Month: July 2018

Left’s War on Governor Walker in Wisconsin Was a Dry Run for Its ‘Resistance’ Against Trump

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Donald Trump, Scott Walker

by M.D. Kittle   Good morning America. You are now entering Wisconsin, circa 2011. The left’s #Resistance movement today against all things Trump is what big labor brought the Badger State seven years ago when “progressives” stomped all over civility in a campaign to topple Republican Gov. Scott Walker. “What happened in Wisconsin … is being writ large across the country,” state Sen. Tom Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst, said last year following an anti-Trump Women’s March on Madison, complete with “F— Trump” signs and pink “pussyhat” clad protesters. That was in March 2017. Think about how much more nastiness and downright disorder has occurred since. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Last month, the owner of a Virginia restaurant booted White House press secretary Sarah Sanders from the premises because Sanders works for President Donald Trump, and the eatery has “certain standards” to uphold. Days before a left-wing mob harassed U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and colleagues outside a Mexican restaurant. The members of Democratic Socialists of America shouted obscenities and attempted to “Shame! Shame! Shame!” the secretary for standing up for border detention laws that have separated some illegal immigrant…

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Correcting the Media Misinformation About Arming Teachers

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armed teachers

by James D. Agresti   Misinformation can be deadly, especially when it comes to issues like school shootings. This is because it can build support for policies that increase fatalities and generate opposition to reforms that can save lives. Despite these high stakes, a wide array of media outlets have spread fictions about violence, firearms, and armed security in the wake of the armed rampage that killed 17 students and teachers at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Value of Deterrence Shortly after the Parkland massacre, President Trump said: “A ‘gun free’ school is a magnet for bad people.” “Highly trained, gun adept, teachers/coaches” would be a “great deterrent” to school shootings. “If a potential ‘sicko shooter’ knows that a school has a large number of very talented teachers (and others) who will be instantly shooting, the sicko will NEVER attack that school.” After reporting the last of these statements, the Washington Post countered, “Some criminologists have questioned that reasoning, pointing out that some people who plan to commit mass shootings are prepared to die in the process.” Likewise, the New York Timeseditorial board wrote that “many deranged mass murderers expect to die themselves during their killing sprees. It’s almost laughable to believe that the president’s…

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Capital Gazette Reporter: Slain Colleague Who Charged Shooter With Trash Can ‘Saved My Life’

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Wendi Winters

by Robert Shimshock   Capital Gazette employees reflected on a colleague Saturday who heroically charged the shooter, buying others time with her sacrifice. Reporter Wendi Winters charged shooting suspect Jarrod Ramos with a recycling bin and trash can during the June 28 attack, The Capital Gazette reported. She had learned at an active shooter training hosted by her church that running and hiding were preferable to fighting assailants. “She may have distracted him enough that he forgot about me, because I definitely stood up and was looking at the door,” Gazette sales consultant Janel Cooley said. “I’m sure he wasn’t expecting … anyone to charge him.” The 65-year-old Winters yelled something along the lines of “you get out of here!” or “no! You stop that!” at the shooter, according to Cooley. “I think that Wendi doing what she did served as enough of a distraction that maybe he didn’t see us,” fellow Gazette reporter Rachael Pacella said. “I absolutely think that Wendi Winters saved my life.” "Wendi Winters saved my life": Capital Gazette staff say their fallen colleague charged the shooter. https://t.co/TnebnAGLUh pic.twitter.com/pQLkhhMtvy — The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) July 7, 2018 Winters had once given Pacella the shirt she was wearing…

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Tennessee’s 2nd District: Jason Emert Ad Touts Support for Trump Wall; Hits Butch Jones (Who Isn’t on the Ballot)

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Jason Emert

A new Jason Emert ad in the 2nd Congressional GOP Primary race is drawing some national attention, but its because of the sports reference in the ad rather than policy.  The Emert spot takes a shot at former UT football coach Butch Jones, who once made a comment that he would  rebuild the football program “brick by brick.” “Unlike Butch Jones, when I say I’m going to do something, I actually mean it,” Emert says in the ad. But trolling Jones, who once appeared in a Farm Bureau commercial building a brick mailbox, doesn’t end there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgoGEDW9Z8g In his commercial, which is virtually identical to the Farm Bureau ad featuring Jones, Emert is literally building a brick wall to demonstrate his support for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. At the end Emert looks at his wall and says: “Brick by brick.” While Jones isn’t on the ballot in August, Emert clearly hopes the creative ad will draw attention to his campaign. Recent polls indicate that Emert is lagging well behind two of his competitors for the vacancy created by the retirement of Congressman Jimmy Duncan. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett and State Representative Jimmy Matlock are locked in a heated…

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Corker Knows Better: Warns Trump Against Recognizing Crimea

John Bryant
Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Bob Corker

One thing seems certain when it comes to retiring junior Senator Bob Corker, he intends to make himself as much of a pest for President Donald Trump as he can during his remaining time in the U.S. Senate. Now, he’s lecturing him on Crimea: Corker warns Trump against recognizing Crimea annexation “Recognizing Crimea as part of Russia would undermine the rules-based international order that was created with U.S. leadership and has caused democracy to thrive around the world and made America a safer home for our citizens,” Corker said in a tweet on Monday, without directly mentioning Trump. Corker added that in the “upcoming Helsinki summit, the U.S. must stand firmly with our NATO allies and affirm our transatlantic partnership. Doing otherwise strengthens Putin and undermines democratic values.” Additionally, Corker’s criticism comes as he’s abroad. He’s currently traveling in Northern Europe. As we look forward to the upcoming Helsinki summit, the U.S. must stand firmly with our NATO allies and affirm our transatlantic partnership. Doing otherwise strengthens Putin and undermines democratic values. — Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) July 2, 2018 Trump is expected  to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Finland. Meanwhile, Putin has said there’s no expectation the issue…

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Commentary: Don’t Allow Senators Like Schumer & Collins to Blow Up Trump’s Next Supreme Court Pick

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Chuck Schumer, Susan Collins

by Jeffery Rendall   “Dang-it!” Chuck Schumer exclaimed to staff gathered in his senate Minority Leader’s office after Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his retirement last week. “I thought Steve Breyer already convinced Kennedy to stay another year and now this,” Schumer dribbled exasperatedly, spittle forming at the corners of his mouth like a rabid raccoon in its final death throes. “We’re gonna have a tough enough time of it as it is saving our people this November…and if we can’t stop Trump from plopping another one of his originalist Constitution-stooges onto the Supreme Court, why would anyone be motivated to vote for us?” Schumer’s underlings stood uneasily around the 67-year-old New Yorker as though he was on the verge of exploding into one of his legendary fits of rage or would merely experience a pathetic meltdown and cry on the floor in the fetal position as he’s prone to do in times of stress. It’s no secret the man affectionately known as “Chucky” (an allusion to the infamous animated movie doll serial murderer) has aged considerably since taking over for “dingy” Harry Reid as leader of the hapless minority senate Democrats last year. “Donald Trump was supposed to be an idiot that no one…

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William Shatner Defended Laura Ingalls Wilder on Twitter and Now He’s Being Accused of Racism

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William Shatner

by Jon Miltimore   On June 30, actor William Shatner tweeted his displeasure with the renaming of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. By Independence Day, all hell had broken loose. Wilder (1867-1957), a children’s author best known for her Little House on the Prairie series, had her name stripped from an award issued by the Association for Library Service to Children because some passages in her work expressed “stereotypical attitudes inconsistent with ALSC’s core values of inclusiveness.” The decision didn’t sit well with Shatner. The former Star Trek actor tweeted that he found the trend of judging the past through a modern lens “disturbing.” Shatner’s tweet triggered criticism from diversity advocates. Instead of backing down, however, he engaged in a nearly week-long defense. The debate, like most communication on Twitter, has generated more heat than light. But from a cursory reading of a couple hundred tweets, here’s is my best description of what happened: Shatner tweets about the Wilder Award, saying he finds it “disturbing that some take modern opinion & obliterate the past.” Some people disagree. Shatner engages some, blocks others. Shatner is accused of being a Nazi sympathizer and a racist. A 2016 tweet is found, in which Shatner used the word…

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Called Out: NPR Reporter Rips Apart AP’s Story On Immigrants In The Military

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US Army

by Neetu Chandak   National Public Radio reporter Tim Mak took apart the Associated Press’s coverage of discharged immigrant military recruits in multiple tweets Friday. The AP’s article, “AP NewsBreak: US Army quietly discharging immigrant recruits,” framed the military as adopting policy changes that hurt immigrants, according to Mak. However, Mak criticized the AP for only providing “hints and anecdotes” instead of evidence that the Trump administration made such changes. “If I was the editor on this story I would have asked for more meat on the bones,” tweeted Mak. “Show me evidence of a change in policy.” Bottom line. Two things can be true: the Army needs immigrant recruits and they are proven to be above average troops Also Some of those who enlist as immigrants will not meet the background check standards and will have to be discharged — Tim Mak (@timkmak) July 6, 2018 While the AP framed immigrants as being unfairly and abruptly targeted by the military, Mak said discharges happen frequently for a variety of reasons. “I bet I could find 40 recruits discharged bf basic [sic] for being too fat,” he said. “Perhaps these immigrant recruits could not pass a background check (by the way, there are jobs in the…

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Mexico Begins Its Own Road to Perdition with the Election of Andrés Manuel López Obrador

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ALMO

by Victor Mata   All Latin-Americans at some point ask themselves: Why is no Latin American country as well-developed as the United States? The answer is probably not related to our weather or a lesser disposition to work, as many have tried to claim. The answer is probably simpler: A socialist culture and a strong attachment to the left. Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Argentina are all countries that suffered or are suffering devastating economic, political, and social crises. They are all examples of countries that built their own road to the hell through socialism. This past Sunday was a chance for Mexico to change that trend. Mexico is a country where many people don’t have access to school, where the public health system is extremely deficient, and where it is not safe to walk in the street after 10 p.m. because drug cartels have taken control of some cities. It seems that their citizens took the worst option available to change that reality; they decided to have as a president for the next six years a socialist with damaging populist appeal. His name is Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and is known as AMLO. He is usually described as a nationalist and revolutionary linked with the Party…

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Wisconsin Supreme Court Sides With Conservative Prof Suspended For Blog Post He Wrote In 2014

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John McAdams

by Evie Fordham   The Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered Marquette University to “immediately reinstate” political science professor John McAdams on Friday after a four-year legal battle over McAdams’ criticism of a graduate student teacher on his conservative blog. McAdams refused to apologize for the blog post and was suspended from teaching at the Jesuit university without pay. He will be awarded damages and back pay by the Milwaukee County Circuit Court according to the state supreme court’s ruling, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The undisputed facts show that the University breached its contract with Dr. McAdams when it suspended him for engaging in activity protected by the contract’s guarantee of academic freedom,” stated Justice Daniel Kelly in the majority opinion. McAdams wrote a blog post criticizing former grad student instructor Cheryl Abbate on his self-described “independent” and “skeptical” campus news blog The Marquette Warrior in November 2014. The professor wrote the post after student complained to him that Abbate had told a him to drop her philosophy class after refusing to let him discuss his views on gay marriage in class. McAdams linked Abbate’s contact information in the post, and she received “dozens” of emails that she said made her feel unsafe, reported the Journal Sentinel. To examine whether…

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Chick-Fil-A Gets Ranked As Number One Fast-Food Restaurant In Customer Satisfaction

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Chick-Fil-A Restaurant

by Henry Rodgers   Chick-Fil-A was ranked as the number one fast food restaurant in customer service for its third year in a row, easily beating all of its competitors in the multi-billion dollar industry. The American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ASCI) released an annual report Thursday that ranked Chick-Fil-A first out of more than 280 fast-food chains, basing its rating on order accuracy, food quality, cleanliness and variety, according to Fox Business. ASCI asked 250,000 customers about their opinions on fast-food restaurants and beat out the rest of the competition by a long run receiving an 87 out of 100 for the third year in a row. In second place was Panera Bread ranked second with an 81 rating. Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Subway placed third, all with the score of 80. “The chicken specialist dominates the rankings with the highest score across both restaurant categories, and its food quality continues to rate higher than the competition,” the ACSI’s report said. Although closed on Sundays, Chick-Fil-A, earned nearly $8 billion in revenue in 2016, QSR Magazine reported. – – – Henry Rodgers is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Henry Rodgers On Twitter.                        Content created…

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Big Business and GOP Fighting Trump on Tariffs, But Will it Work, Or Is It All Just Talk?

John Bryant
Donald Trump

Per Vox, Big Business and the GOP establishment are  teaming up to undermine President Trump’s America First agenda. Unsurprisingly, the effort is being led by The US Chamber of Commerce and is supported by many Senate Republicans. The largest business lobbying group in America is declaring war on President Donald Trump’s trade agenda. The US Chamber of Commerce, an advocacy group that represents more than t3 million American businesses, launched a new campaign on Monday designed to persuade policymakers and the public that the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive trade policies represent a huge threat to the American economy. The Chamber released an interactive graphic that maps out how Trump’s trade conflicts with China, Europe, Canada, and Mexico could affect each state in the country in the coming months. It details how many of each state’s exports to foreign countries are vulnerable to retaliatory tariffs against Trump’s tariffs — and warns that they could cause millions of job losses. “Tariffs are beginning to take a toll on American businesses, workers, farmers, and consumers as overseas markets close to American-made products and prices increase here at home,” US Chamber President Thomas Donohue said in a statement. “The administration is threatening to undermine the…

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Insecticide Ban, Not Global Warming, Is More Likely the Cause of Disease-Carrying Insect Outbreaks

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exterminator

by James D. Agresti and Rachel McCutcheon   Politico claims that deadly insect-borne diseases are “on the rise” in the U.S. due to “warming global temperatures.” Although disease-carrying insect populations have increased greatly over the past several decades, there is no reliable evidence that climate change is the reason. Instead, the surge of these insects corresponds to the banning of a highly effective insecticide. Misrepresenting Its Source For a special issue of Politico about “planetary health,” reporter Christina Animashaun created a graphic on “climate change and human disease” that states: Warming global temperatures are changing the range and behavior of disease-carrying insects like mosquitos and ticks and extending the seasons in which they are active. As a result, incidence of the diseases they carry—including Lyme, spotted fever, West Nile and malaria—are all on the rise, despite yearly fluctuations. To support that statement, she cites the “U.S. Global Change Resource Program’s Climate Health Assessment” but fails to provide a link to it. This is convenient given that the actual assessment does not support her claim. First, with regard to ticks, it states: Though there are links between climate and tick distribution, studies that look for links between weather and geographical differences in human infection rates do not show a…

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Research Indicates Spiders Use Electric Fields to Take Flight

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small jumping spider

by Sadie Witkowski   Since the 1800s, scientists have marveled at how spiders can take flight using their webbing. Charles Darwin remarked on the behavior when tiny spiders landed on the HMS Beagle, trailing lines of silk. He thought the arachnids might be using heat-generated updrafts to take to the sky, but new research shows a totally different cause may be at play. Erica Morley and Daniel Robert from the University of Bristol in England were interested in exploring a second explanation for the spiders’ ability. They thought spiders might sense and use electrostatic fields in the air. “There have been several studies looking at how air movement and wind can get spiders airborne, but the electrostatic hypothesis was never tested,” Morley told VOA. Some observers suggested electrostatic fields might be the reason the multiple draglines some spiders use to float don’t get tangled with each other. Biologist Kimberley Sheldon from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who was not involved in the new research, pointed out that “though these spiders will have five or six draglines, those strands of silk do not get entangled. So we’ve known for a while that electrostatics probably [are] at least interacting with the spider, with…

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Black Blasts Boyd on Taxes in New Ad

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Black blasts Boyd on Taxes

The gloves are definitely off in the Tennessee Republican Primary for Governor. Diane Black has unleashed a vicious television hit on Randy Boyd based upon a Tennessean story claiming that Boyd has used the location of his company’s foreign operations in order to avoid U.S. taxes. “From 2014 to 2016, the company sheltered millions of dollars in European profits from any taxes because of this corporate structure, according to two experts who analyzed Radio System’s Irish tax records obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee,” The Tennessean reported on Monday. One of two “experts” quoted by the Tennessean was a California-Irvine School of Law Professor. “Analyzing the company’s tax records, University of California-Irvine School of Law professor Omri Marian estimated the company paid an effective tax rate of a little more than 1 percent,” The Tennessean said. However, as The Tennessee Star has reported, whatever documents were provided by the Tennessean for review by the professor could not have been obtained from public records, raising questions about the legality of the means by which The Tennessean procured them.  The Tennessean has refused to make the “tax records” they obtained available for review by the public or other news media outlets, nor…

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Tennessee 6th Congressional District: Robert Corlew Hits John Rose for Supporting Huge Tennessee Gas Tax Increase

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Bob Corlew

A massive gas tax increase that was part of the Haslam Administration’s IMPROVE Act, which raised fuel taxes over $300 million a year, is becoming an issue in the 6th District Republican Primary congressional race. Former judge and conservative businessman Bob Corlew is hitting fellow Republican contender John Rose for supporting the huge tax increase in a new digital ad that may soon find its way to broadcast and cable outlets in the district. According to a Corlew campaign spokesman, the ad was rejected by “Gas Station Television” because, as a representative at Gas Station Television told the campaign, “they didn’t want to run anything that would shine ‘a negative light on the gas space (or oil industry).’ So this ad never got to run on their air.” A transcript of the ad: “HEY! HEY YOU PUMPING GAS! DO YOU THINK YOU PAY TOO MUCH  AT THE PUMP? WELL, IF JOHN ROSE HAD HIS WAY YOU WOULD BE PAYING MORE EVERY TIME EVERY TIME YOU FILL UP. THAT’S RIGHT, JOHN ROSE SUPPORTED INCREASING FUEL TAXES BY 33%. JOHN ROSE SAID YOU PAYING MORE EVERY TIME YOU PUMP GAS ‘MAKES GOOD SENSE’. AND ‘I HOPE THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED.’ JOHN ROSE:…

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Nashville Organizations and Metro Government Lawyers Defend Illegal Aliens

Chris Alto

Nashville Community Defense/Defensa Comunitaria Nashville uses the tagline “here to stay.” The group is led by Cathy Carrillo who organizes and leads protests against deporting criminal illegal aliens while Metro’s lawyers in the Public Defender’s office provide legal services for “non-citizen defendants.” According to Elizabeth Lopez, a graduate of Vanderbilt University and a spokesman for Nashville-based Workers Dignity which is funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Workers Dignity helped spin-off Carillo’s group. Last year Lopez and Carrillo spoke as representatives of Workers Dignity at the TN Alliance for Progress conference on a panel titled “Resisting Deportation: Immigration Policy and Organizing.” Workers Dignity organized in 2010, to advocate for the workplace rights of legal immigrants and illegal aliens. Protesting “wage theft” from low wage immigrant hotel cleaners, the group has expanded the campaign to include construction workers and are bootstrapping their menu of demands to the explosive growth currently being experienced in Nashville. Listed among the TN Immigrant & Refugee Right’s (TIRRC) coalition members, Workers Dignity hired a full-time organizer to head up a Neighborhood Defense Committee, the project launched by the TIRRC to shield criminal and non-criminal illegal aliens and obstruct enforcement of immigration law by U.S. authorities. A 2017 meeting notice for Carrillo’s Nashville Community Defense group explained…

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Commentary: Time To Make Facebook Pay For Its Lies

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by George Rasley   Conservatives who have suffered discrimination from tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook will derive a little bit of pleasure from recent disclosures the company made in a small courtroom in Redwood City, California. According to reporting in the UK’s Guardian, Facebook has long had the same public response when questioned about its disruption of the news industry: it is a tech platform, not a publisher or a media company. But on Monday, the Guardian reports attorneys for the social media company presented a different message from the one executives have made to Congress, in interviews and in speeches: Facebook, they repeatedly argued, is a publisher, and a company that makes editorial decisions, which are protected by the First Amendment. As the Guardian pointed out, questions about Facebook’s moral and legal responsibilities as a publisher have escalated surrounding its role in spreading false news and propaganda, along with questionable censorship decisions. The plaintiff, as the Guardian explained, is a former startup called Six4Three, first filed the suit in 2015 after Facebook removed app developers’ access to friends’ data. The company had built a controversial and ultimately failed app called Pikinis, which allowed people to filter photos to find ones with people in bikinis and other swimwear. Six4Three attorneys have alleged that Facebook enticed developers to create apps for its platform by…

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State Reps. Matthew Hill, Micah Van Huss, Timothy Hill, Former Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, and U.S. Rep. Phil Roe: Diane Black for Governor

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Diane Black

With early voting right around the corner, a quintet of Tennessee Republicans announced their hearty endorsement of their fellow Republican and colleague, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), for governor at a meet-and-greet event in Johnson City Thursday. Reps. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough), Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough) and Timothy Hill (R-Blountville), former Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey and U.S. Rep. Phil Roe (R-Johnson City) all voiced their strong support for Black in a statement released by the campaign: “Nobody—and I mean nobody—has the qualifications and believes right on the issues of pro-life, second amendment or even budgetary issues that really make a difference in this state but Diane Black,” former LT Governor Ron Ramsey said. “When I was first elected, I kept hearing the name of a state senator who was tough as nails and took care of her constituents, and it was the name of Diane Black,” Rep. Matthew Hill said. “I’ve been in the legislature and been very blessed to be able to pass some significant pro-life legislation, but I would not have been able to do that with out the legislative and leadership foundation that was laid by Diane Black. With Governor Diane Black, I know we will be able to…

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Amid Investigations, Embattled EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Blames ‘Unrelenting Attacks’ Against Him, His Family In Resignation Letter

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EPA Chief Scott Priutt

by Michael Bastach   Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt cited “unrelenting attacks” against himself and his family in his resignation letter that was delivered to President Donald Trump on Thursday. Pruitt thanked Trump for allowing him to serve at EPA, but says “the unrelenting attacks on me personally, my family, are unprecedented and taken a sizeable toll on all of us,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Here’s Pruitt’s full letter to Trump: Mr. President, it has been an honor to serve you in the Cabinet as Administrator of the EPA. Truly, your confidence in me has blessed me personally and enabled me to advance your agenda beyond what anyone anticipated at the beginning of your Administration. Your courage, steadfastness and resolute commitment to get results for the American people, both with regard to improved environmental outcomes as well as historical regulatory reform, is in fact occurring at an unprecedented pace and I thank you for the opportunity to serve you and the American people in helping achieve those ends. That is why it is hard for me to advise you I am stepping down as Administrator of the EPA effective…

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Marxists and Extreme Radicals Seek To Take Over The Democratic Party

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by Peter Hasson & Joe Simonson    – DNC chairman Tom Perez said Democratic Socialists of America member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez “represents the future of our  party.”  – DSA chapter chairs have agreed that “communism is good.”  – One DSA caucus calls its members “revolutionary Marxists.” A far-left group behind rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is rife with Marxists and other far-left radicals. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which includes Ocasio-Cortez, is creeping its way into the mainstream of American politics. Ocasio-Cortez’ shocking primary upset of Democratic New York Rep. Joe Crowley on June 26 elevated both her profile and that of the DSA, which helped boost her to victory. DSA member rolls have skyrocketed since President Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 election, and Ocasio-Cortez’s victory appears to have accelerated that trend. Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez said the 28-year-old socialist as “represents the future of our party” on Tuesday. What Perez didn’t mention is that the group behind “the future” of the Democratic Party is teeming with radicals openly dedicated to dismantling and overturning the economic and social foundations of the United States. “As a DSA chapter co-chair I just wanna set the record straight for a minute: communism is good,” Portland DSA co-chair Olivia Katbi Smith wrote on June…

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Senator Chuck Grassley Commentary: How We Can Hold Bureaucrats Accountable

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Barack Omaba

by Senator Chuck Grassley   These are the remarks as prepared for delivery Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, delivered in a speech at The Heritage Foundation on June 25. Watch Senator Grassley’s speech in the video embedded below. In 1980, I was elected to the U.S. Senate. During my early days in the Senate, I met a man who had a significant impact on my career. His name is Arthur Ernest Fitzgerald, but everybody calls him Ernie. You’ve probably heard of him—Ernie’s reputation preceded him even way back then. In 1968, Ernie testified before Sen. William Proxmire’s Joint Economic Committee about the Air Force’s C-5 transport aircraft program. That testimony changed his life. The C-5 aircraft was an important military priority. But it took longer and cost more than planned, and the government did not want anyone to know. Although he knew it might damage his career, Ernie told Congress that this prized program cost the taxpayers $2 billion more than the Pentagon would admit. $2 billion. That was in 1968. In today’s dollars that’s more than $14.5 billion. [ 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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Phil Bredesen’s 4th of July Disappearing Act

John Bryant
Marsha Blackburn, Phil Bredesen

The Tennessee GOP took notice of Democrat Phil Bredesen’s disappearing act yesterday on the 4th of July, now they’re looking to set off some fireworks around it. “Phil Bredesen didn’t appear at any 4th of July celebrations over the past week, leaving Tennesseans to wonder where he spent Independence Day. Was he at his $2.4 million mansion in Jackson Hole, Wyoming? His $1.2 million waterfront home in New York? Or just taking the week off? We are all left wondering where’s Phil?,” read their statement. It seems Bredesen opted to confine his celebration to Twitter. I hope everyone has the opportunity to spend some time with friends and family today and reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy in this country. Happy 4th of July, Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/0ZMjNJzIR9 — Phil Bredesen (@PhilBredesen) July 4, 2018 That contrasted sharply  with Rep Marsha Blackburn, who opted to spend the bulk of Fourth of July celebration time out and about among Tennessee voters all across Tennessee. On the other hand, Marsha Blackburn participated in six Independence Day celebrations from Lancaster to Gatlinburg. She’s out talking with voters and working hard to earn every single vote. Once again- the contrast between these two candidates could…

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Former Nashville Judge Casey Moreland Loses Pension

John Bryant
Casey Moreland

Former Nashville, Tennessee judge, Casey Moreland, will lose his pension after pleading guilty to charges that included “retaliating against a witness, obstruction of justice, theft from a federally funded program, destruction of records and witness tampering.” The  decision came down after  a vote by the city’s pension oversight board. Moreland was supposedly due $58,203.48 annually after decades on the bench. Sentencing is set for August 31 in U.S. District Court. According to a report, “Tara Stewart of Metro Human Resources said that Moreland will lose his pension due to the board vote Tuesday.” It’s unclear if he plans to appeal. The Tennessee Star reported on his resignation in April and his arrest in March. Davidson County General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland has resigned from the bench following his arrest on corruption charges. Moreland announced his resignation, effective April 4, in a letter to Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and the Board of Judicial Conduct, according WKRN News 2. Here is our full report of his arrest. Davidson County General Sessions Judge Casey Moreland was arrested by FBI agents at his home Tuesday morning and faces federal charges for obstructing criminal investigations, WSMV-TV Channel 4 reports. The charges include tampering with a witness, victim…

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Diane Black Announces Her Campaign’s County Leadership Team Members Number Nearly 3000

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Diane Black

In the final weeks of Rep Diane Black’s campaign for the GOP nomination for governor, she announced on Thursday her County Leadership Teams – made up of dedicated activists, elected officials, and community leaders – has swelled to nearly 3,000 members. “I am excited and humbled to announce my County Leadership Teams have reached nearly 3,000 members,” Black said in a statement. “I have had a lot of wonderful endorsements in recent weeks, but these are the ones that mean the most to me. To have the support of nearly 3,000 activists, elected officials and community leaders from all over our state is an honor. I am confident their support will help us win this election.” The first 50 members are listed below – click here for the complete list: Jonathan K Alderson, Anderson County Robert J Arowood, Anderson County William Arowood, Anderson County Earl H Barton, Anderson County Alan Beauchamp, Anderson County Sabra Beauchamp, Anderson County Kendall L Brady, Anderson County Laura Capozzola, Anderson County Oak Ridge Vice Mayor Rick Chinn, Anderson County County Clerk Jeff Cole, Anderson County Gale L Cook, Anderson County Barrington Cox, Anderson County Rick Daley, Anderson County Frank Damiano, Anderson County Maureen Fricke, Anderson County Roberta Hamlington, Anderson County Bradley…

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Globalist Phil Bredesen Cuts Commercial Attacking President Trump on Tariffs

John Bryant
Phil Bredesen

Chuck Schumer’s hand-picked Tennessee Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen went after President Donald Trump’s tariffs in a new television ad, “saying they hurt the state’s auto industry, farmers and exports like Jack Daniel’s whiskey,” according to this report. This may be the first time Bredesen has taken on Trump openly and in his own voice. Marsha Blackburn and the Republicans wasted no time in hitting back, pointing out that, no matter what Bredesen says in one ad, it’s inevitable that he becomes Schumer’s man in the Senate in the end. Schumer recruited him to run and helped him secure the backing of huge liberal donors, who will expect to see Bredesen deliver for the money they are spending attempting to elect him. There’s more here: Blackburn has said she’s “not a fan” of tariffs, high taxes or trade wars, but that she wants to find a way to “deal with this imbalance that we have when it comes to trade and our exports and imports.” The new Bredesen ad drew a quick response from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which pointed to Bredesen’s opposition of Trump’s tax cuts last year. “Phil Bredesen’s vehement opposition to the tax cuts contradicts…

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Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Lee Introduces Legislative ‘Contract with Tennesseans’ He Calls ‘Ten for Tenn’

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Bill Lee

Drawing on his experience in business, Republican candidate for governor Bill Lee announced his “contract with Tennesseeans” called Ten for Tenn that highlights the key items Lee plans to focus on and enact as the Volunteer State’s 50th governor. “As a CEO, it is important to set the vision for my company, and I believe it is just as important to set the vision for the state as governor,” Lee in a statement. “‘Ten for Tenn’ is my contract with Tennesseans, and I look forward to working to enact my conservative vision for Tennessee.” The plan lists ten general agenda items that range from rethinking public education and ‘getting tough’ on the state budget, to pursuing term limits and creating a new Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The Lee campaign posted the details online, and are listed here: Foster an Environment Where Jobs Continue to Grow Rethink Public Education with Major Vocational Reforms, Real School Choice, and Civics Education Stand up for Rural Tennessee by Expanding Economic Opportunity and Winning the War On Opioids Get Tough on the State Budget by Making Government Smaller and More Efficient Ensure New Voices in Nashville by Passing Term Limits and the Challenging the…

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‘La Raza’ Randy Boyd’s Beneficiary, Conexion Americas, Supports ‘NoMuslimBanEver’ and ‘NoBanNoWall’

Chris Alto
Randy Boyd

The same day the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed President Trump’s executive authority to restrict entry into the U.S. from designated countries, “La Raza Randy” Boyd’s collaborator Renata Soto, founder and director of Conexion Americas spoke to a group organized by Tennessee’s American Muslim Advisory Council (AMAC), rallying against the court’s decision and in support of the “NoMuslimBanEver”-“NoBanNoWall” campaign: …while we are at a really low point and a sad, sad day for this country’s history I know that we are more powerful than one directive from the courts. And if each of us help one person register to vote for all of us who have migrated from other countries and took the step to become a U.S. citizen, if we find one or two people who are already registered  or are actually eligible to become U.S. citizens and we encourage them to take that step and we encourage them to make sure that they claim their place in this country not only because it feels good, but also because we need to expand and amplify our voice and we do that through political power and through votes… I know with the young and beautiful people and diverse voices gathered here…

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Black Campaign Hits Lee in a Pair of New Attack Ads

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Diane Black political ad feat Bill Lee

In yet another indication that the Republican Primary for Governor has tightened, with a surge by Bill Lee in Middle Tennessee threatening Diane Black in her own 6th Congressional District, the Black campaign has begun airing two new attack ads targeting Lee in the last 24 hours. Black aired an ad targeting both Lee and Randy Boyd as “Two Moderates” just last week. She added a second ad that focused solely on Boyd as being “anti-hunter” while touting Black’s endorsement by the NRA. In fact, the ad is titled “Anti-hunter” to make the point clear. Now Black has launched two new ads that hit Lee hard. The first is similar to the “Two Moderates” ad but focuses more on Lee than Boyd. The second “Two Moderates” Black ad transcript reads as follows: Steve Schmidt, former Republican campaign manager: [Trump is] An imbecilic former reality tv show host and con man. George Will, columnist: “He [Trump] would flunk a sixth grade civics exam. Announcer: Don’t you hate it when Republicans undermine President Trump? Randy Boyd disavowed Trump, and Bill Lee’s the kind of Republican who helps Democrats get elected. Bill Lee pushed for liberal Mayor Megan Barry. Bill Lee’s candidate pushed…

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Commentary: The Perfidious Mitt Romney

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Mitt Romney & Orrin Hatch

by George Rasley   That didn’t take long. As soon as President Trump endorsed Mitt Romney’s candidacy to succeed Utah’s retiring Senator Orin Hatch and voters in the Beehive State handed the nomination to Romney (even though he actually lost the GOP State Convention vote) Mitt showed his true colors by back-stabbing Trump. Romney told MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt, in an interview that aired Sunday evening, that it is “too early” to say he will support President Trump in 2020, and just to make things perfectly clear, he said his prior prediction that Trump will get re-elected was not an endorsement. “I also think Gavin Newsom will get elected [as governor] in California. That’s not something I want to see, it’s just something that’s probably going to happen,” Romney added. Romney was also prompted to speak about whether he wants a Republican to challenge Trump in a 2020 primary. “There will be people who decide, I presume, to get in a Republican primary,” he said in reply to a question from Ms. Hunt reported by our friend Daniel Chaitin of the Washington Examiner. But Romney’s perfidy was well-telegraphed before he appeared on Far Left network MSNBC. In a Salt Lake Tribune op-ed headlined, “Where I stand…

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DENIED: Judge In The Bundy Trial Spikes Prosecutors’ Plea For One Last Shot At A Conviction

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Cliven Bundy

by Tim Pierce   A federal judge rejected prosecutors’ request Tuesday to reconsider her dismissal of the case against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, his two sons and friend Ryan Payne. U.S. District Judge Gloria M. Navarro dismissed conspiracy charges against the four men on Jan. 8 after finding that prosecutors had acted “with prejudice” throughout the trial, The Oregonian reported. Federal prosecutors violated federal law and failed to share evidence favorable to the defendants case with the court. “The Court’s finding of outrageous government conduct was not in error,” Navarro wrote in her 11-page ruling (see below), obtained by The Oregonian. “On the contrary, a universal sense of justice was violated by the Government’s failure to provide evidence that is potentially exculpatory.” The prosecutors’ request did not make any new arguments or bring forth any evidence that Navarro had not already considered in her decision to dismiss the case. “The Court gave somber consideration to the ramifications of its Order and found that it was in the interest of justice to dismiss the case with prejudice,” Navarro wrote. “A motion for reconsideration should not be ‘used to ask the Court to rethink what it has already thought.’” Prosecutors requested the court grant another trial…

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Instances of Voter Fraud Continue to Mount, Further Compromising Our Elections

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by Jason Snead and Taylor Chaffetz   Recent voter fraud cases show the growing importance of upholding election integrity. Last year, Cassandra Amber Marie Ritter was convicted of heroin distribution in Winchester, Virginia. Two weeks later, Ritter voted at a local fire department even though she knew she had lost her right to vote as a consequence of her conviction. She received a two-year suspended sentence. In Texas, Crystal Mason recently received a five-year sentence for illegally voting in the 2016 presidential election. Mason showed up at the polls to vote, only to discover her name had been removed from the rolls. This was no accident; Mason was on probation following a 60-month sentence for felony tax fraud and lost her right to vote as a result. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Texas law requires felons to serve their entire sentence—including probation—before their voting rights are restored. Though Mason claimed she was unaware of this, she did sign an affidavit at the polls that affirmed her eligibility, including a statement that she was not a felon who had yet to serve both her…

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Far Left Democrats Launch Bigoted Religious Attacks on SCOTUS Candidate Amy Coney Barrett for Her Catholic Faith

John Bryant
Amy Coney Barrett

Our fellow Tennessean, David French, points out at National Review that progressives and far left Democrats are deploying “Religious Ignorance and Bigotry” to attack potential Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, a graduate of Tennessee’s Rhodes College, for her Catholic faith. “If you ever need much evidence that the growing “God gap” in American politics fosters an immense amount of ignorance and occasionally outright bigotry, look no farther than the concern — the alarm, even — that Amy Coney Barrett is on President Trump’s short list to replace Anthony Kennedy on the United States Supreme Court,” French wrote on Monday: The alarm isn’t about her credentials. She’s checked every box of excellence — law review, appellate-court clerkship, Supreme Court clerkship (with Justice Scalia), elite law-firm experience, law professor at an elite law school, and now experience as a federal judge on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She’s a young, brilliant woman at the apex of her profession. So, beyond her obvious originalist judicial philosophy (shared to varying degrees by every person on Trump’s list of potential nominees), what’s the problem with Judge Barrett. Why do some progressives single her out for particular scorn? It turns out that she’s a faithful Christian…

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Steve Gill: Indiana Church Misguided for ‘Detainment’ of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in Protest of Trump Border Policy

Julie Carr
Steve Gill

Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill, on Wednesday’s Gill Report broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville, discussed the Biblical protest by an Indianapolis church and its misguided interpretation of the holy family as immigrants. “An Indianapolis church is putting Jesus, Mary and Joseph in a cage, to protest president Trump’s zero tolerance policy cracking down on illegal immigration,” stated Steve Gill; adding, “Apparently the church is incapable of understanding the term ‘illegal,’ you know, ‘criminal behavior.’ Apparently, we shouldn’t put people in prisons if they break the law.” He continued: I wonder if somebody broke into the church and stole all the church items and stole the money in the church whether they would prosecute or just turn the other cheek and say we shouldn’t jail anybody because it might separate them from their families. Anyway, Christ Church Cathedral constructed a cage made of chain link fence on its lawn overnight and placed statues of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph inside to represent Christ and the holy family being detained by immigration authorities. The church tweeted out yesterday morning, ‘On our lawn tonight, we place the holy family in an ICE detention.’ Steve Carlson, the church’s rector and dean,…

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Kethledge Rising, As SCOTUS Infighting Reaches Fever Pitch

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Kethledge

by Kevin Daley and Saagar Enjeti   Judge Raymond Kethledge’s interview with President Donald Trump has placed him in serious contention to succeed Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court, multiple sources tell The Daily Caller News Foundation. Sources with knowledge of the process told TheDCNF that Kethledge had a strong interview with the president, and remains under very serious consideration. Other knowledgeable sources say Judge Amy Barrett’s interview with Trump was satisfactory and that she remains viable for a Supreme Court appointment, either now or in the future. The strength of Kethledge’s meeting, however, seems to have scrambled the field. Bloomberg also reported that Trump was impressed with Kethledge. The fluidity of the process has prompted an intense shadow campaign, as surrogates lobby and spin aggressively for their preferred candidate. Conservative legal Washington has splintered into competing camps, all of whom are racing to gain Trump’s ear. The situation resembles Chief Justice John Roberts’ appointment to the Supreme Court, in which professional conservatives splintered between frontrunners J. Harvie Wilkinson and Michael Luttig, as Jan Crawford’s 2007 account of Bush-era confirmations reported. Sources familiar with the president’s thinking say he has seen a deluge of pressure from all camps but maintains an…

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New GOP Primary Poll Shows Tight Governor’s Race As Early Voting Begins Next Week

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Randy Boyd, Diane Black, Bill Lee

An Arizona-based polling company, Data Orbital, has released poll results in the Tennessee Governor’s race that show a deadlocked race between Diane Black and Randy Boyd, with Bill Lee lurking not far behind. The Data Orbital Poll was conducted from June 27 to 30 and polled 700 likely GOP voters. According to the Data Orbital survey Black currently has 24.3 percent, Boyd 23.1 percent, Lee 18.8 percent, Harwell 10 percent, and 23 percent undecided. The Tennessee Star Poll, released last week, had slightly different results, with Boyd in the lead with 32.6 percent, followed by Black with 26.9 percent, Lee with 20.3 percent and Harwell was at 6.9 percent. The Tennessee Star Poll was conducted by Triton Research and Polling, which polled 1040 likely GOP Primary voters between June 26 and June 29, approximately 50% more than polled by Data Orbital. It also appears that the Data Orbital poll may have over-surveyed Middle Tennessee while under surveying voters in East and West Tennessee, where Boyd enjoys greater support. Data Orbital did not make the geographic cross-tabs of its poll available. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill notes that the Tennessee Star Poll is consistent with numbers produced by at last two…

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Former State Representative Joe Carr Endorses Bill Lee for Governor

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Bill Lee, Joe Car

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bill Lee chalked up another endorsement Tuesday; this time, from conservative former State Representative Joe Carr. “I sat down with Bill, looked him in the eye and asked him the tough questions about the Rights of the Unborn, the Second Amendment, a smaller more efficient state government, and, of course, the growing problem of illegal immigration in Tennessee,” the Republican firebrand said in a statement. Carr added, “Bill didn’t back down when I asked him these questions. Bill Lee showed me he is man of conviction who is willing to ‘Stand Firm’ even if it means he has to stand alone. But, Bill Lee doesn’t have to stand alone because like tens of thousands of Tennesseans across the state, I will stand with Bill Lee. I believe Bill Lee is what Tennessee needs to move Tennessee forward and he has my unwavering endorsement and support.” Carr continued: Bill is a proven businessman with a heart for working men and women. Just like President Trump, his decision to run isn’t about a desire to climb the political ladder, it’s about a desire to serve the people. Bill isn’t a typical candidate for office, and to me, that’s a…

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SHOCK: DOJ Agrees Not To Prosecute Imran Awan For House Cybersecurity and Theft, But Questions Remain

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Imran Awan - House IT scandal

by Luke Rosiak   An assistant US attorney said Tuesday he would not prosecute Imran Awan, a former systems administrator for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and other Democrats, for any crimes on Capitol Hill in a plea agreement that had him plead guilty to one count of bank fraud. Only one person sat at the prosecutors’ table: J.P. Coomey, who unsuccessfully prosecuted New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez for corruption and was only added to the case Monday. There was no sign of Michael Marando, who had previously led the prosecution. Coomey did not object to the removal of Awan’s GPS monitor, said he would not oppose a sentence of probation, and agreed to drop charges against his wife, fellow former systems administrative Hina Alvi. The Department of Justice said it found “found no evidence that [Imran] illegally removed House data from the House network or from House Members’ offices, stole the House Democratic Caucus Server, stole or destroyed House information technology equipment, or improperly accessed or transferred government information.” That statement appears to take issue — without explaining how — with the findings of the House’s Nancy Pelosi-appointed inspector general, its top law enforcement official, the sergeant-at-arms, and the…

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REPORT: Trump Administration Will End Obama Era Race-Based University Admission Practices

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college students

The Trump administration is preparing to abolish policies that direct colleges and universities to increase diversity by considering race in college admissions, according to U.S. officials. Media reports say Trump administration officials intend to argue against guidelines issued by president Barack Obama’s administration that offered legal recommendations for schools seeking to consider race as an admissions factor. The development was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Trump administration officials plan to argue that the guidelines exceed Supreme Court precedent and mislead schools that legal types of affirmative action are easier to attain than the law allows. Anurima Bargava, who led civil rights enforcement in schools during the Obama administration, disagreed with the reported arguments, saying only guidelines were offered to schools that were exploring the continued use of affirmative action legally. “This is a purely political attack that benefits nobody,” she told the Journal. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to the Journal’s request for comment. The Trump administration move comes as the Justice Department investigates whether Harvard University unlawfully discriminates against Asian-American students by holding them to higher admissions standards. The investigation was revived last year after Obama civil rights officials dismissed a similar complaint. In a…

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Senate Intelligence Committee Releases Report On Russian Meddling In 2016 Election

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Senate Intelligence Committee (2017)

by Chuck Ross   The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is endorsing a January 2017 report from three intelligence community agencies that found the Russian government, with the approval of Vladimir Putin, attempted to influence the 2016 election. The Senate panel released a summary report on Tuesday, two weeks before President Trump is poised to meet with Putin in Finland. “The Committee finds that the overall judgments issued in the [Intelligence Community Assessment] were well-supported and the tradecraft was strong,” reads the Senate Intel’s unclassified summary report. “The course of the Committee’s investigation has shown that the Russian cyber operations were more extensive than the hack of the Democratic National Committee and continued well through the 2016 election.” On Jan. 6, 2017, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence released a report known as the Intelligence Community Assessment [ICA] that reviewed Russia’s efforts to meddle in the 2016 election. In the ICA, the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency (NSA), all determined with a high degree of confidence that the Russian government was behind email hacks aimed at Democrats during the campaign. Putin also approved of the influence campaign, the ICA said. [ RELATED: Senate Intel Still Wants To Interview…

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JC Bowman Commentary: Lives, Fortunes, and Honor

JC Bowman
US flags w airman

JC Bowman writes: Freedom should never be taken for granted.  Today we are debating the very concept of what it means to be a citizen of the United States of America.  While many citizens are very passionate about our country, others seem disillusioned and some openly hostile.  It is why the Declaration of Independence is such an important document. It expresses what it means to be an American. 

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Tennessee Right to Life Endorses Dr. Mark Green for Congress

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Mark Green

Tennessee Right to Life announced Tuesday it has endorsed Dr. Mark Green to represent the people of Tennessee’s 7th district in the US House of Representatives. “Mark Green understands the crucial importance of protecting human life and has devoted his public and professional life to the care of the weak and vulnerable. Tennessee Right to Life looks forward to continuing to work alongside Mark Green to affirm the dignity of every life,” the pro-life group’s  President Brian Harris said in a statement. The campaign said that with over 13,000 community health clinics that provide women’s services, Green believes “it’s past time to stop subsidizing Planned Parenthood—the nation’s largest abortion provider—with taxpayers’ money;” adding that – as one of only seven countries that allow elective abortions after 20 weeks – Green will lead the fight to pass the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. “As a physician, I know firsthand that life begins at conception, and it’s our moral responsibility as humans to protect the most vulnerable among us. If elected to Congress, I will continue to be a voice for the voiceless as I have been in the State Senate. I’m honored to receive Tennessee Right to Life’s endorsement,” Dr. Green said.…

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Schumer Targets SCOTUS Contender Amy Coney Barrett on Abortion and Obamacare: Does Bredesen Agree?

John Bryant
Amy Coney Barrett, Chuck Schumer, Phil Bredesen

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to Twitter on Monday to attack federal judge Amy Coney Barrett, a potential Trump pick for the Supreme Court. Barrett has ties to Tennessee. She was born in Louisiana, and lives in Indiana, but spent four college years in Tennessee, graduating from Rhodes College with a magna cum laude degree in English Literature, before going on to law school and a stellar legal career in practice, academia, and on the bench. Perhaps more importantly, with Democrat Phil Bredesen being Chuck Schumer’s man in Tennessee, with close ties not only to the man but the big liberal donor money behind him, the length Schumer seems intent on going to attack a leading contender to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the  Supreme Court should raise serious questions for Tennesseans as they contemplate where Bredesen’s loyalties will lie if he comes to represent Tennessee in the Senate next year. Barrett attacked the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, which has helped millions of people secure health insurance coverage. https://t.co/JXJAbCmvN4 — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 2, 2018 Schumer didn’t stop there. Barrett also fought efforts to ensure that all women have access to contraceptives.…

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OFF THE RECORD: Update on Who Else Wasn’t Paying Attention to What Steve Dickerson, ‘The Different Kind of Republican,’ Was Doing in the State Senate

Chris Alto
Steve Dickerson

So GOP gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee wasn’t the only GOP gubernatorial candidate throwing his money at “the different kind of Republican,” State Senator Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville), to help him get elected again in 2016. Lee only gave Dickerson $1,000 in 2016, which, as it turns out, was significantly less than either of his two main rivals for the GOP nomination for governor, Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), and Knoxville businessman Randy Boyd gave the liberal Republican state senator from Nashville. Back before anyone really knew just what kind of “different” Republican Steve Dickerson would be – that is in 2012 before he was elected to his first term in the Tennessee State Senate, Diane and David Black gave him a total of $5,990 – an odd amount to be sure.  But it looks like the bloom was off the rose a bit, so to speak, since after his first term mis-steps, they gave him a piddling $3,000 in 2016–three times the amount Bill Lee gave him that year. But picking up after the slacker donors Lee and Black in 2016, and probably gearing up for his own campaign, Randy Boyd, along with his wife Jenny Boyd, together gave Dickerson a total of $6,000,…

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Tennessee Republicans Call For Democrats To Denounce Memphis Leader’s Remarks Calling Candidates Racist

Jason M. Reynolds
Corey Strong, Scott Golden, Karl Dean, Phil Bredesen

The Tennessee Republican Party is calling for Democrats to denounce comments of Shelby County’s party leader, who on Facebook labeled Republican candidates “demonstrably racist, homophobic and unethical.” Newsweek reported on the now-deleted comments made Saturday by Corey Strong, chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party. Strong was elected last year to lead the state’s largest county party, which includes Memphis, after the Tennessee Democratic Party “de-certified” the group in 2016 following years of internal strife. “No matter what the Election Commission has done, the Democratic ticket needs 15k+ non-August Democrats to show up and moderate/suburban Dems to not cross over and vote for the demonstrably racist, homophobic, unethical, and unqualified Republican nominees,” Strong said on Facebook. Strong’s comments come in the wake of comments made by Maxine Waters where people should oust Trump Administration officials from public spaces. Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden released the following statement: Democrats have reached into their failed 2016 playbook and again taken to name calling and outright lying in an attempt to score political points, all the while nothing but continued silence from Tennessee Democratic leaders Phil Bredesen, Karl Dean, Craig Fitzhugh, and Mary Mancini. When it comes to divisive and harmful rhetoric, Tennesseans deserve better…

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Bold, Brave and Free: I Love America

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fireworks

By Printus LeBlanc   Wednesday, July 4th will mark the 242nd anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The bold death-defying act created the greatest country the world has ever known. Yes, the nation has made mistakes, just as every other nation on the planet has, but no nation has advanced the cause of liberty and human rights more than the U.S. I for one am eternally grateful I live in the U.S. and would have it no other way. No nation on earth has the upward mobility the United States has. People often speak negatively about the 1 percent but never realize 80 percent of millionaires are the first generation of their family to attain that level of wealth. They do not inherit their wealth, as the media and left would have you believe from family members. One-third of the newly rich are entrepreneurs, far more than the in the banking or finance industry, 14 percent. The typical myths of the 1 percent not working for their money and the banking industry dominating the list are busted. The data shows if someone has an idea and works hard enough they can achieve the American dream. In the rest of the…

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Fresh Grounds for Coffee: Study Shows It May Boost Longevity

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coffee house

Go ahead and have that cup of coffee, maybe even several more. New research shows it may boost chances for a longer life, even for those who down at least eight cups daily. In a study of nearly half-a-million British adults, coffee drinkers had a slightly lower risk of death over 10 years than abstainers. The apparent longevity boost was seen with instant, ground and decaffeinated, results that echo U.S. research. It’s the first large study to suggest a benefit even in people with genetic glitches affecting how their bodies use caffeine. Overall, coffee drinkers were about 10 percent to 15 percent less likely to die than abstainers during a decade of follow-up. Differences by amount of coffee consumed and genetic variations were minimal. The results don’t prove your coffee pot is a fountain of youth nor are they a reason for abstainers to start drinking coffee, said Alice Lichtenstein, a Tufts University nutrition expert who was not involved in the research. But she said the results reinforce previous research and add additional reassurance for coffee drinkers. “It’s hard to believe that something we enjoy so much could be good for us. Or at least not be bad,” Lichtenstein said.…

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Beacon Center Releases Alternative Transit Plan For Nashville With No Tax Increases

Jason M. Reynolds
traffic jam

Conservative think tank Beacon Center of Tennessee has created a transit plan for Nashville that it says would serve all drivers in the near future while not raising taxes or requiring a referendum. The plan is available here. “Proponents of the Let’s Move Nashville light-rail plan argued that an alternative plan would likely take years to develop, with some even suggesting as high as another 10 years, making approving the plan imperative,” Beacon Center said. “Luckily, voters disagreed, knowing better alternatives existed.” The plan had its genesis from a forum called Off Track: What’s Wrong with Nashville’s Transit Plan & What We Should Do Instead where experts reviewed the proposed plan and offered alternative solutions, policy coordinator Ron Shultis wrote for Beacon Center. For Metro Nashville, Beacon proposes: Build an adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) that enables traffic signals to immediately respond to traffic demand in real time. Nashville’s last countywide optimization project in 2016 reduced travel times by 14%. The Federal Highway Administration recommends recalibrating lights every 3-5 years unless there are major changes earlier. Beacon Center says ATCS has helped Los Angeles cut travel time by 12% and increase speeds by 16%. Eliminate government bans on private transportation companies’ ability…

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Gov. Haslam Signs Legislation to Restrict Opioid Access, Punish Trafficking, Provide Treatment Help

Jason M. Reynolds
Bill Haslam

The state of Tennessee is adding restrictions to opioid prescriptions and measures to track and punish unlawful distribution of the powerful pain medications. Gov. Bill Haslam signed two bills and issued an executive order last Friday to support TN Together, the latest effort to fight the opioid crisis, WBIR reported, citing a press release from Haslam’s office. TN Together focuses on prevention, treatment and law enforcement. The legislation seeks to prevent opioid addiction, and misuse and abuse by limiting the supply and dosage of opioid prescriptions with an emphasis on new patients, according a statement on the governor’s office’s website. Initial prescriptions will be limited to a 5-day supply with daily dosage limits (40 MME or “morphine milligram equivalent”). Higher dosages of opioids have been associated with higher risk of overdose and death while proving ineffective at reducing pain over the long term. The legislation also addresses appropriate exceptions, including exceptions for individuals undergoing active or palliative cancer treatment or who are receiving hospice care for chronic pain. The second bill will better track, monitor and penalize the use and unlawful distribution of opioids by adding synthetic versions of fentanyl to the controlled substance schedules, among other updates, WBIR said.…

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American Conservative Union Endorses Diane Black For Governor

Jason M. Reynolds
Diane Black, Matt Schlapp

The American Conservative Union (ACU) announced their endorsement of Diane Black for governor at a meet and greet Monday before CPAC 365 in Memphis. U.S. Rep. Black, R-Tennessee, is running for governor in the Republican primary. “We are proud to endorse Diane Black for Governor of Tennessee,” Black’s campaign said in a press release, quoting the organization’s chairman, Matt Schlapp. ACU’s press release continued, saying, “As chairman of the House Budget Committee, Diane worked with the president to pass a budget and cut taxes. She knows that a healthy economy is the foundation to the greater success of Tennessee and the country as a whole, and she has a record of spearheading conservative legislation to back it up. If you want a leader who fights for low taxes, is staunchly pro-life, defends the 2nd Amendment and will uphold the rule of law, then vote for Diane in the Republican primary on August 2.” The ACU’s website says, “We believe that the Constitution of the United States is the best political charter yet created by men for governing themselves. It is our belief that the Constitution is designed to guarantee the free exercise of the inherent rights of the individual through strictly limiting the power…

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