Day: February 27, 2019

Steve Cohen Pushes Formal Study on Slavery Reparations

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, (D-TN-09), reportedly wants Congressional hearings to discuss slavery reparations, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. No one in Cohen’s office returned The Tennessee Star’s request for comment Tuesday. Former Republican President Abraham Lincoln issued his Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in most states in the country more than 156 years ago. ( A Constitutional amendment ended slavery in all states a few years later.) According to The Commercial Appeal, Cohen is working with U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, on the matter. “He said her bill calls for a study of reparations, not the actual reparations themselves, and that he’d like to invite writers such as Ta-Nahisi Coates, Jelani Cobb, and Michelle Alexander to give testimony,” according to the paper, quoting Cohen. “The concept of reparations has been around for decades. But hearings on the subject are far more possible now that last year’s midterm elections gave the Democrats control of Congress once again, Cohen told a small group of people at a ‘Congress on your corner’ event at the Randolph Branch Library near Summer Avenue on Friday.” Cohen has stayed busy ever since his party retook the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, As The Star reported this month,…

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Commentary: Hamstrung Dems Are Powerless to Stop Trump’s Border Declaration

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by Jeffrey A. Rendall   Why are we still talking about this? You’re forgiven if you’re wondering the same thing, referring to the controversy over illegal immigration, border security and President Donald Trump’s recent national emergency declaration, which addressed the perpetual problem of aliens streaming over the line between America and Mexico without authorization or official permission from the powers that be here. Statistics show a high percentage of border jumpers are apprehended by the United States Border Patrol, but what happens to the human hindrances after capture is where the political class diverges. According to Wikipedia, the United States Border Patrol, “is an American federal law enforcement agency whose mission is to detect and prevent illegal aliens, terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, and prevent illegal trafficking of people and contraband.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Theoretically, we detect ‘em, we catch ‘em, we detain ‘em and we ship ‘em back to whenceforth they came. For decades Washington politicians from both parties acknowledged something must be done to combat illegal immigration yet not much in the form of legislation or resolutions solved the dilemma. But if the hot air emanating from lawmakers’ mouths was quantifiable it’d melt what remains of the…

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Look But Don’t Touch as Smartphone’s Flexible Future Unfolds

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Flexible and folding formats framed the future of smartphones this week as manufacturers focused on new forms in an effort to jolt the market out of uniformity and re-invigorate sales. But anyone hoping to tap or swipe Huawei’s Mate X, a smartphone that wraps the screen around the front and back, was soon disappointed at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. Initial cheers were quickly followed by gasps when the Chinese firm revealed its eye-watering 2,299 euros ($2,600) price tag, although that includes a 5G connection. This is even more than Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, which was unveiled last week and will be priced from $1,980 when it goes on sale in some markets in April. It was on display in Barcelona in a glass case like a museum artifact. While the hands-off stance indicates neither firm has a consumer-ready device, 2019 would be remembered as the year of the foldable Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, said, adding that the new format was still in its infancy. “But we are at the stone age of devices with flexible displays; it’s a whole new phase of experimentation after the sea of smartphone sameness we have seen for the last decade.” Samsung…

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Amy Klobuchar Took a Swipe at Hillary, Then Called to Apologize

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by Jason Hopkins   Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar quickly apologized to Hillary Clinton after making a not-so-subtle dig at her 2016 campaign strategy. Presidential hopeful Klobuchar revealed during her 2020 announcement on Feb. 10 where her first campaign stop would be: Wisconsin. “Because, as you remember, there wasn’t a lot of campaigning in Wisconsin in 2016,” she stated to reporters at the time. “With me, that changes.” The reference to the state — which Clinton notably ignored during the 2016 election — was meant as evidence that the moderate senator from the Midwest would run her campaign differently. However, the line drew ire from Clinton’s inner circle and prompted Klobuchar, who had just visited with her three days prior, to reach out to the twice-failed presidential candidate and apologize. Upon making the offensive remark, Klobuchar conducted damage control by hastily sending Clinton an email and then followed up with an apology over the phone. The senior senator from Minnesota claimed her remark had been misinterpreted and was not meant to be offensive, The New York Times reported Tuesday. News of the behind-the-scenes apology comes as Klobuchar has faced other uncomfortable headlines since launching her presidential campaign. Numerous former Klobuchar…

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2020 Hopeful John Kasich Backs Carbon Pricing, Brags About Buying a Tesla with Taxpayer Subsidies

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by Michael Bastasch   Former Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a potential 2020 opponent for President Donald Trump, has a pitch for Republicans: back global warming policies that are favored by Democrats. “This is like a call to arms. Let’s have conservatives have a discussion instead of being in denial that this is a problem. You can’t just be a science denier,” Kasich told Axios in an interview released Tuesday. Kasich sat down with Axios to preview a speech he’s set to give at Canada’s University of British Columbia. The former governor said his views on global warming had evolved from his 2016 presidential run. Kasich will use his speech to lay out what he calls “centrist” policies aimed at global warming, including pricing carbon dioxide emissions — possibly through “cap-and-trade,” which failed to pass Congress roughly a decade ago. Since then, opposition against pricing carbon among Republicans seems to have hardened. House Republicans overwhelmingly voted in 2018 for a resolution opposed to carbon taxes, though a handful of GOP lawmakers do support such policies. Kasich will also call for subsidies for renewable energy, electric cars and other technologies. Axios noted that “Kasich says he took advantage of an existing…

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House Eyes Votes on Two Gun Control Measures

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by Joshua Nelson   The Democrat-controlled House is expected to vote this week on two gun control bills, one of which would subject gun sales by licensed dealers to federal review while the other would impose a universal background check on gun owners. Last week, the House Judiciary Committee passed both measures on a 23-15 vote along party lines. In a public statement, the National Rifle Association said the measures would not cut off criminals’ access to firearms and instead would inconvenience law-abiding citizens. Reps. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., and Pete King, R-N.Y., are spearheading what some call the most high-profile action on gun control in two decades. Neither is a member of the Judiciary Committee. Titled the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, one of the bills targets firearms purchased online or at gun shows, requiring these purchases to be subject to the federal background check system. The legislation would amend current law that mandates only licensed firearms dealers must perform background checks before approving a gun sale. The amendment would require all gun transfers go through licensed firearm dealers to run background checks. Gifts between family members and temporary transfers for use at a shooting range and hunting would be exempt…

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Democrats Want to Kill Any Chance of Ever Mining in Northern Arizona

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by Tim Pearce   Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona is attempting to permanently block uranium mining near the Grand Canyon. Grijalva is expected to introduce the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act to Congress Tuesday on the Grand Canyon National Park’s 100-year anniversary. The bill would make a moratorium on new uranium mines permanent on more than a million acres of land outside the park’s borders. “Protecting the canyon is just, it’s overdue and it’s life-affirming,” Grijalva said while announcing the bill Saturday, The Arizona Republic reports. “The public wants us to do it, the economies of the region need it and the Grand Canyon’s future depends on it.” The legislation would allow active mines in the area to continue operating. Mining companies would be blocked from building any new mines. Grijalva, now chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, has pushed similar legislation before but without success. Other Arizona lawmakers and state officials slammed Grijalva’s proposal, saying it would cost jobs and economic growth without adding the benefits Grijalva claims. “Once again, Rep. Grijalva is pursuing his misguided quest to permanently lockup more than a million acres in Northern Arizona, harm education, kill jobs, infringe on private property rights…

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Tennis Legend Martina Navratilova Removed from LGBT Charity for Saying Transgender Men Shouldn’t Play Women’s Sports

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by Tony Perkins   Martina Navratilova is an 18-time Grand Slam tennis champion, but now, she’s creating a racket over something else – transgenderism. Turns out, refusing to stick to the LGBT talking points can land you in a lot of hot water with the left, even if you’re someone as famous as this tennis legend. After years of identifying as a lesbian, Navratilova has been one of the sports’ most visible LGBT faces. But not even she is allowed to commit the movement’s most unforgivable crime – speaking the truth. With society knee-deep in a gender-identity crisis, some pro sports are floating the idea of relaxing the rules on traditional competition. If a man identifies as a woman, extremists argue, they should be allowed to compete as one. A lot of people – including Navratilova – disagree, arguing that it would create an unfair advantage for men. For the first time, she explained her position in depth, writing in the Sunday Times of London: “The rules on trans athletes reward cheats and punish the innocent.” She added, “Letting men compete as women simply if they change their name and take hormones is unfair – no matter how those athletes…

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Commentary: Where Did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Get Her Sweet Potatoes?

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by Jeffrey A. Tucker   Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was trying to explain to me that the world is going to melt, we are all doing to die, and probably we shouldn’t be having any more children, but I was distracted by the dinner she was preparing on camera. She was carefully cutting sweet potatoes before putting them in the oven. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SUDG7FIFK8 She put salt and pepper on them. Salt was once so rare that it was regarded as money. Ever try to go a day with zero salt? Nothing tastes right. That was the history of humanity for about 150,000 years. Then we figured out how to produce and distribute salt to every table in the world. Now we throw around salt like it is nothing, and even complain that everything is too salty. Nice problem. Sweet potatoes are not easy to cut, so she was using a large steel knife, made of a substance that only became commercially viable in the late 19th century. It took generations of metallurgists to figure out how to make steel reliably and affordably. Before steel, there were bodies of water you could not cross without a boat because no one knew how to make…

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Companies Use Corporate Welfare to Pit Tennessee and Mississippi Against One Another

Chris Butler

One could argue corporations play the Tennessee and Mississippi state governments against one another to get the best corporate welfare deals possible — at the expense of taxpayers in both states. Here’s how it works. Companies wait for Tennessee and Mississippi to pony up their incentives. Company leaders can only accept one of those two deals, of course. Then they set up shop in the state that made the better offer. And sometimes these companies move from Tennessee to Mississippi and vice versa — even if they’re only moving as little as 20 miles away. This has already happened at least twice in the past two years. Two years ago, for instance, Memphis officials handed out $1.2 million in corporate welfare to lure a company, International Distributors USA, away from Olive Branch, Miss., right across the Tennessee-Mississippi state line. At the time, Memphis officials boasted about using public incentives to snag the company away from the Magnolia State, according to The Tennessee Watchdog. This month, something similar happened, but this time it was Mississippi that offered incentives to lure another company, Krone North America, away from Memphis. And Olive Branch, the same city that lost International Distributors USA two years…

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Metro Nashville Students So Out of Control Teachers Fear for Their Lives, SROs Fleeing from Alternative Schools, Educators, Officials Say

Jason M. Reynolds

“Chaos” is one word used by a teacher to describe student behavior in Metro Nashville Schools during a shocking town hall discussion hosted by Phil Williams of NewsChannel 5. A story about the town hall discussion is available here. “There’s no accountability for the students,” one teacher said. Metro Nashville Schools Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph is trying to reduce the number of students who receive suspensions. His policy, especially aimed at minorities, is blamed. Retired teacher Karen Gordon told Williams one of her former students was one of the youths who was arrested in connection to the murder of musician Kyle Yorlets. The district does not respect teachers’ opinions and does not give them resources to handle troubled students, they said. One shared how her principal laughed over her receiving a death threat. Joseph has generated his own controversy. The Tennessee Star reported last May that his playing explicit rap music during a principals meeting led to a civil rights complaint by a female school board member because the song “Blow the Whistle” degrades women. The Star also reported on a NewsChannel 5 story last August that Joseph ducked a reporter’s questions about alleged sexual harassment and coverups in the…

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Dems Consider Voting ‘Present’ on Green New Deal to Shield Each Other

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by Jason Hopkins   Democrats may simply vote “present” if the Green New Deal resolution is put up for vote on the Senate floor, protecting members of their caucus from taking a public stance on the contentious resolution. “I’m still pondering it. A lot of Democrats may vote — we’ll see, but a lot of us may vote ‘present’on the cloture motion,” stated Delaware Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, who serves as the ranking member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, according to E&E News on Monday. The possible strategy comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell looks to put the Green New Deal up for a vote sometime this week. GOP leadership, which has lampooned the resolution, want to use the vote to force Democrats into taking a public stance on the dramatic call for 100 percent renewable energy and other far-left proposals. Democrats, however, have criticized McConnell’s efforts, framing it as an attempt to torpedo progress. “We’re trying to make sure we have as consolidated a Democratic caucus as we can because this is not serious legislation,” Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse told reporters Monday. “This is just Leader McConnell trying to be mischievous and cause trouble,…

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Protecting Babies Born Alive from Botched Abortions Should Not Be Controversial, Sen. Blackburn Says

Jason M. Reynolds

There should have been nothing controversial about protecting babies born after botched abortions, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) wrote. Blackburn’s comments about the failed Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act appeared in an op-ed Tuesday on Fox News. The op-ed is available here. Blackburn said, in part: On Monday night I proudly voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. There should be nothing controversial about voting to give babies born as a result of a failed abortion the same degree of medical care given to those born at the same stage of a pregnancy. The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act is legislation that makes certain every child who is born has the same opportunity to live and survive. … It should have been an easy vote for every member of the Senate, but on Monday night, many Democrats demonstrated that their pro-choice stance also requires them to support infanticide. Sadly, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s recent comments advocating infanticide clearly framed the Democrats’ radical agenda. Their push to abort children reveals a hardened inner core that shocks the conscience. On Monday, the U.S. Senate voted 53-44 to bring the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act to the floor for a vote on…

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Three Senate Republicans Likely to Vote in Favor of Terminating Trump’s National Emergency

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by Henry Rodgers   Three Senate Republicans are expected to vote “yes” for a resolution in an attempt to terminate President Donald Trump’s national emergency for border wall funding. The group of three Republicans expressed their concerns with Trump’s declaration for a national emergency, saying they do not believe the president should be allowed to override Congress to such a degree. In the group are Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine. “As a U.S. senator, I cannot justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress,” Tillis wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “As a conservative, I cannot endorse a precedent that I know future left-wing presidents will exploit to advance radical policies that will erode economic and individual freedoms.” Murkowski said Tuesday she would vote for the resolution, making it clear that the bill will pass the Senate due to support from these Republicans. Collins said Wednesday she supports a lawsuit challenging Trump’s national emergency, adding that she plans to vote for the congressional resolution. Democrats in the House of Representatives introduced the resolution Friday to block Trump’s national emergency that could allow him to build…

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District 10AA Boys Sweeps Region 5 Games

Scott Wallace

For the second consecutive year, the District 10AA boys’ teams swept the four Region 5AA quarterfinals. By virtue of the top seeded Martin Luther King Academy Royals, the second seeded Pearl-Cohn High School Firebirds and lower seeds the East Nashville Magnet Eagle and the Maplewood High School Panthers all winning against their District 9AA opponents, the Region 5AA semi-finals have been moved from Greenbrier High School to Pearl-Cohn High School on Wednesday. At 6pm, the district regular season champion East Nashville will take on district tournament champion MLK in a rematch on the district semi-final which MLK came from a double-digit deficit to win 56-51. The Eagles are coming off an impressive 91-71 road victory over White House High School. After being 25-21 at the end of the first quarter, White House went on a 6=0 run to go up 31-21 at the 7:05 mark of the second quarter. East then went on a 26-4 run in the second and part of the third quarters to take a commanding lead and never looked back. East Nashville vs. White House East Nashville (91) Taras Carter 7-13 5-9 22, Caleb Grimes 5-9 0-1 11, Tre Shaw 2-4 0-0 4, Isaiah Jones 4-4…

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North Carolina Governor’s State of State Address Includes More Spending, Medicaid Expansion, And Climate change

A.P. Dillon

More state spending, an education bond, climate change, and the expansion of Medicaid are some of the highlights from North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper’s annual State of the State address. Gov. Cooper’s speech, which was broadcast on the his Facebook page, started by discussing the devastation Hurricane Florence caused the state and how “resilient” North Carolinians are. “First, we must be determined to help our state recover stronger and smarter than ever,” said Cooper.  He went on to say that his administration is “determined to help North Carolinians recover, and we’re making progress.” But the governor’s words on storm recovery ring a bit hollow. While Cooper did talk at length about Hurricane Florence, once again Hurricane Matthew victims seem to be forgotten. The failings of the Cooper administration’s Hurricane Matthew efforts have even caught the attention of The New York Times, who noted that North Carolina was a “slow spender” when it came to the federal funds allotted for Matthew’s victims.  As recently as last month, more problems arose with a recovery effort contract. Cooper’s speech segued from Hurricane Florence into climate change. “We’ve seen violent weather threaten every corner of our state, and scientists agree climate change is making…

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Christian Family Values Organization Calls for Ohioans to Share Their Displeasure With Sen. Sherrod Brown for Voting Against Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act

Jason M. Reynolds

A Christian pro-family organization is calling for Ohioans to share their displeasure with U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who voted against a bill to protect babies born after a botched abortion. Citizens for Community Values’ website says of the organization, “As Ohio’s Family Policy Council, Citizens for Community Values seeks the good of our neighbors throughout Ohio by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel. We believe in an all-powerful, all-knowing God and His perfect Word for us, the Bible.” Citizens for Community Values issued an action alert Tuesday regarding Brown’s vote against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.The action alert is available here. Ohioans are encouraged to fill out a form to send their complaints to Brown. “Unlike Ohio U.S. Senator Rob Portman who cosponsored and voted to protect these newborns, Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown voted against protecting these newborns,” Citizens for Community Values said in comparing Brown to Portman, a Republican who co-sponsored the act with Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE). Brown took to Twitter to defend his vote as one for women’s healthcare choice and a vote against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Brown tweeted, “Women should have the freedom to make personal,…

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Toledo Ballot Proposition Would Extend Legal Rights of Constitution to Inanimate Body of Water

Anthony Gockowski

Voters in Toledo, Ohio went to the polls Tuesday to decide the fate of a “Lake Erie Bill of Rights” ballot proposition, which would extend the legal rights of the Ohio Constitution to an inanimate object. The referendum is the result of a years-long effort to clean up Lake Erie that begin in 2014 after more than 400,000 Toledo residents were told to stop drinking their tap water. According to Michigan Public Radio, a “bright green mass” called cyanobacteria encircled portions of the lake and produced a toxin known as microcystin, which can cause rashes, liver damage, and vomiting if consumed. If passed, the referendum would likely be struck down in the courts, but its placement on the ballot marks an “unprecedented” development nonetheless, according to University of Toledo law professor Ken Kilbert. “This is pretty unprecedented in the U.S. with respect to providing standing or rights for an inanimate object,” Kilbert told ABC 13. “I think it does have some legal flaws and may well suffer the fate of defeat in the court.” Markie Miller of Toledoans for Safe Water said her group will rework the wording of the document and work to get it replaced on the ballot…

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Mark Harris Announces He Won’t Seek Ninth Congressional Seat In New Election

A.P. Dillon

Republican Mark Harris has announced he will not seek to file his candidacy to enter the North Carolina 9th Congressional District special election. Harris won the race by 905 votes and for all intents and purposes was the Congressman-elect.  But for months, the 9th District race remained uncertified while state election investigators looked into an alleged absentee ballot harvesting operation involving a man hired by the Harris campaign named Mcrae Dowless. In a special statement from his campaign, Harris thanked those who supported him and cited his health as the main reason he would not enter the special election. “After consulting with my physicians, there are several things that my health situation requires as a result of the extremely serious condition that I faced in mid-January. One of those is a necessary surgery that is now scheduled for the last week in March,” wrote Harris in the statement. “Given my health situation, the need to regain full strength, and the timing of this surgery the last week of March, I have decided not to file in the new election for Congressional District 9,” Harris said. The statement went on to say that he would not be granting any interviews and…

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Tina Smith Calls Protections for Newborn Babies ‘Inappropriate Medical Treatment’

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), a former Planned Parenthood executive, is proudly defending her vote against a bill that would protect babies who survive botched abortions. “Colleagues, that’s what this bill does. It would give the politicians in this room the power to make medical decisions for women and their families. This bill intimidates providers and forces physicians to provide inappropriate medical treatment, even when it’s not in the best interest of the patient or her family,” Smith said during a Senate floor debate Monday. Lawmakers shouldn't dictate what doctors can or cannot do to deliver the best medical care for women. We need to continue to trust women & their doctors. I took to the Senate floor today to talk about this, & I will continue to make my voice heard for women in MN and our nation. pic.twitter.com/9bwJYRBoyT — Senator Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) February 25, 2019 She went on to argue that the bill, if passed, would “put doctors in an untenable position” of being forced to decide between following “the law” or their “code of professional ethics.” “Colleagues, let’s get out of the business of dictating medical care for women. Let’s continue to trust women and their doctors,”…

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Heartbeat Bill Passes State House Committee Overwhelmingly With A 15-4 Vote Along Party Lines

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – In front of a standing room only committee room, the House Health Committee passed the Heartbeat Bill by an overwhelming majority of 15 for and 4 against, straight along party lines. The bill, sponsored in the Tennessee House by Representative Micah Van Huss (R-Van Huss) as HB 0077, establishes the viability of a pregnancy when a fetal heartbeat is detected and bans an abortion once the fetal heartbeat is detected. The bill passed through the House Health Subcommittee last week, moving on to the full House Health Committee Tuesday. The hearing of Van Huss’s HB 0077 in the House Health Committee coincided with a previously scheduled Planned Parenthood Day on the Hill, complete with a bus from Knoxville. Pro-life grassroots advocates showed up as well, so that the room appeared to be about equally split, based on outward displays, between those representing two sides of the issue. Despite 14 of the 19 House Health Committee members having signed on to the bill as co-sponsors prior to the meeting, making it fairly obvious the bill would pass, discussion on the bill lasted nearly three-quarters of an hour before a roll call vote was eventually taken. Discussions went back…

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