November 2018 - Page 4 of 8 - Tennessee Star

ACLU Criticized For Suggesting Title IX Proposal Inappropriately Favors The Accused

November 18, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Neetu Chandak The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is receiving push back after suggesting a U.S. Department of Education proposal for Title IX reform “inappropriately” favored the accused, on Twitter Friday. The DOE released a proposal Friday with sweeping changes to Title IX, a federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs receiving government financial assistance. Changes ranged from narrowing the definition of “sexual harassment” to stronger protections for the accused. It promotes an unfair process, inappropriately favoring the accused and letting schools ignore their responsibility under Title IX to respond promptly and fairly to complaints of sexual violence. — ACLU (@ACLU) November 16, 2018 “It promotes an unfair process, inappropriately favoring the accused and letting schools ignore their responsibility under Title IX to respond promptly and fairly to complaints of sexual violence,” the ACLU tweeted Friday. Title IX is a federal statute passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. “Far too many students have been forced to go to court to ensure their rights are protected because the Department has not set out legally binding rules that hold schools accountable for responding to allegations of sexual harassment in a supportive, fair manner,” Secretary of…

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Bedford County Rodeo Under Suspicion Cancels Event

November 18, 2018November 17, 2018 Chris Butler

Officials with a Bedford County arena for Mexican rodeos said they have cancelled a horse racing event this weekend because of a recent Tennessee Star article about them. The article ran Thursday. As reported, a few county commissioners suspect the Rancho La Herradura in Bell Buckle of allowing drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking, among other things. Rancho La Herradura made the announcement, in Spanish, on one of the group’s two Facebook pages. Facebook, however, translated the announcement into English. “They are informed that the event of this Sunday November 18 is cancelled until further notice. for causes of a note published in the tn star newspaper of Bedford County. Who is accused of rancho la herradura lane. that we mexican sell drugs, consume drugs. Weapons and prostitution with minors. And to finish putting more on the subject that makes fights of roosters.. and human trafficking,” the English translation read. “That well everyone knows that the lane rancho la herradura only makes horse racing. That’s why it took the decision to cancel the event for the good and safety of all our race.” Organizers then said they “are working to put a stop to all these people! Well if…

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Registry of Election Finance Fines London Lamar $8,175 For Filing Two Campaign Reports Late

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

New State Rep. London Lamar (D-TN-91) was hit with an $8,175 fine for filing two campaign reports late. Both Lamar and State Rep. Jesse Chism were fined by officials for issues related to their campaign finance disclosures, The Tennessean reported. Voters elected Chism and Lamar in this year’s Nov. 6 midterm election. Chism was fined $5,000 for filing a campaign finance report late. The Registry of Election Finance also levied two more fines, totaling $20,000 against Rep. Joe Towns Jr., D-Memphis, for not filing two reports. The list of delinquent report filers is online here. The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance was created by the General Assembly in 1989 as an independent entity of state government. Lamar earned international attention after The Tennessee Star reported the story of her Facebook video rant calling white Tennessee Republicans racist and uneducated. “Looking here at Tennessee, let’s just call a spade a spade,” Lamar said in the video. “Tennessee is racist, period. Period. And if you for one moment thought that white people in Tennessee were going to leave their own to jump over here and give us more access, they just told you last night it’s not happening,” Lamar said. As The Star reported, Lamar livestreamed her…

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Justin Jones Advisor Reportedly Says TN GOP Are Sinners

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Chris Butler

The advisor for Justin Jones, the Vanderbilt Divinity School student who disrupted last month’s Marsha Blackburn rally, reportedly said Tennessee Republican Party officials acted in sin when they removed him from that venue. Jones’ advisor, Phillis Shepherd, made remarks about her student this week in an interview with The Tennessee Tribune. “When power — whether it’s governmental power, political power or the power that comes with position — is exploited and used to silence people, that really falls in the category of sin,” Shepherd said. Shepherd, on her Twitter page, described herself as an “awakening-womanist scholar activist psychoanalyst poet artist linking spirituality and justice.” Many of The Tennessee Star’s readers asked on our social media pages how it is that Jones, a man who professes to follow God so devoutly, could behave in such an abrasive and disrespectful manner. Authorities charged Jones with criminal trespassing and resisting arrest, as The Star reported. Tennessee GOP officials recognized Jones as an instigator from prior events. They asked Jones to leave the site of the rally, the Ray Stevens’ CabaRay Showroom in Nashville. This was a private event. Jones refused. Law enforcement officials removed him by force, but not without him resisting. Jones’ lawyer, Nick…

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Commentary: Put Family And Country First, Not Party

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Robert Romano A poll by Axios and SurveyMonkey found 61 percent of Democrats believe Republicans are racist, sexist and bigoted, and 31 percent of Republicans think the same thing about Democrats. 54 percent of Democrats find Republicans to be ignorant, 49 percent of Republicans believe the same about Democrats. 44 percent of Democrats find Republicans spiteful, 54 percent of Republicans feel that way about Democrats. 21 percent of Democrats and 23 percent of Republicans find each other to be evil, respectively. Have we lost the civil society? Only tiny percentages found the other party to be fair, kind or thoughtful, ranging from 2 to 4 percent. I personally would have been an exceptional person polled if they had called and asked about Democrats in my life who I found to be thoughtful, honest and caring. Then again, my entire immediate family are Democrats, who I speak to every day. Often politics come up but nobody hates each other at the end of the day. Family first, not party first. It’s something I’m reminded of with Thanksgiving right around he corner when I’ll be traveling up to New York with my family. In a similar vein, many people are…

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Greenpeace Fighting to Stop Drivers From Learning About Carbon Tax Costs

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Jason Hopkins Greenpeace is suing to stop the placement of stickers on gas stations that notify drivers of higher fuel prices due to the implementation of a carbon tax. Ontario Premier Doug Ford — who has embarked on a pro-energy agenda in his province since entering office — will execute a number of measures to fight back against Canada’s nationwide carbon tax. Besides challenging the carbon tax initiative in court, the conservative politician is looking to include lie item breakdowns on gas receipts and heating bills, informing customers of how much the carbon fee is costing them. The Ontario government is also looking to include stickers at gas pumps across the province, informing customers of the fee. “Today, I want to confirm that in Ontario the carbon tax’s days are numbered,” Ford told the media back in June. “In fact, upon the swearing in of my new cabinet, at the top of our agenda the very first item will be to pass an order to cancel the Liberal cap-and-trade carbon tax.” However, Ford’s sticker program is already running into opposition. Greenpeace — an international environmentalistorganization — announced it’s intention to mount a challenge. The group is arguing that the stickers are deceptive because…

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Facebook CEO Details Company Battle with Hate Speech

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Michelle Quinn Facebook says it is getting better at proactively removing hate speech and changing the incentives that result in the most sensational and provocative content becoming the most popular on the site. The company has done so, it says, by ramping up its operations so that computers can review and make quick decisions on large amounts of content with thousands of reviewers making more nuanced decisions. In the future, if a person disagrees with Facebook’s decision, he or she will be able to appeal to an independent review board. Facebook “shouldn’t be making so many important decisions about free expression and safety on our own,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a call with reporters Thursday. But as Zuckerberg detailed what the company has accomplished in recent months to crack down on spam, hate speech and violent content, he also acknowledged that Facebook has far to go. “There are issues you never fix,” he said. “There’s going to be ongoing content issues.” Company’s actions In the call, Zuckerberg addressed a recent story in The New York Times that detailed how the company fought back during some of its biggest controversies over the past two years, such as…

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Dr. Ming Wang: Diversity Good for Tennessee Conservatives and Economy

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Chris Butler

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The organizers for a Nashville-based group stressed at a meeting Thursday there’s strength in diversity, not just in business but also when it comes to conservative politics. The organization, the Tennessee Immigrant and Minority Business Group, held their Winter 2018 Quarterly Forum at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. TIMBG Co-Founder Dr. Ming Wang told The Tennessee Star that Latin-Americans, Asian-Americans, and African-Americans are still majority Democrats — but they could change their minds on that, if persuaded. “Groups like this cannot be ignored, though,” Wang said. “Family values, freedom, and less government matter to these groups of people too.” The point of the organization, Wang said, is to bring together immigrants and minority business groups. And as it pertains to the business world, America is changing and turning more diverse, Wang said. Added together, African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, and Asian-Americans make up 44 percent of the U.S. population. In 10 to 15 years this group will become the majority in the United States, Wang said. “One in every three business owners in Middle Tennessee today are either immigrants or minorities,” Wang said. “They represent the fastest-growing sector of our business community.” John Mickner, the TIMBG’s chief operations officer, said…

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House GOP Urged to Use Lame-Duck Session to Fund Border Wall, Make Good on Other Promises

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Rachel del Guidice Conservative Republicans are calling for a busy lame-duck session of Congress between now and Jan. 3, when Democrats will retake the majority in—and control of—the House. “Republicans still have an opportunity to do what we said,” Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, former chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement provided to The Daily Signal. “We should fund the border security wall, pass a farm bill that requires able-bodied adults to work if they receive welfare, and keep working to hold the FBI and [Justice Department] accountable for their misconduct during and after the 2016 election,” Jordan said. Funding for the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies runs out Dec. 7, and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told The Daily Signal in a phone interview Thursday that he would like to see the Republican Congress do what it can to balance the budget before Democrats take over the House in the 116th Congress after the first of the year. “I would like to see my conference actually pass my resolution to balance the budget,” Biggs said. “We’ve got seven portions of the budget, seven bills you are going to see wrapped into one,” which…

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US Government Reportedly Preparing Charges Against Julian Assange

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Chuck Ross The Department of Justice (DOJ) is preparing charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, The Wall Street Journal is reporting. Prosecutors believe they will be able to try Assange in an American courtroom, sources told TheWSJ. The 47-year-old Australian national is living under asylum in the Ecuadorean embassy in London. The Trump DOJ has considered charging Assange with crimes related to Wikileaks’ disclosures of classified cables stolen by ex-Army Pvt. Chelsea Manning. Assange could also face charges related to the release of emails stolen from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta. Wikileaks published the pilfered documents before the 2016 presidential election. Special counsel Robert Mueller charged 12 Russian intelligence agents with hacking the documents and releasing them through Wikileaks. Assange has refused to disclose his source for the stolen emails, but has denied receiving them from Russians. Assange has lived in the Ecuadorean embassy since 2012, but relations between the two sides have reportedly soured following the election of Lenin Moreno as president of the South American nation. Moreno has referred to Assange as a “hacker” and an “inherited problem.” It is unclear from TheWSJ report whether charges will be prepared for any American nationals.…

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Florida Counties Ditch Recount as Results Favor Republicans

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Molly Prince Two counties in Florida did not submit the results of the election recount in the required time frame, which would have otherwise increased the Republican candidates’ leads over their Democrat challengers. Both Broward and Hillsborough Counties failed to meet Thursday’s deadline to submit the tallies from the machine recounts and instead ended up submitting the unofficial vote count reported on Saturday, according to The Tampa Bay Times. The recount would have ultimately increased the margin for both Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Rep. Ron DeSantis’s races by a couple hundred votes. The reasoning for the untimely tally in Broward County is unknown, however, Hillsborough County purposefully missed the deadline since the recount yielded fewer total votes than those recorded on Election Day. “The fact that the percentages between the candidates remains the same gives us full confidence in our voting process and systems. Even though we achieved 99.84 percent success in our recount effort, we are not willing to accept that votes go unreported,” said Craig Latimer, the Hillsborough County Supervisor. “For that reason, the Canvassing Board has decided that the first unofficial results will stand as our second unofficial.” Broward, on the other hand, missed the…

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Colorado: Uber Driver Arrested for Allegedly Kidnapping and Making Unwanted Advances on Teen Passenger

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Anna Marie Bolton

Ahmed Muse was arrested in Jefferson County last Sunday morning after an incident involving a teenage passenger the night before. The sheriff’s office moved quickly and as of Monday night the 29-year-old Muse was still behind bars facing charges that included second degree kidnapping, false imprisonment, and harassment. On Tuesday, he was assigned a public defender and bond was set at $50,000. According to several news accounts and an interview by Fox affiliate KDVR-TV with the teenager identified as Brianna Allen and her mother Shamara Ludwig, Muse broke Uber’s rules on ride sharing, but that was just the beginning. As stated in the company’s uberPOOL policy, several riders can share a ride, but no matter in what order the passengers entered the vehicle, the one whose destination is closest must be dropped off first. Allen lives only 10 miles from the part-time job she was leaving around 10 p.m. Saturday. The ride that should have taken 15 minutes took an hour and a half as she describes how Muse first drove another passenger to their destination before returning to Allen’s neighborhood where the driver allegedly locked the doors and began forceably kissing Allen. She claims he kissed her on the…

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Commentary: Fight the Denigration of American History

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Admin

by Michael Finch American history is everywhere under attack. The recent skirmishes started with the campaign to remove Confederate statues, but it surely won’t end there. As our betters in America’s universities want us to know, the whole of American history is suspect. In our media, in the popular culture, and in our schools, we’re subject to an unending drumbeat of how America was founded to promote imperialism, colonialism, racism, sexism, and genocide—unimpeachable facts, we’re told, for which all Americans must forever share the burden of collective guilt and shame. For America to atone for her sins, her history must be denounced and then purged. This assault on America’s past is hardly news to the Right; the Left has been waging war against American history for well over a half a century. But given this ongoing and unceasing hostility, the response of so many conservatives to recent events is terribly disturbing. While it is perhaps it is to be expected given our predilection to fight amongst ourselves (e.g., the Trump debate on the Right), it is extremely ill-advised and destructive to the things we still share in common. One thing we should have learned is that the Left never…

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Rep. Jim Cooper Says No to Pelosi as Speaker of the House

November 17, 2018November 17, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) says he will vote against Nancy Pelosi as the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives, The Tennessean said. Cooper, recently elected to a ninth term, is among 17 House Democrats who signed a letter this week vowing they won’t support Pelosi’s bid for speaker. Other Democrats are also plotting to vote against Pelosi, according to reports. Cooper voted against Pelosi in 2011, 2013, twice in 2015 and 2017, each time after Democrats lost the House in 2010. “Now, with one of the largest, most diverse groups of new Democratic members ever elected, is the time to welcome a new generation of leaders to Congress, not just on the back benches, but in leadership,” Cooper said in a statement to The Tennessean. Cooper has previously voted for former Secretary of State Colin Powell as speaker since the leader does not have to come from the House. Despite the calls for a new House Speaker – nearly 60 Democratic candidates in 2018 called for new leadership – it is not likely a new party head will emerge in the chamber, The Tennessee Star recently reported, citing Fred Lucas of The Daily Signal. “I think there is a…

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Tennessee Republican Assembly Calls for TN Legislators to Censure London Lamar

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Chris Butler

Members of the Tennessee Republican Assembly (TNRA) on Thursday called upon state legislators to officially censure newly-elected State Rep. London Lamar (D-Memphis) for saying Tennessee is racist and its Republican voters are uneducated. As reported, Lamar livestreamed those controversial comments on her Facebook page last week. She removed the video a few days later, but only after The Tennessee Star broke the story last weekend. The story has since gone viral worldwide. A censure is a formal reprimand. In a press release, TNRA members said Lamar is guilty of “propagating racial divisiveness unbecoming any elected official.” TNRA President Sharon Ford told The Star she and other board members decided censure is appropriate. “We were all equally incensed that any elected official would portray a group of people in such a racist manner,” Ford said. Lamar did apologize, as reported, but Ford said it was “not effective.” “It was more like ‘Oh, I’m sorry you people got offended,’ Ford said. “People need to understand this has not gone viral in the traditional sense. It is on the British Daily Mail. It went right across the pond. This is not acceptable, and my concern is there won’t be due diligence done on it…

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JC Bowman Commentary: What I Didn’t Say About the Departure of TN Dept. of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 JC Bowman

Tupac Shakur said, “Behind every sweet smile, there is a bitter sadness that no one can ever see and feel.” I spent time with Commissioner McQueen as more than a casual observer. Her heart and passion were always for the children and teachers in Tennessee. She fought battles which nobody knew about and which, despite the lofty title in front of her name, she had little control.

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Avenatti Arrested in LA on Domestic Violence Charge, Denies Allegations

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

Michael Avenatti, who skyrocketed to fame as a critic of President Donald Trump and the lawyer for porn actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested Wednesday and booked on a felony domestic violence charge, Los Angeles police said. The victim in the case had visible injuries, according to Officer TonyIm, a police spokesman. But Avenatti slammed the allegation as “completely bogus” in a statement released by his law firm. Avenatti, who has said he’s mulling a 2020 presidential run, was being held on $50,000 bail. He was arrested about 2 p.m. on the same block where he lives in a skyscraper apartment. Police declined to provide details about the victim, including the victim’s relationship to Avenatti. “I wish to thank the hard working men and woman of the LAPD for their professionalism, they were only doing their jobs in light of the completely bogus allegations against me,” Avenatti said in a statement released through his law firm. “I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated.” Avenatti became famous as Daniels’ lawyer and pursued…

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Diane Black, Jim Tracy Rumored to Want Jobs With Bill Lee’s Administration

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Governor-elect Bill Lee may have a couple of high-profile applicants for his upcoming administration. U.S. Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-07) and former State Sen. Jim Tracy (R-TN-14) are seeking jobs with Lee, The Tennessean reported. The newspaper cited “three people familiar with the efforts of Black and Tracy.” Some may find it ironic that Black, of Gallatin, wants to work for Lee as she ran against him in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Black called Lee a “moderate.” (She said the same of fellow competitor Randy Boyd.) Her ad said, “Bill Lee’s a moderate too. He pushed for a liberal Nashville Mayor who tried to make Nashville a sanctuary city.” Another ad said, “Bill Lee is the kind of Republican who helps Democrats get elected,” noting Lee’s previous campaign contributions to former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, The Tennessean said. The Lee Company sent a cease-and-desist letter to the gubernatorial campaign of Black in July, calling for the removal of information alleging the company wrongfully fired a veteran who once worked there, The Tennessee Star reported, citing a story in The Tennessee Journal’s On the Hill. Lee spokeswoman Laine Arnold said, the administration has received nearly 1,700 submissions for ideas and nearly 600 resumes. …

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Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member, Roy Clark Dies at 85

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Bethany Bowman

Roy Clark, the legendary ‘superpicker’, Grammy, CMA and ACM award winner, Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry member and co-host of the famed ‘Hee Haw’ television series, died today at the age of 85 due to complications from pneumonia at home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Tennessee Star Report-Knoxville Edition: According to CNN, ‘Everyone Get’s a Pass’ as MSM Bands Together Claiming First Amendment Rights to White House Press Corp

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Julie Carr

On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report: Knoxville Edition – broadcast on WETR 92.3 FM in Knoxville – Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill talked about Megyn Kelly’s inability to create a base and keep it, CNN’s lawsuit against the White House, and how the usual ‘liberal’ suspects are joining the MSM band wagon in support of CNN’s ‘friend of the court brief’ claiming it’s a First Amendment right. A couple of quick items for you. The Today Show has apparently seen a ratings increase after they fired Megyn Kelly. That’s right, ratings for the 9am hour of the Today Show increased after they let Megyn Kelly go. Now this was after they let her go because she had apologized for comments where she was accused of defending ‘black face’ for purposes of Halloween costumes. The problem that Megyn Kelly has had, and she’s beautiful, she’s bright, she’s articulate, she’s an excellent news caster it’s just she doesn’t understand how to create a base and keep it. I mean when she was at Fox, she seemed to go out of her way to make it clear that she wasn’t a Conservative. And then when she went to NBC she couldn’t overcome the fact that…

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Commentary: Trump Leads the Way on Conservative Criminal Justice Reform

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

by John G. Malcom This past May, the Trump administration’s leadership on meaningful, conservative criminal justice reform helped the House to pass the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person (or First Step) Act by a vote of 360 to 59. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced his support for the Senate’s amended version of the First Step Act, including some modest yet much-needed sentencing reforms. Now is the time for the full Senate to debate whether it will approve this bill, return it to the House for a vote, and send it on to the president—who said he “will be waiting with a pen” for Congress to get this done, because “it is the right thing to do.” Conservative states have led the way on similar criminal justice reforms, adopting changes that successfully increase public safety, reduce prison spending, strengthen families and communities, and offer more Americans a second chance to lead a safe and prosperous life. Federal prisons, like any other function of the federal government, should also be judged by outcomes, not intentions—by data, not rhetoric. [ RELATED: Why It’s Not ‘Soft On Crime’ to Support Criminal Justice Reform ] Since 1980, the federal prison population…

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Caravan Migrants Scale Border Fence Near San Diego

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

by Will Racke As the initial wave of Central American migrants traveling in a caravan streamed into Tijuana on Tuesday, many of them broke from the group and scaled the border fence just south of San Diego’s International Friendship Park. Video taken by the San Diego Union-Tribune shows dozens of migrants climbing to the top of the barrier, where they waved and whistled at Border Patrol agents standing guard a few hundred feet away. In a statement released Tuesday, the Border Patrol said it believes some of the people who climbed onto the fences are from the caravan of about 4,000 migrants that has been making its way north through Mexico for the past several weeks, FOX5 San Diego reported. Tuesday’s scene near Friendship Park was reminiscent of what happened when a similar caravan of migrants arrived in Tijuana in April. In that instance, caravan migrants scrambled to the top of the border fence and waved the national flag of Honduras, the country many had fled just weeks before. The latest caravan has been the impetus for the Trump administration’s multi-pronged crackdown on illegal immigration in recent weeks. Characterizing the group as a potential “invasion” of U.S. territory, President…

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Commentary: The Democrats’ Goal is Election Chaos

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

Conservative observers of the post-Election Day chaos in Florida, Georgia, and elsewhere must understand that the mess is not due to incompetence. It is part of a larger, long term plan that has been executed by Democrats to move as many elections as possible into what our friend election lawyer J. Christian Adams calls “the margin of litigation.” Once inside the margin of litigation, election laws and the rules and deadlines, with which honest Republican candidates complied pre-election, are thrown out the window by activist Leftist judges and highly partisan Democrat supervisors of elections to the advantage of Democratic candidates and committees who knew in advance that ballots that were illegal on their face would have a good chance of being counted. Thus, we see in Georgia that a judge ordered three heavily Democratic precincts to stay open late, introducing thousands of provisional ballots into the election. Richard Barron, Fulton County, Georgia’s director of registration and elections, said the issue at Booker T. Washington and Archer Hall precincts was college students. Many were registered to vote elsewhere but insisted on filling out provisional ballots where they were. Barron said there were so many people filling out provisional ballots at…

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Bernie Sanders: Trump is a Racist, Sexist, Bigot

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

by Molly Prince Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders heated up his rhetoric against President Donald Trump on Wednesday while speaking at the National Action Network’s annual legislative and policy conference in Washington, D.C. “We must be honest and straightforward and say that we have a president who is a racist, a president who is a sexist, a president who is a homophobe, a president who is a xenophobe and a president who is a religious bigot,” Sanders told the crowd, according to The Hill. The Vermont senator’s comments drew a round of applause. “It gives me no joy to tell you that,” Sanders continued. “But that is the simple truth and we’ve got to confront that truth.” The National Action Network is a nonprofit organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton. The group refers to itself as a “civil rights organization” and has been credited with drawing national attention to issues such as police brutality and racial profiling. “I don’t have to tell anybody in this room, least of all in this room, the history of discrimination that this country has experienced going way, way back before slavery,” said the progressive senator. “When the settlers came and did terrible things to the…

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Trump Ally McCarthy to Lead House Republicans

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy easily won an internal party election Wednesday to take over the shrunken House GOP caucus, handing the seven-term Californian a familiar role of building the party back to a majority as well as protecting President Donald Trump’s agenda. With current speaker Paul Ryan retiring and the House majority gone, the race for minority leader was McCarthy’s to lose. But rarely has a leader of a party that suffered a major defeat — Democrats wiped out Republicans in GOP-held suburban districts from New York to McCarthy’s own backyard — been so handily rewarded. After pushing past a longshot challenge from Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the co-founder of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, McCarthy will be tested by Republicans on and off Capitol Hill who remain angry and divided after their midterm losses and split over how best to move forward. “We’ll be back,” McCarthy promised, claiming a unified front for the Republican leadership team. He won by 159-43 among House Republicans. McCarthy, who has been majority leader under Ryan, acknowledged Republicans “took a beating” in the suburbs in last week’s national elections, especially as the ranks of GOP female lawmakers plummeted from 23 to 13. The GOP…

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UN Committee Wants to Make Abortion and Assisted Suicide a Universal Human Right

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Admin

by Grace Carr The United Nations Human Rights Committee drafted a memo saying that abortion and physician-assisted suicide should be universal human rights. The memo, or “general comment” on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, calls for abortion to be decriminalized everywhere. Nations and states should “not introduce new barriers and should remove existing barriers to abortion … including barriers caused as a result of the exercise of conscientious objection by individual medical providers,” it said, Crux Now reported Thursday. The committee that put forward the draft is headed by former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, according to Crux. Aborting an unborn baby was illegal in Chile until August 2017 when the nation’s lawmakers ruled to decriminalize abortion in the cases of rape, fatal fetal abnormalities and when the mother’s life is in danger. [ RELATED: 40,000 Chileans Take To The Streets To Demand Expansion Of Abortion Access ] Young people should have access to contraception as well as guaranteed access to post-abortion health care “in all circumstances, and on a confidential basis,” the draft also said, Crux reported. Stigma against abortion should also be discouraged, the draft noted. The U.N. Human Rights Committee successfully ordered the Irish government to pay Siobhan Whelan…

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Education Commissioner McQueen Taking Job With National Teaching Institute

November 16, 2018November 16, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee Education Commissioner Dr. Candice McQueen will leave her post in January for the top position at a national nonprofit that addresses teaching, The Tennessean said. McQueen’s departure to become CEO of the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching, focused on aiding in training, attracting and supporting teachers, means she will not stay on with Gov.-elect Bill Lee. McQueen became Tennessee’s education commissioner in January 2015 after leading Lipscomb University’s College of Education. She replaced Kevin Huffman, who served for four years under Gov. Bill Haslam. In a Department of Education blog post, McQueen pointed to some of hers and the department’s accomplishments: This year, our students again set record highs: new high ACT score (20.2) coupled with a new high participation rate (97%); more students took AP exams and more students earned a 3 or higher – giving them credit for college; and high school graduates maintained our record graduation rate (89.1%). For the first time in years, we saw growth in students’ literacy skills in the early grades – pointing to some initial successes with our Read to be Ready work – and again students enrolled in our Read to be Ready summer camps showed statistically significant growth.” She also…

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Bob Corker Cracks Open Door to 2020 Primary Challenge of President Trump

November 15, 2018November 18, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

Bob Corker

Retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said that he has not ruled out running against President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential primary in 2020. Breitbart reported the story on Wednesday. When asked by reporters Tuesday if he plans to run for president in 2020, Corker said, “I have not ruled it out.” Reporters said that their colleagues often ask Corker this question, to which he usually gives a vague answer. 2020 WATCH: Will Sen. Bob Corker run for President??? “I haven’t ruled it out.” — Natalie Andrews (@natalieandrews) November 13, 2018 https://twitter.com/byrdinator/status/1062478823785185281 This is not the first time people have speculated on Corker running against Trump. In October 2017, News Channel 9 in his hometown of Chattanooga asked voters for their thoughts. Chattanooga Tea Party leader Mark West said at the time he wouldn’t be surprised if Corker runs but hopes he doesn’t. Corker announced his retirement in September 2017 amidst increasing unpopularity in Tennessee, which arose from his frequent criticism of the president and his America First agenda. He received criticism for praising Democrat and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen during the U.S. Senate election to replace him, in which he admitted that he has closer ties to Bredesen…

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Commentary: Some People Need to See Socialism to Believe It Is Bad

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

by Natalia Castro Seeing is believing. People around the country were baffled when exit polls showed Robert or Beto O’Rourke won more votes from native Texans than incumbent Senator Ted Cruz in the midterm elections. But this should not be a surprise, it should be a lesson — some people need to experience socialism to understand its disastrous effects. Exit polls found that 57 percent of people who moved to Texas (also known as transplants) voted for Cruz while 51 percent of those born in Texas voted for O’Rourke. While many Texas conservatives blamed the liberalization of the state on transplants from California and New York moving to the area for lower property values, it seems the opposite is taking place. These people are not bringing their liberal ideas, but running away from them. Chuck DeVore of the Washington Examiner explains: “The lack of economic freedom in California compared to Texas is likely why, according to census, from 2012 to 2016, a net of 521,052 Californians left the state. Texas was their most popular destination, with a net of 114,413 Californians moving 1,300 miles east to the Lone Star State. In the five years through 2016, some 542,432 more…

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Despite Security Concerns, DHS Official Says No Signs of Successful Election Cybersecurity Attacks

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

by Gavin Hanson An official from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reportedly said the department had not picked up on any indications of successful election cyberattacks as of early Wednesday morning. The 2018 midterm election came and passed without any official observations of hacking, according to the DHS, The Hill reported. This, however, doesn’t rule out that such a cyberattack could still be discovered or happen at a later time. “We’ve not seen, or we’re not aware, of any successful cybersecurity-related compromises of election infrastructure,” a DHS official told journalists during a press call. “At this time we have no indication of compromise to our nation’s election infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts, or distrust the ability to tally votes,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen said during a Tuesday press conference. The day before the election, the FBI released a joint statement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the DHS about the security of the midterms. The statement also said that although foreign states continue to push propaganda and division on social media, there is “no indication of compromise” to the election itself. ” … Americans should be aware that foreign actors —…

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As Federal Prosecutor Acting AG Whitaker Went After Both Democrats and Republicans

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

by Fred Lucas Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker went after Democratic and Republican politicians alike while serving as a federal prosecutor and as the head of an ethics watchdog group. Now at the center of a political firestorm in Washington, Whitaker returns Wednesday to Iowa—the state where he made his name in both politics and sports. Whitaker will deliver the opening remarks Wednesday at the Rural and Tribal Elder Justice Summit in Des Moines. The conference will focus on fighting and preventing elder abuse in rural and tribal communities. But on Tuesday, the state of Maryland sued in federal court, claiming Whitaker’s appointment as acting attorney general was illegal because he was not confirmed for the office by the Senate. He was elevated to the post last week after President Donald Trump fired Attorney General Jeff Sessions, for whom Whitaker had served as chief of staff. As a U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Iowa from 2004 to 2009, Whitaker prosecuted some 2,500 criminal cases, including against H-1B visa fraud, government contractors defrauding taxpayers, and drug dealers. Whitaker first made a name for himself in Iowa years before, playing college football for the University of Iowa and competing in…

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US Justice Department Defends Appointment of Acting AG

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday defended the legality of President Donald Trump’s appointment of Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general, which bypassed the usual line of succession at the agency. In a 20-page internal legal opinion, the agency’s Office of Legal Counsel said Trump could “depart from the succession order” and name Whitaker instead of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, then the second in command at Justice when the president last week ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The 49-year-old Whitaker had been serving as Sessions’ chief of staff. Whitaker’s appointment has proved controversial because he, unlike Sessions, is now overseeing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign’s links to Russia and whether Trump, as president, obstructed justice by trying to thwart the probe. Before becoming the country’s top law enforcement official, Whitaker disparaged the Mueller investigation and suggested that a replacement attorney general, such as he is now, could derail the probe by cutting off funding to it so that it “grinds almost to a halt.” Democratic opponents of Trump, and some Republicans, have expressed fears that Whitaker will try to undermine Mueller’s probe or even fire him before his investigation is completed. Sessions had removed…

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Jim Jordan Lobbies Lame Duck Congress to Fund Trump’s Border Wall

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

by Nick Givas Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said the GOP has failed to keep its campaign promises and told Congress to fund President Donald Trump’s border wall on Fox & Friends Wednesday. “What was the single biggest promise we made the American people in 2016 that we have not got done yet? Building the border security wall and securing the border,” Jordan said. “We should be focused on that one main thing over the next several weeks as we still have a few weeks left while Republicans control all of government. We should focus on the biggest promise we made them and what they sent us here to do. Plain and simple.” “Why did we lose in the fist place? I mean two years ago the American people elected President Trump to come to this town to shake it up and he has done just that. But I don’t think they’ve seen this same intensity from House Republicans,” he added. Jordan said Republicans would have won more midterm races and could have retained the House if they had stuck to the agenda that propelled Trump to the White House. “Did we replace Obamacare? Did we reform welfare?…

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Commentary: Arizona Illustrates the RINO Revenge

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

by Henry Olsen Arizona’s Senate race was perhaps the most surprising, and disturbing, midterm result for Republicans and Trump fans. Many struggle to understand how Barry Goldwater’s home state will send a former pink tutu-wearing antiwar activist to Washington. The answer is instructive regarding what Trump Republicanism must do to build a majority. The biggest reason Martha McSally lost is the same reason Republicans lost control of the House: RINOs. Across the nation, moderate college-educated independents who had frequently backed Republicans in prior elections switched sides. We can see this trend both in the Arizona exit polls and the results reported to date. Support for Republicans has collapsed since 2012 among college-educated Arizonans when Mitt Romney cruised to a 54-44 win over Barack Obama, crushing him by a 63-36 percent margin among college graduates. This year, while Republican Governor Doug Ducey even more easily won victory by a 56-42 margin, he barely carried college grads with only a 51-46 margin. McSally ran against a much tougher opponent in Kyrsten Sinema and ended up losing college grads by a 52-47 margin. Since college grads cast nearly one-quarter of the state’s votes, that 10-point swing added nearly 2.5 percent to Sinema’s…

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US Hardens Border at Tijuana to Prepare for Migrant Caravan

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Admin

The U.S. government said it was starting work on Tuesday to “harden” the border crossing from Tijuana, Mexico, to prepare for the arrival of a migrant caravan leapfrogging its way across western Mexico. Customs and Border Protection announced it was closing four lanes at the busy San Ysidro and Otay Mesa ports of entry in San Diego, California. It said the closures were needed “to install and pre-position port hardening infrastructure equipment in preparation for the migrant caravan and the potential safety and security risk that it could cause.” That still leaves a substantial path for the tens of thousands of people who cross daily: Twenty-three lanes remain open at San Ysidro and 12 at Otay Mesa. The caravans became a campaign issue in U.S. midterm elections and U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of over 5,000 military troops to the border to help fend off the migrants. Trump has insinuated without proof that there are criminals or even terrorists in the group. To the thousands of Central American migrants making their way toward Mexico’s Pacific coast state of Nayarit, the prospect of meeting a hostile reception at the border is nothing new. After a month on…

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Audit: Jackson School Official Stole Nearly $16,000

November 15, 2018November 15, 2018 Chris Butler

The former bookkeeper at West Bemis Middle School in Jackson stole at least $15,908 from the school last year, according to an audit the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office released this week. That woman, Judy Hale, failed to deposit cash from candy, T-shirt, cookie dough, and discount card fundraisers, Comptrollers said. Instead, Hale kept the money for her personal benefit, the report said. The Tennessee Star was unable to reach Hale for comment Wednesday. She appeared to have no social media accounts. No one at a phone number listed for a Judy Hale out of Jackson answered our phone calls. “Investigators were unable to account for an additional $6,475 that was collected from fundraising activities but not deposited. Hale did not prepare and keep detailed records of these collections, and investigators were not able to definitively determine who was responsible for this shortfall,” according to the audit. “Additionally, Hale used a school credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases including pet supplies, fuel, tires, hair dye, and grocery items. She also improperly utilized the school’s tax-exempt status to avoid sales taxes on purchases. She failed to pay the balance of the card on time, which resulted in a large unpaid balance, interest,…

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Former State Representative Charles Sargent Has Died

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Chris Butler

Former Tennessee State Rep. Charles Sargent (R-Franklin) has passed away, according to the office of State Rep. Brandon Ogles, the Republican who replaced him. Diane Giddens, spokeswoman for Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, also confirmed Sargent’s death Tuesday. As The Tennessee Star reported last fall, Sargent announced he would not seek re-election in 2018, after two decades of service. According to The Tennessean, Sargent announced last year he had skin cancer. Tributes begin pouring in as soon as word spread about Sargent’s passing. In an emailed statement, Republican U.S. Senator-elect Marsha Blackburn said Sargent and his wife Nancy were “such faithful public servants, committed to the growth and development of Williamson County and creating a stellar quality of life for those who, like them, chose to make it their home,” Blackburn said. “We worked together for decades through political endeavors to achieve this goal. His positive impact on our county and state will be felt for decades to come. I will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with Nancy, their family and his friends.” Meanwhile, on his Facebook page, State Rep. Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said Sargent “ had a brilliant mind.” “The state of TN will miss him,” Faison…

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Tennessee Star Report Exclusive: Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Writer, Director and Producer Talks Christian Movies and Today’s Politics

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Julie Carr

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked with Actor, Director, Producer, Kevin Sorbo about his new movie, crybaby leftists, and being a Christian in Hollywood. Gill: Kevin Sorbo is a actor, an activist, a father, a husband and is one of those whose helped lead the resurgence of the quality of Christian films in this country that you’re seeing do better at the box office and as everything in Hollywood, if somebody does a movie about a you know, a particular topic and it does well then you’re going to get twenty movies on that same topic. You’re starting to see more of the Christian movies, you’re also seeing more of the quote “quasi Christian movies” as Hollywood not wanting to go all in with a true Christian message but wanting to get those Christian dollars at the box office. And Kevin Sorbo with a whole host of these great movies. They knocked him off in that first, in the series about the atheist professor challenging the student, “Let There Be Light” his…

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Amazon’s $100 Million-Plus Tennessee Tax Incentives Deal ‘Unfair and Immoral,’ Beacon Center Says

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Jason M. Reynolds

The State of Tennessee’s and Metro Nashville’s $102 million taxpayer gift to Amazon is not a Prime deal, a public watchdog organization says. Amazon turned down Nashville for its coveted two new headquarters sites, called HQ2, but Nashville landed a $230 million operations center near downtown in the future Nashville Yards. For more on Amazon’s Nashville announcement, see this story in The Tennessee Star. Mark Cunningham, vice president of communications and outreach at the Beacon Center of Tennessee, criticized the deal. The center is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to providing empirical research and free market solutions for Tennesseans. Cunningham said, “Nashville was passed over for Amazon’s second (and third) headquarters, yet city and state officials still got scammed into giving the company more than $100 million in taxpayer giveaways for a consolation prize, which includes $80 million in cash handouts. Amazon, one of the world’s most valuable companies, and the government played taxpayers with this incentive deal, and it is time for us to speak up against this type of corporate welfare. While we welcome new businesses and the jobs they create to our state, forcing middle-class Tennesseans and small businesses to give their hard-earned dollars to a multi-billion dollar business is both unfair and immoral.” Rick Manning,…

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Audit: Perry County Rescue Squad May Have Misspent $60,000

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Chris Butler

The director of the Perry County Rescue Squad may have received more than $60,000 in pay to which he wasn’t entitled, according to a new audit from the Tennessee Comptrollers’ Office. According to the audit, the director, whose named Comptrollers did not mention, got a lot more than his regular 40 hour per week salary. No one at the Perry County Mayor’s Office respond to The Tennessee Star’s repeated requests for comment. Comptrollers, however, had plenty to say in their report. “Although the Perry County Commission authorized the director to collect payment for any hours over 40 that he worked, records were insufficient to determine if he worked all of the hours he reported, and the director’s hours were not reviewed or approved by the county mayor prior to payment,” according to the audit. The director collected this extra money between 2015 and 2017. During this time, he said he worked on average an additional 53.2 hours per week for total payments of $30,475.75, the audit said. The 40-hours per week for his salaried position and the average of 53.2 hours per week of additional time, auditors wrote, equaled more than two full-time jobs — or 93.2 hours. “Investigators were…

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Commentary: The Art of the Veto

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

by Robert Romano By last count, Republicans lost at least 32 seats in the House in the midterm elections, and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is once again poised to be elected House Speaker. This means all legislation will now have to be worked out between a Democratic House and a Republican Senate led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). To navigate these new waters in 2019, President Donald Trump has signaled a willingness to negotiate but he must remember that his greatest leverage could come in the House minority if he wishes to plot a more conservative path. Certainly there will be last-minute attempts in the lame duck session to get things done with Republican majorities, which may or may not work. Time is not a luxury. Democrats will believe they can get a better deal in January and will block legislation in the Senate. It’s up to Trump to convince them otherwise. Looking forward, then, with at least 199 members in the House, Trump and the GOP should have enough votes to sustain any presidential vetoes if they play their cards right. All Trump needs are 145 members who are willing to stand with the President.…

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Commentary: Antifa Mobs Show How Idealism Can Lead to Evil

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

by Barry Brownstein History is clear: When the ordinary restraints of civil society no longer apply, there is no forecasting who will be caught in the resulting web of hatred. The mob broke Carlson’s front door. A video captured one protester saying she wished she had a pipe bomb. Most consider Carlson a mainstream conservative commentator, but Antifa mobs see no room for any views other than their own. Although police arrived, they made no arrests while promising an investigation. “Tactically unwise” were the words Matthew Yglesias used to describe the protest. Yglesias, the co-founder of Vox, added, “I honestly cannot empathize with Tucker Carlson’s wife at all…I am utterly unable to identify with her plight on any level.” In other words, if you don’t agree with Yglesias, you get what you deserve when a vigilante mob arrives. https://youtu.be/TUCOh6kwAuY CNN Host Justifies Mob Violence This past summer, CNN anchor Chris Cuomo provided a moral justification for mobs like the one outside Carlson’s home. “People who show up to fight against bigots are not to be judged the same as the bigots, even if they do resort to the same petty violence,” Cuomo said. He argued: “When someone comes to…

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Avenatti May Sue Tucker Carlson for Defending His Own Daughter

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

by Jessica Kramer “Creepy Porn Lawyer” Michael Avenatti is representing a person trying to sue Fox News Anchor Tucker Carlson over a restaurant incident a month ago when Carlson’s daughter was allegedly harassed by Aventatti’s client Juan Granados. Carlson claims his daughter was called a “whore” and a “c*nt” by Avenatti’s client, who is a gay Latino and a LGBTQ activist. Avenatti is claiming Carlson attacked the man and told him to “go back where he came from.” The country club has revoked Granados’s membership. DCNF reporters comment on whether or not Carlson’s reaction and defense of his daughter was justified. [ RELATED: MAGA Hats Vs. Swastikas: Which Is Worse? We Asked And They Compared Trump To Hitler ] – – – Jessica Kramer is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Jessica on Twitter Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].

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Incoming House Members Prep for Dos and Don’ts on The Hill

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

Don’t hire someone you can’t fire, like the son of a campaign donor or the child of the mayor. No matter what you may have said during the campaign about changing Congress, hire enough Hill veterans to make the office run smoothly. And make sure the person answering the phone sounds like folks from back home. That’s only some of the advice headed for the historic class of House freshmen of both major political parties streaming into Washington this week for orientation on the nuts and bolts underpinning a job like none other. Under tight security, new members and their staffs pulled up in front of a hotel near the Capitol on Tuesday. A bank of cameras and a table marked ‘luggage drop-off” awaited their arrivals in the morning chill. “I’m just trying to figure out what’s going on,” said Rep.-elect Tim Burchett, Republican-Tennessee, a former member of the state legislature. “I figure that we’re the small fish in a very big pond right now.” They are a younger generation of lawmakers — including a record number of women — arriving flush with victory and optimism. The Democrats are ready to take on President Donald Trump in the biggest…

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Another Justice Resigns From Scandal-Plagued West Virginia Supreme Court

November 14, 2018November 14, 2018 Admin

West Virginia Supreme Court

by Kevin Daley Justice Allen Loughry announced the resignation of his seat on the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals this weekend, after a jury found him guilty of 11 corruption counts on Oct. 12. Loughry is the third justice to leave the high court in disgrace since July. “I hereby resign my position as a Justice on the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia at the close of business on November 12, 2018,” Loughry’s terse letter to GOP Gov. Jim Justice reads. The governor will appoint a new justice to Loughry’s seat, who will serve until May 2020, according to Charleston Gazette-Mail. A grand jury indicted Loughry for mail fraud, wire fraud, lying to investigators and witness tampering on June 18. According to the wide-ranging allegations, the justice used state resources for personal purposes, profiteered off the public purse, removed antique furniture from state offices to his home, lied to federal investigators, and attempted to influence the testimony of other witnesses. He was suspended from the high court shortly thereafter, though he still officially retained his status as a state Supreme Court justice. After Loughry’s indictment, Justice Menis Ketchum resigned on July 27. He has since pleaded guilty in federal…

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