at all levels of government. The remedy for this is commonly referred to ‘Draining the Swamp.’ Gill began by citing a new poll, conducted by McLaughlin and Associates, who sought to learn who voters blame when they start thinking about the so-called “D. C. Swamp.” “Is it the Democrats? Or is it the Republicans?” Gill asked rhetorically. He continued: Well, it might not surprise you that nearly half of Americans believe that the Republicans leadership are the ones responsible for the swamp-like culture in Washington, D.C. Now, actually, they blame both parties – but Republican leadership is getting the same amount of blame as the Democrats, according to a new poll by McLaughlin and Associates. A poll of a thousand likely voters, trying to understand how concerned American voters are about the D.C. swamp and who they attribute it to, show why it remains undrained. Now, they went in to find out who blames…

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Commentary: 1970’s Hit ‘Baker Street’ and the Loneliness of Modernity Overtaking the Millennial Generation

April 28, 2018April 28, 2018 Admin

By Jon Miltimore I was recently in a bar having dinner with a friend when Gerry Rafferty’s hit 1978 song “Baker Street” came on. When my friend mentioned that he loved the song, I agreed and noted the song’s powerful lyrics. “Really?” he responded. “I never paid much attention to the lyrics.” Most people, of course, remember “Baker Street” for its wailing saxophone, and my friend was no different. Nor was I, for many years. But at some point—I don’t know when—I began to pay attention to the song’s lyrics. They go like this: Winding your way down on Baker Street Light in your head and dead on your feet Well, another crazy day You’ll drink the night away And forget about everything This city desert makes you feel so cold It’s got so many people, but it’s got no soul And it’s taken you so long To find out you were wrong When you thought it held everything You used to think that it was so easy You used to say that it was so easy But you’re trying, you’re trying now Another year and then you’d be happy Just one more year and then you’d be happy But you’re…

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Author Mark Lutchman: Opposing Voter ID Laws On the Basis That It Will Suppress the Black Vote is ‘Totally Racist’

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

by John Miltimore Voter ID laws are one of the most controversial topics in America today. As of 2016, 33 states had some kind of voter ID law. Here is the breakdown, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Strict photo ID required: Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Strict non-photo ID required: Arizona and Ohio. Non-Strict photo ID required: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Rhode Island, South Dakota, and Texas. Non-Strict non-photo ID required: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington. No ID required to vote at ballot box: California, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Washington, D.C. Opponents of voter ID laws generally oppose them for two reasons. First, they say such laws are unnecessary because voter fraud “never” happens. Second, they argue that voter ID laws are racist. While President Trump’s claims that millions of illegal voters cast ballots in the 2016 presidential election are probably inaccurate, evidence shows that voter fraud still occurs regularly. So taking prudent steps to curb instances of illegal voting and ensure electoral integrity might make sense—assuming such policies are not…

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James Clapper Discussed Dossier With CNN, According To House Intel Report

April 28, 2018April 29, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper gave inconsistent testimony to a House panel about his contacts with CNN’s Jake Tapper regarding the infamous Steele dossier, according to a report released by congressional Republicans on Friday. The report, published by the GOP side of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, shows that Clapper acknowledged speaking with Tapper about the dossier while he was still serving as director of national intelligence. That is in direct conflict with Clapper’s claim to CNN’s Don Lemon last month that he did not interact with the media prior to leaving the Obama administration on Jan. 20, 2017. “I didn’t have any contact with media until after I left the government on the 20th of January, so I don’t quite understand, at least what I’ve read, that somehow I leaked about the dossier,” Clapper told Lemon in the interview. “So you didn’t leak anything about the dossier to any media?” Lemon asked. “No, not — I mean, I talked about it after I left the government, but not during that period, and certainly not between the 6th of January and the 10th when the president-elect himself talked about it.” CNN, where…

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Kim Jong Un Sets Foot On South Korean Soil For The First Time [VIDEO]

April 28, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Ryan Pickrell Making history at the inter-Korean border Friday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un not only met South Korean Moon Jae-in face-to-face for the first time, but he also became the first North Korean leader to visit the South since the end of the Korean War. In a surreal moment for Korea watchers, Kim stepped across the military demarcation line into South Korea and shook his southern counterpart’s hand — something that would have been almost unthinkable just a few months ago. At what appears to be Kim’s invitation, Moon stepped onto the North Korean side of the line, and then the two walked hand-in-hand onto South Korean soil. After reviewing an honor guard, the two Korean leaders entered the Peace House at Panmunjom — a section of the Joint Security Area where the Kim and Moon will meet for what many hope will be meaningful talks. Upon entering the Peace House, Kim signed the guest book. “New history starts now; age of peace, from the starting point of history,” Kim wrote. Kim and Moon are expected to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and permanent peace (an end to the Korean War). This meeting marks the…

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DOJ Gives Congress Missing Strzok-Page Text Messages

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross The Justice Department on Thursday gave Congress five months worth of text messages exchanged between Peter Strzok and Lisa Page — two FBI officials involved in the investigations into Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump’s campaign. The messages, exchanged between Dec. 14, 2016, and May 17, 2017, were initially thought to be missing due to a technical glitch on FBI-issued cell phones. But the texts were recovered by the Justice Department’s office of the inspector general, which is investigating the FBI’s handling of both the Clinton and Trump campaign investigations. Approximately 300 messages were given to Congress, a Justice Department official told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Strzok, the former deputy chief of the FBI’s counterintelligence division, was removed from Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia team in July 2017 after the discovery of the text messages. They showed Strzok and Page expressed deep hostility to Trump during the 2016 campaign. Strzok oversaw the FBI’s Russia investigation when it began on July 31, 2016. He was also a top investigator on the Clinton email probe. He helped conduct the interviews of Clinton and several of her top aides. The congressional committees that received the text messages are likely…

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Arizona Passes Law to Protect Free Speech on Campus

April 28, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Jonathan Butcher For the second time in three years, Arizona lawmakers have strengthened laws protecting free speech on public college campuses. In 2016, state lawmakers banned so-called “free speech zones” on public university campuses, and on Wednesday, Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation that protects individuals’ rights to demonstrate on campus. It also prohibits a school from forcing faculty and students to take specific positions on controversial subjects. Colleges will also have less authority to restrict speech on campus. The law recognizes that administrators can regulate speech on the public parts of campus, but it limits that authority. While the First Amendment has long limited regulations to the “time, place, and manner” of speech in public forums, now schools can only exercise that authority to restrict speech if it is “necessary to achieve a compelling governmental interest” and is “the least restrictive means” for doing so. The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >> These provisions make it more difficult for colleges to censor free expression on the quad and other public spaces on campus. The law allows for the “spontaneous distribution of literature,” and says any person…

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FACT CHECK: Former Vice Presidential Candidate Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) Wrongly Asserts the Statue of Liberty Was to Recognize the US as a ‘Nation of Immigrants’

April 28, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

by Emily Larsen Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said in a tweet Wednesday that the French recognized the U.S. as a nation of immigrants with the Statue of Liberty. Verdict: False The statue’s French creators intended for the colossus to celebrate independence and enlightenment. It later came to symbolize the promise of immigration. Fact Check: French President Emmanuel Macron addressed both houses of Congress, and the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case challenging President Donald Trump’s travel ban Wednesday. Kaine tied the two events to the Statue of Liberty. As I listen to French President Macron address Congress, I'm struck that it's the same day that the Supreme Court will hear the Muslim travel ban case. The French people recognized the U.S. as a nation of immigrants when they gifted us the Statue of Liberty. — Tim Kaine (@timkaine) April 25, 2018 “As I listen to French President Macron address Congress, I’m struck that it’s the same day that the Supreme Court will hear the Muslim travel ban case,” he tweeted. “The French people recognized the U.S. as a nation of immigrants when they gifted us the Statue of Liberty.” While the statue is now associated with the promise of immigration, its French creators…

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Rutherford County Mayor’s Race Gets ‘Radioactive’

April 28, 2018April 28, 2018 Admin

Tina Jones

The war of words between Rutherford County Mayoral candidates Bill Ketron and Tina Jones has gone “nuclear” over claims of Ketron’s involvement in supporting the dumping of radioactive waste in the Rutherford County Middlepoint landfill well over a decade ago. Debate over what to do with the landfill has been a focal point of the campaign the last few weeks, but the radioactive waste angle has added a new twist. Jones and her supporters have asserted that Ketron was responsible for allowing companies to transport radioactive waste into Rutherford County to be dumped into the local landfill. Ketron acknowledges that radioactive waste was allowed to be deposited in the landfill, but says that he, along with former State Senator Jim Tracy, helped lead the way to obtain a voluntary agreement to stop such dumping in 2007. The Tennessee Environmental Council has said 10 million pounds in waste from a decommissioned nuclear reactor in Michigan was dumped in Rutherford County in 2005 alone. The locations and amounts of radioactive waste dumped into Tennessee landfills is now kept secret by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) and neither the Tennessee Legislature nor Governor Haslam has addressed the issue. Although the…

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Grand Ole Opry to Salute Charley Pride May 4th and 5th with Country Pride Weekend

April 27, 2018 Bethany Bowman

The Grand Ole Opry and 650 AM WSM will salute Charlie Pride with a Country Pride Weekend on May 4 and 5 by celebrating the legendary entertainer’s 25th Opry Member Anniversary.

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Leftist Diversity Agenda Drove Hiring of Kurdish Refugee Dismissed from Nashville Police Force for Gang Affiliation

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Chris Alto

Jiyayi Suleyman, a Kurdish refugee resettled in Nashville as a young child with his parents and siblings in 1991, was dismissed from the Metro Nashville Police force after it was discovered that “he lied on his application about who he was” and about his involvement with the Kurdish Pride Gang. Suleyman became a Metro Nashville police officer in 2012. His sister Remziya Suleyman, also made her mark in Nashville. Trained by the TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), she organized opposition to a 2011 anti-terrorism bill but failed to stop it from being passed into law. Her efforts did, however, result in establishing the American Muslim Advisory Council with assistance from the Haslam administration. Former Nashville mayor Karl Dean made elevating “new Americans” a priority during his term. Early on he established the New Americans Advisory Council with participation from Conexion Americas and TIRRC. The MyCity Academy program designed to politically empower refugees and immigrants followed. In 2014, Dean established the Mayor’s Office of New Americans and the Parent Ambassador Program whose volunteers would serve as advisors to Metro schools. Without hesitation Dean praised the self-segregation in “growing enclaves” of new Americans that keep them separated from assimilating into and adapting…

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Republican Candidate for Congress Bob Corlew Pans ‘Half-Baked’ Nashville Transit Plan

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Admin

On the last day of Early Voting ahead of the all-important May 1st Election Day, congressional hopeful Bob Corlew issued a statement panning the controversial $9 billion transit plan, comparing it to the disastrous government take-over of healthcare, Obamacare. “As a resident of Wilson County, I am well-aware of the traffic and congestion problems facing those in and around Nashville,” the former judge said. “The proposal in front of Davidson County voters does little to ease traffic and congestion, and is nothing more than a blank check for a half-baked plan that reminds me of Nancy Pelosi’s ‘we have to pass the bill to know what is in it.’” Corlew added: What we do know is that the proposal costs too much, ignores the needs of our region, and proposes use of an expensive and antiquated system to meet modern needs to ease traffic and congestion. The tax increases to pay for the proposal will burden workers and those on fixed incomes, and will stunt our region’s continued explosive growth. The residents of Davidson County and the residents of middle Tennessee should demand more from their leaders. There is no doubt that we should be investing to ease movement on…

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Tea Parties Host Wilson County Candidate Meet and Greet

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

MT. JULIET, Tennessee — The Wilson County Tea Party and Tennessee Sixth Congressional District Tea Party groups hosted a candidate meet and greet Thursday evening. “This year’s countywide elections Aug. 2 promise to be the most exciting in years,” Wilson County Tea Party president Tom Hoffman told the Lebanon Democrat. “Many more vigorous candidates from all political persuasions are running, including conservatives, liberals, independents, Republicans and Democrats. Our Meet and Greet the Candidates will provide you an opportunity to meet candidates one-on-one in a relaxed casual setting and to ask them the burning questions that are of greatest concern to you.” Among the candidates attending was Mae Beavers, former State Senator who is now running for county mayor; Menda Holmes, who is running for the State House District 46 seat, which was formerly held by State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) who was also there. Nineteen-year-old Wilson County Commission candidate Preston George was there, as well as Dianne Corlew, who was representing her husband, Congressional hopeful Bob Corlew. Pastor Ben Graham opened the doors to the Music City Baptist Church in order to hold the first-ever Wilson County Tea Party Candidate Meet and Greet event. “As a pastor in our community with different political…

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Commentary: Surprising No One, Poll Shows the Majority of Americans Associate DC Swamp With GOP Leadership

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Admin

by CHQ Staff The public’s disapproval of a Washington, D.C, “Swamp-like” culture crosses party and ideological lines, and nearly half of Americans believe Republican leadership is supporting that same Swamp, according to a new poll from the Ear to the Ground Listening Project, in which ConservativeHQ.com is a partner. The poll of 1,000 likely voters, conducted by McLaughlin & Associates, sought to understand how concerned Americans are about a “D.C. Swamp,” who they attribute this atmosphere to, and why it remains “undrained.” “Our dive into voter perceptions of the D.C. Swamp show that Americans view their leadership in DC as having utterly failed in dealing with the Swamp and that Washington is on a different page from the American people, “said Anne Sorock, Executive Director of The Frontier Lab’s Ear to the Ground Listening Project. Concern about The Swamp: 55% of voters and 66% of Republicans are concerned about the Swamp, and nearly half (46%) of Americans think the GOP leadership is supporting it. 41% of conservatives, 44% of moderates, and 50% of Independents believe the GOP leadership supports the Swamp 45% of voters who reside in states Trump won in the 2016 presidential election believe the GOP leadership supports the Swamp Moreover,…

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Six of the Best Exchanges in Social Media Hearing With Diamond and Silk

April 27, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

by Rachel del Guidice Conservative social media personalities Diamond and Silk, who say Facebook has censored their page, were front and center at a congressional hearing Thursday on the content-filtering practices of social media platforms. “Shame on the ones that don’t even see that we have been censored, yet when the Black Lives Matter people complain about it—oh, everybody is up in arms,” Lynnette “Diamond” Hardaway said Thursday at a House Judiciary Committee hearing. Hardaway appears regularly in videos on the social media site Diamond and Silk with her real-life sister, Rochelle “Silk” Richardson. “Let me just say this here: If the shoe was on the other foot, and Mark Zuckerberg was a conservative, and we were liberals—oh, fences and chains would have broke loose,” Hardaway said of the Facebook CEO. “You know it, and I know it.” [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Twitter declined The Daily Signal’s request for comment, but Facebook said that it’s standing by remarks made by Zuckerberg, when he testified April 10 and 11 on Capitol Hill about the company’s practices. “As Mark stated during his testimony in front…

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Tennessee Star Constitution Bee Will Be Held in Franklin Tomorrow

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–The second Tennessee Star Constitution Bee, sponsored by the Polk Foundation, will be held in Franklin, Tennessee tomorrow, Saturday April 28 at the Main Auditorium of the Williamson County Administrative Complex. The doors open at 8 a.m., and the competition will begin at 9 a.m., and is expected to wrap up around noon. Participating secondary school contestants are encouraged to arrive by 8:30 a.m. so they can receive their contestant number and have their pictures taken. Students who have not yet signed up online to compete will be allowed to participate if they sign up on site between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The event is open to the public, which is invited to attend. All Tennessee secondary school students in grades 8 through 12 are eligible to participate. Questions will be based on the book, The Tennessee Star Guide to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for Secondary School Students, which is available free of charge. The winner of the individual competition will be awarded a $3,000 scholarship from the Andrew Woodfin Miller Foundation and will win a free trip for two (themselves and a parent) to Washington, D.C. In addition to the individual championship, at least…

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‘Penny Plan’ Puts the Spotlight on Out-of-Control Federal Spending

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Admin

by Romina Boccia Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Rep. Mark Sanford, R-S.C., recently revived the “penny plan,” which calls on Congress to reduce spending by at least one penny on the dollar from one year to the next. The proposal was introduced in 2011 by then-Rep. Connie Mack, R-Fla., and Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., and has been introduced several times since then. Sounds easy, no? The Paul and Sanford proposals highlight an issue that is becoming more severe every year. Yet, there’s more to the story. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] The penny plan is appealing for a few reasons. It’s simple. While budget discussions in Washington can be very complex and hard to follow for most people, the penny plan is easy to understand. It would simply reduce spending by 1 percent. Just about any American can support the idea that the federal budget can probably make do with 1 percent less in spending. The plan’s simplicity hides the actual spending reductions required to make it work. It appears to work. The plan would reduce federal spending sufficiently to balance the budget in…

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Transit Plan Early Voting Ends, Opponents Make Final Push For Election Day

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Early voting on Nashville’s light rail transit plan ended Thursday, April 26, but one group advocating for alternative transit planning is making a final push for Election Day. There is one more opportunity to vote on the transit plan as Election Day is Tuesday, May 1. In a newsletter Thursday, the NoTax4Tracks PAC said, “This plan is incredibly flawed and costly. What’s worse, it’s being forced onto Davidson County families and businesses before we have seen any alternatives. There are better, less expensive options than making families pay $43,000 in new taxes for a light rail system that won’t even reach them.” In a separate communication, NoTax4Tracks referred people to listen to an episode of the Nashville Sounding Board podcast discussing the light rail transit plan. Nashville Metro council members Freddie O’Connell and Angie Henderson were guests. O’Connell said, “I think that as a councilmember trying to do the best job of representing my constituents… I will say I think a mistake was made by the administration in preparing this plan was a lack of council engagement.” Henderson said, “Absolutely, I concur with that.” James Pratt wrote a letter to the editor that appeared in The Tennessean on Wednesday, April…

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President Trump Threatens to Pull Out of NAFTA if Mexico Fails to Stop Illegal Immigrants and If the Wall Is Not Built

April 27, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

President Trump and the Border Wall

by Robert Romano “Mexico, whose laws on immigration are very tough, must stop people from going through Mexico and into the U.S. We may make this a condition of the new NAFTA Agreement. Our Country cannot accept what is happening! Also, we must get Wall funding fast.” That was President Donald Trump on Twitter on April 23, saying that any new deal on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) will be contingent on Mexico getting a handle on illegal immigrants pouring over the southern border. It will also be contingent on Congress getting its act together to build the southern border wall. Once again, Trump is demonstrating that he understands the leverage he possesses absolutely correctly, daring Congress and Mexico to ignore the illegal immigration problem to its own detriment. All but saying, that’s a nice trade agreement you have there, shame if anything were to happen to it. Anyone who still doubts President Trump’s resolve at this stage to get better deals for the American people has not been paying attention. Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and has reaffirmed just last week that it’s for good as he spoke of working on a bilateral trade deal…

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EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Fends Off Democrat Critics, Makes Case for Deregulation in Testy Hearings

April 27, 2018April 26, 2018 Admin

EPA Chief Scott Priutt

by Kevin Mooney EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt offered up a vigorous defense of his record amid negative media coverage of his travel, security, and living expenses Thursday in testifying before two House subcommittees. “Much of what has been targeted toward me and my team has been half-truths or at best stories so twisted they do not represent reality,” Pruitt said in opening remarks to the Energy and Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on the environment. The chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, who also testified before an Appropriations Committee panel, said attacks on him and his staff are part of a larger agenda to derail President Donald Trump’s efforts to cut burdensome regulations on individuals and businesses. “I simply will not let that happen,” he said. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Although both hearings had been scheduled to address the EPA’s budget, committee members spent the bulk of their time questioning Pruitt about allegations concerning his public expenditures and management decisions. Beforehand, EPA officials distributed a 23-page document disputing what the agency describes as “false claims” circulated in the news media concerning Pruitt’s international travel, security…

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Mayoral Candidate Carol Swain to Host Victory Celebration for Opponents of Nashville Transit Plan on Election Night Tuesday

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 Tennessee Star Staff

Carol Swain

Mayoral candidate Carol Swain announced on Friday that her campaign will host a victory celebration for opponents of the $9 billion Nashville Transit Plan on election night, Tuesday, May 1, from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. “As one of the leading voices against the transit tax in Nashville, Carol M. Swain is continuing to urge voters to ‘vote against’ on May 1,” the Swain campaign said in a statement released on Friday, adding: The campaign cordially invites all those who have opposed the transit tax to celebrate their efforts and rally around modern alternative solutions. Guests can RSVP here. Carol will share her “Blueprint for Nashville” and ask voters that opposed the transit tax to support her bid for Mayor on Election Day, May 24. “It is is imperative that Nashvillians vote against the transit tax on May 1. If the referendum passes, it will tie the hands of city leaders for at least five decades and stunt the local economy,” Swain said in the statement. “The currently proposed plan does not solve our regional traffic congestion problems. The plan utilizes expensive and outdated technology that does not meet the needs of Nashville’s commuters,”…

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Tennessee General Assembly Passes Immigration Bills That Help Governor Fulfill Campaign Promises to Voters

April 26, 2018 Chris Alto

Gov. Bill Haslam in 2010 & 2018

Running right up to the last hours of the 110th Tennessee General Assembly, legislators passed two related immigration bills by wide margins that help the Governor fulfill campaign promises he made during his first run for office. In 2009, gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam told voters that if elected, his top priority was to “mak[e] Tennessee the No.1 state in the Southeast for high quality jobs” and that he would work to protect the “values we all hold dear.” Deterring illegal immigration in Tennessee was a featured part of Haslam’s plan to deliver on these campaign promises: The Green-Reedy anti-sanctuary city bill passed yesterday in the Senate 23 – 5 and in the House 64 – 23, provides clear guidelines for cooperation by state and local law enforcement with federal immigration authorities in identifying and removing criminal aliens which Haslam said he supported during his campaign. Months before he was elected as governor in 2010, Haslam endorsed the action of a newly Republican majority legislature which passed a bill requiring jailers to contact federal immigration authorities once it was determined that an illegal alien had been arrested. The Green-Lamberth bill, also passed yesterday by a wide vote margin, prohibits local jurisdictions from creating…

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State Sen. Todd Gardenhire Says ‘It’s Not the White Parents That Show Up to Be with the Kids, It’s Not the African American Parents That Show Up with the Kids’

April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 Chris Alto

During Tuesday’s debate on SB2333 sponsored by State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) that would prohibit local jurisdictions from creating their own identity card programs, State Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) offered an amendment addressing parent access to schools. The local identity cards, also called municipal IDs, have been made available to illegal aliens in other states to help them access certain public services and appear as if they are lawfully present, While explaining his amendment, Gardenhire, who annually sponsors a bill to award in-state tuition to illegal alien students, disparaged “White and African American” parents who, he said, don’t “show up” to be involved with their children’s schools: In my district we have an enormous amount of Latino students. Let’s just get right down to the chase of it. We have an enormous amount of Latino students and these parents want to be involved. They’re involved more than any other segment of the population are. And if we exclude them because they can’t show some ID and get into the building and participate, we’re doing the students and the teachers and the principals a disservice. You can watch and hear Gardenhire make these comments at the 5:41:57 mark of this video of the debate…

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Williamson County Election Commission Refers Two Cases of Alleged Democrat Vote Fraud to the District Attorney

April 26, 2018April 27, 2018 Admin

The Williamson County Election Commission has referred materials related to an investigation into a report that seemed to show at least two Democrats – both of whom are currently running for elected office – voted in the Republican primary to the District Attorney for further investigation and possible prosecution. State law requires that in order to vote in a party primary, the voter must be a “bona fide member” of that party or “declare allegiance to the political party.” “It is unlikely that a current Democratic candidate for office would meet either of those requirements,” the Williamson Country Republican Party said in a statement released Wednesday afternoon. The Party’s Chair, Debbie Deaver added, “It appears likely two Democratic candidates for office have committed voter fraud, so I’m pleased to see the Election Commission refer this very serious matter to the District Attorney’s office.” The statement continues: Since the beginning of early voting through Tuesday, April 24, 2018, a total of 651 people who voted in the March 2016 Democratic presidential preference primary have cast early voting ballots in the current May 2018 Williamson County primary elections. Of those 651 people who voted in the 2016 Democratic primary, 344 of them…

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How Colleges Are Ripping Off a Generation of Ill-Prepared Students

April 26, 2018July 18, 2018 Admin

Siena College

by Walter E. Williams Earlier this month, the 2017 National Assessment of Educational Progress, aka the nation’s “report card,” was released. It’s not a pretty story. Only 37 percent of 12th-graders tested proficient or better in reading, and only 25 percent did so in math. Among black students, only 17 percent tested proficient or better in reading, and just 7 percent reached at least a proficient level in math. The atrocious National Assessment of Educational Progress performance is only a fraction of the bad news. Nationally, our high school graduation rate is over 80 percent. That means high school diplomas, which attest that these students can read and compute at a 12th-grade level, are conferred when 63 percent are not proficient in reading and 75 percent are not proficient in math. For blacks, the news is worse. Roughly 75 percent of black students received high school diplomas attesting that they could read and compute at the 12th-grade level. However, 83 percent could not read at that level, and 93 percent could not do math at that level. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out…

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Fired FBI Chief James Comey’s New Lawyer Is in Hot Water Over the Nassar Rape Investigation

April 26, 2018April 25, 2018 Admin

Tennessee Star

by Robert Donachie Former FBI Director James Comey hired the lawyer who represented Michigan State University in its investigation into shamed sports doctor Larry Nassar to join his legal team. Comey hired Patrick Fitzgerald, former U.S. attorney, in May 2017, Talking Points Memo first reported Tuesday afternoon. Fitzgerald’s name was floated as a possible Comey attorney during the former FBI director’s testimony on Capitol Hill in the Summer of 2017, which Tuesday’s report now corroborates. Fitzgerald and Comey have been “close friends” for over three decades. The pair cut their teeth together in the 1980s in the Southern District of New York’s U.S. Attorney’s Office and knew each other before that. Comey’s child even has the honor of calling Fitzgerald “godfather.” While Fitzgerald is known for winning big, national cases — like prosecutions of now-pardoned “Scooter” Libby, Abdel Rahman, and other terrorists, including Osama bin Laden — he is best known in recent years for his representation of Michigan State while it investigated Nassar, a man who was convicted this year of molesting over 150 young women while he was a doctor at the university and for the national gymnastics team. The attorneys who represented Nassar’s victims in the case believe Fitzgerald used his…

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Commentary: #NeverTrumpers Cling to Hope President Trump Will Fall on His Face Ahead of 2020

April 26, 2018April 25, 2018 Admin

President Trump rally

by Jeffery Rendall Many Americans see Election Day this year as their first opportunity to officially weigh-in on the merits of President Donald Trump’s initial two years in office. Some can’t wait to (hopefully) send him reinforcements through backing good conservative Republican candidates; others are itching to vote for any available Democrat to “resist” and “send a message” of their displeasure with the chief executive. Then there are those who are looking past November even now, peering into a foggy uncertain future. Do #NeverTrumpers see an opportunity ahead after the midterms? In a piece titled “November 7, 2018”, #NeverTrumper Bill Kristol wrote at The Weekly Standard, “The focus on Trump’s base obscures this ambivalence among Republicans. Those reluctant or ambivalent Trump supporters are the key to the Republican future. They may stick with Trump going forward. Or they may not. Add to them the 15 or 20 percent of Republicans who don’t approve of Trump and you would have a majority of the party feeling queasy about a second term for the president. “Much will depend, obviously, on how the Trump presidency is faring, what the real-world results look like, what Robert Mueller finds, who steps forward to challenge Trump, and many…

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GILL: The Supreme Court’s Liberal Justices’ Narrative-Driven Questions About President Trump’s ‘Travel Ban’ Shows a Split From American People

April 26, 2018May 13, 2018 Admin

SCOTUS

On Wednesday’s Gill Report, broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star contributor Steve Gill discussed the blatant politicizing of the questions by the liberal Supreme Court Justices during oral arguments Wednesday over President Trump’s ‘extreme vetting’ national security protocols, and why every voter should be paying close attention. “The Supreme Court today – the US Supreme Court – was dealing with the ‘Trump Travel Ban.’ Sometimes wrongly portrayed as a Muslim Travel Ban, even though you’ve got countries like Venezuela and others that are not Muslim countries, included in the countries that are recieving more vetting to make sure that dangerous people don’t come into our country. People we don’t know who they are or what they are here for.” Gill said. He continued: The Supreme Court today – the US Supreme Court – was dealing with the ‘Trump Travel Ban.’ Sometimes wrongly portrayed as a Muslim Travel Ban, even though you’ve got countries like Venezuela and others that are not Muslim countries, included in the countries that are recieving more vetting to make sure that dangerous people don’t come into our country. People we don’t know who they are or what they are here for. Well, the President got…

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Diane Black Challenges Memphis Regional Megasite

April 26, 2018April 26, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Diane Black is taking on a sprawling West Tennessee industrial site that includes a 35-mile-long wastewater pipeline. The Republican gubernatorial candidate blasted the Memphis Regional Megasite in an op-ed that appeared in the April 25 Commercial Appeal. The state government has left West Tennessee “behind” through neglect, she wrote. “Infrastructure is a big part of that,” Black wrote. “It is hugely important both to Memphis and to rural West Tennessee. I’ve spoken with representatives from the Trump Administration and my congressional colleagues about finishing I-69 and I-22. These projects are almost complete, they simply require a governor committed to getting it done. “I will continue to work with the President and Vice President to make sure West Tennessee gets the federal infrastructure dollars it needs to complete road projects and bring broadband to rural counties.” The megasite consists of 4,100 acres of industrial real estate, according to the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development website. Black calls the megasite a “boondoggle” 13 years in the making that has cost $140 million and needs an additional $100 million and still is a few years from having completed infrastructure. The wastewater pipeline will cost at least $75 million, she said, and some estimate the…

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