Day: April 17, 2019

Tennessee Star Poll: Opposition to Heartbeat Bill May Be Career-Ending Vote for State Senate Republicans

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As State Senators prepare to cast a vote on whether to bring the Heartbeat Bill (SB1236) to the Senate floor under a Rule 63 motion, and whether to support it in a final vote, a new Tennessee Star poll may bring clarity to the issue. The Triton Polling survey was conducted over four days (April 13-16) and polled 1003 likely Republican Party primary voters statewide. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent. The poll asked: The Tennessee Legislature recently failed to pass legislation called the Heartbeat Bill that would have provided legal protection for unborn babies once a heartbeat is detected, normally 6-8 weeks into pregnancy, and severely limited the opportunity for an abortion after that point. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who opposed or failed to support the Heartbeat Bill? 21.2 percent of responders said they would be MORE likely to support a candidate who OPPOSED the Heartbeat Bill; 65.5 percent would be LESS likely to support a candidate who OPPOSED the Heartbeat Bill; 5 percent said it would make no difference and 8.2 percent were not sure or didn’t know how it might impact their vote. The House version…

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Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney May Soon Depart for New Job in Atlanta

Chris Butler

Williamson County Schools Superintendent Mike Looney may soon vacate his position and relocate to Atlanta. Officials with the Fulton County School System said on their official website Wednesday that Looney is their top finalist for their open superintendent job. Looney was in Atlanta Wednesday morning, about 12 hours after he oversaw a Williamson County Board meeting Tuesday night. According to The Williamson Herald, decision day is only a few weeks away. “Vying as the Fulton County School District’s top finalist, Looney could be soon exiting the position he’s held in WCS for just over 10 years if he chooses to officially accept the position May 2 at the competing district’s school board meeting,” the paper reported. Williamson County School Board Chair Gary Anderson told The Herald he and his colleagues could soon hire an interim superintendent, if Looney takes the Atlanta job. According to a statement on the Fulton County Schools’ website, board members have searched nationwide for a new superintendent since December. “As prescribed by Georgia law, the school board must give a minimum of 14 days for public input on a finalist for the position of Superintendent,” the press release said. “To ensure Dr. Looney has the opportunity to…

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BREAKING on The Tennessee Star Report: State Senator Pody Vows to Bring Heartbeat Bill Back for a Floor Vote, Either Through Committee or Rule 63

Julie Carr

State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) vowed on Wednesday 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 – to bring the Heartbeat Bill back for a floor vote in the Tennessee General Assembly this session, either through the exercise of Rule 63 or through a recall to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which sent the bill to summer study in a 5 to 3 vote (with one “pass” vote) last week. Here is the transcript from the show: Gill: Will the Heartbeat Bill be allowed to come up for a vote in the State Senate? They’ve killed it in committee by “putting it in summer study.” That effectively kills the Heartbeat Bill. That was the intent. It passed overwhelmingly in the House. And if you go to the Tennessee Star.com you can see results of our new Tennessee Star Triton Poll. Over a thousand Republican likely voters. And it tells you something about where Republican primary voters see Bill Haslam, Marsha Blackburn, Bill Lee, Lamar Alexander. It also tells you how Republican primary voters view the Heartbeat Bill. They like it, they love…

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Tennessee Star Poll: Bill Haslam Lags Far Behind Trump, Blackburn and Lee Among Likely Republican Primary Voters in Approval Rating

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A new Tennessee Star poll reveals that President Donald Trump is retaining his consistently sky-high approval ratings among likely Republican Primary voter (87.7 percent), with Governor Bill Lee (73.5 percent) and Senator Marsha Blackburn (76.1 percent) also enjoying extremely strong support. However, former Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam is slightly below 50 percent at 49.1 percent approval with Republicans and lame-duck Senator Lamar Alexander is underwater with an approval-disapproval rating of 31.4 to 46.9 percent, similar to but not nearly as bad as the low approval ratings recorded by former Senator Bob Corker before he chose to not seek reelection. Nevertheless, Alexander’s numbers have declined from his 37.3 percent approval to 38.1 percent disapproval recorded among likely Republican primary voters in a poll conducted by the Tennessee Star last June. Since announcing he would not seek reelection, Alexander has broken with President Trump on a couple of key votes, including a vote against emergency funding for a southern border wall. The new Triton Polling survey was conducted over four days (April 13-16) and polled 1003 likely Republican Party primary voters statewide. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent. Haslam and Alexander’s current approval numbers closely mirror the results of…

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Commentary: Wikileaks or the Washington Post?

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by Julie Kelly   The imbroglio du jour of the political class is the question of whether Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder arrested last week in London, is a hero or a villain. Is he a journalist entitled to special treatment or a criminal deserving punishment? And if pursuing then publishing classified materials is a federal offense, what kind of consequences should American journalists face for reporting classified information? Especially when the illicit information is intended not to warn the public of a legitimate threat posed by their government but for partisan political purposes—specifically, to advance the bogus Trump-Russia collusion hoax? Assange has been charged in a federal district court in Virginia with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion for allegedly working with former U.S. Army security analyst Chelsea Manning to access and post a massive trove of stolen classified documents. “The primary purpose of the conspiracy was to facilitate Manning’s acquisition and transmission of classified information,” the indictment read. “Assange was knowingly receiving such classified records from Manning for the purpose of publicly disclosing them on the WikiLeaks website.” Some of Assange’s detractors insist his alleged attempt to steal classified information, and not the act of posting the illicit documents,…

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Tim Ryan Blames Trump for Migrant Crisis, Calls the President ‘Lazy’

Andrew Shirley

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), now a 2020 presidential hopeful, placed the fault for the current migrant crisis squarely on the shoulders of President Donald Trump Sunday, stating that “the president has caused it” by being “lazy.” The nine-term congressman made the statement during a wide-ranging interview with Kasie Hunt on MSNBC. Hunt asked specifically if there was a migrant “crisis” on the border, and Ryan replied by stating: It is [a crisis], and I think that the president has caused it, to be quite honest with you. He has failed to address the issues in Central America. Quite frankly, the president is lazy. He doesn’t read his presidential daily briefing. He ignored this problem. We want presidents to deal with the root of problems. Central America is a mess, and we are doing nothing to stabilize that region. Other Democratic legislators have been hesitant to label the current issues at the Mexico-U.S. border a “crisis,” opting instead to call it a “challenge.” "Quite frankly the president is lazy"@TimRyan says the president helped cause the humanitarian crisis at the border with Mexico. pic.twitter.com/nT95qXxho7 — Way Too Early with Jonathan Lemire (@WayTooEarly) April 15, 2019 Ryan went on to state that issues such as…

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Most US Democratic Presidential Hopefuls Still Relying on Large Campaign Donations

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As U.S. Democrats emphasize building their 2020 presidential campaigns on grass-roots support, fewer than half amassed at least 50 percent of their early financial support from small-dollar donations, a Reuters analysis found. Candidates seeking the White House filed their first-quarter fundraising totals Monday, revealing that many are still relying on checks exceeding $200. Of the 15 Democrats who launched campaigns before April 1, only six of 15 amassed half their hauls from small-dollar donations. And many candidates are still leaning on donors in their home states for larger checks. Nine Democratic candidates received the bulk of their contributions of $200 or more from their home states, the Reuters analysis found. Early fundraising prowess can signal the strength of a candidate’s campaign. Raising small checks from more donors can act as a test of popular support. Building a broad donor base that stretches beyond a candidate’s home state is evidence of gaining traction. Many Democrats have touted their support among so-called “small dollar” donors, those who give less than $200. But only six — U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Congressman Beto O’Rourke, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard, and Andrew Yang, a…

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Commentary: The Real Reason Democrats Went Nuts Over AG Barr’s Testimony

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by George Ralsey   Democrats and their allies in the Leftwing media went nuts after Attorney General William Barr testified that the government did indeed spy on the Trump campaign. “I think spying did occur,” Barr said during an explosive hearing before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. “The question is whether it was adequately predicated. …Spying on a political campaign is a big deal.” Barr later clarified in the hearing: “I am not saying that improper surveillance occurred; I’m saying that I am concerned about it and looking into it, that’s all,” reported Gregg Re and Brooke Singman of Fox News. These reactions, cited by James S. Robbins in an opinion column for USA Today, are exemplary of the Democrats’ panicked effort to quash any investigation by the Attorney General: Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, took immediate issue with Barr’s word choice, saying “the word ‘spying’ could cause everybody in the cable news ecosystem to freak out.” NBC News’ Chuck Todd said this was a “conspiracy theory” for which there was “zero factual basis.” Furious Democrats on Capitol Hill denounced Barr for even raising the issue. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, (D-NY), tweeted that Barr should “retract his statement immediately…

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Report: Trump Making Immigration Move After Favorable Ruling from 9th Circuit

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by Grace Carr   The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to return asylum seekers to Mexico while they await immigration hearings following a temporary lift on an injunction barring the administration from action. Staff at the office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are preparing to enforce President Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy, which returns asylum seekers to Mexico while they await a hearing. USCIS officials told staffers to ready themselves for enforcement of the policy, according to emails obtained by the Los Angeles Times. The “Remain in Mexico” policy is intended to help immigration officials who face a growing crisis at the border. The policy has likely contributed to growing numbers of immigrants trying to cross the border illegally rather than through ports of entry, according to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The move comes after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in California temporarily lifted an injunction preventing the administration from enforcing the policy. The temporary lift followed San Francisco Judge Richard Seeborg’s April 8 order for the administration to halt the deportation of asylum seekers, according to The Associated Press. An internal memo referenced the 9th Circuit’s decision “that granted the government’s emergency…

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RNC to Spend Six Figures Attacking Democrats for Immigration Proposals

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by Henry Rodgers   The Republican National Committee (RNC) will spend six figures on advertisements criticizing Democrats for their proposals on how to fix the immigration system, according to internal information obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The advertisements will point out Democrats’ refusal to work with President Donald Trump to secure the U.S. border and point out their positions on immigration, including open borders and sanctuary cities. The ad buy is directed at states Trump won in 2016 and focuses on districts where there is an opportunity for pick-up seats. This initial ad buy is the first of many for the cycle and includes a refined list of Democrats the committee hopes to expand upon as the November 2020 elections get closer. It will reach voters in 15 Democrat-held congressional districts, all of which are on the NRCC’s target list, with important presidential states such as Iowa, Michigan and Virginia. The blitz will feature 83 versions of the ad across various platforms, including Facebook and Google. RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the committee is doing this to call out Democrats for their positions on illegal immigration. “While Democrats continue to put American lives at risk by refusing to…

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Bernie Sanders Donated Less Than One Percent to Charity First Year He Made Over One Million Dollars

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by Andrew Kerr   Vermont Sen. and 2020 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders’s charitable contributions fell far under the average for his income bracket the first year he reported earning more than one million dollars. Sanders released 10 years of tax returns Monday, revealing that he earned an average of $280,975 per year from 2009 through 2015, and that his income skyrocketed to $1,062,626 in 2016 due to sales of his best-selling book, “Our Revolution.” Sanders reported $10,600 in charitable contributions in 2016, making up slightly less than one percent of his reported income and falling under the $21,365 average charitable contribution for Americans who earned $250,000 or more that year, according to the latest available IRS data. The self-avowed Democratic-socialist purchased his third home in 2016 — a $575,000 lake-front property in Vermont, according to Fox News. The following year, Sanders donated $36,300 of his adjusted gross income of $1,131,925 to charity.   Year Adjusted Gross Income Charitable Gifts Percent to Charity 2018 $561,293 $18,950 3.38% 2017 $1,131,925 $36,300 3.21% 2016 $1,062,626 $10,600 1.00% 2015 $240,610 $6,150 2.56% 2014 $205,271 $8,350 4.07% 2013 $278,779 $6,800 2.44% 2012 $280,954 $1,900 0.68% 2011 $324,870 $5,500 1.69% 2010 $321,596 $5,750 1.79% 2009 $314,742…

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Ex-Massachusetts Governor Weld to Seek 2020 Republican Presidential Nomination

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Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld announced his candidacy on Monday to challenge President Donald Trump for the 2020 Republican presidential nomination. Weld, 73, who served two terms as governor, from 1991-1997, enters as a long-shot candidate against an incumbent president who has remained popular within his party. Weld in February had said that he planned to challenge Trump. “I really think if we have six more years of the same stuff we’ve had out of the White House the last two years that would be a political tragedy,” he said on CNN. “So I would be ashamed of myself if I didn’t raise my hand and run.” Weld’s challenge marks the first against Trump by a member of his own party. Other Republicans have publicly flirted with their own challenges, including former Ohio Governor John Kasich, one of the many Republican candidates whom Trump defeated for the party’s presidential nomination in 2016. But Republican leaders have signaled little tolerance for intra-party fights as Trump gears up for a potentially challenging bid for a second term. “Any effort to challenge the president’s nomination is bound to go absolutely nowhere,” the Republican National Committee said in statement responding to Weld’s announcement, noting…

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Tennessee Pastors Network Urges Senators to Vote to Bring Heartbeat Bill to the Floor

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Pastor Dale Walker, President of the Tennessee Pastors Network , is urging members of the Tennessee State Senate to support Senator Mark Pody’s efforts to bring his Heartbeat Bill (SB1236) to a vote in the full Senate. The House version of the Heartbeat Bill, HB 0077, passed the full House on March 7 by an overwhelming vote of 65 Ayes 21 Nays and 7 Present Not Voting. The Senate version was sent to Summer Study by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is where bills Leadership wants to kill are sent to languish. Senator Pody is relying on Senate Rule 63 to seek to immediately bring the bill directly to the full Senate for a vote. “Senators are faced with a clear choice to either support or not support unborn life with their vote on the Rule 63 motion,” Walker noted. “A vote against bringing this bill to the Senate for an up or down vote is a vote to kill it and is a vote for virtually unrestricted abortions to continue in Tennessee. A vote for the bill to proceed — and a vote for it in the Senate — is the only actual pro-Life position.” “It’s outrageous that some…

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Pelosi Says Democrats Don’t Have a ‘Taint’ Of Anti-Semitism

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by Henry Rodgers   House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the Democratic Party does not have a “taint” of anti-Semitism within the party, adding that President Donald Trump is wrong to make such accusations. “We have no taint of that in the Democratic Party, and just because they want to accuse somebody of that doesn’t mean … that we take that bait,” Pelosi said Tuesday an interview with CNN in Dublin, Ireland. Pelosi’s comments come as Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar is under fire for reportedly making multiple anti-Semitic comments. Omar also recently described the 9/11 terror attacks as “Some People Did Something.” Pelosi said she still hasn’t spoken to Omar about the comment. “I haven’t had a chance to speak with her. I’m traveling, she’s traveling. But we couldn’t catch up with her. Until I talk to somebody, I don’t even know what was said,” Pelosi said. “But I do know what the President did was not right.” Omar has also received criticism for a tweet she sent in 2012 that stated “Israel has hypnotized the world.” Omar said in January she was unaware of the anti-Semitic connotations associated with the word “hypnotized” in relation to Jewish people. She was…

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Ilhan Omar Raises Massive Donations Despite Anti-Semitic Controversies

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar raised nearly $1 million for her 2020 re-election campaign despite repeatedly receiving backlash for anti-Semitic and anti-America comments. Omar raised $832,000 in the three months since being sworn into congressional office, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) report filed Monday. The massive fundraising haul puts her among the top-earning House Democrats. Omar’s time in congressional office has been embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism. She has defended her anti-Israel statements, such as ones invoking Allah to expose Israel’s “evil doings,” and she is on record suggesting Israel is not a democracy. She also gave an interview to a host that referred to Israel as the “Jewish ISIS” and mocked how Americans speak about al-Qaeda and Hezbollah. The Minnesota congresswoman has also faced criticism from both sides of the aisle for espousing ages-old anti-Semitic canards while in office, such as accusing Jews of having a dual loyalty to the U.S. and Israel and that American support for Israel is bought by the pro-Israel lobby. The House of Representatives passed an anti-hate resolution that was intended as a reprimand for Omar’s anti-Semitic comments. The financial disclosures show that while the Minnesota congresswoman received…

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Sens. Blackburn, Tester Work to Keep VA on Target in $16B Electronic Health Record Modernization

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Jon Tester (D-MT) are fighting to keep the VA on target and transparent on its roll-out of the new $16 billion commercial electronic health record system for 9 million veterans. Blackburn and Tester introduced the VA Electronic Health Record Advisory Committee Act to establish a third-party oversight committee to monitor the implementation of the record system, Blackburn said in a press release Tuesday. The VA is undertaking a decade-long transition to bring veterans’ health records into the 21st century by ensuring that they can have access to a seamless electronic health record across the VA and Department of Defense health systems. https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/EHR-ACT.pdf “A crucial part of giving our veterans better care is improving the way DOD and the VA organize their health records,” Blackburn said. “The EHR Advisory Committee will be entirely devoted to ensuring the implementation and transition is done as smoothly as possible. Comprised of professionals who have experience in the health care field, as well as veterans currently receiving care at the VA, this committee will have the knowledge and expertise to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the VA’s services.” Tester said, “The new electronic health record system is too…

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Angel Mother Who Lost Her Only Son Tells Gavin Newsom to Start Protecting His People

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by Nick Givas   Agnes Gibboney, whose only son was killed by an illegal immigrant, called on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California to start protecting his people from the dangers of illegal immigration. Gibboney appeared on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday to discuss Newsom’s proposal to invest in El Salvador as a way of curbing the immigration crisis. “California has a lot of issues. We have the worst quality of life, inflation is really high. Taxes. We have the worst schools, the worst roads,” she said “[Newsom] ought to focus on economic growth in California. Stop giving health care to illegal aliens and free tuition, where our children have to pay full price. This is outrage. He ought to be focusing on what’s happening in our state not another country. It’s not his job to be doing that.” Gibboney’s son, Ronald Da Silva, was shot and killed back in April of 2002 in El Monte by illegal immigrant gang member Luis Gonzales, according to CBS Los Angeles. She said she doesn’t trust California’s state government and claimed it’s more interested in protecting illegal immigrants than American citizens. “I have no respect for the California government because they let me down.…

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Tennessee Ranks High in Economic Outlook, New Study Says

Chris Butler

Tennessee ranks seventh out of 50 states in economic outlook, according to the 2019 edition of Rich States, Poor States, released this week. That’s an improvement over how Tennessee ranked in 2018 (No. 12) and especially five years ago, in 2014 (No. 19), according to the book. A No. 1 ranking is the best and a ranking of 50 is the worst. In 2017, however, Tennessee ranked fifth out of the 50 states for economic outlook. The prior year Tennessee legislators phased out the Hall Income Tax over six years of scheduled reductions. The Arlington, Va.-based American Legislative Exchange Council published the book, written by Jonathan Williams, Art Laffer, and Stephen Moore. The authors say they base a state’s economic outlook ranking on a state’s current standing in 15 state policy variables. “Each of these factors is influenced directly by state lawmakers through the legislative process,” they wrote. “Generally speaking, states that spend less — especially on income transfer programs — and states that tax less — particularly on productive activities such as working or investing — experience higher growth rates than states that tax and spend more.” Variables authors considered included, among other things, property tax burdens, estate and…

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Potential Consequences of Spying on the Trump Campaign

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by Fred Lucas   Actions by Justice Department officials in spying on a Donald Trump campaign adviser in 2016 could be a crime or merely an administrative offense, legal experts say. Crimes could include perjury or misleading a court, they say, while disciplinary action for an administrative offense could mean being fired or losing a law license. Testifying last week before two separate congressional panels, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General report about the surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page will be released in May or June. Barr also indicated that he planned a further review of government “spying” on the Trump campaign. Actions by Justice Department officials in spying on a Donald Trump campaign adviser in 2016 could be a crime or merely an administrative offense, legal experts say. Crimes could include perjury or misleading a court, they say, while disciplinary action for an administrative offense could mean being fired or losing a law license. Testifying last week before two separate congressional panels, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General report about the surveillance of Trump campaign aide Carter Page will be released in May or June.…

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After Failing and Then Being Recalled, Post Roe v. Wade Abortion Banning Bill Passes House Committee

Laura Baigert

A bill that would ban abortions in the event Roe v. Wade is overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court passed out of the House Health Committee where it was recalled to after failing in a House Subcommittee. The proposed legislation, officially named the Human Life Protection Act, has been dubbed as the “trigger bill,” because its enactment would be effective upon an outside action. The two potential outside actions are the overturning, in whole or in part, of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision or an amendment to the U.S. Constitution returning the ability to regulate abortion to the states. The bill is sponsored in the House by Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) and Senator Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville) in the Senate as HB 1029 and SB 1257, respectively. After hearing testimony from the House legal counsel on the constitutionality of the bill in the House Public Health Subcommittee, the measure failed by a vote of 3 Ayes to 4 Noes on March 27. Meanwhile, the Senate version passed that body’s Judiciary Committee on April 9, at the same meeting that the Heartbeat Bill was later essentially defeated by being sent to summer study, by a vote of 7…

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Notre Dame Is Still Standing, But Not for Much Longer Unless It’s ‘Stabilized,’ Expert Says

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by Tim Pearce and Joshua Gill   The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is still standing after suffering extensive damage from a fire that consumed its roof Monday, but the building’s main structure is still in danger, according to one expert. “It’s wonderful that what has survived, survived,” professional architect and professor James McCrery told The Daily Caller News Foundation. But “it’s vital that the building is stabilized.” McCrery has designed cathedrals in the United States and is the director of traditional and classical architectural studies at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Medieval cathedrals such as Notre Dame are constructed so that the entire structure supports itself through a system of vaulted ceilings, flying buttresses and other architectural pressures. The solid construction might keep the building standing for hundreds of years, but if one part suffers damage, the rest of the structure could be compromised until it fails completely. The fire began in the middle of Notre Dame’s roof around the church’s iconic spire. The roof, covered in sheets of lead and supported by centuries-old wooden trusses, provided the “perfect environment for the rapid spread of a very violent flame,” McCrery said. French officials say the cathedral appears…

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No More ‘White Privilege’ Training, Parents Tell Williamson County School Board

Chris Butler

At a brief and sparsely-attended Williamson County School Board meeting Tuesday, Franklin resident Brandi McCutchan told members of the Williamson County School System that she wants no more “white privilege” training. McCutchan made these remarks during a public comment portion of the meeting. McCutchan cited emails The Tennessee Star obtained and published through an open records request in which county school employees advocated for social change and social justice. “I am here to say that we are not (for it), and we are adamantly opposed to these trainings in our schools and this white privilege train of thought. Concerned parents would like some insight on how these videos came about,” McCutchan said. The “white privilege” training videos, as part of a Cultural Competency video series, showcased local teachers buying into the idea of “white privilege.” “We want to make sure that this training is entirely out of our school system with no plans for implantation,” McCutchan said. “Our parents need assurance our kids are being taught and not indoctrinated.” Meanwhile, during the same public comment portion, Franklin resident Edina Nelson said the curriculum “made her stomach turn.” Nelson invited members of the audience join the Facebook page WCS TN Parents…

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Ohio Man Gets Five Years for Intent to Distribute Enough Carfentanil to Kill 700 People

Anthony Gockowski

Alandre J. Gillbreath of Springfield, Ohio was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday for possession with intent to distribute enough carfentanil to kill 700 people. According to the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Ohio, Gillbreath was arrested in May 2017 when police officers responded to a report of a residential break-in and found him standing on the porch of the house. Gillbreath then reportedly removed a plastic baggie from his pocket and threw it into the yard. “Officers picked up the bag, and forensic analysis at the Bureau of Criminal Investigation determined it contained 16.28 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and carfentanil. This amount is a quantity intended for distribution,” U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman said in a press release. As The Ohio Star previously reported, Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Thomas Gilson issued a public health warning in February after discovering a “significant increase” in the presence of carfentanil throughout the area. An analogue of fentanyl, the drug is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and is used as a tranquilizer of large animals, according to the DEA. “Powerful opioids, such as carfentanil, will continue to be a serious threat to America and Ohio as…

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St. Paul Canceled $100K Fireworks Display, But Will Pay $225K to Bring Red Bull Event to Town

Anthony Gockowski

The City of St. Paul has agreed to bring Red Bull’s Flugtag event back to town at a cost of $225,000, raising questions about why the city canceled its $100,000 Fourth of July fireworks display last year. Flugtag, which means “flying day” in German, is a “human-powered gliding” competition that was last in St. Paul in 2010. Red Bull is bringing the event back to town on September 7, and has already started promoting the festivities. But according to The Pioneer Press, the city is on the hook for $225,000 in public sponsorship, which Visit St. Paul Chief Executive Terry Mattson said he has searched for “under every seat cushion.” “We’ve looked under every seat cushion and came back with $85,000 for the city,” he said. “We haven’t signed a contract or anything like that, but that’s what we deemed available. There’s a finite amount of resources.” The mayor’s office said it already budgeted $50,000 for an event such as the Flugtag in its 2019 budget. “St. Paul has been teaming up with Red Bull, our tourism bureau and partners in the private sector for nearly a decade and the 2019 Red Bull Flugtag will continue to place St. Paul…

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Cincinnati Councilwoman Calls Reaction to Notre Dame Fire a ‘Prime Example of Privilege’

Anthony Gockowski

Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral nearly burned to the ground Monday, but Cincinnati Councilwoman Tamaya Dennard called the reaction to the tragic event a “prime example of privilege.” Dennard, who serves as president pro tem of the Cincinnati City Council, made the comments on Twitter early Tuesday morning. “I’m saddened that the beautiful cathedral in France was damaged. But this is a prime example of privilege. White people don’t have to see me if they don’t choose to. Black people don’t have a choice. Please read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison,” she said. She referenced the disparity in news coverage between Monday’s fire and the recent arsons against predominantly black churches in Louisiana as proof of her argument. “It’s possible to hold multiple truth. I’m also saddened that Black churches in Louisiana were burned down. I’m sure they held significance as well. They were barely acknowledged,” Dennard wrote on Twitter. I’m saddened that the beautiful cathedral in France was damaged. But this is a prime example of privilege. White people don’t have to see me if they don’t choose to. Black people don’t have a choice. Please read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. — Tamaya Dennard (@TDennard) April 16, 2019 Joe…

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