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

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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Wisconsin Forges Ahead on Welfare Reform

by Mimi Teixeira   Wisconsin is taking the lead on welfare reform. In February, the state Legislature passed nine bills, which Gov. Scott Walker is expected to sign. The state government is taking advantage of record-low unemployment and strong job creation numbers to help all of its able citizens enter the workforce. Among other measures, Wisconsin’s bold plan implements these four important pillars of welfare reform: 1. Establishing work requirements for housing programs. Of the more than 80 means-tested federal welfare programs, only two have substantial work requirements: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. In addition, only 39 out of 3,000 federal housing authorities require any sort of work as a condition for housing assistance. Wisconsin’s plan would expand work requirements to all work-capable individuals who receive federal housing assistance. The generosity of federal housing subsidies and the expense of the program make it a good target for reform. This measure will help those who utilize housing vouchers to reduce their dependency on government. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more } 2. Strengthening existing work measures in food stamps. Work requirements are a tested policy…

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

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

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’

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

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]

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

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

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’

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’

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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