Month: April 2019

Cleveland Must Pay $50,000 to Communist Flag Burner Arrested Outside of 2016 RNC

Anthony Gockowski

  The City of Cleveland agreed to a $50,000 settlement Wednesday in a lawsuit filed by Steven Fridley, who was arrested outside of the 2016 Republican National Convention for burning the American flag. Fridley was charged with obstructing official business, aggravated disturbance of peace, and disobeying a lawful order, but those charges were dropped by Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Charles Patton in October 2017. In his ruling, Patton cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1989 Texas v. Johnson decision, which found that burning the American flag was protected by the First Amendment. A year later, in October 2018, Fridley filed suit against the City of Cleveland in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio on the grounds that the city, its police chief, and police officers unlawfully prosecuted him for exercising his First Amendment rights. Fridley’s lawsuit, according to a Wednesday press release from his attorneys, also claimed that city officials manufactured false reports and evidence in an effort to pursue “sham charges” intended to “create plausible deniability” and “conceal their politically motivated censorship of a lawful protest.” The City of Cleveland settled Fridley’s claims Wednesday for $50,000. “The case is a timely reminder that respect for dissent…

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Minnesota Dept. of Revenue: Walz Tax Proposals Would Hurt the Poor Most

Anthony Gockowski
Gov. Tim Walz

  A new analysis from Gov. Tim Walz’s own Department of Revenue shows that his tax proposals would hurt the poorest Minnesotans the most. The Tax Research Division of the Minnesota Department of Revenue released its tax incidence analysis Tuesday, and looked at the combined changes that would be made under Walz’s tax, transportation, and health and human services bills. Overall, the report found that the combined increase in tax collections under Walz’s budget proposal is estimated to be $2.372 billion in 2021, of which $2.104 billion is “borne by Minnesota residents.” The average increase in total taxes paid would be 6.52 percent, though the increases would be higher for the bottom five income brackets than the top five. Specifically, the analysis shows that the lowest income bracket would see an 8.5 percent increase in tax burdens while the highest income bracket would see a 4.3 percent increase. Looked at a different way, Minnesotans’ state and local tax burden would increase by an average of 0.76 percent of income. The report, however, states that “the increased tax burden is largest for the lowest deciles and declines at higher income ranges.” The tax burden for the top one percent of earners…

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Tullahoma Police Chief Resigns in Plea Deal Over Charge of Tampering With Evidence from Son’s Car Crash

Jason M. Reynolds

  The Tullahoma police chief resigned after entering a no contest plea Monday to a charge of tampering with evidence, WSMV reported. Paul Blackwell resigned as chief after letting go of his Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) certification as a condition of his plea agreement, which means he is no longer a certified law enforcement officer, the station said. Blackwell received a four-year sentenced suspended to probation under a deferred judgment, according to 14th Judicial District Attorney General Craig Northcott. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Susan Niland said in December 2018 that Northcott had requested the investigation, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported. “The complaint stems from his office’s handling of the investigation of a motor vehicle crash involving the chief’s son in November,” Niland said. In January, Blackwell and Tullahoma Police Department Capt. George Marsh were placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, The Manchester Times said. The investigation was handled by the City of Tullahoma; TBI conducted the investigation of misconduct. Jennings Jones, DA of the 16th Judicial District, handled the prosecution after Northcott recused himself. Marsh, who resigned in February, also gave up his POST certification and will not face any…

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Sumner County Residents Accuse County Executive Anthony Holt of Abusing Eminent Domain Powers

Chris Butler

  A group of residents in rural Sumner County say County Executive Anthony Holt wants to use eminent domain to build a sewer and a sidewalk on their properties, and that puts them in peril. Financial peril. Legal peril. Even physical peril. These property owners, in the Upper Station Camp Creek area, say it’s OK for county officials to build a sewer through their properties to connect to a nearby school. But constructing a concrete sidewalk atop that sewer — that’s unacceptable, property owners told The Tennessee Star this week. County officials also refer to the sidewalk as part of a greenway. Instead of paying for these properties, county officials will instead pay for a lifetime lease to use them, property owners said. “When government decides they can do whatever they want, whenever they want, whether it is theirs’ or not, then they can come knock on your door and turn your farm into public access and you still have to pay taxes on it,” Gallatin resident Deborah Holmes said. “You have to maintain it, and you are still 100 percent responsible for it. I don’t see how that is good for me or as a homeowner.” Holmes’ neighbor, Tony…

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Commentary: Was Robert Mueller Colluding With Russia?

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by Christopher Roach   The Mueller Report was released last week. Undoubtedly it will be discussed much more than it is read. Many of the salient facts were already well-known, including Russian efforts to sow chaos and division among Americans during the 2016 presidential election using “active measures.” This sophisticated propaganda and narrative-making tools find their origins in the Soviet KGB. While some are pleased to deem President Trump a potential Russian agent because of his stated hopes for better relations with Russia and his tongue-in-cheek calls for Russia to find Hillary’s missing emails, it was clear long before last week that the Russian influence and hacking operations were not directed chiefly to aid his election. One can assume that Russia, like nearly every other observer, presumed Hillary would win. Consistent with this, the report states: “The [Russian Internet Research Agency] conducted social media operations targeted at large U.S. audiences with the goal of sowing discord in the U.S. political system.” Thus, they created fake grassroots organizations “(with names such as “Being Patriotic,” “Stop All Immigrants,” “Secured Borders,” and “Tea Party News”), purported Black social justice groups (“Black Matters,” “Blacktivist,” and “Don’t Shoot Us”), LGBTQ groups (“LGBT United”), and religious…

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Evangelical Kelly Kullberg Offers Free Bible Study Book to Help Christians Use Wisdom of Scriptures in Immigration Debate

Jason M. Reynolds

  No issue is dividing America – including Christians – more than immigration, evangelical Kelly Kullberg says. The American Association of Evangelicals (AAE) and Evangelicals for Biblical Immigration (EBI) say this division is tragic and unnecessary, when a biblical understanding of a wise welcome could heal both the Church and nation. Kullberg is founder of American Association of Evangelicals, the Veritas Forum and author of “Finding God Beyond Harvard.” Kullberg, AAE and EBI are offering a new, free, downloadable Bible study on the topic of immigration called “Wise Welcome: The Bible & Immigration.” The book can help Christians use the wisdom of scriptures in the immigration debate. Kullberg is author of “Wise Welcome: The Bible & Immigration;” co-author is Dr. James Hoffmeier, a former missionary child, refugee, legal immigrant, and Old Testament scholar and professor. The book may be downloaded from AAE’s website here. George Soros-funded “ministries” like Sojourners and Faith in Public Life help the open borders political project, but few know that the Bible does not teach open borders and blanket amnesty. It teaches discernment and “Wise Welcome,” Kullberg, a spokesperson for AAE, said in a press release. “Many people have heard the beautiful verse from Matthew 25,…

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Poll: Young Voters Overwhelmingly Democratic, But Young Republicans Are Increasingly Conservative

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by Paul Ingrassia   Young Republican and Democrat voters are united in their dissatisfaction with older politicians and overwhelmingly believe the country is heading in the wrong moral direction. Those were some of the findings of the new Spring 2019 Harvard IOP Youth Poll, which was released Monday in anticipation of Tuesday’s “youth-focused” CNN town halls featuring a number of 2020 Democratic presidential contenders, including South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and Sens. Kamala Harris of California, Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. The results found that young voters are more energized and politically engaged for 2020 than in 2016. Forty-three percent of 18-29-year-olds, for example, said they were likely to vote in their state’s primary, a 7 percent increase from 2015. The poll also found that “The 2020 electorate is shaping up to be more progressive than 2016 on a range of social and economic policy related issues, including on health care, poverty, and trade policy.” Since 2015, the number of younger voters who agreed with the statement, “government should do more to curb climate change, even at the expense of economic growth” rose a whopping 14 percent to 46 percent agreement.…

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Commentary: Embarrassing Gaffes Continue to Show Media’s Ignorance of Religion

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by Jarret Stepman   It’s become increasingly clear that many in our nation’s elite media know little to nothing about religion—Christianity in particular. This is a disturbing trend for the future of our country. A long list of theological gaffes by The New York Times over the years was recently catalogued in an insightful New York Post editorial by Mark Hemingway. Among the Times’ errors was an article in 2013 that referred to Easter as a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection into heaven. It soon issued a correction, since Jesus did not immediately ascend to heaven after resurrection—that was weeks later. Another piece claimed that the Holy Sepulcher in Israel is where “Christians believe Jesus is buried,” even though Christians believe Jesus was resurrected and thus would not be in a tomb. And then there was the most recent blunder, in which the Times claimed that Father Jean-Marc Fournier saved a statue of Jesus from the Notre Dame fire. What Fournier actually saved was the Blessed Sacrament—which is, of course, not a statue but the bread used in Communion, believed by Catholics to be the real body of Christ. It appears that the Times struggles to understand the phrase “the body…

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Report: Ilhan Omar Attacked US Soldiers Who Died Fighting In ‘Black Hawk Down’ Operation

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by Jason Hopkins   A newly unearthed tweet shows Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar attacking the U.S. soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of Mogadishu. “In his selective memory, he forgets to also mention the thousands of Somalis killed by the American forces that day! #NotTodaySatan,” Omar wrote in a tweet in October 2017, uncovered Monday by John Rossomando of the Investigative Project on Terrorism. Omar was responding to another tweet about the Battle of Mogadishu, a 1993 humanitarian operation by the U.S. military that sought to save starving Somalis by preventing food and aid from being captured by enemy combatants. The battle ultimately took the lives of 19 American soldiers and wounded 73 others, and it became the subject of the famous Hollywood movie “Black Hawk Down.” In his selective memory, he forgets to also mention the thousands of Somalis killed by the American forces that day! #NotTodaySatan https://t.co/wrFocrZymQ — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 16, 2017 Omar’s claim that “thousands of Somalis” were killed by American forces during that battle is wildly false by most expert’s estimations. Captain Haad, a representative of the Somali National Alliance, said during a 2001 interview that 133 Somali militiamen died battling…

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Amy Klobuchar Tried to Stand Out Among the Democratic Presidential Candidates in a CNN Town Hall

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by Grace Carr   Democratic Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar tried to stand apart at a CNN town hall Monday evening in Manchester, New Hampshire, emphasizing differences between herself and the slew of Democratic candidates running for president. Klobuchar repeated, “When I’m president,” angling herself as a candidate who can defeat President Donald Trump because she runs in a purple state and can win back the hearts and trust of the midwest. “I didn’t do that by selling out on my principles,” Klobuchar said, citing her three-time reelection. “It is appalling some of the things that were going on,” Klobuchar said, dodging a definitive answer about whether she supports impeachment of the president after the Mueller report dropped Thursday. “We need to have hearings in both the House and the Senate … The impeachment proceedings are up to the House,” Klobuchar added. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is non-committal on impeaching President Trump: “I’m not going to predispose things” #KlobucharTownHall https://t.co/UQwyP6fkHS pic.twitter.com/G66yFWmM24 — CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 22, 2019 Democrats are divided over whether to push for Trump’s impeachment. Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has been a strong proponent of the move. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, cautions Democrats against such efforts. Klobuchar…

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Pete Buttigieg Supports Pathway to Citizenship for the Millions of Illegal Immigrants

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by Jason Hopkins   Democratic presidential nominee Pete Buttigieg said he supports a “pathway to citizenship” for the more than “10 million” illegal immigrants living the United States. “There are over 10 million people who are undocumented immigrants in this country who don’t fall into [the DACA] category and the reality is we can’t have comprehensive immigration reform that works unless it addresses the status for those 11 some million undocumented immigrants,” Buttigieg said Monday night during a CNN town hall forum. Buttigieg spoke highly of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, but noted that it only protects about 700,000 young illegal immigrants from deportation. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana wants to implement a measure that would give citizenship to the millions of undocumented adults living in the U.S. Eleven million is actually a low number according to other expert estimations. A Yale study, for example, put the number of illegal aliens living in the U.S around 22 million, twice as much as previous estimations. “What we need to do is make sure there is a pathway to citizenship for them too,” he said, claiming that there was broad consensus on the issue. The 37-year-old mayor…

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ISIS Claims Responsibility for More Than 300 Deaths in Sri Lanka Attacks

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by Evie Fordham   ISIS claimed responsibility Tuesday for the Easter Sunday church and hotel bombings in Sri Lanka that killed more than 300 people. The terrorist group did not provide evidence to support its claim. “The perpetrators of the attack that targeted nationals of the countries of the coalitions and Christians in Sri Lanka before yesterday are fighters from the Islamic State,” its Aamaq news agency said according to a translation by the Associated Press cited by The New York Times. At least 321 people are dead after Sunday’s attacks, reported TIME. Aamaq posted the bulletin after Sri Lankan minister of defense Ruwan Wijewardene claimed the attacks were a retaliation after 50 people were killed in mosque shootings in Christchurch, New Zealand. The Sri Lankan government has blamed the Easter Sunday attacks on National Thowheed Jamath, a local jihadi group. Officials also said the group received international help, according to The NYT. Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena granted wartime powers to the country’s military Monday to pursue and arrest suspects linked to the bombings. The country also blocked Facebook, Instagram and other forms of social media Sunday as it investigated the explosions. – – – Evie Fordham is a…

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Trio of Democratic Senators Introduce Environmental Justice Caucus to Fight ‘Systemic Racism’

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by Molly Prince   Three Democratic senators revealed on Earth Day that they are launching the Environmental Justice Caucus in the Senate to raise awareness and address environmental justice issue such as “systemic racism” and “discrimination.” “We cannot achieve economic justice or social justice in this country without also addressing environmental justice,” New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker said in a statement released Monday. “The fact that communities of color, low income communities, and indigenous communities across the country disproportionately face environmental hazards and harmful pollutants on a daily basis has been ignored for far too long.” “Every American has the right to breathe safe air, drunk clean water and live on uncontaminated land regardless of their zip code, the size of their wallet and the color of their skin. However, too often that is not the case, especially for low income communities and people of color,” Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth continued. Booker, Duckworth and Democratic Delaware Sen. Tom Carper announced that the caucus will work in conjunction with the House Environmental Justice Task Force, which is comprised of members from the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Asian Pacific American Caucus. “The caucus will raise awareness of the…

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Analysis: When Tragedy Strikes, WaPo Turns Focus To The ‘Far Right’

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by Peter Hasson   The Washington Post provoked an online backlash on Monday after publishing an article that said the recent terrorist attacks targeting Christians in Sri Lanka fueled “far-right anger in the West.” The article, labeled as analysis rather than straight reporting, provided just the latest example of the Post reframing a global tragedy around the “far right.” Critics took the Post to task for making mass murder of hundreds of Christians about the “far right” and for casting skepticism on the persecution that Christians face across persecution around the world. (Pew Research Center lists Christians as the religious group most subjected to religiously motivated harassment from both state actors and non-state actors.) “To some, it was further proof that Christians in many parts of the world are under attack,” Post reporters Adam Taylor and Rick Noack wrote. National Review editor Charles Cooke tweeted in response: “For whom was it not evidence of this?” https://twitter.com/charlescwcooke/status/1120407544676192261 Additionally, the Washington Examiner’s Becket Adams wrote: “Yes, right-wing reactionaries have commented on the bombings. So have former presidents, members of Congress, athletes, actors, and so on.” “It is nothing short of astonishing that the Post published an entire article focusing on how some…

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Trump Can’t Finish the Wall Fast Enough as Apprehensions on Southern Border Top 103,000 in March

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by Robert Romano   Apprehensions on the southern border hit 103,492 in March, according to data compiled by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, the highest in a decade. In 2018, apprehensions averaged about 43,424 monthly, 34,626 in 2017, 46,114 in 2016, 37,071 in 2015 and 47,436 in 2014. 2019 looks like it will be a record year, as there have already been more apprehensions through March at 422,334 than all of 2017. Amid the surge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement only has about 52,000 beds to detain people who are apprehended — which guarantees that a good number of those apprehended will have to be released. There are simply too many people coming, with not enough facilities to accommodate them and not enough judges to process them efficiently. The effect is catch-and-release. And Congress knows it. Even the limit on beds comes down to deliberate decision-making by Congress, as this was a major sticking point in the discussions on ending the government shutdown. Democrats wanted a harder limit on beds even when faced with the data of how the system was being overwhelmed. Last year, the authorization allowed for an average daily of 40,520, but President Trump has been able to…

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Half of Americans Back Stronger Role of Religion in Society

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Around half of Americans favor religion playing a greater role in U.S. society, while 18 percent oppose that idea, according to a Pew Research Center study published Monday. Despite there being a separation of church and state, religion plays a significant part in daily U.S. life: the president traditionally is sworn in using a Bible, while “In God We Trust” is printed on banknotes. France, Sweden and the Netherlands, meanwhile, posted almost opposite results: 47 percent, 51 percent and 45 percent respectively were opposed to religion playing a key role in society. Among the 27 countries surveyed in 2018, France (20 percent) and Japan (15 percent) were the countries with the lowest proportion of citizens favoring strengthening religion’s role in society. Indonesia (85 percent), Kenya (74 percent) and Tunisia (69 percent) came out as the countries most in favor of a bigger place for religion. The study did not make a distinction between different religions. In the U.S., the proportion rose to 61 percent among people aged 50 and over, but dropped to 39 percent among 18- to 29-year-olds. The study was carried out with a representative sample of at least 1,000 people in each country.        …

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Divided Supreme Court Poised to Allow Citizenship Question on 2020 Census

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by Kevin Daley   A deeply divided Supreme Court appeared ready to allow the Trump administration to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census form during a Tuesday morning argument, which was alternatively technical and heated. The Court’s divide followed the usual ideological lines. Though the case involves several complex questions, ultimately the Court’s conservatives seemed to say that the citizenship question is ordinary and appropriate for the census. “The principal purpose is to count the population, but we’ve had demographic questions on the census,” Chief Justice John Roberts said. “I don’t know how far back, but certainly it’s quite common.” “The questions go quite beyond how many people there are,” Roberts added, noting the census forms include questions touching finances and lifestyles. A coalition of Democratic cities, states, and civil rights groups sued the Trump administration after Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, who supervises the Census Bureau, authorized the inclusion of the citizenship question on the 2020 census form. The plaintiffs, citing the Census Bureau’s own findings, say the question will diminish non-citizen participation. As such, the plaintiffs warn that the government’s move strikes at the very heart of democracy, since population is used to apportion federal funds, seats…

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Lucas County and Dayton Seemingly Paid Up to $12,000 for Nonprofit’s ‘Welcoming’ Community Designation in Ohio

Anthony Gockowski

  Lucas County, Ohio joined the City of Dayton Tuesday as the newest member of Welcoming America’s “Certified Welcoming” program. According to the organization’s website, the “Certified Welcoming” program “formally evaluates and assesses your community’s efforts to provide an inclusive place for all.” “Candidates submit an application; complete a self-assessment; and receive an evaluative site visit and a detailed final report that identifies local strengths and provides a road map for areas of growth,” the website states, noting that the certification process generally takes between six months and a year. The “certification fee” for eligible cities is $12,000, but was discounted to $6,000 for 2019, according to the website. The “Certified Welcoming” label is valid for three years, and participating communities must continue to “meet the core criteria” listed in Welcoming America’s “Welcoming Standard.” The Lucas County commissioners were joined by a representative from Welcoming America Tuesday for a press conference to announce the designation. “When people come here, when people aspire to come here, when people work hard to come here, we are a welcoming community, and we have a certification to prove it,” Commissioner Pete Gerken said, according to The Toledo Blade. Lucas County is the fourth community…

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Tim Ryan Announces Support for Requiring 2020 Candidates to Participate in Climate Debate

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) announced Monday that he supports U.S. Youth Climate Strike’s petition to require the Democratic 2020 presidential candidates to have a debate on climate change. “I’m in! Climate change demands unprecedented action that requires our full and complete attention. This is an economic issue, a social justice issue, and a national security issue,” Ryan said on Twitter in response to the U.S. Youth Climate Strike’s request to support the debate. I’m in! Climate change demands unprecedented action that requires our full and complete attention. This is an economic issue, a social justice issue, and a national security issue. @MoveOn https://t.co/CTaJcJ16nY — Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) April 22, 2019 “Tim Ryan is now the fourth presidential candidate to come out in support for our petition and call for a climate debate. Our movement is indefinitely picking up speed, and this is all because of our grassroots. Keep signing and sharing, and we’ll get this victory,” U.S. Youth Climate Strike wrote on Twitter. https://twitter.com/usclimatestrike/status/1120466744500469760 Ryan joins 2020 candidates Jay Inslee, Julian Castro, and Mike Gravel in supporting a debate on climate change, while South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg said he will “try to” support the idea. The petition itself,…

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Omar Once Claimed America Was ‘Founded by Genocide,’ Called International Terrorism ‘Avoidance Tactic’

Anthony Gockowski

  A 2017 tweet from Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) was uncovered last week and shows the freshman member of Congress saying that America “was founded by genocide.” “We must confront that our nation was founded by genocide and we maintain global power through neocolonialism,” Omar wrote, linking to an op-ed she wrote for Time. Her tweet was retweeted by the Minnesota House DFL Twitter account. We must confront that our nation was founded by genocide and we maintain global power through neocolonialism. https://t.co/KAcXjqUw7u — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 17, 2017 In the article itself, Omar discussed the tragic events in Charlottesville and how to prevent it from happening again. “The solution is to educate. It is imperative we collectively overcome and make amends with history. We must confront that our nation was founded by the genocide of indigenous people and on the backs of slaves, that we maintain global power with the tenor of neocolonialism,” Omar wrote in the article. She then claimed that America’s “national avoidance tactic has been to shift the focus to potential international terrorism.” “With constant misinformation and fearmongering, it is easy to exacerbate external threats while avoiding our internal weaknesses. Our apathy has placed immense…

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High Drama as State House Eventually Passes Governor Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account Initiative

Laura Baigert

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A much-anticipated vote by the full Tennessee House of Representatives on Governor Bill Lee’s Education Savings Account (ESA) initiative ended in high drama on Tuesday, after it was moved from the second item on the agenda of the Regular Calendar to the end. From the outset of the meeting there were three to four dozen opponents to the ESA legislation in the gallery, most of whom were displaying hand-held no vouchers signs. While there were 13 amendments to the bill proposed in the House, Amendment #1, #3 and #4 were withdrawn and Amendment #2 was rolled to the heel of the amendments. The remaining amendments were largely offered by Democrats attempting to curtail the legislation. For instance, Representative Jason Powell (D-Nashville) with Amendment #5 sought to allow his county of Davidson to opt out of the legislation, saying not one of the delegation supports it. Powell questioned the constitutionality of the bill and said that the funding of Davidson County schools is under attack. “Maybe some of you are fine with the redistribution of wealth,” argued Powell of the amendment he said would shift money to other counties, “but I stand against that.” Powell said that…

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Tennessee House Expected to Provide Oversight to State’s Thriving Sports Betting Industry

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A bill that would legalize online sports betting, subject to regulations limiting access and directing the expected $50 million in new annual tax revenue to education and mental health initiatives, is headed for a House floor vote on Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court opened the door for states like Tennessee to legalize sports betting last year.  Tennessee Attorney General Herb Slatery kicked it wider when he issued an opinion that sports betting could be legalized by legislative action rather than requiring a Constitutional amendment. Supporters of the legislation point out that HB0001 would stem the flow of dollars already being bet in online sights of dubious origin and traveling to casinos just south of Memphis where on-site sports betting has already been legalized by the State of Mississippi.  They also point to the easy access to sports betting sites online right now, but which don’t put any revenue into Tennessee-based companies or the state’s tax coffers. In fact, advertising of online sports betting sites is a booming business despite there being relatively few legal avenues to place bets in the U.S.  The sports networks clearly see more states coming online with legal betting, and they are right — with Montana…

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Commentary: The Russia Collusion Hoax Lays Bare the Urgent Need for FISA Reform

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by Robert Romano   By far the biggest takeaway from the failure of Special Counsel Robert Mueller to establish that there was any coordination or conspiracy with Russia to interfere in the 2016 election by President Donald Trump, his campaign or any American is that we need immediate and swift reform of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) court system that was weaponized against a political campaign to investigate a crime that was never committed. The FISA warrants taken out against the Trump campaign that began in Oct. 2016 relied upon the dossier full of phony allegations by former British spy Christopher Steele that was paid for by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Hillary Clinton campaign. It gave the government access to campaign emails, phone calls, text messages and other communications. This was the same dossier that was briefed to then-President-elect Donald Trump in Jan. 2017 by former FBI Director James Comey, who later told Congress that it was “salacious and unverified” and then was used again when the warrants were renewed. The dossier alleged that President Trump was a bought and paid for Russian agent, that former Trump campaign advisor Carter Page while on a trip to Moscow where he delivered a commencement address at the…

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Commentary: Mitt Romney Is a Virtue Signaling Twit

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by George Rasley   Leave it to Mitt Romney to be the first Republican (notice we didn’t say conservative) to use the Mueller Report to criticize President Trump. After the redacted report was released Romney issued a statement saying he was “sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President.” I have now read the redacted Mueller report and offer my personal reaction: pic.twitter.com/ACnExskqXJ — Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 19, 2019 This hypocritical virtue signaling would be comical if it weren’t so destructive – after all the Mitt Romney who is complaining about “dishonesty and misdirection” from the White House is the same Mitt Romney whose staff said he planned to “shake the Etch A Sketch” after the 2012 primaries and abandon the conservative positions he had taken to get the GOP nomination for president. The comments for which Romney criticized President Trump were entirely justified expressions of outrage emanating from a man who knew he was wrongly accused and being set-up for the kind of process crimes that ensnared others, such as Roger Stone and George Papadopoulos. But this is hardly the first time Romney…

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Experts Say Progressive Caucus’ Arrangement with Outside Charity Violates House Rules, though Punishment Is Unlikely

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by Andrew Kerr   The United States recorded 71 new measles cases last week, a 13 percent increase as the country faces its second-worst outbreak of the disease in almost two decades, federal health officials said on Monday. But although the progressive caucus’s relationship with the outside charity group “seems like a clear violation of the rule,” there likely won’t be any consequences anytime soon, Acton Institute editor Joe Carter, who has researched congressional caucuses, told TheDCNF. “Article 1, section 5, clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution says that, ‘Each House may … punish its Members for disorderly Behaviour, and, with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a Member,’” Carter said. “Based on previous history, the most severe punishment would likely be censure or reprimand of the leaders” of the progressive caucus. “But that isn’t likely to happen under Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi,” he continued. “The most that will happen – if any action is even taken – is that they will have to promise to do a better job of complying with the rules in the future.” The House Ethics Committee, House Administration Committee and House General Counsel all declined to comment for this story. CPCC Is Staffing Progressive Caucus, Co-Chair…

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Knox County May Reportedly Prevent Taxpayers from Seeing Police Videos

Chris Butler

According to various news outlets out of Knoxville, Knox County prosecutors are working to make sure members of the public can’t see police videos outside a courtroom. According to KnoxNews.com, these include all police cruiser and body-camera videos in criminal cases. Anyone who allows taxpayers to see these videos may face fines or jail time, the website reported. “Anyone on the list who shared a video before it’s filed in court could be held in criminal contempt, including members of a defendant’s family,” KnoxNews.com reported. “The ban would last until prosecutors drop or decide not to file charges, a grand jury chooses not to indict, a judge throws out a case, a jury votes not guilty — or longer in case of a guilty plea or verdict. Videos not introduced at trial could take years or decades to become public. The prosecution file would become open at the end of the last appeal, plus one year.” The Knoxville-based WATE said Knox County District Attorney General Charme Allen drafted the order. The station quoted Deputy District Attorney General Kyle Hixson as saying the prosecution file would become open at the end of the last appeal, plus one year. As KnoxNews.com reported, “appeals in Tennessee…

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Commentary: The Road to Serfdom at 75 Years Young

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by  Peter Boettke   When F.A. Hayek moved to Britain in the early 1930s from his native Austria, he was struck by what he saw as the same attitude among British intellectuals as he experienced among German thinkers during the 1920s. There was an extreme skepticism toward the market economy and capitalism, coupled with great optimism for planning and the promise of socialism. Advance the calendar almost a century, and Hayek might hear the chorus of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders humming the same reprise. His ears may even perk up a bit when harmonies emanate from right-leaning folks like President Trump, who dabble in central planning. British intellectuals in the ’30s such as Harold Laski and William Beveridge were dedicated social reformers. They despaired over the social costs they identified with unbridled capitalism resulting from monopoly power, externalities, macroeconomic volatility, mass unemployment, and income inequality. E.F.M. Durbin’s 1934 Labor Party Policy Committee “Memorandum on the Principles of Socialist Planning” promised that a planning system could eradicate the social ills emerging from the market’s inherent weaknesses. But a critically important point to understand is that from the perspective of these intellectuals, they were socialists in their economics precisely because…

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Tennessee Bill to Regulate 911 Calls Reportedly Held Up for Summer Study

Chris Butler

The sponsor of legislation that would make 911 calls and transmissions confidential reportedly wants more time to work on the bill, specifically this summer. This, according to the Tennessee General Assembly’s website and the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government. That bill is HB 335. According to the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, the sponsor of that bill is State Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg. “The bill, HB 335, would have created an exemption to the Tennessee Public Records Act for all 911 calls, making them only available for use by law enforcement, the courts and other governmental agencies,” according to the TCOG. “The Tennessee Press Association and Tennessee Association of Broadcasters lobbied against the bill, pointing out that access to 911 calls have led to numerous news stories uncovering problems within the 911 system. They have also been used to document natural disasters, such as when the Knoxville News Sentinel used 911 calls to shed light on what happened during the devastating Gatlinburg wildfires a few years ago.” The TCOG went on to say “the transmissions of 911 calls also have helped ferret out government coverups.” According to the bill summary, the bill prohibits “using such calls, transmission, or recordings for any purpose…

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Democrat Congressman Seth Moulton Wanted to Oust Pelosi and Now Wants to Take on Trump in 2020

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by Evie Fordham   Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton became to the third politician from the state to announce a 2020 presidential run Monday. Moulton, 40, will compete with Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary. He will also stand in contrast to former Republican Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who is challenging President Donald Trump in the GOP primary. “I’m running because we have to beat Donald Trump,” Moulton said in a brand-new campaign video. “And I want us to beat Donald Trump because I love this country.” The congressman has served Massachusetts’ 6th Congressional District since 2015 and is known for opposing Democratic California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House after the 2018 midterm elections. Moulton eventually voted for Pelosi after top Democrats agreed to term limits for their leadership positions, reported WBUR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwlD6tGj-oQ   Moulton detailed his decision to join the Marine Corps in 2001 and his tough first congressional race against a Democratic incumbent in his campaign video. Moulton earned a degree in physics from Harvard University in 2001. He returned to the institution after four tours in Iraq to earn a master’s degrees in business and public policy at the Harvard Business School and Harvard’s…

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After 10 Years, Amazon Is Pulling the Plug on Its Business Operations in China

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by Saibal Dasgupta   Amazon says it is curtailing business operations in China, the world’s biggest retail market, after struggling against better entrenched local players for more than a decade. The company announced recently that as of July 18, it will no longer provide services through its Chinese website, Amazon.cn. The decision means Amazon will stop selling goods from China-based vendors to domestic consumers on the portal. Although it is moving out of the e-retail business in China, Amazon will continue with its cross-border business, bringing foreign brands and goods to China, the company said. “Their demand for high-quality, authentic goods from around the world continues to grow rapidly, and given our global presence, Amazon is well-positioned to serve them,” the company said. The announcement has raised questions about the extremely thin presence of foreign companies in internet-related businesses in China, while Chinese companies like Alibaba create market space for themselves across the world. Amazon’s market share in China has fallen from about 15 percent a decade ago to about 6 percent. Alibaba and another local company, jd.com, account for nearly 75 percent of the Chinese market. Online shopping site eBay earlier moved out of China as it could not make a…

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House Judiciary Committee Chair Nadler Falsely Claims Don Jr. Was Offered Stolen Information in Trump Tower Meeting

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by Chuck Ross   New York Rep. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, falsely claimed in an interview on Sunday that Donald Trump Jr. was offered stolen information in the infamous meeting at Trump Tower in June 2016. “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd failed to correct Nadler when he made the inaccurate statement. “I do not understand why he didn’t charge Don Jr., and others in that famous meetings with criminal conspiracy,” Nadler said of Special Counsel Robert Mueller in the interview. “They entered into a meeting of the minds to attend a meeting, to get stolen material on Hillary. They went to the meeting. That’s conspiracy, right there,” he added. Despite that claim, Trump Jr. was not offered stolen material before accepting the June 9, 2016 meeting. WATCH: Should Mueller have charged anyone for meeting with Russians in Trump Tower? #MeetThePress #IfItsSunday@repjerrynadler: "I do not understand why he didn't charge Don Jr. and others in that famous meeting." pic.twitter.com/2h0c3Mfimp — Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 21, 2019 Trump Jr. accepted the meeting after a music publicist named Rob Goldstone emailed him on June 3, 2016 saying that a Russian attorney wanted to meet with the campaign to…

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DeWine Proposed Budget Includes New Taxes for Ohio’s Tattoo Artists and Body Piercers

Andrew Shirley

Governor Mike DeWine’s proposed budget for Ohio includes a provision that will raise taxes and regulations on all tattoo artists and body piercers throughout the state. The new provision would require that all current and future tattoo artists and body piercers register with the state for as long as they are operating in that capacity. In addition, they would also have to pay a “registration fee” of $250. Furthermore, the provision would also call for a comprehensive overhaul of the current tattoo and body piercing training standards. This would cover anyone whose profession is defined as a “body artists” There is currently a medley of rules, regulations, and fees associated with being a tattoo artist in the Buckeye State. Some of the most extensive concern the cleanliness of needles and the heating devices that sterilize them, including that they: Ensure that weekly tests of the business’s heat sterilization devices are performed to determine whether the devices are functioning properly. In having the devices tested, the operator of the business shall use a biological monitoring system that indicates whether the devices are killing microorganisms….The operator shall maintain documentation that the weekly tests are being performed. To comply with the documentation requirement, the…

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NRSC Begins Targeting Minnesota’s Sen. Tina Smith, Other Vulnerable Battleground Dems

Anthony Gockowski

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) began targeting Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) and other swing-state Democrats Monday with a new billboard campaign. “Ask Tina Smith about the 430,478 Minnesota jobs at risk under the Green New Deal,” the NRSC’s new Minnesota billboard states. Smith has expressed support for the Green New Deal, but voted “present” along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) when the measure was put up for a vote in the Senate. Great new billboard here in MN by ⁦@NRSC⁩. It’s time ⁦@TinaSmithMN⁩ answer for why she wants to crush jobs in Minnesota. #mnsen pic.twitter.com/ETvO9Da6p3 — Kevin Poindexter (@Kdpoindexter) April 22, 2019 State Sen. Karin Housley (R-St. Mary’s Point), Smith’s 2018 opponent, tweeted a picture of the billboard Monday along with the contact information for Smith’s office. “Yep, you should ask Sen. Tina Smith. I saved you the search,” Housley said. Smith defeated Housley in the 2018 special election to finish the remainder of former Sen. Al Franken’s term, but she will be up for reelection again in 2020. Yep, you should ask @SenTinaSmith. I saved you the search: (202) 224-5641 or https://t.co/TE6oaflnIq #mnsen pic.twitter.com/mbEeMywZ3U — Karin Housley (@KarinHousley) April 22, 2019 It’s been rumored that Housley may run…

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US Records 71 New Measles Cases Last Week as Outbreak Spreads

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Reuters   The United States recorded 71 new measles cases last week, a 13 percent increase as the country faces its second-worst outbreak of the disease in almost two decades, federal health officials said on Monday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it had recorded 626 cases of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease in 22 states as of April 19, the highest rate of infection in five years. The CDC had previously reported 555 cases in 20 states between Jan. 1 and April 11. The current outbreak will likely surpass the 2014 outbreak in number of cases, the CDC said on Monday. Iowa and Tennessee were the two states that joined the CDC list with new measles cases. More than half the cases recorded this year occurred in New York City, primarily in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. The U.S. outbreak is part of a worldwide rise in the once nearly eradicated disease. The World Health Organization reported last week that global cases had risen nearly four-fold in the first quarter of 2019 to 112,163 compared with the same period last year. A vocal fringe of parents in the United States oppose vaccines believing, contrary…

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Ohio State Rep Introduces Bill in Response to 9-Year-Old’s Drag Performance

Anthony Gockowski

State Rep. Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) has introduced a bill that he says would close a “loophole in child exploitation laws” after a 9-year-old boy performed in drag at a bar just outside of Columbus. Jacob Measley, who performs under the name “Miss Mae Hem,” sparked outrage online in December after photos of him surfaced performing at JD Hendersons bar in Schaffer’s district. Under House Bill 180, the definition of “endangering children” would be expanded to include a “performance that suggests a minor is participating or engaging in sexual activity” that, “taken as a whole by the average person applying contemporary community standards, appeals to prurient interest.” The bill also states that no Ohioan shall “entice, coerce, permit, encourage, compel, hire, employ, use, or allow the child to act, model, or in any other way participate in, or be photographed for, the production, presentation, dissemination, or advertisement of any material or performance that the offender knows or reasonably should know is obscene, is sexually oriented matter, or is nudity-oriented matter.” “Given our heightened focus on human trafficking and the role money plays in trafficking children, I knew I had to take action to make sure this activity does not occur again,”…

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State Senate Fails to Recall Heartbeat Bill

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – A majority of Tennessee State Senate voted to table the motion to reconsider the Heartbeat Bill through a recall, putting an end to any further action on the measure during this legislative session. The Senate version of the Heartbeat Bill, SB1236 sponsored by Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) was sent to “summer study” by the Judiciary Committee on April 9. Pro-life supporters fear that the Committee’s action will mean the end of the legislation, as summer study often does. The House version of the bill, HB0077 sponsored by Representative Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough), passed the full House on March 7 by a vote of 65 Ayes, 21 Noes and 7 Present Not Voting. As the sponsor of the bill, Senator Pody invoked Senate Rule 63 to recall the bill, and requested that action to be taken last week, as reported by The Tennessee Star. The recall would require a simple majority vote by the members of the Senate. An affirmative vote would put the bill on a future calendar of the Senate so that the whole body could vote on it. When the recall vote did not happen by last Thursday, Senator Pody vowed to request the vote…

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Rep Steve Cohen of Memphis Wants to Formally Censure Donald Trump

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, wants to formally censure U.S. Republican President Donald Trump, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. This, after federal officials this week released Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report about alleged Russian interference and alleged collusion with Trump in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, the paper reported. “This illegal, unethical and immoral conduct by Donald Trump and misleading information by Attorney General (William) Barr needs to be sanctioned by our legislative bodies, and the way we can do that is through a censure resolution,” The Commercial Appeal quoted Cohen as saying. “There’s too much there not to see there’s a connection between Trump and Russia that is not healthy for the United States of America.” In his report, Mueller said he could not establish the Trump campaign colluded with the Russian government — but he also said the Russian government would rather have Trump as president instead of his Democratic opponent Hillary Rodham Clinton. Mueller also said he could not conclude whether Trump obstructed justice. “I think it’s pretty clear that what the Mueller report has presented is damning evidence that the president did in fact obstruct justice,” Cohen reportedly said. “The problem with impeachment is the Senate would…

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Tennessee Pastors Network and 162 Pastors Urge Support for Rule 63 Heartbeat Bill Vote

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Tennessee Pastors Network President Dale Walker released a letter at a press conference outside the Senate Chambers Monday afternoon signed by 162 pastors and faith leaders across Tennessee urging Governor Bill Lee and legislative leaders to speak up and support State Senator Mark Pody’s (R-Lebanon) “Rule 63” motion. Walker was joined by Pody, pro-Life Dr. Brent Boles, and Moms for Tennessee founder Cecelia DeSonia at the press conference. The Rule 63 motion is expected to be heard Monday night. If it wins 17 Senate votes the Heartbeat Bill (SB 1236) would be permitted to go to the Senate floor for a full vote. Earlier in the day Pody told the Tennessee Star that he had only secured 8 firm votes for the measure. Pody sought to have the legislation reheard in the Judiciary Committee in order to avoid bypassing the committee process and forcing a floor vote vote under Senate rules. However, Senate leadership has been unwilling to allow the bill to be brought back to life in the Judiciary Committee. In the letter, Walker and his fellow pastors ask that Lee and Legislative leadership recognize that: Leaders across Tennessee are faced with a clear choice to either support or…

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Commentary: Teachers Unions Are Like Overbearing Mothers

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by Daniel Buck   Every year, the union reps make their rounds and talk to every teacher in the district. This year, my building’s representative sat in a student desk across from mine and asked if I had any feedback or thoughts I’d like to share. I summarized my discontent, to which she gave a thoughtful rebuttal. The conversation proceeded as expected – respectful but unfruitful. As she walked out, she apparently could not resist a quip: Since other teachers paid union dues, but I didn’t, she said, perhaps I should consider that I profit at my colleagues’ expense. That jibe is a common refrain in defense of unions. They provide a common good, the argument goes, defending worker rights and bargaining for compensation. Thus, I have an obligation to provide money from my paycheck. Another snide remark directed at me phrased it as “all the benefits I reap from the unions I so disdain.” It’s a deft little guilt-trip that crumbles with the slightest application of pressure. Needing to Be Needed In his book The Four Loves, while discussing familial love, C.S. Lewis provides a fictional anecdote that works to frame a rebuttal to this argument. I am thinking of Mrs. Fidget, who…

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Commission Declares Polk County to Be Gun Sanctuary to Protect Second Amendment Rights

Jason M. Reynolds

Polk County has declared itself to be a sanctuary – not for illegal immigrants, but for law-abiding gun owners. At Thursday evening’s Polk County Commission meeting, the County Commission voted 8-1 to adopt a resolution declaring Polk a gun sanctuary to protect citizens’ Second Amendment rights, according to a story by the Cleveland Daily Banner. The county is the first in the state to do so. The resolution is based on one passed by in neighboring Cherokee County, North Carolina in March. More than 200 counties in nine states have vowed not to enforce new state measures that restrict gun access, and 132  have voted to become gun sanctuaries despite questions of the measure’s constitutionality. [pdf-embedder url=”https://tennesseestar.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/REYNOLDS_Polk-County-Gun.pdf” title=”REYNOLDS_Polk County Gun”]   Polk County Sheriff Steve Ross, who supported the resolution, spoke to Chattanooga’s NewsChannel 9. “The vast majority of America feels that we have a second amendment right to bear arms, and we have a right to protect our family and our homes,” Ross said. “We don’t feel the government has a right to come in and take guns from law abiding people that have done nothing wrong.” The resolution does not protect law-breaking citizens with guns, but instead protects…

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Trump Attorney General Barr Cracks Down on Phony Asylum Seekers

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by CHQ staff   Attorney General William Barr has ruled that some illegal aliens who are about to be deported must be held without bond as their deportation cases play out. According to a Department of Justice decision document released on Tuesday, Barr concluded that illegals who fit certain criteria after applying for asylum will not be eligible for release during the deportation process. The decision reverses a George W. Bush-era ruling dating back to 2005 that allowed bond to be instituted if the deportation subjects could demonstrate a legitimate fear of either persecution or danger should they leave the United States. “An alien who is transferred from expedited removal proceedings to full removal proceedings after establishing a credible fear of persecution or torture is ineligible for release on bond,” Barr wrote. “Such an alien must be detained until his removal proceedings conclude, unless he is granted parole.” “I order that, unless DHS paroles the respondent under section 212(d)(5)(A) of the [The Immigration and Nationality] Act, he must be detained until his removal proceedings conclude,” Barr wrote. Attorney General Barr’s decision has attracted broad support, even from more moderate Republicans, such as New York’s Representative Peter King (NY-2). Attorney General William Barr…

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Commentary: Today’s European Climate Marchers Will Be Tomorrow’s Yellow Vest Protesters

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by Bill Wirtz   For months, young climate marchers have taken over Europe and the US. Now we know what they actually want – and it’s exactly what we thought it would be. Why They March If you’re unfamiliar with the “Youth4Climate” or “Fridays for Future” movement, it’s probably because, despite having existed in the United States since earlier this year, the phenomenon is more widely covered in Europe. Sixteen-year-old Greta Thunberg skips school in protest on Fridays, demanding that politicians do much more to fight against climate change. Reporters have latched on to her appeal, making her the poster child of a (very) young environmentalist generation. For weeks now, newspapers have been inundated with pictures of large protests for climate action, featuring the funniest signs and leading politicians to describe it as inspirational. Up until now, it wasn’t entirely clear what the climate marchers were actually hoping to achieve. For the most part, activists would merely bemoan the fact that politicians and the rich are standing idly by as the planet moves towards its inevitable collapse in 12 years. But with Greta getting closer to the age of 18, when she would officially be allowed to run for parliament…

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Nashville May Reportedly Use Taxpayer Money on NASCAR

Chris Butler

There is talk of using taxpayer money to bring NASCAR to Nashville, according to NobleNashville.com. The website reported this week that Speedway Motors has met with Nashville Mayor David Briley since February of this year to discuss options. “Over the past few months, outrageous proposals have been made such as using $54 million in public taxpayers’ money, and $2 million in cash from the city. Of course, Mayor Briley continues to deny proposals that involve using taxpayers’ money,” NobleNashville.com reported. “This is where we have to ask, is it really worth it? The public and the fair board have no knowledge of the talks between Briley and Speedway Motors. What is known is that the Mayor continues to deny each proposal given to him.” The website went on to say the idea is “horribly expensive and it would be a nuisance to all those living in the area. In the end, it may be best to leave things as they are.” As reported in January, Nashville’s debt continues to climb, so much so it’s at its highest point in 10 years and city officials spent one out of every $10 of taxpayer money to pay off debt the last fiscal…

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Obama-Era Judge Slams the Brakes on Trump Order to Open Fed Lands to Coal Mining

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by Tim Pearce   A federal judge in Montana delayed a Trump administration attempt to open up more federal lands to coal mining Friday, The New York Times reported. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris ruled that the Trump administration illegally overturned a moratorium placed on coal mining on federal lands by former President Barack Obama. Obama instituted the policy in 2016 as part of his administration’s environmental agenda to cut coal usage. Morris’s decision states that former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke did not consider the full environmental effects of overturning the coal mining ban and ordered the Department of the Interior (DOI) to redo and expand environmental studies on the matter. The DOI is looking into the court decision before taking further action, The NYT reported. “Federal Defendants’ decision not to initiate the [National Environmental Policy Act] process proves arbitrary and capricious,” Morris, who was nominated to the federal bench by Obama in 2013, wrote in his decision. The next push to overturn Obama’s moratorium on selling coal mining leases for federal land will fall to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Bernhardt took charge of the DOI as acting secretary after Zinke left the department in January. The Senate confirmed Bernhardt’s nomination on April 11. Trump…

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Trump Continues to Hammer Mueller Report as a ‘Total Hit Job’

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President Donald Trump is continuing to lash out at special counsel Robert Mueller’s report, a few days after a redacted version was released to the public, calling it a “total hit job.” “The Trump Haters and Angry Democrats who wrote the Mueller Report were devastated by the No Collusion finding! Nothing but a total “hit job” which should never have been allowed to start in the first place!,” Trump said Sunday, adding in a separate tweet that “Despite No Collusion, No Obstruction, The Radical Left Democrats do not want to go on to Legislate for the good of the people, but only to Investigate and waste time.” The Trump Haters and Angry Democrats who wrote the Mueller Report were devastated by the No Collusion finding! Nothing but a total “hit job” which should never have been allowed to start in the first place! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2019 The 448-page report outlined the findings of the 22-month probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election and if Trump . Investigators determined no one on Trump’s campaign knowingly conspired with Russia, however they declined to exonerate the president on charges that his actions obstructed justice. The report describes…

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Trial Date Set for President Obama’s White House Counsel Gregory Craig Ensnared in Mueller Probe

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by Kevin Daley   Former White House counsel Gregory Craig (pictured right) will stand trial in a Washington, D.C., federal court Aug. 12 on charges that he made false and misleading statements to the Department of Justice regarding work he performed for a foreign government. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set the date in a Friday scheduling order. The order provides that Craig has until May 10 to file a motion to dismiss the charges. Jackson said any changes to the schedule are unlikely. “Given this compressed schedule, which the parties have considered and requested, the court will not be inclined to grant any motions to extend the deadlines set forth above absent exigent circumstances,” Jackson’s order reads. Craig served as the White House’s top lawyer under former President Barack Obama. After leaving the Obama administration, he joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom to lead a global policy and litigation group. Skadden Arps worked with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on behalf of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych beginning in 2012. Manafort and the firm prepared and promoted a report concerning Ukraine’s prosecution of former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, one of Yanukovych’s domestic political adversaries. The Tymoshenko prosecution…

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Black Hole Photo Confirms Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

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by Kevin Pimbblet   Black holes are long-time superstars of science fiction. But their Hollywood fame is a little strange given that no-one has ever actually seen one – at least, until now. If you needed to see to believe, then thank the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), which has just produced the first ever direct image of a black hole. This amazing feat required global collaboration to turn the Earth into one giant telescope and image an object thousands of trillions of kilometres away. As stunning and ground-breaking as it is, the EHT project is not just about taking on a challenge. It’s an unprecedented test of whether Einstein’s ideas about the very nature of space and time hold up in extreme circumstances, and looks closer than ever before at the role of black holes in the universe. To cut a long story short: Einstein was right. Capturing the uncapturable A black hole is a region of space whose mass is so large and dense that not even light can escape its gravitational attraction. Against the black backdrop of the inky beyond, capturing one is a near impossible task. But thanks to Stephen Hawking’s groundbreaking work, we know that the colossal…

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