Month: August 2018

The Tennessee Star Interview: Dr. Mark Green’s Real-World Experience in War and Life Prepares Him to Serve in Congress

Anthony Accardi
Steve Gill, Mark Green

State Senator Dr. Mark Green (R-Clarksville), the Republican nominee for the 7th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), sat down for an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star political editor Steve Gill earlier this month. The 53-year-old physician, a long-time resident of Tennessee, and decorated combat veteran of the Iraq war, where he served as an Army Ranger, told Gill that his Christian faith is a defining element of his own life, but that Christians are increasingly being blackballed from public service. Gill asked if this was a growing problem, citing the case of federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She was belittled for her Catholic faith during a September 2017 Senate confirmation hearing by Sen. Diane Feinstein, (D-CA), who said “the dogma lives loudly within you, and that’s of concern.” Green said Christians are often the victims of misunderstanding by those who don’t share their faith. “I think it’s just a misunderstanding that people have,” he said. “I am a Christian, and because I’m a Christian I love and serve everyone, even people who don’t believe the way I believe. When I went into combat I was going to potentially give my life for…

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Tennessee Loses Out on New Security Technology Due to State Regulations

Chris Butler
Adam Jackson

A Tennessee man who sold state-of-the-art technology that could have kept the state’s churches and schools more secure lost a substantial sum of money because state officials wouldn’t grant him the right to do business. This, according to members of the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based free market think tank. You may not know it, but since 1993 the state has had an Alarm Systems Contractors’ Board. Members meet regularly to license, register, and regulate alarm systems contractors.  They also judge whether they’re competent at their jobs, according to the board’s website. The board has five members, and the governor appoints each of them. “Four of those members are alarm system installers themselves,” said Braden Boucek, Beacon’s director of litigation. Going by what Beacon says, the board, by a 3-2 vote, just reversed an earlier decision to classify Adam Jackson’s product as an alarm system — and that requires a license. “They told him his facial recognition software met the definition of an alarm system that would require licensure,” Boucek said. Jackson produces software that instantly scans the face of someone using existing security cameras and compares the image against known offender databases. Board members, Beacon said, wrongfully determined…

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FAKE NEWS: Mainstream Media Continues to Prove It Is Nothing but Propaganda

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Donald Trump

By Printus LeBlanc   To say the relationship between the mainstream media and President Trump is rocky would be an understatement. The mainstream media has waged a jihad against Trump since he descended from the escalator in Trump Tower on June 16, 2015, to announce his candidacy for President. The press is upset the President calls them out on their blatant bias, but when looking at the details, does the press have a leg to stand on. While the sad status of journalism began its decline generations ago, the people got a glimpse of it after the 2008 election. It was a widely held belief the mainstream media was left-leaning, but the JournoList scandal solidified it was not only left-leaning but pretty much left-wing propaganda. In February of 2007, a private google group was created containing 400 left-leaning academics and journalists. This was no big deal until after the 2008 election. The Daily Caller got a hold of some of the conversations going on in the group, and it was shocking. What they found were “journalists” colluding with one another to kill storiesthat would make then-candidate Obama look bad, while coordinating the effort to boost the future President. The attained documents were…

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Commentary: Who Do You Trust More on Government, Reagan or ‘Pocahontas’ Warren?

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Ronald Reagan, Elizabeth Warren

by Jeffery Rendall   “I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’” – Ronald Reagan. Among the multitudes of unique qualities Ronald Reagan brought to the American political table – and eventually to the presidency – was his ability to encapsulate complex concepts into short sentences, big ideas in quote form that didn’t take intense contemplation or an Ivy League education to decipher. The line above is certainly one of those famous Reagan-isms that fans of the 40th president can roll off their tongues whenever the occasion calls for it. Liberals also received Reagan’s message, apparently, as none other than ultra-leftist/socialist Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth “Pocahontas” Warren recently took issue with The Gipper’s immortal words. Nicholas Ballasy of PJ Media reported last week, “Warren, who originally proposed the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, has suggested establishing a new federal anti-corruption agency… “Warren slammed President Reagan’s famous quote… ‘Since Watergate, generation after generation of American politicians have attacked the very idea that our government can do anything right,’ the senator said. ‘Anyone remember Ronald Reagan’s famous line? ‘What are the nine most terrifying words…

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Report: Tennessee to Get Tough with Planned Parenthood

Chris Butler
Planned Parenthood

Tennessee officials may soon have the power to stop Medicaid dollars from going to clinics in Tennessee that perform abortions. This is meant to curb the power and influence of Planned Parenthood in Tennessee, according to a new article in Bloomberg. “The move signals growing GOP interest in using administrative means to rein in providers that offer abortion and underscores state confidence in the Trump administration’s friendliness to the conservative policy priority,” the website reported. Nationwide, the group received $543.7 million in taxpayer money in fiscal year 2016. Medicaid funds generally can’t get used to cover most abortions under the Hyde Amendment, Bloomberg reported. The Tennessee Star has requested state officials give specific information about how much money abortion providers in Tennessee have received through Medicaid during the past three fiscal years. The Star expects to receive that information sometime next week. Tennessee officials are asking the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to block providers that performed more than 50 abortions in the past year from its Section 1115 Medicaid waiver, Bloomberg reported. The publication quoted an unidentified spokeswoman for the state’s Medicaid program TennCare. “Public comments on the request close Sept. 23,” Bloomberg reported. TennCare pays for health care…

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Facebook Flags, Censors NPR Report on Inflated Government School Shooting Statistics

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handcuff keyboard

by John Miltimore   Earlier this week, NPR reported on the high number of school shootings alleged by the U.S. Department of Education. The 240 school shootings detailed in the department’s report on the 2015-2016 school year was significantly higher than other estimates. So NPR, with the assistance of the non-profit group Child Trends, began doing what good journalists do: they collected data. Over a period of several months, they contacted every school. What NPR found was startling. “[More] than two-thirds of these reported incidents never happened,” NPR reported. A colleague of mine, Sean Malone, shared NPR’s article – which carried the headline ”The School Shootings That Weren’t” – with his some 1,100 Facebook followers on Tuesday. It was flagged as spam and removed. Facebook’s crackdown on fake news and “hate speech” has been well chronicled. There are many reasons to be wary of such censorship: Who decides what’s true? Who decides what’s fake? Who decides what’s hateful? What’s most troubling about this case is that it strongly suggests that Facebook is censoring information that conflicts with particular political narratives. This is dangerous. Social media tech giants have claimed in court the right to censor users for any reason – even “on the basis of religion, or gender,…

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Pope Francis: Resign, and Let Pope Benedict Return from Retirement

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Pope Francis

by Richard A. Viguerie and Mark Fitzgibbons   The sex abuse scandal and its cover-up within the Catholic Church require solutions that the institutional Church will be incapable of achieving on its own. But the more serious problem is that since Vatican II the Church has been AWOL on Biblically based Christian moral issues affecting the core family and its relationship to God. From marriage, divorce, same-sex relations, sex outside marriage, and the love respect between men and women according to God’s laws, the Church has abandoned its role of moral teacher and spiritual guide telling people where the ‘guardrails’ are. The Church’s abandonment of focus on the central and natural institution of the family has been accentuated by Pope Francis’ attention to socialist, earthly issues. His progressive politics-over-family approach is a symptom of the larger problems within the Church and its hierarchy. No institution that is sick can cure itself, and the Catholic Church is grievously ill. Like any patient, the institutional Church must be a willing participant in the cure. But it will be up to the Catholic laity to administer the necessary fixes. We join others who have already made the call for Pope Francis to resign, and…

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Republican Dave Joyce Releases Bizarre Campaign Ad Distancing Himself from Trump

Anthony Gockowski
David Joyce

In a risky political move, Rep. Dave Joyce recently tried to distance himself from President Trump in a congressional district that the president won by 12 percentage points in the 2016 Election. Joyce, who is seeking reelection in Ohio’s 14th Congressional District, recently released an ad in which he touts his vote against repealing the Affordable Care Act. “When Republican leaders in Congress tried to take away protections for pre-existing conditions, I said no,” Joyce states. “I won the the fight to fund the Great Lakes restoration, and when President Trump tried to take it away, I said no again.” “I’m Dave Joyce, and I approve this message, because I’ll do what’s right for northeastern Ohio, even if it means standing up to my own party,” the ad concludes. Joyce, however, regularly voted to repeal Obamacare before Trump took office, and his campaign website used to tout a record of voting for repeal more than 30 times, Cleveland.com reports. In a state that Trump won by by 8 points, the ad seems out of place, leaving Joyce’s spokesman, Dino DiSanto to explain that “Joyce will do what is right for his district, no ifs and or buts—doesn’t matter party affiliation…

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Vice President Pence Calls for New ‘Century of American Strength’ in Minneapolis Address

Anthony Gockowski
Mike Pence

Vice President Mike Pence delivered the keynote address at the American Legion’s centennial convention Thursday in Minneapolis, touting the Trump Administration’s historic record of defending America’s veterans. “To all the legionares today, and every member of the legion family across America, I bring greetings and congratulations from a leader that you heard from last year, and a great champion of our armed forces—past, present, and future—I bring greetings and congratulations from the 45th president of the United States of America, President Donald Trump,” he began his address. Pence went on to thank “the men and women of the American Legion” who brought America “to the start of a new century of American strength,” a theme the vice president frequently returned to throughout his address. “You veterans are emblematic of American greatness. You stepped up to serve your country, to serve a cause greater than yourselves,” he said, before honoring the life of Sen. John McCain. “America will always remember and honor the lifetime of service of United States Sen. John McCain.” “In case you haven’t noticed, you have an ally and a champion in President Donald Trump. Just as you fought for our freedom, we will always fight for you,”…

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Organization Seeks to Help Middle Americans At Risk of Losing Their Pensions

Anthony Gockowski
POWER organization

Millions of Americans are at serious risk of losing their pensions during retirement, but few lawmakers or politicians are addressing the issue, expect for an organization known as Protect Our Workers’ Earned Retirement, called POWER for short. “It’s one of those things that’s a time bomb that’s ticking. At least in the United States, policy is driven by a problem that is a reality rather than a potentiality,” Bill Greener, who is helping promote the project, told The Ohio Star, explaining why the issue has gone largely unaddressed. According to a report conduct by Matrix Global Advisors CEO Alex Brill, and sponsored by POWER, an estimated six million retirees and four million workers in the United States rely on multi-employer pension plans (MEPPs), which are collectively-bargained plans maintained by more than one employer to limit risk. “Even after legislative fixes to improve plans’ financial status in 2006 and 2014, one-third of the 10 million participants are in plans that are headed toward either a funding deficiency or insolvency. More than 1 million people are in plans projected to be insolvent within 20 years,” Brill’s report elaborates, though the problem doesn’t stop there. Brill points out that the federal backstop for…

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Democrat Abigail Spanberger Unhappy Her Past Was Revealed

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Abigail Spanberger

by Richard McCarty   Abigail Spanberger is mad. Real mad – and threatening legal action against the Congressional Leadership Fund. Spanberger is the Democrat candidate for Congress in Virginia’s 7th District. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, recently obtained a document showing that Spanberger worked at the controversial Islamic Saudi Academy in Northern Virginia. Apparently, she didn’t want voters to find that out. How was this fact uncovered? Earlier this summer, a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was filed with the National Personnel Records Center seeking “access to certain records contained in the official civilian personnel file of former federal employee Abigail Spanberger. Specifically, this request seeks records reflecting Ms. Spanberger’s employment dates, annual salaries, title, and position description.” This request was forwarded to the Postal Service, which also employed Spanberger. In its response to the FOIA request, the Postal Service included a document disclosing her employment at the Islamic Saudi Academy. Why might Spanberger have wanted to hide the fact that she worked for the school? The school, which was funded by the Saudi embassy, was dubbed “Terror High” by its critics. It had problems before she began working there, and those problems continued after she left. In 2001, two graduates of the…

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Lamar Alexander Weighs in on Naming Building After John McCain

Chris Butler
Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker

U.S. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee seems to want a wait and see approach on renaming a building in Washington, D.C. after the late Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said the debate is a way for U.S. Dem. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. to score political points against Republicans. Schumer’s endgame — he wants to portray the GOP as racist, Gill said. As Time reported this week, a proposal to rename the Russell Senate Office Building after McCain is floating around the U.S. Senate. The name Russell refers to the late Georgia U.S. Sen. Richard Russell Jr., whom the website described as “a Southern segregationist Democrat.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reportedly wants a bipartisan committee to find a less grandiose way honor McCain. Members of the U.S. Senate can best do that, McConnell said, by naming a conference room in McCain’s honor or hanging a portrait of him up on a wall. But Schumer’s seemingly single-minded focus is to rename the Russell Building. Gill said Schumer is not doing this to honor McCain. “He’s doing this because he wants to stir up political trouble,” Gill said. “Chuck Schumer and the…

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Steve Cohen Blocks Critics on Twitter

Chris Butler
Steve Cohen

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, is prone to fits of hyperbole and spastic verbal outbursts, mostly directed at Republican politicians, seemingly the bane of his existence. There’s that time he warned of a massive outbreak of Ebola if Republicans didn’t expand Medicaid in Tennessee. There’s that time he compared Republicans to Nazi propagandists Joseph Goebbels. Heck, most recently he said Republican U.S. Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn should kill herself. But Cohen evidently can’t handle what he throws out, even when what he gets back is sarcasm — and nowhere near the verbal overkill he’s delinquent of. This, according to Twitchy.com this week. Cohen blocked the account of Twitter user Sean Spicier, a parody account and a play on the name of President Donald Trump’s former White House communications front man Sean Spicer. “Our favorite parody account and yours, @Sean_Spicier, seems to have gotten himself blocked by the one and only Rep. Steve Cohen,” the website reported. “Granted, Cohen blocks anyone with a pulse who disagrees with him even slightly but part of us would like to think the representative who wanted to award Peter Strzok the Purple Heart for ****-talking Trump thought for just a moment Spicer himself was busting on…

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Keith Ellison’s Smear Campaign Against His Opponent Continues While He Avoids Accusations

Anthony Gockowski
Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison’s campaign for Minnesota attorney general is smearing Republican opponent Doug Wardlow for previously working for an organization labeled an “extremist group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). “Wardlow has proudly worked for an organization the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled an anti-LGBTQ ‘hate group,’ testified against allowing trans students to use the restroom of their choice, and called the United States Supreme Court’s decision legalizing marriage equality a ‘totalitarian impulse,’” Ellison’s team wrote in an August 27 Facebook post. The SPLC, however, often smears “good people with false charges of bigotry,” as Washington Post columnist Marc Thiessen recently wrote, saying the organization has “lost all credibility.” In fact, SPLC was sued earlier this year by former Islamic radical Maajid Nawaz for including him in its “Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists.” The SPLC eventually reached a settlement with Nawaz, and was forced to make a public apology. Nonetheless, liberals like Ellison continue to push the SPLC’s characterization of conservatives as “extremists,” with the former Democratic congressman questioning his opponent’s views on “civil rights laws.” “On the anniversary of the March on Washington, Minnesotans deserve to know if Wardlow would enforce the civil rights laws Rev. Dr. Martin King…

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Koch Network Launches Massive Ad Campaign to Bring Down Dem Senate Candidates in Key States, Including Tennessee

Anthony Gockowski
Phil Bredesen

The Koch Network is preparing to launch a multi-million dollar ad campaign across three swing-states in the hopes of bringing down key Democrats in the midterm elections. Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a Koch-backed group, announced Wednesday that it would spend $820,000 in Wisconsin, $2.1 million in Missouri, and another $2 million in Tennessee, according to CNBC. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who has already faced $5 million in attack ads thus far, is outed for opposing the GOP tax bill and backing a $1.3 trillion spending bill in AFP’s latest ad. “For Tammy Baldwin, it’s higher taxes and more spending. Higher sales taxes, higher income taxes, higher energy taxes, voting for $1.3 trillion in spending. We can’t afford Tammy Baldwin,” the ad states, praising Baldwin’s Republican opponent Leah Vukmir. In Tennessee, the Koch network is going after former governor Phil Bredesen, who is now seeking a Senate seat, for spending $9 million on remodeling the governor’s mansion at the expense of taxpayers. “While we struggled through a recession, Bredesen wasted 9 million taxpayer dollars upgrading his governor’s mansion, $4 million on a party cave, gilded bathrooms, and a kitchen worth two Tennessee homes,” the ad states. “Phil Bredesen lived the…

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TV and Film Producers Who Cheat Tennessee Taxpayers Might Go to Jail

Chris Butler
tv film production

A federal appeals court just ruled that states that hand out TV and film credits — as Tennessee does — can prosecute people who lie or mislead to get those corporate welfare benefits. Tennessee gave out millions of dollars in incentives to the fictionalized TV drama “Nashville” and more than $300,000 in incentives to the Robin Williams film “Boulevard.” That movie, filmed in Nashville in 2013, was about a man who starts a relationship with a male prostitute. According to Bloomberg, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled film and TV tax credits are property and thus subject to federal mail and wire fraud laws. That means states can better monitor fraud involving TV and film tax credits. The case, United States vs. Hoffman, involved film and TV tax credits in Louisiana. The court ruled “the fraudulent issuance of those credits would deplete the state treasury, meaning Louisiana had a property interest in the tax credits and could prosecute for fraud in relation thereto,” according to Bloomberg. Members of the Beacon Center of Tennessee, a Nashville-based free market think tank, have spoken out against those tax credits for years. Beacon spokesman Mark Cunningham told The Tennessee Star…

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Commentary: Trump Kills NAFTA

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Donald Trump

by CHQ Staff   President Donald Trump has fulfilled another campaign promise and effectively killed the never “free” North American Free Trade Agreement by concluding a separate preliminary United States–Mexico Trade Agreement that modernizes and rebalances the trade relationship between the two countries. According to a White House news release this is the first time that a modern United States trade agreement has been renegotiated. In a live telephone conversation with President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico, President Trump said, “…they used to call it NAFTA.  We’re going to call it the United States-Mexico Trade Agreement, and we’ll get rid of the name NAFTA.  It has a bad connotation because the United States was hurt very badly by NAFTA for many years.  And now it’s a really good deal for both countries, and we look very much forward to it.” Defying the critics who said that Trump was alienating Mexico, President Peña Nieto said through an interpreter, “And I’m really grateful, Mr. President.  I want to say that you — I greatly recognize and acknowledge your political will and your participation in this.” President Peña Nieto also noted, “I think this is something very positive for the United States and Mexico. …

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller Used Hillary Clinton’s ‘Enemies List’ Disguised As an Intelligence Document

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Robert Mueller

By Robert Romano   When you get right down to it, almost every person being targeted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller or targeted by the Justice Department in 2016 and 2017 via the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court was named in the Christopher Steele dossier, which was paid for by the Hillary Clinton campaign and the DNC. It was Hillary Clinton’s enemies list, dressed up as an intelligence document, that attempted to make the case that then-candidate Donald Trump and his campaign were Russian agents. It was then used to obtain FISA warrants against former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page. George Papadopoulos was also named and stands out as somebody who was not explicitly named by Steele, at least in the version of the dossier that was published by Buzzfeed (we have yet to see the rest of Steele’s work product). But let’s look at who did appear in the Steele dossier. Donald Trump. Michael Cohen. Carter Page. Paul Manafort. Michael Flynn. All are now targets of the Justice Department and the special counsel. But none have been accused by the Department of assisting Russia with hacking the DNC and John Podesta emails and putting them on Wikileaks — Steele’s central…

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Open Borders Bring a Higher Risk of Disease

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chest x-ray

by Walter Williams   The Immigration and Nationality Act mandates that all immigrants and refugees undergo a medical screening examination to determine whether they have an inadmissible health condition. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has technical instructions for medical examination of prospective immigrants in their home countries before they are permitted to enter the U.S. They are screened for communicable and infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, malaria, hepatitis, polio, measles, mumps, and HIV. They are also tested for syphilis, gonorrhea, and other sexually transmitted diseases. The CDC also has medical screening guidelines for refugees. These screenings are usually performed 30 to 90 days after refugees arrive in the United States. But what about people who enter our country illegally? The CDC specifically cites the possibility of the cross-border movement of HIV, measles, pertussis, rubella, rabies, hepatitis A, influenza, tuberculosis, shigellosis, and syphilis. Chris Cabrera, a Border Patrol agent in South Texas, warned: “What’s coming over into the U.S. could harm everyone. We are starting to see scabies, chickenpox, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, and different viruses.” Some of the youngsters illegally entering our country are known to be carrying lice and suffering from various illnesses. Because there have been…

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1990 Federal Law Will Cost Gallatin Taxpayers $5.5 Million

Chris Butler

Gallatin officials will spend $5.5 million of taxpayer money to satisfy the requirements of the nearly 30-year-old federal Americans With Disabilities Act. JamiAnn Hannah, risk manager for the city attorney’s office, told The Tennessee Star taxpayers will pay for the changes “because it’s the right thing to do.” She also said if it doesn’t get done then the city stands to lose a substantial chunk of state and federal grant money. Hannah said she wasn’t a Gallatin employee in 1990, when the law went into effect. She said she doesn’t know why city officials didn’t work back then to comply. When asked, Hannah said the changes are not urgent and that she and other city officials help the disabled, regardless of government mandates. “I haven’t had any complaints per se (about compliance with the law). No one has come in and said ‘That cabinet is too high. I can’t see anything that is going on.’ We always accommodate, and that is one of the things we continue to strive to do and do currently,” Hannah said. “If I can’t see someone because there is a counter in my way then I will move that counter, I will go to that…

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Bredesen Lived the Life, Tennesseans Paid the Bill, Ad Says

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen

Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee (AFP-TN) on Wednesday announced a new seven-figure investment in television and digital advertisements highlighting Phil Bredesen’s record as a big spender and supporter of higher taxes. Americans for Prosperity is spending $2 million on the new ad that is hitting the airwaves statewide today. The ad is available to view here. The ad exposes the Democrat’s support of higher taxes and out-of-control spending while governor. Bredesen is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker, who is retiring. AFP-TN announced it has mobilized its activists and launched grassroots activities in support of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, who is running for the Senate seat on the Republican ticket. AFP-Tennessee State Director Tori Venable said, “Phil Bredesen’s rhetoric of fiscal responsibility won’t fool Tennesseans; his record speaks for itself. During his time in office, Bredesen supported tax and fee increases that hurt Tennesseans while times were tough and our economy was in a tailspin. And despite Bredesen’s claims to be fiscally responsible, there’s nothing responsible about lavishing nearly $9 million taxpayer dollars on a renovation to the governor’s mansion. Tennesseans don’t want a senator who says one thing and then does another, but that is what they’ll get…

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Tennessee Strong PAC Tags Phil Bredesen As Hillary Clinton-Supporting Opponent of President Trump

Tennessee Star Staff
Tennessee Strong

The Tennessee Strong PAC has launched a new campaign tagging Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen as a Hillary Clinton-supporting opponent of President Donald Trump and his Make America Great Again agenda. The former Governor of Tennessee and Mayor of Nashville, who faces Republican nominee Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) in the November general election to succeed Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), has built his campaign around attempts to persuade Tennesseans that he is a fair minded moderate who will examine President Trump’s proposals on their merits, without regard to partisan politics. The Tennessee Strong PAC is having none of it, and is providing the hard hitting facts to back up its charges in a 30 second digital ad that demonstrates Bredesen is anything but a fair minded moderate. You can watch the ad here: The transcipt of the ad reads: Phil Bredesen claims that he won’t tow the Democrat Party line in the Senate. But Phil was hand picked to run by liberal Chuck Schumer. It’s not surprising. Phil has always supported liberal elites, donating almost half a million to their campaigns. Bredesen even donated over $30,000 to Hillary Clinton. Like Hillary, Phil joined Nancy Pelosi in criticizing President Trump’s tax…

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Tourist Heavy Nashville Development Might Get Money Meant for Blighted Areas

Chris Butler
Nashville

A tax incentive normally designated for heavily blighted areas might go to a new development not in a poor and underserved part of Nashville but instead in and around one of the city’s most popular destinations. The developers behind the new office, retail, and residential development at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Broadway want Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency officials to help. Specifically, they want MDHA officials to give them $25 million in Tax Increment Financing, reports The Tennessean. According to the people at Good Jobs First, a Washington, D.C.-based policy resource center, TIF subsidizes companies by refunding or diverting a portion of their taxes to help finance development in a certain area. TIF usually pays for, among other things, infrastructure improvements, acquiring land, or demolishing buildings, the website said. “The area may have to meet criteria for blight such as property abandonment, building code violations, or aging housing stock,” according to the website. The Tennessean called Fifth and Broadway “the city’s most prime commercial real estate.” In an emailed statement, MDHA spokeswoman Jamie Berry told The Tennessee Star that the area still meets TIF criteria. “The district was blighted at the time it was created, and Metro Council…

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The SAT Is Feeding Students Solar Industry Propaganda

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SAT test

by James D. Agresti   The famed SAT, or Scholastic Assessment Test, is a college readiness exam taken by more than 1.6 million students per year. In May of 2018, the College Board, which owns and operates the SAT, required test takers to read an article that claims: the cost of solar energy installations “fell by more than 50 percent between 2010 and 2013.” “solar power is now competitive with other energy sources in many markets.” solar energy is a “ray of sunshine for the U.S. economy.” This article appeared in the reading portion of the exam, which supposedly uses “authentic texts selected from high-quality” sources. Yet, all of the assertions above are rooted in solar industry propaganda that is at odds with the facts. Moreover, this disinformation misleads students in ways that can cause serious harm. Cost Declines In contrast to the SAT’s claim that the cost of solar installations fell by more than 50% from 2010 to 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory reports that “system prices of residential and commercial PV [photovoltaic solar] systems declined 6%–12% per year, on average, from 1998–2014….” This amounts to a decrease during 2010 to 2013 of 17%…

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With the End of the Fiscal Year September 30, Congress Is Running Out of Time to Fund ‘The Wall’

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Donald Trump, The Wall

By Robert Romano   The 2018 fiscal year will end on Sept. 30 but Congress is no closer to achieving key Trump administration priorities including fully funding the southern border wall, something President Donald Trump has been demanding since 2017 and campaigned on extensively in 2016. So far, both the House and the Senate have passed appropriations bills for Defense, Energy & Water, Interior, Agriculture, Financial Services, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, Legislative Branch and Military/Veterans. But so far, no wall. Of those, Energy & Water, Legislative Branch and Military/Veterans have been consolidated into a single bill, H.R. 5895, which is now in conference between the House and Senate. And Interior, Agriculture, Financial Services and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development have been consolidated into H.R. 6147. Everything else, including Commerce/Justice/Science, Homeland Security (which includes the wall), Labor/HHS/Education and State/Foreign Operations that have not already passed both chambers are likely to be wrapped up in a continuing resolution at the end of this month. On one hand, that can be a good thing — or at least a not bad thing —insofar as it gives Congress a little bit more of an opportunity to get those things right. For example, the Labor-HHS…

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Audit Reveals Theft in Williamson County Government

Chris Butler
Williamson County Parks and Rec

The former assistant adult sports coordinator for the Williamson County Parks and Recreation stole more than $7,600 from that department over a two-and-a-half-year span, according to an audit released Tuesday. In their report, members of the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office called out Daniel Lawson as the culprit. That money belonged to the county’s adult softball league program, the audit said. The Tennessee Star attempted to reach Lawson through his personal Facebook page Tuesday, but he did not return our message before day’s end. The investigation began after WCPR officials found a discrepancy and reported missing money. For reasons unspecified, their investigation took them straight to Lawson. “Lawson failed to turn over money he collected from patrons as payment for softball league registration and out-of-county fees,” according to a press release. “In several instances, Lawson met patrons at an offsite location and collected cash or checks naming him as the payee. Lawson should have remitted these funds for deposit into the WCPR bank account. Instead, he kept the money for his personal benefit.” Lawson, the release went on to say, also altered WCPR computer records to hide what he did. All of this took place between January 2015 and August of last…

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Commentary: Is There a New Mexico Muslim Terrorist Compound Cover-Up?

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Sarah Backus

by CHQ Staff   Two weeks ago, Siraj Ibn Wahhaj was arrested along with several other adults at a squalid compound in New Mexico. Wahhaj is the son of a Brooklyn imam, also named Siraj Wahhaj, who was named by prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the New York Post reported. During the raid eleven abused children were taken into care by authorities and the remains of one dead child (since identified as Wahhaj’s son) were found at the compound. Lucas Morton, Jany Leveille, 35, Hujrah Wahhaj, 38, and Subhannah Wahhaj, 35, were arrested along with Wahhaj on the property on Friday and all face child abuse charges according to Fox News. After the arrest attorneys for the five Muslim adults claimed that they were being persecuted by Islamophobic and racist police. New Mexico Judge Sarah Backus, an elected Democrat, set a nominal $20,000 bail for the five defendants and ordered the two men and three women to wear ankle monitors, have weekly contact with their attorneys and not consume alcohol or own firearms while on bail. She said although she was concerned by “troubling facts,” prosecutors failed to articulate any specific threats to the…

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Police Records Show Keith Ellison Abused Another Woman In 2005

Anthony Gockowski
Al Franken, Keith Ellison

Records from a 2005 911 call reveal that Rep. Keith Ellison allegedly abused yet another woman, though the story has been swept under the rug by Minnesota’s media. In early August, Ellison, who vacated his safe seat in Congress to run for Minnesota’s attorney general, faced new accusations from his ex-girlfriend Karen Monahan that the former congressman forcibly dragged her off a bed while shouting obscenities. Monahan claims there is video of the incident, but has yet to release any evidence. A similar story dating back to 2005 started to resurface on social media after Monahan came forward, though this time there was hard evidence. Police records reveal that an “Ellison/Keith/BM/41” was reported in 2005 for assaulting a woman. Ellison was born in 1963, which would mean he was 41 in 2005. The woman who allegedly made the call, Amy Alexander, later related her experiences with Ellison in a 2006 article for The Wright County Republican, whose publisher told The Conservative Tribune that none of the local newspapers wanted to interview her. “In May, Keith wanted to try and quiet me so he came to my home uninvited. We had words. His anger kicked in. He berated me. He grabbed…

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MSM’s Exaggeration of School Shootings Not in Line With Reality

Julie Carr
Steve Gill

On Monday’s Gill Report – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 1510 WLAC weekdays at 7:30 am – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill explained how the media’s overblown commentary and emotional stirring of paranoia regarding school shootings is unrealistic in comparison to the death of children in common day bike, helmet, and car wrecks.  Gill goes on to comment that “ten times more kids are killed each year walking to school than are killed in these school shootings.” He continued: A new US Department of Education study is not getting a lot of media attention. But it did get a little bit of attention from NPR. Not exactly a bastion of conservative news media. Now they examined the US Department of Education’s study and discovered that over sixty six percent of reported school shootings for the 2015 and 2016 school year, never occurred. Yet the education department claims there were nearly two hundered and forty schools which reported at least one incident involving a school reported, or school related shooting. But when NPR contacted the schools in the districts, they were able to substantiate that one hundred and sixty-one, of the  two hundred and forty incidents quote, ‘never happened’. NEVER…

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Phil Bredesen Solar Company Might Not Survive in Pure Free Market

Chris Butler
Phil Bredesen

Solar power companies, including Phil Bredesen’s Silicon Ranch, wouldn’t make much of a mark without do-gooder government officials giving them taxpayer money, government incentives, and other generous benefits, an expert said. That’s because less than 2 percent of America’s electricity comes from solar power, said Nick Loris of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. “Without these government benefits, you would see a lot less because anytime you subsidize something you’re going to get more of it,” Loris told The Tennessee Star. “If you got rid of all energy subsidies, not just the ones for solar, but all the ones for fossil fuels, for wind, for nuclear, then I think, in a true free market, solar’s role in the electricity generation portfolio would be pretty minimal.” But, Loris went on to say, if market forces dictate that solar power is cost competitive and if people are willing to pay more for it, then they ought to have that right. “Those decisions are from an investment perspective and by a consumer choice perspective,” Loris said. “They shouldn’t be driven by the federal government and gambling with other people’s money.” But if those subsidies and other benefits for solar power are…

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Marsha Blackburn: “I Will Always Support Policies That Keep Americans Safe”

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn

Congress should build President Donald Trump’s wall on the Mexican border and punish officials who create sanctuary cities, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn said. Blackburn (R-TN-07) made her case on immigration in an editorial Monday in The Hill. She is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Bob Corker, who is retiring. Her Democratic opponent is former Gov. Phil Bredesen. Here is an excerpt of her editorial: “Every state is a border state and every town is a border town. That is what many believe to be happening due to the illegal entry taking place on our nation’s southern border. What we as Tennesseans have watched happen over the past decade is a problem that has spiraled out of control for local law enforcement and elected officials. It is due to the federal government not doing its job to enforce existing federal immigration law. The Obama administration pushed open-border policies, backed away from securing the border and pushed sanctuary city policies that have made us less safe. … “Tennesseans ask me every day what we should do to get the issues that come from illegal immigration into our country under control. The first steps we should take are to…

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In Minnesota Senate Debate GOP Challenger Blasts Klobuchar for Opposing SCOTUS Nominee Brett Kavanaugh

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Amy Klobuchar squared off against her Republican challenger State Rep. Jim Newberger at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, sparring over issues of immigration and President Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to serve on the United States Supreme Court. Immediately out of the gate, Klobuchar boasted a record of being the lead sponsor on 18 different bills signed into law by President Trump. “You need someone that can find common ground but is also willing to be a check and balance on this administration,” she said, representing a state that is growing increasingly purple as 78 out of its 87 counties went to Trump during the 2016 Election. Newberger, who worked as a paramedic for 30 years before seeking office, argued that it is time for a fresh face in Washington, suggesting that Klobuchar is a prime example of why Congress needs “term limits.” “Eighteen years folks is a long time to be in the swamp,” he said, claiming earlier in the debate that he will be a voice for the “moderate-middle to the conservative right.” “You have not had a voice for almost a decade. Folks, it’s time that you had a voice. It’s time you had a senator…

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Democrat Gubernatorial Candidate Karl Dean Calls for Higher Gas Taxes

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Karl Deal

Democratic Party candidates in California are starting to distance themselves from a 12 cent a gallon gas tax increase imposed on drivers in their state and which is subject to a repeal effort this Fall.  At least 4 Democrat candidates are turning against their own party on the issue of increased gas taxes. But in Tennessee, Democrat gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean is not only embracing last year’s IMPROVE Act fuel tax increase that raised gas and diesel taxes over $300 million a year, he wants to allow local governments to raise the fuel taxes even higher. Dean, a former two-term mayor of Nashville, says the state needs to expand on the IMPROVE Act, the 2017 law that increased gas taxes 6 cents a gallon and diesel taxes 10 cents per gallon. The tax increase was passed while Tennessee enjoyed about a $2 billion dollar SURPLUS. The phased in gas tax increase went up another one cent per gallon on July first.  The final cent in the six cent increase goes into effect July 1, 2018. “Unlike my opponent,” Dean said in endorsing local option fuel tax increases, “I believe passing the IMPROVE Act was the right move for Tennessee. But…

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Leftist Company Lyft Will Drive Select Tennesseans to Voting Booths

Chris Butler
Lyft

Officials with the ride-sharing app Lyft, which has a presence in Tennessee, and whose politics lean heavily left, announced they will offer free rides to the polls this election day. But the only people allowed to take advantage of those rides live in what Lyft officials refer to as “underserved areas.” Everyone else, however, gets 50 percent off rides to the polls that day. The Tennessee Star asked Lyft officials Monday if this is their attempt to help elect more local, state and federal Democrats this fall. In an emailed statement, Lyft spokeswoman Kate Margolis said company officials have a track record of supporting various causes and groups. Among them — pay equity, refugees, and immigrants. “Ensuring everyone’s voice is heard in the election, no matter which side they’re on, is very important to us,” Margolis said. “That’s why we are extending discount codes across the country – no matter which state, city, demographic, or political preference.” According to Clarksville Now, more than 15 million people were registered to vote in 2016, but they didn’t do so because of transportation issues. “In Montgomery County during the 2016 Presidential race, just under 54 percent of eligible voters cast ballots in the…

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McCain From the Grave: Trump Receives Media Criticism for Flag Flying Protocol and Building the Wall

Julie Carr

On Monday’s Gill Report – broadcast live on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill was dismayed by the media’s ability to say anything as a reason to criticize president Trump in the time of John McCain’s death. Apparently, following flag flying protocol just wasn’t enough. Gill went on to talk about Senator McCain’s passing and his true feelings he expressed during a 2010 campaign message where he was more than enthusiastic about “building the wall”. However, only when it served his re-election. Gill continued: John McCain’s passing has been met with a lot of disputes within the Republican party not the least at which has been a furor over the flag over the white house flying at half-mast for two days. Well lowering the flag for two days when a member of the Congress or top leader in government dies is the protocol set forth in the US code. You lower the flag for two days and then it goes back up to full staff. Which is exactly what the White House did. It wasn’t an attack on John McCain, it wasn’t a way to diminish his value they followed the rules, the protocol…

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Commentary: What the Mainstream Media Doesn’t Get About Trump Support

Tennessee Star Staff
Donald Trump rally

by ConservativeHQ.com Staff   Much to the amazement of the establishment media, President Trump’s job approval rating held steady despite former campaign chairman Paul Manafort’s conviction on tax and bank fraud charges and ex-personal lawyer Michael Cohen’s guilty plea last week, according to the results of two polls released over the weekend. Trump’s job approval in a survey conducted from Aug. 18-22 sat at 46 percent, while 51 percent disapproved, a NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey found. A second poll conducted between Aug. 22-25 revealed his Trump supporters approval numbers held steady, despite the legal jeopardy of his associates. The second survey from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found 44 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, whereas 52 percent did not according to analysis by The Washington Examiner’s Naomi Lim. NBC reported that Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, who conducted this survey with Democratic pollster Peter Hart and his team at Hart Research Associates, called Trump’s approval rating “remarkably stable” despite the Manafort and Cohen developments, both of which became public on the same afternoon last Tuesday. Hart added that, for Democrats hoping to craft a midterm election strategy, the week’s news thus…

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Blackburn to Debate Bredesen Sept. 25 at Cumberland University

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn, Phil Bredesen

Marsha Blackburn announced she will participate in the Sept. 25 debate in Lebanon for the U.S. Senate race. The 7 p.m. CT debate will be held at Cumberland University. Hosts are The Tennessean, the League of Women Voters of Tennessee, News Channel 5 (WTVF), Nashville Public Television and Cumberland University. The debate will air on NewsChannel 5 and NPT in Nashville and will be carried statewide on public television, and will stream online on the hosts’ sites. Blackburn and Bredesen are vying for the seat being vacated by retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker. “There are significant differences between how Phil Bredesen and I will serve Tennesseans in the Senate, and this debate will highlight that contrast,” said Rep. Blackburn (R-TN-07) in a press release. “I appreciate the hard work of the event’s organizers and volunteers. I look forward to a substantive discussion about the future of our state and our country as part of our general election debates.” NewsChannel 5 said anchor Rhori Johnston and David Plazas, the opinion engagement editor at The Tennessean, will co-moderate the debate. Blackburn is a better choice for Tennessee than Democratic former Gov. Bredesen, A recent poll by Gravis Marketing shows Blackburn leads Bredesen…

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China’s Long-Term Strategy Against the United States

Tennessee Star Staff

By Printus LeBlanc Two world powers are on a collision course, the United States, and China. For now, the U.S. is the dominant world power, but China is fast approaching economic and military parity. That parity is more likely to bring the two nations closer to war, as the nation that once believed it was weaker sees itself as equal or stronger and is willing to challenge. To get to the point where China has the capacity to challenge the U.S., the Communist regime has employed a total warfare strategy the likes of which the U.S. has never seen before. The U.S. was so unprepared for the type of warfare waged by China; it actually helped it achieve its current status. A brief history lesson is needed to understand the state of mind the Chinese leaders are in. For centuries, China was the center of the civilization. While Europe was struggling in the dark ages, China was the pinnacle of civilization. China once held one-third of the world’s population, was the economic center, and technological marvel of the globe for much of the “pre-modern” era (Zhu, 2012). As Europe emerged from the dark ages, it first sought trade with China,…

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GOP Candidate for Attorney General in Minnesota Says Democrat Opponent Keith Ellison ‘Not Authorized to Practice Law’ in the State

Anthony Gockowski
Keith Ellison, Doug Wardlow

In a damning Monday press release, Republican candidate for Minnesota attorney general Doug Wardlow claimed that his opponent Keith Ellison is “not authorized to practice law” in the state. According to the release, the State Office of Lawyer Registration reveals that Ellison surrendered his law license in 2012 and is no longer eligible to practice law in Minnesota. “Keith Ellison has falsely said that Congress requires lawyers to surrender their licenses to practice law when they enter the U.S. House. According to the Clerk of the House, no professionals are required to surrender their licenses when they take the oath of office,” Wardlow’s campaign claims, noting that “this means Keith Ellison has intentionally skipped 180 hours of mandatory classes.” The classes, which bring attorneys up-to-date on “legal ethics, changes in the law, and diversity training,” could takes “years” to make up, according to Wardlow. “He may never be able to practice law in Minnesota again,” the press release states. If Ellison were to practice law in Minnesota as attorney general by “filing a criminal complaint or appearing in court,” he would actually be breaking a criminal law against the “Unauthorized Practice of Law,” Wardlow’s campaign argues. “Every separate time Keith…

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DNC Chair Tom Perez Runs Away When Asked If He Believes Keith Ellison Accuser

Anthony Gockowski
Tom Perez

Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez is refusing to state whether or not he believes the recent domestic-violence allegations leveled against his right-hand-man Keith Ellison. In a recent video first obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation, Perez is shown running away as he is asked if he believes “the allegations against Keith Ellison.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xcglLBOn38 “Why haven’t you asked Keith Ellison to step down while the review is being conducted? These are pretty serious things that deserve serious answers,” the man recording asks while Perez is escorted into a private office by his staff. Throughout the video, Perez not once addresses the questions, nor does he even acknowledge that they are being asked. In an interview with CBSN that appears to have been conducted that same day, Perez places responsibility for investigating the allegations on the Minnesota Democratic Party, though the DNC previously claimed that it would review the matter. “These allegations recently came to light and we are reviewing them. All allegations of domestic abuse are disturbing and should be taken seriously,” the DNC told NPR in a statement. “We take all allegations of sexual misconduct very, very seriously and that is something we’ve always done, and that’s…

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New Evidence Reveals That Ilhan Omar, Democrat Nominee to Succeed Keith Ellison in Congress, Used ‘State Resources’ To Conduct Private Business

Anthony Gockowski

New information allegedly reveals that Minnesota State Rep. Ilhan Omar, now a congressional candidate, used state resources to conduct her personal business. According to a Thursday press release from Rep. Steve Drazkowski, Omar has used “state resources and state staff time to conduct her private business activities.” “As we learn more about Representative Omar’s activity as a member of the Minnesota House, we continue to find more troubling violations of House Rules, and in this case, Minnesota law,” Drazkowski commented. The findings are a result of a data practices request filed by Drazkowski’s office, which had previously been investigating Omar’s acceptance of speaking fees from organizations that lobby at the Minnesota Legislature. Omar admitted to the finance violations, and agreed to return the $2,500 she collected. In the latest round of documents provided to Drazkowski, it is shown that Omar accepted an additional $250 payment from Minnesota State University, Mankato for appearing on a February 9 panel, claiming that she was not an employee of the State of Minnesota. Based on the emails, Drazkowski also has reason to believe that Omar has “used state resources and state staff time to conduct her private business,” which he claims is a violation…

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Holt: Bredesen Wrong For Tennessee as Senator, Would Not Stand Up to Democrats

Jason M. Reynolds
Marsha Blackburn, Andy Holt, Phil Bredesen

U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is a better choice for the U.S. Senate than Democratic former Gov. Bredesen, one state representative said. Blackburn and Bredesen are running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Bob Corker. State Rep. Andy Holt (R-76) wrote the comments about Bredesen and Blackburn in an op-ed in the Jackson Sun. “Just look at his (Bredesen’s) failure to denounce Democrat Congressman Steve Cohen (District 9), who said he wished Marsha Blackburn would jump off a bridge, or Mark Brown, the spokesman for the Tennessee Democratic Party who called President Trump a “moron” and his supporters ‘idiots.’ I guess I am one of those idiots. If he won’t stand up to his Democrats buddies in Tennessee for using the violent and partisan language that he claims to despise, because it plagues our country, who’s to say he’ll be able to do it in Washington? “Now that he’s running for office, he is telling you what he thinks you want to hear — that he’ll work across the aisle and won’t block the president at every turn. The reality is legislators — especially in the United States Senate — must pick a team, and he will be…

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Report: Taxpayers Pay for Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen’s Hush-Hush Trip to South America

Chris Butler
Steve Cohen

You, the taxpayer, just reportedly spent an unknown sum of money to send U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, and eight other congressmen on a super-secret mission to Guyana, in South America, this week. Officials involved have cut off all information to members of the press, including The Tennessee Star. Six publications based out of Latin America, however, reported the trip this week. Going by a Google search, no U.S.-based media outlets have mentioned it. The Congressional delegation reportedly consists of seven Republicans and two Democrats, including Cohen. The other Democrat is Rep. Scott Peters of California. The seven Republicans are Reps. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, John Rutherford of Florida, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, John Curtis of Utah, Todd Rokita of Indiana, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, and Darrell Issa of California. The last time Sanford traveled to South America without anyone knowing about it, of course, was to break his marriage vows. No one in Sanford’s office returned The Star’s repeated requests for comment Monday. Neither did anyone in Cohen’s office. Only staff members from two of the nine congressmen would comment. Katie Thompson, Curtis’ spokeswoman, did not dispute the accuracy of the reports coming out of Latin America.…

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President Trump Announces New Trade Deal Pending With Mexico, Stock Market Jumps Up

Tennessee Star Staff
Donald Trump

President Donald Trump’s Monday morning announcement of a pending new trade deal with Mexico generated new intraday record highs in the stock markets. Details of the negotiated arrangement are expected to be released soon. Most trade experts believe that a bilateral deal with Mexico increases pressure on Canada to make a deal with the U.S. as well. Renegotiation of NAFTA was one of Trump’s campaign promises. Trump announced the tentative agreement with Mexico from the Oval Office with with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto joining by telephone. “It’s a big day for trade. It’s a big day for our country,” Trump told reporters assembled for the announcement. The deal could lead to an overhaul of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement), though Trump indicated the new trade deal would have a new name. Trump said he wanted to get rid of the name “NAFTA” because it has bad connotations. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump often railed against the trade pact as “the worst trade deal maybe ever signed anywhere.” Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill, a former U.S. trade official in the Bush and Clinton Administrations, said the deal still needs some work — and Congressional approval — before…

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Tim Burchett and Eddie Smith Campaign at the Battle of Broadway in Knoxville

Tennessee Star Staff

When one of the biggest rivalries in Knoxville takes to the football field you can expect the event to attract a few political candidates catching the action while trying to scoop up a few votes in the process. Thursday night Fulton and Central swapped hits in the annual BATTLE OF BROADWAY, and Republican Congressional candidate (and County Mayor for a few more days) Tim Burchett and Republican State Representative Eddie Smith were on the sidelines. The home team Central Bobcats lost to the visiting Fulton Falcons 18-9. Both Burchett and Smith are hoping to avoid the same fate in their November 6 general election matchups. Burchett is facing off against liberal Democrat Renee Hoyos in the heavily Republican 2nd Congressional District. Hoyos has been endorsed by the left wing group Indivisible that is seeing to create a “blue wave” across the country. The anti-Trump group is funded by far left progressives and has ties to George Soros. Another anti-Trump groups, Women’s March, has also endorsed Hoyos. The two recently appeared on Knoxville’s WBIR Inside Tennessee political show. There are several issues that separate the two, from increased border security and a wall on the U.S. – Mexico border (Burchett for; Hoyos against),…

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Dick Durbin Immediately Politicizes Jacksonville Mass Shooting, Attacks NRA

Tennessee Star Staff

by Peter Hasson Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin didn’t wait for all the facts about the mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday before politicizing the tragedy and using it to attack the National Rifle Association (NRA). Three people including the shooter died in Sunday’s mass shooting, which took place at a qualifying event for the Madden 19 video game tournament — a gun-free zone. Before it was known how the shooter acquired his gun and what — if any — legislative changes would have prevented him from acquiring it, Durbin pointed a finger at the NRA. “I’m heartbroken for Jacksonville. No community should have to suffer from such senseless gun violence,” he wrote on Twitter. “When will Congress have the courage to stand up to the NRA and pass meaningful reforms to help prevent these shootings in America?” Durbin’s fellow Illinois Democrat, Rep. Robin Kelly, similarly used Sunday’s shooting to attack Republicans and the NRA. “This must not become routine. @SpeakerRyan and @HouseGOP take action now,” Kelly wrote on Twitter. “Reject @NRA money. Take action on gun reform legislation. Now. #NeverAgain Not. One More.” The Democratic National Committee repeatedly fundraised off of the Parkland school shooting in February that…

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Commentary: If Republicans Care About Winning in 2018 They’ll Play Follow the Leader

Tennessee Star Staff
Donald Trump

by Jeffrey A. Rendall   Here’s a little quiz for you: what do West Virginia, Montana, Missouri, Florida, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and Ohio have in common? It’s an easy one for close watchers of the upcoming 2018 midterm elections, since all of these are states President Donald Trump won in 2016 and now feature Democrat incumbent senators running for (their lives and) Trump on immigration. Much has been made about the GOP’s golden opportunity to gain seats this year in states where large numbers of “deplorables” make up the voting population. Time will tell whether Republicans take advantage of the very favorable map. It should also be noted Democrats see Arizona and Nevada as possible pick-up chances for their side, considering the Grand Canyon State contains a sizeable Hispanic population (assumed by the media to be anti-Trump) and incumbent Sen. Jeff Flake is “retiring,” leaving his seat open. Right next door in the Silver State (which Hillary Clinton stole thanks to the presence of huge casino worker unions) where incumbent Republican Sen. Dean Heller is widely seen as a wishy-washy RINO who doesn’t inspire many people. We’ll see. Additionally there’s currently a tight race in Tennessee with…

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Media Bias: Baltimore Sun Columnist Says Press Should Assume Donald Trump Is Always Lying

Tennessee Star Staff

by Nick Givas Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik called President Donald Trump a liar on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” Sunday and said the press should just assume he’s always being dishonest. “Now we’ve got a president who says I cannot tell a truth about anything, just check me out. Fact check. So in my piece I said, look, I write commentary so I have more latitude, but I’m done with it … is it a lie, what’s his intent?” Zurawik said. “Who could know intent with this man? He lies every minute, he changes his story second to second.” Zurawik said it would be easier to operate under the assumption that Trump is lying and then go back to perform a reverse fact check to search for kernels of truth. “We should just say he’s lying, folks. Start from that premise. He’s a liar. Okay. If you can prove he’s not telling a lie, great. We should fact-check him backwards maybe, see if anything he’s telling us is true,” Zurawik said. “I think we’ve wrestled with it long enough for 18 months that we can call him a liar without being self-conscious and nervous about it, even by some of…

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Two Interim Judges Named As Scandal Brings Down The Entire West Virginia Supreme Court

Tennessee Star Staff
West Virginia Supreme Court

by Kevin Daley   Gov. Jim Justice appointed U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins and former House of Delegates Speaker Tim Armstead to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. The state Supreme Court is in the grips of a sprawling public corruption scandal, as three justices on the five-member panel have been impeached, while the other two resigned. Jenkins and Armstead will both serve interim terms, and seek a full term on the court in the November elections. GOP Gov. Jim Justice of West Virginia appointed two candidates to interim terms on the state Supreme Court, after the resignation of two justices and the impeachment of three more left the state’s highest judicial tribunal embattled and shorthanded. The governor selected U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins, a Republican representing the southern swath of the state in Congress, and former House of Delegates Speaker Tim Armstead for the positions. “We’ve lost some level of confidence and some level of trust,” Justice said at a Saturday press conference, in reference to the high court. “And on a nationwide basis it’s cast a black eye. What we need to do more than anything is repair, move on and show the nation how committed we are as…

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