May 11, 2019 - Tennessee Star

Tennessee House Speaker Casada Pledges Cooperation with District Attorney General’s Conference Investigation

May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada is moving to handle the continued fallout over revelations that include allegedly inappropriate text messages involving him and former chief of staff Cade Cothren. Casada said he directed the Speaker’s office to cooperate with a District Attorney General’s Conference investigation of an email from activist Justin Jones. Even as the pressure is ramping up for his resignation, Rep. Casada (R-TN-63) issued an action plan on Friday: As we move into the weekend, I wanted to share a quick update on the immediate steps we are taking to follow up on the Action Plan released earlier this week to address recent issues and concerns. Today I submitted a letter to the Chairman of the House Ethics Committee requesting that they issue an advisory opinion concerning my actions taken relative to the resignation of my former Chief of Staff. I welcome feedback from this bipartisan committee. I have learned that a special prosecutor has been appointed by the District Attorney Generals’ Conference to begin investigating the email from Mr. Justin Jones that was forwarded by my former Chief of Staff to the local District Attorney. My desire is for this independent review to be completed as…

Read the full story

Republican State Rep. Rick Tillis Denies Authoring Derogatory Twitter Account, Despite Claim He’s Already Admitted It

May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 Chris Butler

LEWISBURG — State Rep. Rick Tillis, R-Lewisburg, denies he posted anonymous and derogatory tweets disparaging Tennessee state house members and their staff under the name @CHBmole. But Tillis’ colleague, State Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, said Tillis indeed took up that persona earlier this year and said Tillis already confessed to him. CHP is short for the Cordell Hull Building, where legislators’ have offices. The person, or possibly people, who operated the account deleted it this week. The Tennessee Star caught up with Tillis Friday at a Marshall County Chamber Breakfast and asked him point blank — Are you the @CHBmole? Tillis responded with this: “I am not.” Later in the day, Holt challenged that statement. “The confirmation that I have that Rick Tillis is a participant in the @CHPmole account is the fact that he admitted it to me in a telephone conversation. He disclosed this to me,” Holt said. “His quotes were that he was sent the log-in credentials to this Twitter site, @CHPmole. He said he went into the account in February 2019 and made one specific post about Representative Bruce Griffey. He admitted he had the credentials. That he logged on and that he made one…

Read the full story

Commentary: China Left Trump with Little Choice but to Put 25 Percent Tariffs on $200 Billion of Goods

May 11, 2019May 11, 2019 Admin

by Robert Romano Just when it appeared that a new trade agreement with China was being finalized last week, Beijing abruptly attempted to change all the terms of the deal and walk back prior concessions that had been made to head off President Donald Trump’s threat to increase tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion of goods. The changes had arrived on May 3 late in the evening and blew up months’ worth of negotiations. According to Reuters’ David Lawder, Jeff Mason and Michael Martina, “In each of the seven chapters of the draft trade deal, China had deleted its commitments to change laws to resolve core complaints that caused the United States to launch a trade war: Theft of U.S. intellectual property and trade secrets; forced technology transfers; competition policy; access to financial services; and currency manipulation.” It was an unacceptable situation. China was reneging on the deal. Trump had already delayed the 25 percent tariffs in January to give negotiations a chance to make a breakthrough. Then, on the eve of concluding the agreement, Beijing wanted to do a complete 180 on everything that had already been discussed. Instantaneously, and in response, on May…

Read the full story

Militantly Anti-Semitic Imam Gives Opening Prayer At House Of Representatives

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Joshua Gill A Muslim cleric who called for violence against Israel and expressed support for Hamas gave the opening prayer before the House of Representatives Thursday, angering several representatives. Omar Suleiman, an imam and president of the Yaqeen Institute, delivered the invocation at the invitation of his congresswoman, Democratic Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, according to the Jewish Telegraph Agency. Republican New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, who is Jewish, decried the invitation in light of the fact that Suleiman has repeatedly called for a third Intifada against Israel, referred to Jews as “Zionists” and called them “enemies of God,” and defended the terrorist organization Hamas on social media. Totally unacceptable that @SpeakerPelosi had Omar Suleiman give the opening prayer yesterday in the House. He compares Israel to the Nazis & calls them terrorists, supports Muslim Brotherhood, incites violence calling for a Palestinian antifada & the end of zionism, etc. Bad call pic.twitter.com/bZakjQVwsJ — Lee Zeldin (@LeeMZeldin) May 10, 2019 Suleiman has also openly supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel and Israeli businesses. The BDS movement has several financial and personal ties with Palestinian terror groups. Suleiman prayed for peace and unity in light of…

Read the full story

Trump Campaign Uses Ilhan Omar’s Own Words Against Her After She Criticizes His Rally Response

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Molly Prince President Donald Trump’s official campaign used Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s own words against her after she criticized the president for his response to a supporter who suggested shooting illegal immigrants. “This was hard to watch and listen to but unsurprising that Trump would laugh about shooting people who come to our country seeking a better life,” Omar tweeted on Thursday. Her comments were in reference to an exchange that Trump had a day prior while he was holding a rally in Florida. During the rally, Trump rhetorically asked the crowd how to stop the slew of migrants illegally entering the U.S. After an attendee shouted out “shoot them,” Trump commented that “only in the panhandle can you get away with that statement.” Trump’s 2020 campaign fired back at Omar’s criticism with a clip of the Minnesota congresswoman from 2013 where she shrug off the idea that the Islamic-terror organizations al-Qaeda and Hezbollah are dangerous and mocked Americans who believe so. Omar, and fellow Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan became America’s first Muslim congresswomen when sworn into office in January. Their time in office has been embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism and anti-American sentiments. pic.twitter.com/s9CHax3QSF…

Read the full story

House Approves $68.9 Billion, Two-Year State Spending Plan, but Sykes Warns Senate Will ‘Mess It Up’

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Todd DeFeo The Ohio House on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a nearly $68.9 billion, two-year state spending plan, one that garnered bipartisan praise for school spending and a reduction of the income tax on Ohio’s lowest earners. The measure includes a pay increase for direct service providers, eliminates a corporate jet timeshare tax exemption and increases the minimum age to buy tobacco in the state from 18 to 21 years old. The House voted 85-9 to pass the bill. It now heads to the state Senate for consideration, “and they’re likely going to mess it up,” Ohio House Democratic Leader Emilia Strong Sykes, D-Akron, said during remarks on the House floor before the vote. “This budget is absolutely and unequivocally an investment in Ohio, an investment in Ohio’s future and an opportunity to renew Ohio’s promise,” Sykes said. The spending plan eliminates the income tax for Ohioans who earn less than $22,250 per year. It also reduces income tax rates by 6.6 percent for the remainder of Ohio’s residents. The budget lowers the so-called “LLC Loophole” to $100,000. The loophole previously exempted some small business owners from paying income tax on their first $250,000 in earnings. “We believe this…

Read the full story

Comey Says Strzok Damaged FBI’s Reputation, Undermined Trump-Russia Probe

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Chuck Ross Former FBI Director James Comey acknowledged Thursday that former FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page damaged the bureau’s reputation and possibly undermined the Trump-Russia investigation by exchanging text messages bashing President Donald Trump. “So do you acknowledge that this whole episode with Strzok and Page, that it damaged the reputation of the FBI and perhaps tarnished the investigation?” CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked Comey at a town hall event. “Definitely. Yeah, very painful,” Comey said. Comey also said that former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe deserved “severe consequences” for making false statements to Justice Department and FBI investigators regarding the authorization of media leaks. Comey blasted Trump throughout the town hall event. He also criticized Attorney General William Barr’s handling of the special counsel’s Russia report. But it was Comey’s comments about his former FBI colleagues that stood out from his normal anti-Trump commentary. “It was important that it be investigated and important that there be discipline that follows it, but, yeah, it made us all look bad,” Comey said of the Strzok-Page texts. Comey said that while Strzok was a “very talented agent,” his text messages “hurt the institution.” Strzok opened the FBI’s investigation of the…

Read the full story

Todd Starnes of Fox News Talks to The Tennesse Star Report About the Democratic Candidates’ Bizarre Personal and Political Playbook for 2020

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Julie Carr

In a detailed discussion on Thursday 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 – hosts Leahy and Gill welcomed long-time friend and media ally Todd Starnes of Fox for a discussion about Joe Biden’s campaign in comparison to Bernie Sanders and the heart of the Democratic parties identity politics playbook. Gill: Long time friend and media ally, Todd Starnes from Fox Nation, from Fox News Nation. You occasionally see him on Fox News as well. And Todd, there are things that are scary in life, I mean, clowns, spiders, the monsters that are under your bed. But apparently for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez one of things that scare her, that terrifies her that we see at ToddStarnes.com, Todd’s website is her garbage disposal. (Leahy chuckles) Starnes: Yeah. (Laughter) Gill: I mean I understand creepy clown, spiders, snakes. Garbage disposals? Starnes: You know Steve, I thought the weirdest thing was Beto Francis O’Rourke the fake Mexican wandering around in the New Mexican wilderness eating dirt. I thought that was going to be the weird part of the Democratic party. As you…

Read the full story

DeSantis Signs School-Choice Bill Creating Florida’s First Tax-Funded Voucher Program

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by John Haughey It took combative committee hearings and marathon floor debates to overcome “third rail” resistance to expanding Florida’s school choice voucher program, but none of that rancor was evident Thursday at a private Miami Gardens school where Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the hard-fought bill into law. “I personally believe, as a matter of philosophy, that parents know what’s best for their kids,” DeSantis said while flanked by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez and bill sponsor Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr., R-Miami, at William J. Kirlew Junior Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist K-8 school with a predominantly African American student body. “What this will do, in one fell swoop,” he added, is offer “opportunity for thousands and thousands of low-income students.” With that, DeSantis signed Diaz’s Senate Bill SB 7070 into law, creating the $130 million Family Empowerment Scholarship, which will be offered to 18,000 students next fall. The new school choice program prioritizes students from families with incomes at 185 percent of the federal poverty level – $47,637 annually for a family of four – although students from families with annual incomes at 300 percent of the federal poverty level – $77,250 – would be eligible to attend a private…

Read the full story

Pentagon Shifting $1.5B to US Border Wall Construction

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

The Pentagon is shifting $1.5 billion in funds originally targeted for support of the Afghan security forces and other projects to help pay for construction of 80 miles of wall at the U.S.-Mexican border, officials said Friday. Congress was being notified of the move, which follows the Pentagon’s decision in March to transfer $1 billion from Army personnel budget accounts to support wall construction. Some lawmakers have been highly critical of the Pentagon shifting money not originally authorized for border security. The combined total of $2.5 billion is in response to President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the border, where Customs and Border Protection personnel are struggling to cope with increasing numbers of Central American families attempting to gain entry. Trump vetoed Congress’ attempt to reverse his emergency declaration. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, who has said he plans to visit the border on Saturday, said in announcing the shift of funds that the Pentagon is “fully engaged” in fixing the border crisis. He said more than 4,000 troops and 19 aircraft are supporting Customs and Border Protection personnel. “Today, I authorized the transfer of $1.5 billion toward the construction of more than 80 miles of…

Read the full story

Alabama Senate Delays Vote on Abortion Bill After Lawmakers Start Screaming on Senate Floor

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan The Alabama Senate postponed a debate on a near-total abortion ban after lawmakers began screaming at each other on the Senate floor Thursday. The Republican-majority Senate adjourned without an official vote on House Bill 314, which criminalizes abortion as a Class A felony except in cases where an abortion is “necessary in order to prevent a serious health risk to the unborn child’s mother,” according to the legislation. Doctors who violate the bill, also called the Alabama Human Life Protection Act, face a Class C felony which is punishable by a maximum of 99 years and a minimum of 10 years in jail. “There was no motion! He did not make a motion!” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton repeatedly screamed on the Senate floor after the chamber’s chairman sought to strip from the bill an amendment providing exceptions for rape and incest without a roll call vote. “No, no, no!” Singleton yelled. In a quick moment the Senate got rid of the amendment allowing abortions in cases of rape and incest. The motion received loud backlash and yelling from Democrats in the chamber who wanted to talk about the amendment. — Alabama Politics (@AlabamaPolitics)…

Read the full story

Reports: Mueller Won’t Testify Next Week, Says House Judiciary Chair

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

U.S. Special Counsel Robert Mueller will not testify before Congress next week, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee told reporters Friday, according to media reports. Chairman Jerrold Nadler said he hopes he does not have to subpoena Mueller to appear before lawmakers but that he would issue one if necessary, adding that negotiations are continuing, Bloomberg, Fox News and other outlets reported. Nadler also said his panel had again issued a subpoena to former White House counsel Don McGahn and that lawmakers expect him to appear May 21 or face being cited for contempt, a Fox News journalist said. The White House earlier this week had directed McGahn not to comply with an earlier summons. Representatives for the committee could not be immediately reached to confirm the comments. Mueller’s potential testimony comes as House Democrats seek to further their investigations following the release of Mueller’s report on his two-year-plus investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election and potential obstruction by U.S. President Donald Trump and his campaign. Mueller’s team of prosecutors detailed extensive contacts between Trump’s campaign and Moscow but concluded there was insufficient evidence to show a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the campaign.…

Read the full story

13,000 People Are Waiting at Mexican Border to Claim Asylum

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Jason Hopkins Thousands of foreign nationals are waiting south of the U.S.-Mexico border to claim asylum. The backlog is a direct result of the Trump administration’s efforts to clamp down on burgeoning asylum claims. Approximately 13,000 people are on waiting lists to claim asylum in the U.S., an Associated Press investigation found. The AP determined the amount after traveling to eight Mexican cities dotted along the border. Tijuana, the city with the longest line, had 4,800 people on the waitlist. Ciudad Juarez and Nogales were two other cities with major lines, with 4,500 and 1,000 people, respectively, waiting to get into the U.S. The backlog is a consequence of the U.S. government controlling how many people can claim asylum a day, a process known as “metering.” Each day at ports of entry, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers communicate with their Mexican counterparts, telling them how many immigrants are allowed to cross the border. Officials who handle the massive wait lists then direct the chosen individuals to cross the border to make their asylum claims. The metering process — which has sparked intense ire from progressive and Democratic circles — has allowed the U.S. government to somewhat manage…

Read the full story

New Tariffs on Chinese Products Go into Effect

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

The United States has increased tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. China on Friday said it “deeply regrets” the increased tariffs and will take the “necessary countermeasures” without giving any details. The increases are going into effect amid talks between Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. On Thursday the U.S. and Chinese trade negotiators ended the first of two days of talks aimed at saving a trade deal even as President Donald Trump said the new “very heavy tariffs” on Chinese products would go ahead. The White House said Thursday evening that “Ambassador Lightizer and Secretary Mnuchin met with President Trump to discuss the ongoing trade negotiations with China. The ambassador and secretary then had a working dinner with Vice Premier Liu He and agreed to continue discussions tomorrow morning at USTR.” Talks on Friday Liu He is leading the Chinese negotiating team for the talks, which threatened to collapse after the Trump administration accused Beijing of backtracking. “We were getting very close to a deal, then they started to renegotiate the deal,” said Trump Thursday in the Roosevelt Room of…

Read the full story

Ocasio-Cortez Claims Victory Against GOP on Climate Change Despite Green New Deal Getting Zero Votes

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Admin

by Michael Bastasch New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seemed to take a victory lap on the Green New Deal, claiming her effort proved Republicans’ “climate denial is now a losing position.” “We chose to go on the climate offense with the #GreenNewDeal,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Thursday night. “As a result, climate denial is now a losing position + we got GOP (incl #WheresMitch!) to finally admit that climate change is real + man-made.” We chose to go on the climate offense with the #GreenNewDeal. As a result, climate denial is now a losing position + we got GOP (incl #WheresMitch!) to finally admit that climate change is real + man-made. Now it’s time to go after predatory lending. Whose side is the GOP on? https://t.co/1nI4UQnEVB — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 10, 2019 Ocasio-Cortez and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, both Democrats, introduced the Green New Deal resolution in February, which calls for a complete societal transformation to fight global warming. While many Democratic presidential candidates and lawmakers endorsed the bill, moderate Democrats were less enthusiastic about the proposal. Democratic leadership largely sidestepped the matter, moving forward with alternative In fact, not a single Senate Democrat voted for the Green New Deal…

Read the full story

Ohio’s Attorney General Dave Yost Joins Coalition Urging Congress to Allow Marijuana-Related Businesses to Access Banking System

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Mitch Shirley

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost joined a coalition of 38 states urging Congress to grant federal banking system access to marijuana-related businesses. The coalition is working on getting Congress to pass the Federal Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (H.R. 1595). Although many states have legalized medical marijuana, the federal government has regulations that block the federal bank and related banks from lending to cannabis-related institutions. Under the existing ruling, many legitimate marijuana-related businesses are forced to function as cash-only operations. Back in 2018 while Yost was a state auditor, he found an excess of flaws with Ohio’s medical marijuana system. “If you wrote a book about how not to roll out a government program, this would be exhibit A,” Yost said at the time. Now Yost is taking a firmer hand in fixing the ongoing issues in the growing medical cannabis market. In a press release from the Attorney General’s Office, Yost had this to say: “When a business is dealing strictly in cash, they’re inviting a whole host of problems. No legal business should have to operate in a manner that provides little to no security in their financial transactions.” H.R. 1595 seeks to change that and…

Read the full story

Illegal Immigrant Raped, Impregnated 11-Year-Old Ohio Girl Before Hiding Her in Closet

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Illegal immigrant Juan Leon-Gomez is being held on a $1 million bond in Stark County Jail on charges of raping and impregnating an 11-year-old Ohio girl. News quickly spread of the tragic story after Leon-Gomez’s May 1 arrest, but his immigration status went unreported until Friday, when police confirmed with Cleveland 19 News that he is in the country illegally. Leon-Gomez, 26, was arrested at his residency in Massillon after the 11-year-old’s mother reported her missing. When police arrived at the scene, Leon-Gomez turned off the lights and hid the girl in an upstairs bedroom closet, according to the police report. According to The Canton Repository, he now faces charges of felony rape and obstructing official business. He could face life in prison with the possibility of parole after 10 years. When asked during his May 3 court appearance if he speaks English, Leon-Gomez responded “no,” saying he speaks Spanish and is from Guatemala. The judge also placed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold on Leon-Gomez, meaning he’d be handed over to ICE if he were to post bail. Several news outlets used the story to criticize Ohio’s recently-passed “heartbeat bill,” which bans abortions in the state after…

Read the full story

Warren Promises Free College, Canceling of Student Loan Debt and More at Columbus Rally

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a 2020 contender, hosted a campaign rally in Columbus, Ohio Friday night where she received thunderous applause while discussing her controversial wealth tax. “I’m tired of freeloading billionaires,” Warren said Friday night after campaigning across West Virginia earlier in the day. In January, Warren floated the idea of introducing a two percent incremental wealth tax on those who are worth more than $50 million. A Forbes analysis found that the tax would cost the country’s wealthiest $85 billion a year. Warren discussed the proposal Friday night and provided a laundry list of the kinds of programs she would pay for with the new taxes. “Here’s what you can get: universal child care every baby age zero to five. But that’s not all. Universal pre-k for every three-year-old and four-year-old in this country. Raise the wages of every child care worker and pre-school worker to a professional wage level like they’re entitled to. But I’m not through yet,” she said. “We can do all of that and we can make every technical school, two-year college, and four-year college tuition and fee free in America.” “Tuition and fee free on all of our public colleges and universities—think…

Read the full story

‘Stealth Newspaper Campaign’ Exposes ‘Jew Hatred’ at the University of Minnesota

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A self-described “stealth newspaper campaign” is seeking to expose “Jew hatred” on campuses with a history of anti-Semitic activity, including the University of Minnesota. “Stop University Support for Terrorists,” a project of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, distributed 1,000 copies of its new report on the University of Minnesota campus. The report is titled: “An Epidemic of Jew Hatred on Campus: the Top Ten Neo-Nazi Incidents,” and highlights a March 2018 incident that occurred at the University of Minnesota. At the time, the university’s Department of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies held an event dedicated to promoting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement as part of the school’s “Divest Week,” organized by Students for Justice in Palestine. “This rampant support for the anti-Semitic and genocidal BDS movement on the part of an official university academic department is a flagrant violation of the proper role of an academic institution and reveals the depths of Jew hatred on the University of Minnesota campus,” the report states. According to a press release from the David Horowitz Freedom Center, printed newspapers were “placed in public locations such as student centers, dining halls, classroom buildings and elsewhere where students would encounter them.” “So…

Read the full story

State Rep. Jason Zachary: ‘I Have Not Been Contacted by the FBI’ Regarding Education Savings Account Vote

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 Laura Baigert

State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) told The Tennessee Star Friday that he has not been contacted by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) regarding the passage of Governor Bill Lee’s Education Savings Accounts (ESA) legislation. As a follow-up to a news report on Thursday by Phil Williams at NewsChannel 5 that “FBI agents have begun interviewing Tennessee lawmakers about whether any improper incentives were offered to pass Gov. Bill Lee’s school vouchers bill in the state House,” The Star asked Representative Zachary if he had been contacted by the FBI. Not only did Representative Zachary confirm he had not been contacted by the FBI, he elaborated, “I find it ridiculous that a story is run on a rumor with absolutely zero basis of truth.” Representative Zachary was central to the passage of the Education Savings Accounts legislation, as he was the one who broke the 49-49 tie vote on the House floor April 23. While the vote was held open for 40 minutes, Governor Lee was unsuccessful as he made phone calls to several other House lawmakers to win their vote. Once Knox County was taken out of the bill, Representative Zachary felt he could vote for the bill. Zachary explained,…

Read the full story