Commentary: What Happened in North Carolina is Voter Fraud

by Jason Snead   More than a month after the November election, the details of an apparent voter fraud scandal orchestrated by a North Carolina Republican operative are still coming to light. A coordinated absentee ballot harvesting ring may have gathered, tampered with, or destroyed hundreds of ballots. The outcome of the House race in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District hangs in the balance, and the state elections board may order a new election. Voters across the country are watching, rightly alarmed at the apparent ease with which some of their fellow citizens were effectively disenfranchised. Amazingly, in the middle of all this, some on the left are more focused on what to call the fraud in the 9th District than on how to stop it from happening in the future. Over the last few days, outlets like Vox, ThinkProgress, and CNN have all published articles telling readers that it is important not to call the North Carolina scandal “voter fraud.” [The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more >>] No, they say, it must be called “election fraud.” These articles imagine, as Vox puts…

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Paul Ryan Encouraged GOP Congressmen to Campaign Against Trump

by Molly Prince   Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas revealed Wednesday that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan advised GOP House members to run on a platform against President Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential election. “Just a few weeks before the election, we were told by Paul, by our elected leaders that, gee, the only way we can keep the House majority is just all of us start running against the president,” Gohmert told guest host Derek Hunter during an interview on WMAL. “Fortunately, we had enough people one after another on the call that pushed back so hard they backed off of that.” Gohmert explained that Trump is still getting used to the dichotomy between the public and private sector, especially when it comes to handling members who claim to support him politically, yet refuse to further his agenda. “He wants to work with people over here on the Hill, and he’s just not used to, in the private sector, having people that are reputedly on his side conspiring to keep him from getting what he promised,” said Gohmert. “And that’s what we’ve seen.” “In the private sector, Trump knew if somebody that was on his side undermined him, there’d…

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‘Climate Alarmism,’ ‘Propaganda’ Fill US Agency Websites, Report Finds

by Tim Pearce   Multiple federal agencies are pushing agenda-driven climate science on their websites, according to The Heartland Institute. The Trump administration has taken a public stance supporting fossil fuels and questioning the scientific “consensus” of climate change research. Parts of federal websites should be overhauled or taken down completely to conform to the administration’s stance on climate change and fossil fuel energy production, Heartland says. Trump administration agencies continue to push “climate alarmism” and publish “propaganda” on their websites despite President Donald Trump’s position on climate change and the use of fossil fuels, according to The Heartland Institute. Heartland researchers audited the websites of federal agencies for information that seemed to contradict the public stance of President Donald Trump and his administration’s agenda to expand American energy production, including fossil fuel production. Heartland researchers found numerous examples of federal agencies pushing an anti-fossil fuel narrative, according to sections of a draft report obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Federal executive branch websites are littered with political propaganda instead of objective science,” Heartland senior environment and energy policy fellow James Taylor said in a statement to TheDCNF. “To the extent scientific issues are discussed, they are presented in a…

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AG Nominee Lambasted Mueller Tactics in Private Memo to Rosenstein

by Kevin Daley   Attorney General nominee William Barr sent a memo to the Department of Justice criticizing special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation, particularly those aspects of the probe relating to obstruction of justice in June. The unsolicited document, whose existence was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, argues President Donald Trump’s dismissal of former FBI Director James Comey does not rise to obstruction of justice, since the president was carrying out his constitutional responsibilities. “As I understand it, [Mueller’s] theory is premised on a novel and legally insupportable reading of the law,” Barr wrote. “Moreover, in my view, if credited by the Justice Department, it would have grave consequences far beyond the immediate confines of this case and would do lasting damage to the presidency and to the administration of law within the executive branch.” Barr conceded a sitting president could obstruct justice by destroying evidence or tampering with witnesses, according to the Journal. Still, he insisted that the president cannot commit obstruction of justice when exercising his lawful powers. Elsewhere in the memo, he warned that moving against Trump based on an inventive theory of criminal liability would inflame much of the country and compromise faith in…

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Minnesota DHS Provided Medicaid Benefits to Out-of-State and Incarcerated Individuals, Report Finds

A new report issued last week by the Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor found that the Department of Human Services (DHS) provided Medical Assistance (MA), or Medicaid, benefits to ineligible residents. While the report concluded that the DHS “generally complied” with eligibility requirements, there were numerous instances in which enrollees failed to report “changes in circumstances” that “likely would have affected their eligibility.” For instance, the audit found that “24 enrollees did not timely notify their county agency that they had permanently moved out of state and that MA coverage should have been terminated.” Additionally, DHS failed to “identify” that one enrollee was “later incarcerated,” and paid $6,308 in “medical payments to a managed care organization while this enrollee was incarcerated.” The state of Minnesota paid nearly $1.8 billion for health insurance coverage for an estimated 297,000 enrollees in 2017, but last week’s audit found that 15 percent of recipients were ineligible because they exceeded income limits. “For 15 of 100 sample cases (15 percent), the enrollee’s actual income for calendar year 2017 exceeded their income reported to the county agency and the household income limit set in federal law. Thus, these individuals would not have met income eligibility…

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Ohio Federal Judge Clears Way for Massive Opioid Lawsuit

A massive lawsuit by 1,500 counties, cities, townships, and other communities nationwide, against the opioid industry has been permitted to move forward by a federal judge in Ohio. Over the past two years, local and state governments in Mississippi, Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Nevada, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, North Dakota, Tennessee, Illinois, New York, Washington, and California have all filed separate suits against the various manufacturers, distributors, and sellers comprising the opioid industry. These local governments allege that the “defendants have contributed to the addiction of millions of Americans to these prescription opioids and to the foreseeable result that many of those addicted would turn to street drugs.” In the past year, the majority of these cases were folded into one giant multidistrict litigation that has been consolidated in the Ohio federal courts. The defendants in this case include the three largest drug wholesalers in America: AmerisourceBergen, McKesson, and Cardinal Health. These three entities are commonly referred to as the “Big Three,” accounting for “about 85 percent to 90 percent of all revenues from drug distribution in the United States.” United States District Judge Dan A. Polster of the Northern District of Ohio rejected Wednesday a Motion to Dismiss by the…

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North Carolina Becomes 35th State to Enact Voter ID Law as Legislature Overrides Democrat Governor’s Veto

On Wednesday, the North Carolina Republican House followed the Senate in sending a major rebuke to Democrat Governor Roy Cooper by making voter photo identification law. In November voters of the state approved a constitutional amendment requiring identification to vote beginning next year. By vetoing the Republican bill, the Democrat governor was attempting to stall debate on the matter until next year when Republicans will no longer hold a veto-proof majority and the bill would likely be watered down. Republicans blasted the governor for his comments about the bill when he said the “fundamental flaw in the bill is its sinister and cynical origins” suggesting that a bill requiring voters to identify themselves in order to vote “was designed to suppress the rights of minority, poor and elderly voters.” Rep. David Lewis, R-Harnett, chairman of the House Committee on Elections and Ethics Law, said before the vote, My district is full of good, hard-working, well-intentioned people – there is nothing sinister or cynical about them. The governor does not have a problem with this legislature, he has a problem with his citizens. This bill does exactly what the people of this state wanted us to do.” The debate in the…

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Minnesota Gov. Dayton Lists ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ Among Top Accomplishments of His Tenure

Gov. Mark Dayton (D-MN) and his staff released a list of his “top 25” major accomplishments as governor on Wednesday as he prepares for the end of his eight-year stint in the governor’s mansion. “When Gov. Mark Dayton took office, he promised to build a better Minnesota. Eight years later, Minnesota is doing better—much better than it was before,” a press release from his office states, listing policies such as “education funding” and “free all-day kindergarten” as some of his most proud achievements. Dayton’s staff says that when he first took office, just 54 percent of Minnesota’s children were enrolled in all-day kindergarten, but now “165,000 children have benefited from free, all-day kindergarten.” “And their families have been spared the expense of paying for all-day K out-of-pocket,” the press release states. Dayton also touts the “economic growth” experienced under his administration, which took over when the unemployment rate was at 6.9 percent. Now, however, Dayton’s office notes that unemployment is at a 19-year-low of 2.8 percent and has been “at or below 4 percent for 53 months.” Among Dayton’s other most prized accomplishments are his efforts to promote “diversity and inclusion” throughout the state. As governor, Dayton hired “the first…

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Listen to The Tennessee Star Report Exclusive Interview with Vet Who Has Raised Over $10 Million Using GoFundMe to Help Trump ‘Build the Wall’

On Thursday’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 – Steve and Mike spoke exclusively with Air Force veteran Brian Kolfage, a triple amputee and recipient of the Purple Heart, about his GoFundMe account in which, at the time of the interview (7:15 am central time) had raised over $4 million the four days since its launch to help “build the wall.” As the morning conversation continued, a donor made a contribution in the amount of $10,000 which was then the largest single donation so far. Later on Thursday, an anonymous donor topped that with a $50,000 donation. As of 10 p.m. central Thursday night, contributions had grown to over $10 million. You can see the current status of the GoFundMe account here. You can read the full transcript here: Leahy: We are joined now by Brian Kolfage who has a verified blue check Facebook page as a public figure, he’s a purple heart recipient, a triple amputee veteran.  He put up this page, GoFundMe account just a couple days ago and already has three point one million dollars to…

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President Trump: Mattis Leaving at the End of February

President Trump said in a duo of tweets Thursday afternoon that Defense Secretary James Mattis will leave the administration early next year. “General Jim Mattis will be retiring, with distinction, at the end of February, after having served my Administration as Secretary of Defense for the past two years,” he tweeted, adding: During Jim’s tenure, tremendous progress has been made, especially with respect to the purchase of new fighting equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service! ….equipment. General Mattis was a great help to me in getting allies and other countries to pay their share of military obligations. A new Secretary of Defense will be named shortly. I greatly thank Jim for his service! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018 The president’s announcement comes on the heels of his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria, fulfilling a long-standing campaign promise. THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…        

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EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Lamar Alexander Tells The Tennessee Star Report He Believes ‘Right Now . . . Nancy Pelosi Doesn’t Have the Votes to Be Elected Speaker’

On Wednesday’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 – Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy spoke with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) about his decision not to run for re-election in 2020, who he thinks may run to succeed him, Nancy Pelosi’s chance of securing the needed votes to become Speaker of the House, and whether he would support the allocation of military construction funds to build the border wall. When asked about Pelosi’s chances of becoming Speaker, Alexander said, “I think the problem right now is that Nancy Pelosi doesn’t have the votes to be elected Speaker.” Alexander added he thinks that she is not willing to make any agreement until after she is elected. You can read the full transcript here: Gill: And Senator Lamar Alexander a good friend of the show and long time friend of the Gill family on our Newsmakers line to tell us a little bit about his decision and what’s next and, Lamar good to have you with us. Alexander: Good morning Steve, how are you today? Gill: I’m good. I have to…

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Randy Boyd Says He Will Not Run For Lamar Alexander’s Senate Seat, Citing Two Year Commitment to UT

Former gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd will not run for retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander’s seat because he is serving as interim president of the University of Tennessee system for a two-year period, the Chattanooga Times Free Press said Tuesday. Boyd finished in second place to Gov.-elect Bill Lee in the August Republican primary after spending an estimated $20 million on his campaign. Had he chosen to run for the U.S. Senate in 2020 to succeed Alexander, he would have been a first tier candidate, despite his primary loss. According to the Times Free Press: “It just seems so far removed from the state of Tennessee, I couldn’t see myself in Washington, D.C., arguing about things and not getting as in depth,” he said. Having only 24 months or less to tackle his goals adds to that sense of urgency, he said. Alexander (R-TN) on Monday said he would not run for a fourth term in 2020. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill said, “Lamar just gave political consultants and media buyers an early Christmas gift as he just kick-started the 2020 campaign for his open Senate seat.” The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees on Sept. 25 appointed Boyd as…

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Commentary: How Nike Transformed the University Of Oregon

by George Leef   While money is not the root of all evil, it is undeniably responsible for the transformation of the University of Oregon (UO). It changed from a typical state flagship where athletics were a nice diversion for some students and alums into a sports powerhouse where the quest for glory in football and basketball dominates the school. The person directly responsible for that is Phil Knight, the founder of the athletic shoe and apparel giant Nike.  At a time when the university’s president was desperately looking for outside funding for the school, Knight, an Oregon alum and huge athletics booster, was on hand to help with funds for projects he liked. Is it a bad thing for an alum to give money? In his recent book University of Nike, author Joshua Hunt shows how Oregon became so hooked on money from Knight that it has allowed athletics to badly distort its priorities. The university’s success on the gridiron and court was crucial to Nike’s business strategy of selling not just shoes, but an entire “dream” package for Americans who were caught up in football and basketball. Once the school started taking Nike money, it simply couldn’t stop.…

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Sumner County District Attorney General Will Not Prosecute Alleged Violations of State Election Laws Involving a Political Action Committee and a School Employee

Sumner County District Attorney General Ray Whitley has said he will not press charges in an instance of alleged campaign law violations involving mailers sent during the May 2018 primaries that were funded by a political action committee and arranged by a Sumner County school employee, even though he says state laws appear to have been violated, according to a report by The Gallatin News. The May 1, 2018, county primaries in Sumner County came with a number of unusual situations including the invocation of the “Anti-Skullduggery Act of 1991,” intimidation tactics against first-time conservative Republicans candidates and challenges to candidates’ bona fide status as a Republican. Also associated with the May primaries, there were several mail pieces opposing specific candidates that, confusingly, stated “Paid for by Sumner GOP,” which of course, is the nickname for the Republican Party of Sumner County. While Sumner GOP is indicated as the “short name” of political action committee (PAC) Sumner County Government of the People on its campaign financial disclosure statements, the Sumner County Republican Party didn’t appreciate the intentional deception. A Republican Party of Sumner County Facebook page post of April 27 admonished the PAC, “Once again, we feel it is necessary…

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Judson Phillips Commentary: It is Time for a Conservative Convention in Tennessee

by Judson Phillips   The announcement by Senator Lamar Alexander, that he will not seek reelection in 2020, has thrown open the doors for conservatives to change the face of Tennessee politics. In 2019, the first installment of that change will happen. Marsha Blackburn will replace Bob Corker in the Senate.  That can only be described as a tremendous improvement. Bill Lee will replace Bill Haslam as governor. While the jury is still out on Governor-elect Lee, by default he has to be an improvement over Governor Haslam. Rumors have long swept Nashville about Governor Haslam’s interest in a Senate seat.  He would be a disaster for conservative and for Tennessee. He must be stopped. But how? The cards are stacked against conservatives.  Governor Haslam is a billionaire who can outspend almost any potential opponent.  In addition, Tennessee is not a run off state. Whoever wins the most votes, even if it is only a plurality, wins the races.  Conservatives well remember the 2006 election where conservatives Van Hillary and Ed Bryant fought it out with Bob Corker.  Corker won with the conservative base split. We cannot allow the conservative base to be split again. Conservatives must unite in a…

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White House Says US Will Start Withdrawing Troops From Syria

by Wayne Lee   The White House said Wednesday the United States has begun withdrawing troops from Syria, shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted the U.S. has defeated the Islamic State terror group there. “We have started returning United States troops home as we transition to the next phase of this campaign,” White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said in a statement. She added the defeat of ISIS does not mean the military campaign by coalition forces is ending in Syria. “The United States and our allies stand ready to re-engage at all levels to defend American interests whenever necessary, and we will continue to work together to deny radical Islamist terrorists territory, funding, support, and any means of infiltrating our borders,” Sanders said. Later on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesperson Dana White said in a statement that “the coalition has liberated ISIS-held territory, but the campaign against ISIS is not over.” ISIS an acronym for the Islamic State terror group. “We will continue working with our partners and allies to defeat ISIS wherever it operates,” she said, giving no details as to a timeline, noting “force protection and operational security reasons.” Just last week, U.S. special presidential envoy for the global…

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IHOP Boycotts Tucker Carlson But Not Saudi Arabia

by Peter Hasson   Breakfast chain IHOP cited its company “values” to justify boycotting Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s show, even as the company profits from its businesses in Saudi Arabia, a notorious violator of human rights. Saudi Arabia’s repeated human rights violations include “unlawful killings,” “official gender discrimination against women” and “criminalization of same sex sexual activity,” according to the U.S. State Department. The State Department also notes that the forced labor of immigrant workers is a significant human rights issue in Saudi Arabia. Left-wing activists pressured advertisers to boycott Carlson’s show after he said liberals believe America has a “moral obligation to admit the world’s poor … even if it makes our own country poorer and dirtier and more divided.” Carlson, a co-founder of The Daily Caller News Foundation, made the comment in reference to migrant caravans making their way through Mexico. Left-wing activists with ThinkProgress and Media Matters immediately launched a campaign to pressure Carlson’s advertisers to abandon his show — a tactic activists have used against other Fox News hosts, including Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity. A spokeswoman for IHOP told HuffPost on Tuesday that the pancake chain stands for “welcoming folks from all backgrounds and beliefs into our restaurants and continually…

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Commentary: Democrats’ Disgusting Hypocrisy on the Wall and Border Security

After meeting with President Trump to try to resolve the details of the final spending bill of the 115th Congress, soon-to-be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California stated, “Democrats will stand fast against the immoral, ineffective border wall.” Likewise, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer of New York threatened to shut down the government if funding for a border wall is part of the legislative package. But back in 2006, 80 U.S. Senators, including Senator Schumer himself, along with Senators Obama, Biden, Clinton, Bill Nelson, Debbie Stabenow, and many others supported a bill that authorized 700 miles of fencing on our southern border. In the House, 64 Democrats also voted for the 700 miles of border fencing. Hillary Clinton, who was critical of President Trump’s plan during the 2016 presidential campaign, also supported fencing along the border and bragged as recently as November 2015 about her previous votes as a senator on the issue. At a campaign event in New Hampshire, a woman asked Clinton about securing the border from illegal immigrants, Clinton said: “Well, look I voted numerous times when I was a Senator to spend money to build a barrier to try to prevent illegal immigrants from coming in…

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TNReady Problems Documented in Full Detail in New Audit

The TNReady online student assessment tests had login delays, slow servers, and software bugs, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released Wednesday. As reported, earlier this year Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said TNReady “has had several hiccups” and that criticism of it “was earned.” Auditors, however, went into more detail in their report. “The first signs of trouble began on April 16, 2018 and continued through the end of the month,” auditors said in a press release. “Auditors determined that many of these issues occurred primarily because of Questar Assessment, Inc’s performance and updates to the student assessment system. Auditors also found the Department of Education’s oversight of test administration fell short of expectations.” The performance audit’s nine findings include five issues surrounding TNReady. These findings include: • The department’s lack of sufficient, detailed information on its Work Plan with Questar rendered it less effective as a monitoring tool to ensure Questar met all deadlines. • Questar’s decision to make an unauthorized change to text-to-speech software without formally notifying the department. This change contributed to the online testing disruptions. • Questar’s failure to sufficiently staff customer support, resulting in lengthy call wait times and high rates of abandoned calls. •…

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Elite Universities Hide Information on Funding From Ultraconservative Nation of Qatar

by Luke Rosiak   The nation of Qatar, a Sharia-law monarchy that has been accused of trying to influence other countries’ governments, gave $1 billion to elite American universities since 2011, according to Department of Education data. Some universities have refused to discuss where strings are attached to that money. The Qatar Foundation, for example, filed a lawsuit against the Texas attorney general Oct. 12 to hide information about the $225 million Qatar has awarded to Texas A&M University since 2011. The Qatar Foundation hired the politically connected powerhouse law firm Squire Patton Boggs for the suit, which was filed in response to a researcher’s public information request regarding the foreign funding. The biggest recipient of Qatar’s educational funding, Georgetown University, repeatedly ignored requests from The Daily Caller News Foundation for basic information about the funding and whether it implicates academic independence. Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have accused Qatar of meddling in other nations’ internal affairs as well as funding terrorism. Qatar also wields influence through its media group, Al Jazeera. Top Foreign Funders of U.S. Universities, 2011-2016 (Source: Department of Education) Country Amount Qatar $1,024,065,043 England $761,586,394 Saudi Arabia $613,608,797 China $426,526,085 Canada $402,535,603 Hong Kong $394,446,859 For a nation…

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Texas City Featured in Al Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Sequel’ Lost Millions in its Green Energy Gamble

by Michael Bastasch   Former Vice President Al Gore hailed the city of Georgetown, Texas, for powering itself with only solar and wind energy, but now the city is losing millions on its green energy gamble. Georgetown’s bet against fossil fuel prices cost the city-owned utility nearly $7 million this year, and prompted officials to look for a way out of their long-term contracts for solar and wind energy. “It’s costing them big time,” vice president of research at the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), Bill Peacock, told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview. “This doesn’t appear to be the first time they’ve lost money, just the first time it was big enough to have to go public with it.” Georgetown made national news after being featured in Gore’s film “An Inconvenient Sequel,” which was released in 2017. The film followed-up on Gore’s inaccurate 2006 film”An Inconvenient Truth.” “I think Georgetown is already a trailblazer,” Gore said during his 2016 visit to learn about Georgetown’s plan to get 100 percent of their energy from wind and solar power. “And one thing that Georgetown demonstrates to other places that are just beginning to think about it is that the power supply is…

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Elizabeth Warren Introduces Legislation to Create a Government-Run Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

by Molly Prince   Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren introduced legislation on Tuesday that would establish a government-run pharmaceutical manufacturer to effectively compete with the private market. The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act seeks to address the increasing prices of prescription drugs by injecting competition into the marketplace, consequently lowering the cost of mass-produced generic drugs. The bill would create the Office of Drug Manufacturing, which would be housed within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Warren said that adding the agency would increase competition. “In market after market, competition is dying as a handful of giant companies spend millions to rig the rules, insulate themselves from accountability, and line their pockets at the expense of American families,” Warren said in a statement. “The solution here is not to replace markets, but to fix them.” According to the bill, the Office of Drug Manufacturing would be tasked with producing drugs in cases where the market has been deemed to have failed. For example, in addition to requiring the agency to produce generic insulin within one year of authorization, it will be permitted to manufacture any prescription drug that the government has licensed. Moreover, the office can manufacture generic drugs if: No company…

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U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado Says He Is Thinking About Presidential Bid

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., said he is thinking about a presidential bid in 2020. Bennet made the statement Tuesday to Yahoo News podcast “The Long Game,” the site said, which added: Bennet has reportedly been talking to staff in Iowa ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucus there and would join the enormous field of Democrats likely to seek the nomination in 2020, which is more than 30 names long. Bennet, 54, carries himself in a low-key manner but has impressive credentials, and has been considered a rising Democratic star. Former President Obama mentioned him among a handful of young Democrats he believed could be national stars, along with Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and South Bend, Ind.,  Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Denver CBS4 said on Nov. 30 that Bennet was interested in running for president. “I think that we need to figure out as a country what direction we’re heading in. I think we haven’t been heading in the right direction and I think we need to make sure that we have leadership in this country that’s the kind-of leadership that’s actually going to address the problems that we need to confront as a country. I don’t know…

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Ohio Sheriff Under Investigation for Stealing Drug Arrest Money

A Pike County Sheriff has been accused of stealing thousands of dollars, seized in various drug arrests throughout the county, and using the funds to fuel his “compulsive” gambling problem. The investigation, currently underway, stems from an anonymous complaint filed against Sheriff Charles Reader on November 9. The complaint (copied below) details that the sheriff was able to steal the money by taking the funds from an office safe that only he had access to. He was able to do so because the safe is kept inside his office and only he has access to it. The complaint notes that he “never has any money” and gambles compulsively. The funds in question were seized in local drug arrests made within Park County. He is also accused of taking cars out of the local impound lot and giving them to his daughter for her personal use, and demonstrating behavior unbecoming of an officer. The complaint alleges that he has also borrowed “large sums of money” from two of his deputies after gambling away his own, and owes a local car dealer more than $20,000. “[Sheriff] Reader just does whatever he wants and no one ever calls him on it,” the complaint states,…

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SHOCK CLAIM: Minnesota DHS Whistleblower Says Politicians Received Kickbacks in Childcare Fraud

Minnesota lawmakers are pushing for answers on the state’s allegedly rampant childcare fraud, but officials within the Department of Human Services seem unwilling to provide any. The story was first exposed in May by investigative reporters with Fox 9, who found that up to $100 million in suitcases left MSP bound for the Middle East. Experts suspect that some of the money is being transferred through Hawalas, the unofficial banking systems of some third-world countries, a share of which is generally demanded by Al-Shabab. Fox 9 found that daycare centers across Minnesota would sign low-income families up for services and bill the state for a full day of care. But in many cases, the children would never show up. Video surveillance obtained by Fox 9 suggests that families in on the scam would even receive shares of the profit. Scott Stillman, a former investigator who spent eight years with the state’s digital forensics lab, was directly involved with the state’s investigation of fraud in daycare centers. He later blew the whistle on Minnesota’s Department of Human Services (DHS), and during a Tuesday hearing at the State Capitol said the case has “the potential to be Minnesota’s Watergate.” “The door is…

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Gun Rights Bill Kasich Vetoed is Law in Every Other State

Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) vetoed the Ohio General Assembly’s gun-rights legislation Wednesday, even though the bill was removed of most of its substantial provisions before passage. As The Ohio Star reported last week, House Bill 228 was stripped of its “stand your ground” measure, which would free gun owners from abiding by a “duty to retreat” law that requires them to stand down in life threatening situations. After it was removed, the Ohio Gun Owners organization said it was “looking at this thing as a big ‘nothing burger’ now.” The bill did, however, still include a provision that would shift the burden of proof from defendants to the prosecution in self-defense cases—the current law in all 49 other states. But Kasich was upset that the bill didn’t include a “red flag” law, which allows the government to seize guns from people who are mentally ill or are considered a danger to others. “We can’t get it done over there. This really infuriates me,” he said this week, according to The Columbus Dispatch. “Why would I sign a bill that gives more power to gun advocates?” “For the first time in my lifetime, the possibility of somebody coming through that door…

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Vet Who Has Raised $1.5 Million for Border Wall Using GoFundMe Will Be Guest on Tennessee Star Report Today

Florida veteran Brian Kolfage will be a guest on The Tennessee Star Report Thursday at 7:15 a.m. to discuss the trending fundraiser he launched to support President Donald Trump’s border wall. The GoFundMe, which went live Sunday, has already raised $1.5 million in just over two full days. Kolfage is a retired U.S. Air Force member and veteran of the Iraq war, which cost him three of his limbs. “As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today,” Kolfage said. “Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.” At the time of publication, his GoFundMe had raised $1,538,708 by 25,992 donors. Kolfage said his team has contacted the Trump administration to “secure a point of contact where all funds will go upon completion.” He added that he’s working with a law firm to draft a legal document that will ensure the funds can only be used for a wall itself, and nothing else. “If we don’t reach our goal or come…

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Candidates Gear Up to Replace Mark Norris in State Senate

Four Republicans have filed paperwork to replace Mark Norris in  a special election in Tennessee’s 32nd State Senate District, according to The Daily Memphian. Norris was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a federal judge earlier this year. The primary will be held on January 24, with early voting beginning on January 4. The general election is scheduled for March 12. Tipton and part of Shelby County make up that district. “Former state Rep. Steve McManus, former Shelby County Commissioner Heidi Shafer, former Shelby County Commissioner George Chism and Covington businessman Paul Rose turned in their paperwork at Shelby County and Tipton County election offices,” The Daily Memphian reported. “Shafer and Chism were the last to make public commitments to the race. McManus entered the fray first and already has a campaign billboard along I-40 in Memphis, while Rose previously said he was committed and made a formal announcement recently.” Shafer served two terms as a Shelby County Commissioner. Shafer told The Tennessee Star she believes West Tennessee “is getting left behind in a burgeoning economy, particularly when it comes to economic incentives and infrastructure.” “We have had some really strong previous folks from West Tennessee (in the state legislature) so…

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On His Way Out, Bob Corker Reportedly Won’t Say Whether He Prefers a Democrat Over Trump in 2020

Outgoing Tennessee Republican U.S. Senator Bob Corker was quoted this week expressing concern about the path of the Republican Party. “We’ve got to remember what the Republican Party is,” Corker reportedly said on MSNBC. Corker also reportedly won’t say whether he prefers voters elect a Democrat over Trump in 2020. Writing for The Washington Post, Phillip Wegmann said Corker longs for “what the Republican Party used to be.” “And it’s worth asking what it was before President Trump and before the Tea Party,” Wegmann wrote. “Perhaps Corker yearns for the simpler time of his predecessors such as Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn. Before coming to Congress, Corker watched Frist wheel and deal in the halls of Congress. Corker later watched Frist lobby for Obamacare in retirement and make a fortune from his stock options in the Hospital Corporation of America in the process.” Wegmann wrote Corker possibly misses the days of Majority Leader Eric Cantor and former Speaker John Boehner of Ohio. The Tea Party opposed Cantor. Under Boehner, Wegmann wrote, members of the House of Representatives operated like a tollbooth, and members had to deposit campaign contributions into the party’s coffers. “Boehner and Cantor and Frist were all respectable members of the…

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Commentary: Time Magazine Journos Basically Just Named Themselves ‘Person of the Year’

by Jason D. Meister   The liberal journalists at Time magazine have an interesting pick for 2018’s “Person of the Year.” That’s right, it’s themselves! They didn’t quite have the gall to claim the mantle directly, so they went with a somewhat more awkward construction: “The Guardians and the War on Truth.” But Times’ message is clear. They, the journalists, are the real heroes, and the whole world is depending on their bravery in the “War on Truth.” The enemy in that war is, of course, the daily target of their anger and derision: President Donald Trump. Gracing one of their four covers is Jamal Khashoggi, the late, dissident Saudi newspaper columnist and Muslim Brotherhood sympathizer who was murdered by his own government in Turkey. There’s no indication that Khashoggi’s occasional Washington Post column played any role in his killing, but it certainly went a long way towards making him a cause celebre among journalists eager to use his death to attack Donald Trump. Alternate covers featured Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, journalists who were arrested for reporting on the Myanmar military regime’s human rights violations, and Maria Ressa, a Philippine blogger who’s been charged with tax evasion after…

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Rep. Jim Cooper Announces 2020 Campaign to Retain 5th Congressional District Seat

U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN-05) announced his re-election bid for 2020. A statement by the congressman’s spokesman Chris Carroll said, “Jim is honored to represent Cheatham, Davidson, and Dickson counties in Congress, and he looks forward to running for re-election in 2020,” according to a story in The Tennessean. Cooper handily won re-election Nov. 6 against Republican challenger Jody Ball by a margin of 67.8 percent to 32.2 percent, Ballotpedia said. Cooper is not the only Tennessee politician to make an announcement about 2020 this week. When U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) announced Monday he would not run for re-election, Cooper said this in a statement: Lamar is finishing a stellar career in Tennessee politics. I honor him for his service, but I also hope he will use his last two years in office to challenge President Trump the way that Bob Corker has done. I am worried that the Tennessee Republican Party is losing the legacy of Howard Baker: his willingness to investigate his own president, to insist on fiscal discipline, open markets, and civil rights. America needs that fair-mindedness now more than ever.” Cooper’s voting record is available here. Last month Cooper signed a letter with 17 other…

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Report: Years of Bad Land Management Led to One of California’s Most Devastating Wildfires

by Jason Hopkins   An in-depth investigation found that federal, state and local governments were aware of California’s vulnerability to wildfires, but failed to take the necessary steps to prevent its devastation. California residents have recently been forced to deal with some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history. Over the course of a 13-month period that began in October 2017, four major fires scorched California. The fires ultimately burned 700,000 acres of land, destroying nearly 27,000 properties and killing over 100 people. The devastation has left leaders wondering who — or what — is to blame. California and the Trump administration have sparred heavily over what was responsible for the fires. Outgoing Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and environmental activists have directed blame at climate change, claiming that rising temperatures make the fires more brutal. California officials are currently investigating whether a malfunction in an electric utility’s equipment may have caused one of the fires. Mounting evidence suggest the wildfires were in large part a result of regulatory failure. ProPublica, an investigative outlet based in New York, reviewed records and conducted dozens of interviews concerning one of these deadly fires: the Carr Fire. Its team ultimately concluded that “every level…

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Soros Org Gave $500K to Activists Who Accosted Pam Bondi at Movie Theater

by Peter Hasson   The left-wing activist group that accosted Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi at a movie theater in June received half a million dollars in 2017 from an organization funded by left-wing billionaire George Soros in 2017, documents obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation reveal. Organize Florida, the group that hounded Bondi from a Florida movie theater, received $500,000 last year from the Open Society Policy Center (OSPC), according to OSPC’s most recent tax forms. OSPC is the advocacy arm of Soros’s Open Society Foundations, which the billionaire uses to advance his left-wing worldview around the globe. OSPC awarded the grant to Organize Florida to “support policy advocacy,” according to the group’s tax forms. Organize Florida activists yelled at Bondi, a Republican ally of President Donald Trump, about the president’s immigration and health care policies during the protest in June. One of the protesters spit on Bondi’s head, she said afterwards. WATCH: https://youtu.be/HqScWovwPe8 Other targets of Organize Florida’s protests include women’s health centers that don’t perform abortions. OSPC did not respond to a request for comment regarding the grant to Organize Florida, and whether the activists’s actions toward Bondi are consistent with OSPC’s mission. – – – Peter Hasson…

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The Fed Finally Begins Rolling Back its Portfolio

by Robert Romano     The Federal Reserve has dumped an eye-popping $343 billion of U.S. treasuries and mortgage-backed securities since it began its policy normalization program in Sept. 2017. $116 billion of that, or more than a third, has been since Sept. 2018 as the nation’s central bank has begun to accelerate its program. At the same time, the Fed has been hiking the effective federal funds rate, increasing the costs of borrowing by financial institutions. Now, the effective rate stands at 2.2 percent. The pertinent question might be what took it so long? After keeping rates near-zero for the entire Obama administration, and holding onto its dragon’s horde of treasuries and other securities for almost a decade, suddenly the Fed has finally begun unwinding its portfolio—long after economic conditions had settled down after the financial crisis. The high-water mark was reached at the end of 2014, when its holdings were as high as almost $4.3 trillion. It had been a massive $3.5 trillion expansion of its balance sheet going back to Aug. 2007 when the crisis began. Arguably, the Fed has waited until nearly the end of the business cycle to begin unwinding — that is the period…

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EXPOSED: Antifa Leader ‘Chepe’ Relied On Anonymity To Push Radical, Violent Communist Agenda

by Andrew Kerr   Smash Racism DC organizer Jose Martin, also known as “Chepe,” is a radical communist and Antifa leader operating in the U.S. He advocates for the violent overthrow of the government and for the murder of the rich and claims to have international involvement in left-wing movements. Smash Racism DC is the Antifa group that protested in front of Fox News host Tucker Carlson’s house and berated Sen. Ted Cruz at a restaurant until he and his wife were forced to leave. It’s only one of the Antifa leader’s radical left-wing projects. But the agitator has made great efforts to separate his fanatical personas from a third identity, his legal name: Joseph “Jose” Alcoff. Under that identity, the 36-year-old has worked as a payday campaign manager for Americans for Financial Reform since 2016, where he advocates for reforms of predatory loans before members of Congress. Alcoff left nearly no connections between his real identity and Jose Martin and Chepe, but a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation of public records, social media posts, media reports, books, protest videos and podcasts dating back to 2004 found that all three identities are actually one person, posting online from the Twitter handle @Sabokitty. He…

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Martha McSally Will be Appointed to John McCain’s Seat

by Henry Rodgers   Arizona Republican Rep. Martha McSally will be appointed to John McCain’s former Senate seat after Republican Sen. Jon Kyl announced he is resigning from the U.S. Senate at the end of December. Gov. Doug Ducey, announced in a Tuesday statement that McSally will be taking the seat. This comes as McSally lost her Senate bid to Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema in a tight Nov. 6 midterm race. “All her life, Martha has put service first — leading in the toughest of fights and at the toughest of times,” Ducey said in his statement. “With her experience and long record of service, Martha is uniquely qualified to step up and fight for Arizona’s interests in the U.S. Senate. I thank her for taking on this significant responsibility and look forward to working with her and Senator-Elect Sinema to get positive things done.” Kyl, who replaced McCain after his death, told The Arizona Republic that he will leave office on Dec. 31, when the legislative calendar ends. He said he agreed to finish working until the 115th Congress concluded, he also thanked Ducey for his appointment. McCain’s wife, Cindy, tweeted out her support for McSally shortly after the news broke: “Arizonans will be pulling for…

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Michael Flynn Sentencing Delayed

A U.S. judge in Washington on Tuesday sternly rebuked President Donald Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, for lying to investigators about his contacts with Russia in the weeks before Trump assumed power in early 2017, but delayed his sentencing. “I can’t hide my disgust, my disdain,” U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan said of Flynn’s behavior, before later acceding to a request by Flynn’s lawyers to postpone his sentencing. Flynn acknowledged to Sullivan, “I was aware,” that it was a crime to lie to interrogators when they asked him about his discussions with Russia’s then-ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak. The judge told Flynn that his offense was “very serious” and that “arguably, you sold your country out.” Special counsel Robert Mueller had recommended the 60-year-old Flynn, a retired Army general and once head of the country’s Defense Intelligence Agency, not be sentenced to any prison time because he had provided “substantial” cooperation with prosecutors in their ongoing 19-month investigation of Trump 2016 campaign links with Russia and whether, as president, Trump obstructed justice by trying to thwart the probe. But Sullivan said he could not guarantee that Flynn will avoid a prison term when he is eventually sentenced, sometime…

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Commentary: Break Up Google for the Public Good

by Ned Ryun   It’s time for all of us to admit that Alphabet, Inc. is the 21st century equivalent of Ma Bell: it is an almost all-controlling monopoly that restricts consumer choice in order to maximize profit for the company. We all know what Ronald Reagan did to AT&T. He broke up that monopoly so Americans could have real choices and the free market could actually work. So it’s time for the Trump Administration to break up the Alphabet, Inc. monopoly. But unlike the Ma Bell monopoly, Alphabet, Inc.’s monopoly—which includes the search-engine behemoth Google—isn’t just about greater competition and more choices for the American people. It’s about so much more: free political discourse and our privacy rights as citizens. Last week in Washington D.C., the House called in Google CEO Sundar Pichai to question him about the bias against conservatives at his company, but also about data privacy and Google’s plans for working with China. Every last one of those issues should trouble every last American. The mainstream media, as the mindless propagandists of the deep state and Democratic Party, are still trying to maintain the miserable hoax of Russian collusion to cover up their own misdeeds and…

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Bob Lighthizer Compared to ‘General Patton’ in Leading the Way on Trade Talks with China

by Natalia Castro   While some have been critical of President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs to win the trade war with China, one analyst is arguing these tariffs have been one of many tools used by the Trump administration to push China to comply with fairer trade deals. Last week on the Conservative Commandos Radio Show Senior Policy Advisor at America First Policies Curtis Ellis joined Natalia Castro to discuss the U.S. trade relationship with China. Ellis noted how China has cheated the U.S. and the entire world out of billions by abusing trade laws to their benefit. For the first time in nearly 30 years, the Trump Administration is forcing China to the negotiating table and presenting an opportunity for real change. Ellis argued, in the long run, the Trump trade agenda will boost U.S. productivity and save our technology from Chinese theft. While China has come close to deals before only to back out and continue cheating, Ellis notes that this situation is different for one key reason: Bob Lighthizer. Ellis explained, “Leading out team of negotiators is Bob Lighthizer, he is the U.S. Trade Representative. This is General Patton in the trade world. He is seasoned.…

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Donations Pouring In for Florida Vet’s Fundraiser to Build the Wall

A Florida veteran and triple amputee launched a GoFundMe Sunday to fund President Donald Trump’s border wall, and he’s already raised more than $200,000 and counting. The fundraiser has been public for just over two days and donations are already pouring in. According to Brian Kolfage, an Iraq war veteran and public figure, if the 63 million people who voted for Trump each donate $80, then there would be enough money to pay for the wall. “Democrats are going to stall this project by every means possible and play political games to ensure President Trump doesn’t get his victory. They’d rather see President Trump fail than see America succeed,” Kolfage says on the fundraiser’s page. “However, if we can fund a large portion of this wall, it will jumpstart things and will be less money Trump has to secure from our politicians.” Kolfage provided extensive information about himself to assure supporters that the fundraiser is not a scam, and notes that his team has already “contacted the Trump administration to secure a point of contact where all funds will go upon completion.” “We are working with a law firm on a legal document that will bind the government to using…

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Minnesota Democrat Ilhan Omar Attacks Trump Over ‘Muslim Ban,’ Promises Impeachment

Rep.-elect Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) claimed that she was “sickened and outraged” over the case of a Yemeni mother who was prevented from traveling to the U.S. because of the Trump administration’s travel ban. Two-year-old Abdullah Hassan suffers from a genetic brain disorder, according to The Guardian, and is currently on life support in a California hospital. But his mother, Shaima Swileh, was unable to visit her son because she resides in Yemen, one of the six countries included in Trump’s travel ban. “As a mother and immigrant from one of the so-called ‘banned’ countries, I am sickened and outraged by the Trump administration’s disregard for a mother separated from her son,” Omar said in a Monday press release, referring to the Trump policy as a “Muslim ban.” “This child is dying and his mom is forbidden entry into our country to see him because of the Muslim ban,” she continued. “I commend the Council of American Islamic Relations in Sacramento and others for calling attention to this tragedy and demanding a visa waiver be issue to the child’s mother.” On Tuesday, the U.S. State Department granted Swileh a waiver to travel to see her son, and she will arrive in…

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Speaker-Elect Glen Casada Will Dive Into Solutions for Problem of Invasive Asian Carp In Tennessee Rivers

Speaker-Elect Glen Casada will convene an open forum this week to discuss the invasive Asian carp problem in Tennessee waters, according to a press release. The forum, scheduled for Thursday, December 20 at 12:45 p.m., will include several current and newly elected State Representatives who will attend the forum along with current TWRA Commission Chair Kurt Holbert as well as other TWRA officials and experts. According to the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA), there are four species of Asian carp, originating in China, now in Tennessee and throughout the United States. The carp, brought to the U.S. for aquaculture purposes as far back as the 1970s, escaped into the delta areas of the Mississippi River during extreme floods in the late 80’s and early 90’s. While all four species of Asian carp can impact fish and other aquatic life in a number of ways, TWRAs most immediate concern is for the safety of boaters. Some species of carp are known for jumping when encountered by a boat. When they jump, the carp colliding with a passenger can cause serious injury. A number and variety of efforts are underway to control the spread not only in Tennessee, but nationwide. While controlling…

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Legislature May Oversee Nashville Police Oversight Board, Citing Constitutional Concerns

Nashville’s police oversight board may receive its own oversight – before it even launches. Ever since Nashville-Davidson County voters approved the $10 million-plus oversight board in a Nov. 6 referendum titled Amendment 1, prompting concerns from police officers, leading Tennessee Republican legislators have set their sights on the initiative. The board has broad powers to investigate officers and call for punishments by the District Attorney, grand jury, or U.S. Attorney, and can even compel witnesses, according to its Metro Nashville webpage. Nominations to the board are due today. Speaker-elect Rep. Glen Casada (R-TN-63), plans to study the oversight board when the Legislature convenes in January, NewsChannel 5 said. “This is an issue we will investigate further when session begins in January with all interested parties and stakeholders that have concerns about Amendment 1 and its impact on law enforcement,” Casada said. “The safety of our citizens is paramount and we must ensure our counties and municipalities do not violate the state’s constitutional duty to protect all Tennesseans.” State Rep. William Lamberth (R-TN-44), the incoming House majority leader, told Nashville Public Radio the board is redundant since there are other methods to oversee police. “To spend an enormous amount of money…

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Commentary: The Crime of Being Trump

by George Rasley   Melania Trump failed to earn the media’s sympathy for her declaration that she is the world’s most bullied person, wrote Nationally Certified School Psychologist Izzy Kalman in an article for Psychology Today. And rightfully so, said Kalman. That dubious distinction goes to her husband. Kalman is right, but the bullying of Donald Trump, his family and supporters has gone well beyond the political attacks that are the lot of any president and his party and moved into an irrational hatred that has spawned a host of illegal acts by the President’s opponents. Everyone knows about the assaults, beatdowns and vandalism perpetrated by anti-Trump factions and individuals, such as those associated with the Communist-inspired Antifa. Now NBC News reports a new avenue of attack against Donald Trump, his family and supporters. New York Attorney Gen.-elect Letitia James says she plans to launch sweeping investigations into President Donald Trump, his family and “anyone” in his circle who may have violated the law once she settles into her new job next month. “We will use every area of the law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions and that of his family as well,” James, a Democrat, told…

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Tennessee Vehicle Owners Reportedly May Have to Wait for Vehicle Emissions Tests to Go Away

Vehicle owners in Tennessee may have to wait three additional years before they find out whether government officials will continue to force them to go through yearly vehicle emissions tests. This according to The Chattanooga Times Free Press, which reported last week that everything depends on approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In August 2017, the paper said, the EPA announced all of Tennessee’s 95 counties had complied with National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and particulate matter. “That prompted legislation by Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, and Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, to do away with the annual mandatory inspections. Passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bill Haslam in May, the law requires Tennessee to abolish the inspections emissions but makes it conditional on EPA approval,” according to The Times Free Press. Vehicle owners in Hamilton, Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson have used the annual emissions testing for years to comply with the federal Clean Air Act, the paper reported. “But armies of vehicle owners detest the program, citing costs, inconvenience and major expenditures to fix problems when their vehicles fail the test. Carter and Watson have pointed to the unfair impact it has on lower-income vehicle…

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CNN Contributer Ezekiel Emanuel says Obamacare Ruling ‘Defies Constitutional Logic’

by Nick Givas   CNN contributor Ezekiel Emanuel said on “New Day” Monday that a recent court ruling declaring Obamacare unconstitutional “defies constitutional logic.” “That is a ridiculous ruling and you don’t have to rely on a doctor like me,” Dr. Emanuel said. “Lots of conservative legal scholars think it’s a silly ruling. The main logic there is the mandate is so essential to the law that nothing in the law can stand without the mandate.” A federal judge in Texas ruled Obamacare’s individual mandate to be unconstitutional Friday and said it can no longer be viewed as a congressional tax. “The Individual Mandate can no longer be fairly read as an exercise of Congress’s Tax Power and is still impermissible under the Interstate Commerce Clause — meaning the Individual Mandate is unconstitutional,” District Judge Reed O’Connor wrote in his decision. “And the reason you know it’s a silly ruling is we haven’t had a mandate with any enforceability since we passed the tax law because there’s no penalty anymore and much of the law is going forward. Laws like changing how doctors are being paid, improving the quality in hospitals, investing in better workforce for the health care system,”…

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James Comey ‘Thinks the Rules Don’t Apply to Him’, says Jim Jordan

by Nick Givas   GOP Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio said former FBI Director James Comey “thinks the rules don’t apply to him,” on “Fox & Friends” Monday. Comey will reappear before Congress Monday to face questions about his handling of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s email scandal and his involvement in the Russia investigation. “We hope he actually answers some questions today. Last time, 245 times he said he didn’t know, couldn’t remember. So we hope he answers more questions,” Jordan said. “I think I’m going to ask him about the Comey memos,” he added. “He did seven different memos back when he was meeting with the president, meeting with the chief of staff. So I’m going to ask him about questions about those things he wrote in there. I think this is important to understand. For him it’s all about Jim Comey. And he thinks the rules don’t apply to him.” Jordan said he believes Comey botched both investigations into President Donald Trump and Clinton and claimed the former FBI director only cares about himself. “We’re more focused on the Russia investigation. You have to look at the contrast, how he handled one versus the other,” he…

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Chinese Police Raid Children’s Bible Study, Shut Down Third Prominent Underground Church This Winter

by Joshua Gill   Chinese police shut down a third prominent underground church this winter Saturday after raiding a children’s bible study and confiscating over 4,000 Christian books. Authorities in Guangzhou raided the Rongguili Church at 10 a.m., announcing to parents and children at the Bible study that all activities at the church were suspended and declaring that the unregistered church had violated China’s Religious Affairs Regulation. Police recorded the identities of all attendees, children included, and dismissed them from the church, warning them not to return. “Halfway through the children’s Bible class, we heard the footsteps of dozens of police and officials stomping up the stairs,” an attendee of the Bible Study said, according to South China Morning Post. “They read out law enforcement notices declaring our venue was an illegal gathering that had engaged in illegal publishing and illegal fundraising and confiscated all Bibles.” “They then verified our identities again and warned us not to return to the church before letting us go,” the church member added. Authorities also arrested one parent who reportedly tried to photograph the incident. La #Chine ferme Rongguili, alias le phare de la foi dans le sud de la Chine, fondé par le…

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Indiana AG Says Obamacare Ruling Gives Congress Another Shot at Fixing Healthcare

by Nick Givas   Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill said Friday’s Obamacare ruling from a federal judge in Texas gives Congress another shot at fixing America’s healthcare system. “The Individual Mandate can no longer be fairly read as an exercise of Congress’s Tax Power and is still impermissible under the Interstate Commerce Clause — meaning the Individual Mandate is unconstitutional,” District Judge Reed O’Connor wrote in his decision. “Obamacare was predicated on the ability to tax — Congress’ authority to tax. And that’s what the Supreme Court decided in 2012,” Hill said on “Fox & Friends” Monday. “This is an opportunity for Congress to act. This — our decision — the attorney generals in the state and the United States made a decision based on the law and the constitutionality of this process. Now Congress has to go to work and make sure that we do find ways to constitutionally provide healthcare for all-American citizens,” he continued. Hill said there is no longer a constitutional justification for Obamacare after the tax elements were removed and therefore the law should be struck down. “It’s really a matter of Congress’ authority to tax and once the tax was removed, there’s no longer…

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