Month: January 2019

China Factory Activity Shrinks for First Time in Two Years

Admin

China’s factory activity shrank in December for the first time in more than two years, an official survey showed Monday, intensifying pressure on Beijing to reverse an economic slowdown as it enters trade talks with the Trump administration. The purchasing managers’ index of the National Bureau of Statistics and an industry group, the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, fell to 49.4 from November’s 50.0 on a 100-point scale. Any reading below 50 shows that activity is contracting. The December figure was the lowest since February 2016 and the first drop since July 2016. In the quarter that ended in September, China’s economic growth sank to a post-global crisis low of 6.5 percent compared with a year earlier. The slowdown occurred despite government efforts to stem the downturn by ordering banks to lend more and by boosting spending on public works construction. Forecasters expect annual growth of about 6.5 percent, down slightly from 2017’s 6.7 percent. But some industry segments, including auto and real estate sales, have suffered more serious declines. “Downward pressure on the economy is still large,” economist Zhang Liqun said in a statement issued with the PMI. Overall orders and exports both contracted, indicating that Chinese factories…

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Ten Laws That Spell Major Changes for Ohio in 2019

Andrew Shirley

In terms of legislation, 2018 may be considered one of Ohio’s most impactful years in recent history. From the approval of the first medicinal marijuana dispensary to new abortion limitations, 2019 will see a dramatic change for many Ohioans. Compiled below are ten of the most significant changes coming to the Buckeye State. Expanded Gun Ownership Rights – House Bill 228 Through an override of Ohio Governor John Kasich’s veto, the Ohio congress passed HB 228, expanding a citizen’s right to self-defense. The bill was originally intended to be a ‘stand your ground’ law but shifted following the significant public controversy. As passed,  the law shifts the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the prosecution. Before passage, Ohio was the only state in America in which a defender had to prove that they were acting in self-defense. Dismemberment Abortion Ban – Senate Bill 145 While Governor Kasich’s received widespread conservative criticism for his veto of the “Heartbeat Abortion Bill,” the Governor did sign one of the most extensive abortion limits in the country. SB 145, signed into law in late December, has banned one of the most commonly used second-trimester abortion procedures currently practiced nationwide. Governor Kasich has signed more than 20 abortion limitations during…

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Minnesota’s Trump-Hating Celebrity Chef Cut from Prime Time on Travel Channel, Facing Bad Reviews

Anthony Gockowski

Travel Channel has cut celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern from its prime time line up while scathing reviews flood in for his new Minnesota-based “Lucky Cricket” restaurant. Zimmern was rebuked by fellow foodies in early December for making culturally insensitive comments about Midwestern Chinese restaurants, which he called “hores— restaurants masquerading as Chinese food.” The remarks came in an interview with Fast Company about the launch of his “Lucky Cricket” business venture, which opened its first location in St. Louis Park this month. Battleground State News reported in December that Zimmern is a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, whom he has called “the personification of ignorance,” “hate fueled,” and “anti-immigrant.” He also said of Ann Coulter that her “head is stuck so far up [her] ass I’m afraid there isn’t a surgeon on earth that can help” her. Page Six now reports that Zimmern’s “Bizarre Foods” and “The Zimmern List” programs on the Travel Channel have been bumped from prime time to a rotation slot on Saturday mornings. Sources told the publication that filming has stopped mid-season for both shows, and isn’t expected to pick back up. “The shows, along with other food content on Travel, will no longer air…

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Tennessee Star Report: Bill Lee’s ‘Ten for Tenn’ Contract With Tennesseans Disappears from His Website, Along With 7 of His 10 Campaign Promises

Julie Carr

On Monday morning’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 – the hosts gave a detailed analysis of Bill Lee’s “Ten for Tenn” list of priorities that Governor-Elect Bill Lee posted on his website on July 3, 2018 (which is no longer available to view) and how those priorities seem to have changed after his election win.  This program will air again today, Tuesday, from 5:00 am to 8:00 am. Gill: Trying to figure out the distinction between Bill Lee 2018 and Bill Lee 2019. As a candidate, Bill Lee put out a very specific, very detailed plan for Tennessee that he would follow if he was elected Governor.  He put this out about a month before the election when he was in a fight with Randy Boyd and Diane Black and to some extent, Beth Harwell, to show that he was actually the “conservative.” Randy Boyd was being attacked as a moderate.  Diane Black was being attacked for a gone Washington says one thing but when you looked at what she was actually doing in Washington she was either…

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