Day: September 26, 2018

UT Board of Trustees Places Trust in Randy Boyd to Serve as Interim President

Jason M. Reynolds

The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees on Tuesday placed its trust in failed gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd to lead the system as interim president. Boyd, the Knoxville entrepreneur who made improving education a key plank in his failed bid this summer to be Tennessee’s governor, will take over as interim University of Tennessee system president when current President Joe DiPietro retires in November, WBIR reported. The Board of Trustees voted Tuesday morning to appoint Boyd to the role. As the board started its vote, a few students began protesting. Stephanie Haines reported on Twitter, “Before this, a few students interrupted the vote and approached Chair Compton with a petition against the appointment. They were asked to leave. There was some profanity.” UT Board of Trustees votes Randy Boyd as interim system president pic.twitter.com/2GE7OMhD3F — Stephanie Haines (@StephNewsNation) September 25, 2018 Several UT students attended the meeting and protested Boyd’s appointment, holding signs saying, “LIES” and “#RunoutRandy,” the Knoxville News-Sentinel reported. Several also spoke during the meeting, saying they had concerns about his appointment. Some protesters planned to introduce a bill to the Student Senate Tuesday night opposing Boyd’s appointment. The bill says, “the administration has forgone any review of…

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Memphis Entrepreneur Says Bredesen’s Debate Claim He Can Be Effective as Moderate Democrat in Senate ‘Either Naive or a Charade’

Tennessee Star Staff

“Phil Bredesen’s claim in the debate tonight that he can be effective as a moderate Democrat in  the U.S. Senate is either naive or a charade,” Memphis entrepreneur Jeff Webb told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday night in an exclusive interview. The founder of Varsity Brands also questioned Bredesen for his opposition to President Trump’s tax cuts and economic program. “Bredesen continues to avoid saying what he would do to keep the current economic revival going,”  Webb added. Former Gov. Bredesen, the Democrat nominee for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by outgoing Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), squared off in a debate Tuesday night at Cumberland University with GOP nominee Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07). “He’s talking like he’s running for governor,” Webb said. “He’s not going to be the policy maker, if he’s elected to the U.S. Senate. He’s going to be the junior senator from Tennessee. The question is, how is he going to vote. If he wants to be a chairman of a committee, if the Democrats win the majority in the Senate, or the ranking member on a committee, if they stay in the minority, he’s going to have to go along with the Democrat leadership, which…

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Christian Movement that Began on National Mall Will Spread to Every State in 2018

Anthony Gockowski

A Christian movement that started as a gathering on the National Mall in 2017 will soon be kicking off a nationwide three-day prayer and worship vigil set to occur simultaneously in every state capital. The event, called “Tent America 2018” and sponsored by Awaken the Dawn, started last year when David Bradshaw met with the founder of Washington D.C.’s popular “David’s Tent.” The two decided to organize a three-day event featuring 50 worship tents on the National Mall to “preach the gospel and send out the youth of America.” The event attracted close to 50,000 people and an additional 4 million viewers on Facebook, encouraging Bradshaw to continue the event in 2018, but this time all across the country. “On Sept. 27-29, again, coinciding with the Feast of Tabernacles, we will be hosting ‘tent city’ gatherings of worship, prayer, and gospel proclamation—simultaneously at all 50 state capitals and on college and university campuses,” an event description states. “Imagine. Three days. Millions of people. Day and night. Public, outdoor worship flooding our nation with the presence of Jesus. It will be historic,” it adds. In a video for the upcoming gatherings, Bradshaw called the success of his 2017 event one of…

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Commentary: With Kavanaugh, the Democrats’ Second Verse Is the Same as the First – a Whole Lot Louder and a Whole Lot Worse

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by Jeffery Rendall   If one is great two (or more) is even better. You had to figure if there was at least one hardened and ambitious looney leftist willing to beclown herself in front of the whole country (by accusing Judge Brett Kavanaugh of a crime no one contemporaneously heard of nor recalls) there’d certainly be another liberal wackjob out there somewhere lying in wait to repeat the feat. Such was the case over the weekend as Kavanaugh now has two accusers claiming he was a sex-obsessed slimeball in his pre-marriage and family days. Caitlin Yilek of the Washington Examiner reported, “At least four Democratic senators have reportedly been given information about a new allegation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh that dates back to when the judge was a freshman at Yale University. “Deborah Ramirez alleges Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a college party, put his penis in her face, and forced her to touch it without her consent as she pushed him away, according to a report Sunday evening published by the New Yorker. “The report said Ramirez was initially hesitant to share the story with the publication because she had been drinking at the time of the alleged incident.” Like with Blasey…

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Antifa Sends Threatening Message To Ted Cruz After Disrupting His Dinner: ‘You Are Not Safe’

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by Molly Prince   The Washington D.C. chapter of Antifa sent a message to Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz early Tuesday morning after chasing him out of a restaurant, telling the Texas senator that he is “not safe”. Cruz was dining with his wife, Heidi, on Monday night when a large crowd of protesters flooded the restaurant shouting “we believe survivors,” referring to allegations of sexual misconduct against Judge Brett Kavanaugh, a nominee to the Supreme Court who Cruz supports. Cruz and his wife promptly left the restaurant. A recording of the incident was soon tweeted by Smash Racism DC, a branch of Antifa based in Washington, D.C., with the hashtag “#CancelKavanugh.” Hours later, Smash Racism DC doubled down on its harassment of the senator. “No — you can’t eat in peace — your politics are an attack on all of us You’re [sic] votes are a death wish. Your votes are hate crimes,” Smash Racism DC wrote. “Tonight Senator Ted Cruz arrived at Fiola, an upscale restaurant mere steps from the White House, to enjoy a hearty Italian dinner. He could have dined on a lavish four course meal for only $145 while millions of Americans struggle to buy groceries. He…

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Debbie Stabenow On Single-Payer Health Care: ‘Let’s Get In Office’ So We Can Pass It

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Obamacare

by Evie Fordham   Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow appeared to show support for a single-payer health care system, in a video that surfaced Sunday. “There’s no way it is going to go anywhere with Republicans in office, so let’s get in office,” the senator responded when an unknown individual asked Stabenow about supporting a single-payer bill. Stabenow’s campaign webpage on health care mentions lowering prescription drug prices, women’s reproductive rights and support for a universal, but not single-payer, health care system. “Sen. Stabenow supports a government takeover of health care that would cost $2 trillion dollars per year and add trillions to the national debt,” Stabenow’s GOP challenger John James said in a statement to The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Stabenow wants to impose a single-payer, government-run system that would hurt Michigan families and stifle economic growth.” James’ campaign website focuses on giving families “choice” when it comes to health care. TheDCNF reached out to Stabenow’s office but did not receive a response at the time of publication. Stabenow has called attention to her health care record throughout her campaign, but the James campaign dinged her for spreading the false claim that “if you like your health plan, you can keep it” during the early days of…

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Report: Tennessee Civil Forfeiture Laws Among the Nation’s Least Protective

Chris Butler

Tennessee has reformed some of its civil forfeiture laws, but more work remains, according to new report from a State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “Tennessee’s civil forfeiture laws remain among the least protective of property owners in the nation,” according to the findings. The 17 members of Tennessee SAC released their report late last week and submitted it to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. “Tennessee’s current civil forfeiture laws impose unnecessary burdens upon innocent property owners who seek the return of their property and provide no right to counsel even where basic needs are at risk,” according to the report. “The Tennessee SAC also found that local law enforcement agencies are permitted to use seized assets for their own use without independent monitoring, creating financial incentives for misuse of the law. The Tennessee SAC further determined that recent abuse of civil forfeiture laws has been well-documented.” Tennessee SAC also reported an absence of comprehensive data concerning where, when, and against whom civil forfeiture is used. That, SAC members went on to write, “limits meaningful oversight of local law enforcement agencies—resulting in a lack of fair and consistent use of civil forfeiture across the state.”…

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Senator Bob Corker Calls New Kavanaugh Accusations ‘Thin;’ Process Feels ‘More Like A Circus’

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Bob Corker

by Henry Rodgers   Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker called the second allegation of sexual misconduct against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh “thin” Tuesday — saying he thinks the process feels “more like a circus.” The comment comes in light of Deborah Ramirez’s accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the mid-1980s, alleging he exposed himself and thrust his penis in her face. “I read the New Yorker article, it was pretty thin. No one else remembered any of it. This is really kind of getting carried away … it’s feeling more like a circus,” Corker told CNN. “But again, I did feel like this first accuser should be heard.” The comments come as Corker has not said he would definitely vote for the confirmation of Kavanaugh, saying Christine Blasey Ford, the first woman who accused Kavanaugh of high school-era sexual assault, should be heard. Corker told The Daily Caller News Foundation on Sept. 18, however, that he believes it will be “quite something” if Ford decides she did not want to testify, saying, “I would assume the committee would then move on, as they should.” Kavanaugh has continued to deny all allegations, saying Monday night on Fox News that he is not going anywhere. “I’m not…

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US Solar Projects Surging After Trump Tariffs

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by Jason Hopkins   Despite apocalyptic warnings from trade experts, the U.S. solar industry has experienced rapid growth since President Donald Trump enacted tariffs on foreign-made solar panels. When Trump fist announced in January that his administration would impose levies on solar panel imports, leaders in the industry predicted doom and gloom. Many critics offered fiery public condemnation of the move. “It boggles my mind that this president — any president, really — would voluntarily choose to damage one of the fastest-growing segments of our economy,” Tony Clifford, chief development officer for Standard Solar, stated at the time. “This decision is misguided and denies the reality that bankrupt foreign companies will be the beneficiaries of an American taxpayer bailout.” Clifford was far from alone in believing tariffs on foreign solar modules would stunt growth. The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA), a major trade group in the country, predicted the Trump tariffs would result in 23,000 project managers, engineers and installers losing their jobs. The SEIA believed one-third of the 260,000 U.S. workers in the solar industry would also be at risk of unemployment in the long term. The tariffs — requested by Suniva and SolarWorld, two American companies hit hard by foreign…

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Commentary: The New York Times Explains Why the Minimum Wage Should Be $0.00

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by John Miltimore     One of the greatest takedowns of the minimum wage you’ll ever find comes from an unlikely place: The New York Times. There are many reasons people and politicians find the minimum wage attractive, of course. But the Times, in an editorial entitled “The Right Minimum Wage: 0.00,” skillfully rebuts each of these reasons in turn. Noting that the federal minimum wage has been frozen for some six years, the Times admits that it’s no wonder that organized labor is pressuring politicians to increase the federal minimum wage to raise the standard of living for poorer working Americans. “No wonder. But still a mistake,” the Times explains. “There’s a virtual consensus among economists that the minimum wage is an idea whose time has passed.” But why has the idea “passed”? Why would raising the minimum wage not help the working poor? “Raising the minimum wage by a substantial amount would price working poor people out of the job market,” the editors explain. But wouldn’t the minimum wage increase the purchasing power of low-income Americans? Wouldn’t a meaningful increase allow a single breadwinner to support a family of three and actually be above the official U.S. poverty line? Ideally, yes. But there are…

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Nashville Council Files Another Bill Targeting the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency

Chris Butler

Nashville Metro At-large Councilman Bob Mendes is taking additional steps to try to rein in the city’s Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency. Last week Mendes had four Tax Increment Financing-related bills up for discussion, according to the Nashville Business Journal. The newest proposed bill would require Metro hire an independent accountant to validate the financial assumptions built into any proposed new MDHA redevelopment district, the website reported. Other bills Mendes backs are already on their second and third readings. As reported, the MDHA has vast powers and gives real estate developers millions of dollars in incentives to build in ritzy areas of town. Many of those details aren’t public record. This process, Tax Increment Financing, is supposed to help blighted areas — but not necessarily a project such as the one at Fifth and Broadway in tourist-heavy downtown Nashville. According to the Nashville Business Journal, one of Mendes’ bills tries to make the incentives process more transparent. That bill, if passed, would accomplish that through a seven-member committee. The other two would divert a portion of money otherwise earmarked for MDHA to Metro Nashville Public Schools. Council members must go through three readings before the bills are actually law, in…

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‘National Heritage Areas’ Use Americans’ Love of History to Excuse Government Land-Grabs

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by Tom DeWeese   I have been pushing hard lately to let people know that, no matter how big and powerful the opposition, the assault from big government forces can be stopped. That’s why I want to tell you about a recent major victory in Louisiana where a wonderful, determined group of residents rose up and stopped the implementation of the Caddo Lake National Heritage Area. By the way, this is the second NHA we’ve stopped. The Crooked Road NHA in Virginia was successfully shut down by us a few years ago. National Heritage Areas are one of the most despicable stealth land grabs in the nation. Here’s why. Americans love history. And we love preserving significant places that played an important role in the making of our unique nation. So when we hear of a new plan in our area presented offering a chance to preserve some of our local heritage we are interested and even supportive. But, in this day of massive government control over so much of our land, our economy, and our basic ability to live free lives, we must be cautious and look at the details of plans, no matter how innocent or well-meaning they…

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Blackburn, Bredesen Trade Barbs in Senate Debate

Jason M. Reynolds
Phil Bredesen, Marsha Blackburn

U.S. Senate candidates Rep. Marsha Blackburn and former Governor Phil Bredesen traded barbs in a debate at Cumberland University Tuesday. U.S. Representative Blackburn (R-TN-07) called Bredesen out on a number of issues at the debate at the university in Lebanon, from allegedly covering up sexual harassment in the state’s executive office to being financially dependent on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The video archive is available here:   The debate was sponsored by NewsChannel 5, The Tennessean, Nashville Public Television, the League of Women Voters and Cumberland University.  NewsChannel 5 anchor Rhori Johnston and David Plazas, opinion engagement editor at The Tennessean, were co-moderators. Blackburn reminded viewers that Bredesen is “bought and paid for” by Schumer, who recruited the former governor to run for the Senate and has financed his campaign. Schumer’s PAC donated $10,000 to Bredesen’s campaign earlier this year, and the Schumer aligned Senate Majority PAC has already booked more than $2 million in ads in Tennessee, The Tennessee Star previously reported. The candidates were asked if they would vote for Judge Brett Kavanaugh for the Supreme Court. Bredesen said what both parties are doing “disgusts me” and repeated previous claims the nomination is a circus. He said he wanted…

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