Day: January 30, 2019

Bill Lee Delivers First of Many Planned Video Addresses From Family’s Franklin Ranch to Summarize His Work as Governor

Jason M. Reynolds

Last week, Gov. Bill Lee gave what he called a “Friday Afternoon on the Farm” video address on Twitter to celebrate his first week in office and provide a brief update on his work. The video, just over a minute in length, is available here on his official governor’s Twitter page. We’ve had a great first week in office. I issued my first executive order focused on rural Tennessee and we began work on the budget. We’ll be posting regular Fridays from the Farm videos, and I’m excited to post my first one here on my new, official Twitter page: pic.twitter.com/VFuaF1qx3X — Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) January 26, 2019 In the video’s post, Lee says, “We’ve had a great first week in office. I issued my first executive order focused on rural Tennessee and we began work on the budget. We’ll be posting regular Fridays from the Farm videos, and I’m excited to post my first one here on my new, official Twitter page.” While he and wife Maria are living in the Governor’s Mansion in Nashville, they were spending a three-day weekend on “the farm,” he said. The farm to which Lee refers is his family’s Triple L Ranch…

Read the full story

Commentary: Today’s Venezuela Is Where Socialism Meets Authoritarianism

Admin

by Anthony B. Kim and Ana Quintana   Many on the left have for years cheered Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, as heroes of “21st-century socialism.” Ironically, however, the undeniable downward spiral of Venezuela’s economic freedom and the far-reaching suffering of its people have put the true meaning to those “hero” claims: Socialism and corruption have destroyed Venezuela. In a Jan. 22 Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Venezuela, America Stands With You,” Vice President Mike Pence noted: As I have heard many times from Venezuelans over the past [two] years, Mr. Maduro has exacerbated the country’s corruption and socialist policies, accelerating its descent from one of the richest countries in the Western Hemisphere to one of the poorest and most despotic,” Pence wrote. “He promised prosperity, but his actions have caused Venezuela’s economy to shrink by nearly 50 [percent]. The vice president added, “For the sake of our vital interests, and for the sake of the Venezuelan people, the U.S. will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles.” Indeed, Venezuela’s decline over the past 25 years, exacerbated by the combined ills of socialism and authoritarianism, is well-documented in The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Economic Freedom, a data-driven benchmark study…

Read the full story

Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition Schedules First Professional Development

Chris Butler

The Miss Tennessee Scholarship Competition has scheduled its first Professional Development for the 2019 Miss Tennessee and Outstanding Teen class for this coming Saturday, Feb. 2, at Iberia Bank Mortgage in Murfreesboro. Miss Candidates ages 18-25 are scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to a press release. The same press release went on to say Outstanding Teen Candidates ages 13-17 are scheduled from 1:30 p.m. to 5p.m. People in Tennessee should take interest in the organization and its benefits to young women, said Foundation Board Chair Eddie Smith. “Look at the costs of higher education and how it’s been  climbing over the last few years. The one constant through all of that has been the Miss Tennessee and Miss America competitions,” Smith told The Tennessee Star. “Miss America in and of itself has been the largest provider of scholarships for women and Miss Tennessee over the last decade and has given away over a million dollars in scholarship moneys for these candidates to be able to use to help further their education.” This year’s professional development will include experts in the pageant world to help prepare the candidate for the Miss Tennessee and Outstanding Teen competition, according to…

Read the full story

Tennessee Star Report Speaks With One America News Network’s Neil McCabe as He Explains the ‘Dynamic’ at the McAllen, Texas Border

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 – Steve Gill talked to Neil McCabe of One America News Network while he is visiting the McAllen, Texas border about the absence of a border wall and the interesting dynamic surrounding the area. Further into the conversation McCabe disclosed how the current laws as created under the Obama Administration were designed for failure and provided a deliberate loophole for illegals of all backgrounds to enter the United States. Gill: And our on the spot correspondent from One America News, Neil McCabe is down in McAllen, Texas, right on the border. I guess is there a border wall there or is that one of those areas where there is nothing keeping somebody from coming across the border, Neil? McCabe: Well there’s some wall and then there are places where you can sort of walk around the wall. And so there are sections of wall. But it’s a very interesting dynamic down here. This is my first time actually on the border, so very exciting Steve. Gill: More members of Congress should…

Read the full story

Trump Just Secured Another Major Trade Victory

Admin

by Jason Hopkins   The European Commission approved U.S. soybeans to be used in the production of biofuels, a decision that will fulfill President Donald Trump’s demand that the European Union buy more of the product. “Today’s decision is new proof that the European Union is delivering on our commitments,” EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Tuesday. “[T]his means that as of today it will be easier for U.S. soybeans to enter the EU market.” The EU currently imports around 14 million tonnes of soybeans annually for animal feed. The U.S. already holds a commanding share of the market. However, the commission’s decision to allow U.S. soybeans to be used in the making of biofuels — an agriculture-based energy alternative to fossil fuels — is expected to dramatically increase demand in Europe. The approval follows months-long negotiations between the White House and EU leaders. Trump agreed in July not to slap tariffs on European vehicles in exchange for promises that EU member countries would purchase more U.S. natural gas and soybeans. That original agreement already helped pave the way for a 112 percent increase in U.S. soybean imports in the second half of 2018. “We agreed first of all to…

Read the full story

Roger Stone Pleads ‘Not Guilty’

Admin

President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone pleaded ‘not guilty’ Tuesday to seven charges linked to the release of damaging hacked emails about Trump’s 2016 Democratic opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in the midst of the presidential campaign. The 66-year-old Stone, arrested last week at his Florida home in an audacious pre-dawn FBI raid, was arraigned in a federal court in Washington on five counts of lying to Congress about his role in the WikiLeaks release of the emails, and single counts of witness tampering and obstructing a congressional investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Stone has vocally asserted his innocence in recent days but said nothing as he left court. Some onlookers outside court chanted, “Lock him up,” and carried signs calling him a “dirty traitor.” But supporters nearby said he did nothing wrong and held up photos of him. Unlike most defendants in U.S. criminal cases, Stone since his arrest has made the rounds of television news shows, to belittle the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and special counsel Robert Mueller, who brought the charges against him. On his Instagram account, Stone, a long-time self-proclaimed “dirty trickster” whose hero…

Read the full story

Hacks and Facts: 10 Things to Know About Data Privacy

Admin

Reuters   From hackers exposing private information online to the handling of users’ data by internet giants, online privacy has become a matter of growing concern for countries, companies and people alike. On Monday, countries around the world marked Data Privacy Day, also known as Data Protection Day — an initiative to raise awareness of internet safety issues. Here are 10 facts about online privacy: (1) Less than 60 percent of countries have laws to secure the protection of data and privacy. (2) Europe’s data protection regulators have received more than 95,000 complaints about possible data breaches since the adoption of a landmark EU privacy law in May. (3) More than one in two respondents to a 2018 global survey by pollster CIGI-Ipsos said they had grown more concerned about their online privacy compared to the previous year. (4) Almost 40 percent of respondents to another survey by cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab said they did not know how to protect themselves from cybercrime. (5) A survey of tech professionals by security key maker Yubico suggested experts might not live up to safety standards. It found almost 70 percent of respondents shared passwords with colleagues. (6) More than half reused an…

Read the full story

Commentary: Look to the States – Not SCOTUS – for Real Asset Forfeiture Reform

Admin

by Tate Fegley   There is a case – Timbs v. Indiana – currently before the United States Supreme Court regarding civil asset forfeiture and whether the excessive fines clause of the 8th Amendment also applies to the states due to the 14th Amendment’s incorporation clause. The petitioner is Tyson Timbs, who became addicted to the opioid hydrocodone after having received a prescription for his foot pain. After his prescription had run out, he bought it from a dealer. After his dealer had run out, he was persuaded to try heroin as a substitute and became addicted. He eventually overcame his addiction but relapsed around the time of his father’s death. Timbs received $73,000 from his father’s life insurance policy and used $42,000 of it to buy a 2012 Land Rover. Wanting to make money to fund his habit, he was convinced by a confidential informant to deal heroin. He made two deals with undercover narcotics agents (each deal for two grams) and, on his way to the third deal, was pulled over and arrested. His Land Rover was seized on the spot. Timbs was charged with two counts of dealing in a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy…

Read the full story

Wake County D.A. Clears North Carolina House Speaker Moore in Inquiry of Bail Group, Durham Business

A.P. Dillon

The Wake County District Attorney has dismissed a complaint against the North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore as well as allegations made against the speaker in an anonymous letter. “Over the past few months the State Bureau of Investigation, at the request of the Wake County District Attorney, has conducted an inquiry into payments made by the NC Bail Association and pharmaceutical company KNOWBio to North Carolina Speaker Tim Moore,” Freeman said Monday in a statement. “Following this review, we have determined that these fees were for legal services paid to Mr. Moore in his capacity as an attorney,” said Freeman. “This review found no misuse of public office for private gain or other wrongdoing as to these payments and we, therefore, are closing the inquiry into this matter without further action,” Freeman said. “Unfortunately, deceptive and politically motivated criticisms seem to be the norm in our current political climate,” Speaker Moore said in response to the end of the inquiry. “I appreciate the careful and professional way the District Attorney and the SBI handled the anonymous allegations that were made against me,” said Speaker Moore. I appreciate the confidence that North Carolina voters have placed in me and I…

Read the full story

US Intel Chief: Russia, China Biggest Espionage, Cyber Threats

Admin

Reuters   Russia and China pose the biggest espionage and cyber-attack threats to the United States and are more aligned than they have been in decades, the leader of the U.S. intelligence community told U.S. senators on Tuesday. While the two countries seek to expand their global reach, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats said, some American allies are pulling away from Washington in reaction to changing U.S. policies on security and trade. “China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea increasingly use cyber operations to threaten both minds and machines in an expanding number of ways – to steal information, to influence our citizens, or to disrupt critical infrastructure,” Coats said. “Moscow’s relationship with Beijing is closer than it’s been in many decades,” Coats told the Senate Intelligence Committee’s annual hearing on worldwide threats, where he testified with the director of the CIA, FBI and other top intelligence officials. He also said some U.S. allies are seeking more independence, responding to their perceptions of changing policies on security and trade and “are becoming more open” to new partnerships. “The post-World War Two international system is coming under increasing strain amid continuing cyber and WMD proliferation threats, competition in space and regional…

Read the full story

North Carolina Rape Kit Backlog Continues to Plague State’s Department of Justice

A.P. Dillon

A massive backlog of untested rape kits continues to plague North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein and the state’s Department of Justice. Attorney General Stein held a press conference Tuesday announcing proposed legislation that will help address the backlog. The press conference was broadcast live via the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Facebook page. The proposed legislation is called the Standing Up for Rape Victims Act, or Survivor Act. The act, if passed, will mandate submitting sexual assault kits for testing to an accredited lab for local law enforcement agencies and will provide $6 million in funding over the next two years. In addition, the act includes $800,000 in recurring funds to hire additional forensic scientists for testing the kits. The proposed Survivor act is sponsored by sponsors Senator Warren Daniel (R-D46) and Representatives Mary Belk (D-D88), Jamie Boles (R-D52), Billy Richardson (D-D44), and Carson Smith (R-D16). Stein also said that the Governor’s Crime Commission was giving the Department of Justice $2 million for processing around 3,000 rape kits. Stein, however, said the $2 million was “nowhere near enough money” and that the legislature has to provide even more funding. “The untested sexual assault kits sitting on law enforcement shelves…

Read the full story

Houston County Commissioners Say No to School Vouchers

Chris Butler

Houston County commissioners voted in favor of a resolution Monday night opposing school vouchers. They did so resoundingly, said Commissioner Ann Fielder. Twelve commissioners voted yes on the resolution, but one commissioner abstained from voting, Fielder told The Tennessee Star Tuesday. Fielder said she was one of the 12 to vote yes. The commissioner who abstained — Vickie Reedy — is the wife of Tennessee State Rep. Jay D. Reedy, R-Erin. Fielder said she and other commissioners voted as they did at the behest of Houston County Director of Schools Kris McAskill. “Our superintendent of schools was there. She got up and said that this (school vouchers) would take state money and give it to private schools,” Fielder said. “She said this even though we don’t have any private schools currently in our county. But she said if the private schools begin to get state money then we could have some pop up. She also said she didn’t want to lose any of our students (to this).” McAskill presented no empirical studies or other research to back up her assertions, Fielder told The Star. Commissioners plan to submit a letter to state legislators notifying them that they oppose school vouchers,…

Read the full story

Rashida Tlaib’s Ties to Anti-Semitism Run Deeper Than Previously Known

Admin

by Peter Hasson   Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s ties to anti-Semitism run deeper than previously known, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found. Tlaib, part of a heralded freshman class of House Democrats, has already come under scrutiny over her positions on Israel and ties to fringe figures. But TheDCNF’s investigation uncovered additional ties to anti-Semitism. Tlaib is a member of the Facebook group “Palestinian American Congress,” where members often demonize Jews. The group’s founder, Palestinian activist Maher Abdel-qader, was a key fundraiser for Tlaib and organized campaign events for her around the country. In January 2018, Abdel-qader shared an anti-Semitic video that claimed Jews aren’t actually Jewish, and invented their historical claim to Israel and secretly control the media. The video, which described Jews as “satanic,” also questioned whether 6 million Jews actually died in the Holocaust. “Research the truth about the Holocaust, and you’ll definitely start to question what you thought you knew,” the video’s narrator says. Abdel-qader shared the video both on his personal Facebook page and within the group that now includes Tlaib. The anti-Semitic video Abdel-qader shared multiple times doesn’t appear to have been a one-off occasion. In several other posts to the group,…

Read the full story

Georgia Gubernatorial Loser Stacey Abrams Will Deliver Democratic SOTU Response

Anthony Gockowski

National Democratic leadership revealed Tuesday that failed Georgia gubernatorial hopeful Stacey Abrams will deliver the party’s response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address. MSNBC’s Chris Hayes claimed Tuesday morning that a “reliable source” told him that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called Abrams three weeks ago to request that she deliver the Democratic response. 🚨NEWS🚨 A reliable source tells me that Chuck Schumer called STACEY ABRAMS three weeks ago to ask her to deliver the Democratic response to the State of the Union. — Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) January 29, 2019 National Journal Senate correspondent Zach Cohen later confirmed the news, reporting that Schumer told him he was “very delighted when [Abrams] agreed.” Schumer confirms. “I was very delighted when she agreed.” https://t.co/WLuXgMlHqC — Zach C. Cohen (@Zachary_Cohen) January 29, 2019 “Speaker Pelosi and I are going to issue an official statement shortly. But yes, three weeks ago I called Stacey Abrams and asked her to deliver the response to the State of the Union,” Schumer told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “She is just a great spokesperson, she’s an incredible leader, she has led the charge for voting rights, which is at the root of just about everything…

Read the full story

St. Paul Public Safety Official Cites Mayor’s Support of Keith Ellison in Resignation Letter

Anthony Gockowski

St. Paul’s first ever “Community-First Public Safety Initiatives Director” recently resigned over a number of disputes with Mayor Melvin Carter, including Carter’s support of now Attorney General Keith Ellison. “You chose to support Keith Ellison while I chose to support my friend Karen Monahan. I was more ostracized after our conversation,” Jason Sole wrote in his January 21 resignation letter, a copy of which was recently obtained by Fox 9. Some believe that Sole’s resignation was forced by Carter’s office, since Sole publicly refused to support programs such as the Joint Powers Agreement for Data Sharing of Youth Information, which was ultimately canceled on Monday. That three-way agreement between St. Paul, Ramsey County, and St. Paul Public Schools would have allowed for cross-sharing of youth zip codes, incomes, truancy numbers, race, and the like to better identify at-risk youth. “During my first week, I was asked to support the Joint Powers Agreement for Data Sharing of Youth Information. I refused and you disregarded (and continue to disregard) my recommendation with your continued support of [that] harmful agreement,” Sole wrote in his letter. Sole’s position was established to help the city transition away from over-policing and towards community-led public safety efforts,…

Read the full story

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Delays All State Executions Amid Concerns of Drug Effectiveness

Andrew Shirley

In a surprise decision, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered a moratorium on all executions in the state of Ohio following concerns that the currently approved practice could be considered a violation of the Eighth Amendment. Warren Keith Henness was convicted and found guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Richard Myers. He has never admitted to the crime and continues to plead innocence. He has been on death row since January 27, 1994. As his date drew near, his legal defense proposed alternatives to the currently accepted form of lethal injection. A 2015 Supreme Court case grants inmates this right. The presiding judge refused the proposed alternative and said he must use the state approved means, though he conceded that it was almost a form of torture. Following this, DeWine decided the state’s approach to lethal injection must be reexamined before any more are carried out. He noted: In 2017, the Court heard extensive evidence that midazolam was not achieving the intended result of blocking the severe pain caused by the second and third drugs…we have good evidence that midazolam will cause the ‘waterboarding’ effects of pulmonary edema. If Ohio executes Warren Hennes under its present protocol, it will almost certainly subject…

Read the full story

The Influential Appointment of Dark Money Group Founder’s Daughter in North Carolina Governor’s Office Raises Questions

A.P. Dillon

The daughter of the man behind a dark money group supporting North Carolina Democratic Governor Roy Cooper was hired into an influential role just weeks after Cooper took office. Tom Hendrickson is the main figure behind the dark money 501(c)4 non-profit called “Moving NC Forward.” The group was first reported on by WRAL for promising ‘access to Cooper and his staff’. Tom Hendrickson, Stella Adams, and Jewell Wilson are the trio listed on most of the documents on file with the North Carolina Secretary of state. All three are high level, long-time NC Democratic Party donors. Kathryn Hendrickson (pictured, left), daughter of Tom Hendrickson (pictured with Kathryn, above), was hired to the influential post of Deputy Director of Boards and Commissions under the Office of Governor Roy Cooper. Prior to being hired at Boards and Commissions, Kathryn Hendrickson worked for the Governor-Elect Transition Office as a ‘transition aide’, the Hillary for America campaign, and her father’s business, Lookout Ventures, Inc. Hendrickson was hired on January 23, 2017, at an annual rate of $46,000 and received a $920 legislative increase in August 2018. According to her LinkedIn bio, her current position of Deputy Director of Boards and Commissions ‘identifies and vets…

Read the full story

Sen. Kamala Harris’ Medicare for All Plan Is ‘Insane,’ Rep. Mark Green Says

Jason M. Reynolds

A plan put forth by U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) to pay “Medicare for All” is “insane,” said U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07), who added, “Earth to Senator Harris. Earth to Senator Harris.” Green made the remarks on Fox News’ Outnumbered Overtime. The video is available here. During a townhall meeting Monday in Iowa, Harris, a 2020 presidential candidate, vowed to eliminate private health insurance in order to enact “Medicare for all,” or a single-payer system, Outnumbered Overtime host Harris Faulkner said. That would eliminate the private insurance system for about 150 million Americans. Faulkner played a clip of Harris saying medical care takes too long because doctors have to get approval from insurance companies and because of all the paperwork. “Let’s eliminate all of that,” Harris said. Green, who previously ran a medical staffing company, said Obamacare and Harris’ plan were “attacks” on the insurance market that would take away choices for the middle class. Obamacare has shifted higher costs onto the backs of small businesses. The nation cannot afford to eliminate the third-party payer system. Green cited a study by Dr. Charles Blahous of the Mercatus Center of George Mason University showing that a single-payer system would…

Read the full story