Day: April 8, 2019

Online Gambling Bill Has Bipartisan Support in Tennessee General Assembly, Little Opposition

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Bipartisan legislation that would legalize online gambling in Tennessee is headed to crucial votes in State House and Senate Committees on Tuesday.  The House sponsor, Rep. Rick Staples (D- Knoxville), has said his proposal to legalize sports gambling for those 21 and older will allow only mobile and interactive wagers, without brick-and-mortar locations for betting. Sen. Steve Dickerson (R-Nashville) is the Senate sponsor. Although it is still considered a “work in progress”, the legislation could produce an extra $15 million a year in additional tax revenue. Despite bipartisan support for the legislation, and little organized opposition, recent sexual harassment allegations against Staples have raised concerns about his role in carrying the bill.  Some legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, have raised moral objections to expanding legalized gambling in Tennessee.  Nevertheless, supporters believe that the limited legalization of online gambling has a good chance of passage if it makes it to floor votes in the Senate and House. Governor Bill Lee expressed opposition to legalized gambling during his campaign.  Recently, however, there are indications that his Administration is working with sponsors of the legislation to limit the gambling options and specify where tax revenue would be directed. and that he could be…

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Commentary: America’s Gun Culture Cultivates Civic Virtue

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by Aaron Tao   Many people are often surprised to learn that I am a gun owner and firm defender of the Second Amendment. After all, I, a first-generation Chinese-American immigrant, do not fit the stereotype of the typical American gun owner. Of all of America’s cherished freedoms, the natural and unalienable right of self-defense, recognized and protected (not granted) by the Second Amendment, took me the longest to fully embrace. But as an open-minded rationalist, the lessons of history and statistical research proved overwhelming (not to mention the sheer fun of learning the basic operations and mechanics of firearms) and eventually helped me understand why tens of millions of my fellow Americans treasure their right to keep and bear arms. Cultivating Civic Virtue From the colonists winning independence from Great Britain to African-Americans vindicating their civil rights, the role of the gun is inseparable from American identity. The gun is the ultimate multipurpose tool that empowers its user with the means to put food on the table, as well as preserve one’s life, whether against common street criminals or government tyranny. The philosophical underpinnings and lived experiences that shaped American gun culture all matter (and reinforce each other), but I want to focus on one aspect in particular: the cultivation of civic virtue. Owning and shooting a gun…

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Mick Mulvaney: Democrats Will ‘Never’ See President Trump’s Tax Returns

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by Henry Rogers   Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said Democrats in Congress will “never” succeed in obtaining President Donald Trump’s tax returns. Mulvaney mentioned in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” how Democrats are demanding the IRS to hand over Trump’s tax returns. “Democrats are demanding that the IRS turn over the documents. That is not going to happen, and they know it. This is a political stunt,” Mulvaney said. House Democrats said in early March they will be demanding Trump to release his tax returns, ramping up their investigations into the president. “We’re almost ready to go,” Democratic New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell told Politico in March when asked about Trump’s tax returns. Democrats have been pushing for the release of Trump’s tax returns since he announced his candidacy for president. This all comes as House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, a New York Democrat, requested a number of documents from the White House and is sending letters seeking information from people and organizations close to Trump. – – – Henry Rogers is a reporter at Daily Caller News Foundation. Follow Henry Rodgers On Twitter.                         Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation…

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Jordan Peterson Unpacks What Drives the Left and How to Restore Meaning

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by Jarret Stepman   President Donald Trump exclaimed in his State of the Union address that America would “never” be a socialist country. Yet multiple polls suggest that many Americans, especially younger ones, embrace left-wing ideology in increasing numbers, as more politicians have openly embraced the term. Despite ample evidence that socialism has failed to bring prosperity and has actually inflicted widespread misery, why does it resonate? And what can be done to stop its spread? Jordan Peterson took on those questions at a New York City event on Tuesday hosted by The Heritage Foundation. The Canadian clinical psychologist and author of “12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos” said the West is undergoing a crisis of spirit and meaning, not poverty. [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] Peterson explained why he thinks socialism resonates with younger Americans in particular. “People are unbelievably ignorant of history,” he said, admitting that even he has gaps in knowledge about history before the 20th century. But young people are working with even less knowledge, Peterson said. “What young people know about 20th-century history is nonexistent, especially about…

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Conservatives Call for Tech Giants to Split Ties with SPLC

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by Jarrett Stepman   Silicon Valley has enormous power over the flow of information that reaches people around the globe. That’s why it’s vital for Americans to understand how tech giants can manipulate information, either intentionally or unwittingly, to advance a political agenda. Now, 34 conservative leaders are banding together to call for tech giants Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, and Google to “cut ties” with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The letter states in part, “It is now clear that the SPLC has proven to be a hate-filled, anti-Christian, anti-conservative organization and nothing more than a weapon of the radical Left, whose goal is to bully people into compliance with their ideology.” [ The liberal Left continue to push their radical agenda against American values. The good news is there is a solution. Find out more ] As we’ve discussed on previous episodes of “Media Misses,” the SPLC is a far-left civil rights organization that has made wild claims about conservative organizations over the years, lumping them in with hate groups like neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. It has come under scrutiny after its founder, Morris Dees, resigned over accusations of discrimination and improper behavior. The issue has garnered the attention of those in Congress as…

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REVIEW: ‘Unplanned’ and the Effective Arsenal of Life

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by Adam Mill   One thing you can say about “Unplanned” is that it is ambitious. The film tops “Gosnell” in forcing the audience to confront the true nature of a legal abortion in a sanctioned clinic. Even given the advanced medical equipment and sterile conditions, the true nature of an abortion horrifies. But that isn’t the point of the movie. Although it’s hard to imagine anyone short of a hardcore zealot making it through the entire film with his pro-choice beliefs intact, the intended audience of “Unplanned” does not appear to be the pro-choice crowd. The movie seems more to be directed at turning existing pro-life opinion into effective action. The film’s critical scene depicts the contrast between two kinds of pro-life responses. On one side are grandstanding protesters screaming at women as they walk into a clinic. As the demonstrators bombard these pregnant women with accusations of promiscuity and murder, this moves moves the sympathy needle toward the volunteers protecting their patients as they scurry into the clinic. A contrasting group of protesters employ the tools Jesus taught: Love, forgiveness, understanding, and prayer. They calmly entreat the abortion-seeking women just to talk to them, tell them their story. They offer…

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After Hurricane Michael’s Devastation, Help Is Still Needed in Panama City, Florida

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Hurricane Michael made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Oct. 10, 2018, as a high-ended Category 4 Hurricane, causing catastrophic damage to the Panama City, Mexico Beach and Cape San Blas areas. Since that time, the news cycles have moved onto other events and the people in the Panhandle have felt forgotten. In an article by the AP’s Mike Schneider, homeless numbers in Panama City area are up around 7,800 according to local officials. The homeless number includes at least 4,700 homeless students. This area is still in need of assistance, and many different organizations have been in the area helping in this disaster response, to include Samaritan’s Purse, Mercy Chefs, and many more. Along with outside organizations helping those affected by the storm, there have been local churches that have stepped in to help their neighbors. Most of the local churches sustained damage to their structures, but they are making the most out of what they have. One such church is the Springfield Community Church. The church sustained heavy damage to their fellowship hall and youth chapel, and in the days and weeks following the hurricane landfall they pulled together to feed local residents. Every Thursday and Friday vehicles…

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President Trump Accepts DHS Chief Kirstjen Nielsen’s Resignation, Names Kevin McAleenan as Replacement

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by Chuck Ross   President Donald Trump announced Sunday that Kirstjen Nielsen is resigning as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, bringing an end to an at-times rocky relationship between the two. Trump said on Twitter that Kevin McAleenan, the current commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will take over as acting homeland security secretary. The announcement came shortly after Nielsen met with Trump privately at the White House to discuss her future. Trump and Nielsen have battled behind the scenes over the administration’s immigration policy and efforts to build a wall on the southern border. That tension reached its breaking point in the days after Trump abruptly pulled the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to head U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2019 ….I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2019   Trump said he wanted to go with someone “tougher”…

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Tuberville Announces Bid for Democrat Jones’ U.S. Senate Seat in Alabama

Jason M. Reynolds

Storied former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville has come up with a new game plan – running for the U.S. Senate in Alabama to keep America great. Tuberville will run as a Republican against incumbent Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), CBS Sports said. Jones won Jeff Sessions’ old seat by half a percentage point in a bitterly contested special election in 2017 after Sessions became U.S. attorney general. The Republican primary is March 3, 2020. The general election is Nov. 3, 2020. Auburn’s coach had once thought of running for Alabama governor in 2017, CBS Sports said. Sean Spicer, a former press secretary for President Donald Trump, is with Tuberville’s campaign. Tuberville tweeted on Saturday, “After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP candidate for US Senate. I invite you to join my team. http://www.tommyforsenate.com  #TeamTommy #ALSen #MAGA”. After more than a year of listening to Alabama’s citizens, I have heard your concerns and hopes for a better tomorrow. I am humbled to announce the next step — I will be a @GOP…

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Wendy Davis Is ‘Very Seriously’ Considering a Congressional Run Against Chip Roy

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by Molly Prince   Failed Democratic Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis revealed Friday that she will likely make a decision “in the next month or so” whether she will launch a bid to unseat Republican Texas Rep. Chip Roy in 2020. “I’m looking very seriously at [running for] Congressional District 21,” Davis announced while on “The Rabble” podcast. “I live in that district now and we came very close to winning it in 2018.” Roy defeated his Democratic challenger Joseph Kopser by nearly 3 points, replacing Republican Rep. Lamar Smith, who stepped down after 16 terms — the race was seen as a second-tier battleground. “Joseph Kopser gave a valiant effort and [Democrats] came very, very close. The question is, can we do it for 2020?” Davis continued, noting Texas is not a red state but rather a “non-voting blue state” Davis gained national attention in 2013 after she held a 13-hour-long filibuster to block Texas Senate Bill 5, which would ban abortions after 20 weeks. She subsequently ran for governor in 2014, but was handily defeated by Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. During the podcast, Davis contended she believes there needs to be more women in politics, but not Republican women. “We don’t just…

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Audit: Former Gibson Police Chief Disobeyed Tennessee Law on Seized Vehicles

Chris Butler

Gibson’s former police chief did not follow state law when it came to seized vehicles, and he may not have worked the hours he said he worked, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released Friday. The former chief, unnamed in the audit, did not make sure members of his department followed state law as they seized other people’s vehicles, auditors wrote. They failed to obtain a forfeiture warrant and failed to list the legal and factual basis that made the vehicle subject to forfeiture, signed by a judge. They also failed to file seizure forms with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security and negotiate and enter settlement agreements for the return of the vehicles to the owners, according to the audit. Failure to follow state law, auditors went on to say, could expose the town to various fines and fees. Auditors also scolded town officials for failing to property return, dispose of, or monitor storage costs of certain impounded vehicles at a private storage lot, which “incurred a substantial bill for storage fees.” Auditors also said the former police chief may not have worked the hours he reported on his time cards. “His signed time cards indicated he was…

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Commentary: Brutal ‘Coyotes’ Are Slave-Trading Criminals

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by Pedro Gonsalez   Migrant women are so likely to be raped by people smugglers (coyotes) on the way to the U.S.-Mexico border that standard procedure is to ingest birth-control before starting the trek. So common is the brutalization of women by coyotes that in smuggling towns along the way pharmacists are at the ready. In one case a woman with a young daughter was left to die in the desert on the way to the U.S. border by coyotes. The reason? She refused to let them have sex with her daughter. The two of them only survived because Customs and Border Patrol agents found them in time. But there are fates worse than death. It is just as easy for coyotes to sell off their human cargo into what essentially amounts to modern-day slavery. In Ohio, for example, four illegal alien minors were found being forced to work on farms under threat of physical violence and without pay – that is, slavery. They were trafficked illegally into the United States from Guatemala. The victimizers of those Guatemalan children were named as follows: Aroldo Castillo-Serrano, Conrado Salgado Soto, Ana Angelica Pedro, Juan Pablo Duran Jr. Not exactly names common to the Midwest. Elsewhere, a 6-year-old illegal alien…

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Despite Further Talks, No US-China Deal Yet

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President Trump and the vice premier of China confirmed on Thursday that while significant progress has been made, there is no new trade agreement yet between the world’s two largest economies. “We’re certainly getting a lot closer,” Trump said sitting at his desk in the Oval Office with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He alongside him. Announcement of a deal could come in “the next four weeks, maybe less, maybe more” and at that time, something “monumental could be announced,” he said, adding, “We are rounding the turn. We’ve made a lot of progress.” Liu, speaking in English, praised the direct guidance of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding: “Hopefully, we’ll get a good result.” Trump said if a deal can be reached, then he will hold a summit with Xi. “If we have a deal, there will be a summit,” he said. “I look forward to seeing President Xi. It’ll be here.” Intellectual property protection, as well as certain tariffs remain under discussion, Trump confirmed. “Some of the toughest things have been agreed to,” he added. Asked to make a comment by the president about the status of the negotiations, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was more cautious, replying,…

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Keith Ellison Joins Another Multi-State Effort to Protect Abortion Access

Anthony Gockowski

Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined 20 fellow attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of a Kentucky abortion provider. EMW Women’s Surgical Center is Kentucky’s only licensed abortion facility, but in 2017 the state’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services informed the clinic that it had violated state law and its license was incorrectly renewed. The abortion provider was later informed that its transfer agreements with a hospital and ambulance company were “deficient,” but the District Court for the Western District of Kentucky found that these agreements imposed an undue burden on women seeking abortions. Last month, Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services appealed the lower court’s decision in federal court. Since EMW Women’s Surgical Center is currently the state’s only abortion provider, women seeking abortions would have to travel to a neighboring state. Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed an amicus brief in support of the Kentucky abortion clinic, and was later joined by 20 fellow attorneys general, including Ellison. According to a press release from Ellison’s office, the brief argues that “the availability of abortion services in neighboring states does not excuse a state from the Constitution’s prohibition on unduly burdening a woman’s ability…

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Rep. Devin Nunes to Make Criminal Referrals to DOJ for ‘Conspiracy’ and Leaking Classified Information

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by Chuck Ross   California Rep. Devin Nunes said Sunday he plans to submit eight criminal referrals to the Justice Department this week related to the Obama administration’s handling of the Trump-Russia investigation. Nunes said on Fox’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that the referrals will be made for alleged leaks of classified information to the media, for manipulating intelligence and for misleading foreign intelligence surveillance court judges regarding the infamous Steele dossier. Nunes declined to identify the Obama officials who will be subject to the referrals. He said that five of the referrals name specific government officials he believes have lied to Congress, misled Congress or leaked classified information. “We believe there is a conspiracy to lie to the FISA [Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act] court, mislead the FISA court, by numerous individuals that all need to be investigated and looked at,” said Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. “The second conspiracy one is involving manipulation of intelligence,” said Nunes, adding that “we’ve had a lot of concerns with the way intelligence was used.” Nunes is also making what he calls a “global leak referral.” “There are about a dozen highly sensitive, classified information leaks that were given to…

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Former Sen. Hassan Aide Stole Gigabytes Of ‘High Value’ Data

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by Luke Rosiak   A former IT aide to New Hampshire Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan mounted an “extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme” against the office, the culprit’s plea agreement states. The plot included the installation of tiny “keylogging” devices that picked up every keystroke. Between July and October 2018, former IT aide Jackson Cosko worked with an unnamed accomplice, a then-current Hassan employee, who repeatedly lent him a key that he used to enter the office at night and who allegedly tried to destroy evidence for him. Cosko accepted responsibility for the events revealed by federal prosecutors in court Friday. A statement of facts that Cosko agreed to says that from July to October 2018, he “engaged in an extraordinarily extensive data-theft scheme, copying entire network drives, sorting and organizing sensitive data, and exploring ways to use that data to his benefit,” arranging it into folders such as “high value.” “The defendant gained access to Senator Hassan’s Office by unlawfully obtaining keys from a staffer who was (at the time) still employed in the Office” and using it to repeatedly burglarize the office. He placed small, unobtrusive devices on at least six Senate computers that captured every keystroke, including usernames and…

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Jury Convicts Comprehensive Pain Specialists’ John Davis in $4M Medicare Kickback Scheme

Jason M. Reynolds

A federal jury in Nashville found the former CEO of a closed Tennessee pain management company guilty for his alleged role in a $4 million Medicare claim kickback scheme, U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee said in a press release. John Davis, 41, of Franklin, the former CEO of Comprehensive Pain Specialists (CPS) of Gallatin, was convicted of all counts including one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, and seven counts of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute, Cochran said. The scheme involved approximately $4 million in tainted durable medical equipment (DME) claims to Medicare. Meanwhile, Davis’ sentencing will be scheduled for later this year before U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell Jr., who presided over the trial, Cochran said. According to evidence presented at trial, Davis abused his position as CEO to arrange for referrals of Medicare DME orders to his co-conspirator Brenda Montgomery and her company, CCC Medical, in Camden, Cochran said. Evidence showed that Davis operated a shell company called ProMed Solutions (ProMed), which he had registered in the name of his wife. Despite having no involvement with ProMed and performing no work, Davis’ wife and ProMed received more…

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