Day: June 2, 2019

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association Must Change Its Ways, Comptrollers Say

Chris Butler

  Members of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association must apply the provisions of the Tennessee Open Meetings Act to regional meetings of member schools and committee meetings, according to a report Tennessee Comptrollers released this week. According to its website, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association administers the junior and senior high school athletic program for an estimated 110,000 participants, 426 schools, an estimated 6,000 coaches, 5,000 officials, and almost 5,500 teams. The organization has a state office in Nashville, the website went on to say. But TSSAA officials said in a written response to the report that their organization is not subject to the Open Meetings Act. In their report, Comptrollers said the TSSAA provided adequate public notice of the regional meetings of member schools, including the dates and locations of the meetings. “However, TSSAA staff provided no prior notice of the Finance Committee and Sports Medicine Advisory Committee meetings on its online or print calendar. TSSAA staff provided prior notice of TMSAA Committee meetings but did not include the location of the meeting,” Comptrollers wrote. TSSAA did not publish minutes of its regional meetings of member schools that occurred in November of last year. They also did…

Read the full story

National Public Radio Style Guide: Do Not Use ‘Pro-Life’

Laura Baigert

  As states such as Georgia and Alabama recently passed Fetal Heartbeat Bills, National Public Radio (NPR) issued a “Guidance Reminder: On Abortion Procedures, Terminology & Rights,” which specifically states, do not use ‘pro-life’ in copy except when used in the name of a group. The Guidance Reminder was issued by NPR’s Mark Memmott, the organization’s Standards & Practices Editor on May 15, which first thanked all those involved for following long-standing guidance very well during the recent coverage of the new “abortion law” in Georgia and legislation in Alabama. On the surface, NPR has strict guidance in the impartiality section of its Ethics Handbook, which applies to NPR employees both inside and outside of the newsroom. NPR employees are restricted from publicly expressing political opinions which includes not putting bumper stickers on cars, putting political signs in their yards, signing political petitions, donating money to candidates, endorsing candidates, advocating, running for office, endorsing candidates other otherwise engaging in politics in a participatory or activist manner. The expectation of impartiality is also extended to NPR employees on social media. The handbook section titled “Impartiality in our journalism,” is further explained in the Ethics Handbook: “fair, accurate and impartial reporting being…

Read the full story

Commentary: LBJ’s Great Society Lives On

Admin

by Silvio Simonetti   Forget Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton as well. And do the same regarding Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. The most consequential American president since the end of World War II was Lyndon Baines Johnson. The man — who possessed a unique combination of savvy, lack of character and progressive faith — created the Great Society and helped to shape the modern-day United States. Whether you like him or not, we all live under the shadow cast by one of the most hated and misunderstood presidents of America. We would have known little about Johnson had a young Robert Caro not developed a special interest for the former president after visiting him on his ranch in Texas. The result of Caro’s curiosity was a masterful piece about American history and this unique character that started his life as a school’s teacher and climbed all the way up to the White House. Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson shows a man who understood, from an early age, the meaning and the ways to power. The tallest of all George Washington’s successors and extremely ungainly, Johnson’s physical characteristics seemed to reflect the psyche…

Read the full story

Gov Larry Hogan Bails on Possible POTUS Run, Leaving Trump’s GOP Critics with Few Options

Admin

by Chris White   Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Saturday morning he will not challenge President Donald Trump for the GOP 2020 nomination. “I’m not going to be a candidate for president in 2020,” Hogan said in an interview with The Washington Post. Trump’s Republican critics have worked to entice Hogan into jumping into the crowded 2020 race. Hogan acknowledged the president’s growing popularity inside the Republican Party, but said he wants to focus on being Maryland’s governor. “I have a commitment to the 6 million people of Maryland and a lot of work to do, things we haven’t completed,” he said. Hogan’s decision is a potential mortal wound to the so-called “Never Trump” wing of the Republican Party, a contingent of commentators and former politicians such as Bill Kristol and former Ohio governor John Kasich. Kristol attended a baseball game in April with Hogan and political strategist Russ Schriefer to talk about the 2020 presidential race. Kristol told Hogan his ability to win twice in deep blue Maryland could resonate with Republican voters, WaPo reported. Hogan’s decision leaves Kristol and his ilk with one surefire option: former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who announced his presidential bid in April.…

Read the full story

Commentary: Nigel Farage is Britain’s Prime Minister-in-Waiting

Admin

by Nicolas L. Waddy   Since at least 2014, the most powerful man in the United Kingdom has been someone who holds no noble or royal title, and has never occupied a domestic political office. He is a former commodities broker who took up the cause of reasserting British sovereignty and terminating the country’s membership in the elitist, internationalist, and vaguely socialist European Union. He has earned the unremitting scorn of Britain’s political, cultural, and economic elite in return—and a place in history as the man who upended the two-party system and breathed new life into the world’s oldest and most venerable democracy. Nigel Farage is the man of the hour in Britain and Europe. Three years ago, he led the successful campaign to convince British voters to embrace “Brexit”: Britain’s departure from the European Union. Believing his work largely done, he retired from political life, only to watch with horror as the British parliamentary elite obfuscated and delayed in the implementation of the people’s will. Two postponements of Brexit later, Farage took himself out of mothballs and launched the Brexit Party in order to contest the EU parliamentary elections. That was just six weeks ago. And now after last…

Read the full story

Mexico Says It Will Negotiate with US Over Tariff Threat

Admin

  WASHINGTON — Mexico’s foreign minister says he has started negotiating with U.S. officials after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexican products related to the migrant surge at the border. Marcelo Ebrard said on Twitter Friday that he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by phone and said face-to-face talks between the two would take place Wednesday in Washington. “The summit to resolve the U.S. dispute with our country will be on Wednesday in Washington,” Ebrard said. “We will be firm and defend the dignity of Mexico.” Earlier Friday, Mexico’s president responded to the U.S. tariff threats with caution urging “dialogue” over “coercive measures.” “I want to reiterate that we are not going to fall into any provocation, but we are going to be prudent, and we are going to respect the authorities of the United States and President Donald Trump,” said Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. His statement Friday morning followed a two-page letter to Trump made public late Thursday, similar in tone, responding to Trump’s announcement on Twitter earlier in the day that the United States would begin imposing an escalating tax on imports from Mexico. “On June 10th, the…

Read the full story

How College Students Really Feel About Free Speech on Campus

Admin

by Kaylee Greenlee   A new survey finding that college students generally support free speech also shows what for some is a worrisome divide over what students value more: an “inclusive society” that “welcomes diverse groups” or protecting “the extremes of free speech.” The Knight Foundation’s “Free Expressions of College Campuses” report polled students over the course of three days on their views of protesting, offensive language, and the inclusivity of on-campus climates. One question was whether students agreed with shouting down speakers or trying to prevent them from talking. While the results showed only 6% responded that it is “always acceptable,” 45% of students said it is “sometimes acceptable.” Jonathan Butcher, a senior policy analyst in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation pointed out that, in total, 51% of the college students surveyed say they believe that violating another’s First Amendment protections because they disagree is acceptable to some degree. One area that the Knight Foundation didn’t explore is what actions, if any, students believe should be taken against students who violate someone else’s First Amendment rights. Butcher said he sees a “need for state legislative proposals for public universities to be inclusive of the First…

Read the full story

Trump Reveals Major Detail About 2020 Presidential Run

Admin

by Evie Fordham   President Donald Trump revealed a major detail about his 2020 presidential run announcement in a tweet Friday afternoon. “I will be announcing my Second Term Presidential Run with First Lady Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence on June 18th in Orlando, Florida, at the 20,000 seat Amway Center. Join us for this Historic Rally!” Trump wrote on Twitter Friday with a link to register to attend. I will be announcing my Second Term Presidential Run with First Lady Melania, Vice President Mike Pence, and Second Lady Karen Pence on June 18th in Orlando, Florida, at the 20,000 seat Amway Center. Join us for this Historic Rally! Tickets: https://t.co/1krDP2oQvG — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2019 The rally will likely be a far cry from his 2015 announcement. After declaring his candidacy, “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young briefly played before Trump continued speaking, vowing to be “the greatest jobs president that God ever created.” Now, he has been in office for more than two years and is contending with a wide swath of Democratic candidates — and a few challengers from the right and center. More than 20 candidates…

Read the full story

Not Many Companies Actually Get Busted for Hiring Illegal Immigrants, Study Finds

Admin

by Jason Hopkins   A new study finds that, despite a record-setting number of immigrants illegally entering the country, relatively few employers are prosecuted for hiring undocumented aliens. From April 2018 to March 2019, only 11 individuals were prosecuted for knowingly employing migrants without proper documentation, according to information compiled by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. No individuals have been prosecuted in the past two months, and no companies were prosecuted in the last year. The low levels of legal reprimand appear as an oddity given the surge of illegal aliens appearing at the U.S. southern border — many of them claiming they emigrated in search of better work opportunities. Border apprehensions have increased every month since January, with the months of March and April witnessing back-to-back migrant encounters of over 100,000. Altogether, over half a million illegal immigrants have been apprehended since the beginning of the fiscal year. “Given the millions of undocumented immigrants now working in this country, the odds of being criminally prosecuted for employing undocumented workers appears to be exceedingly remote,” the study noted. “Not only are few employers prosecuted, fewer who are convicted receive sentences that amount to more than token punishment.…

Read the full story

Thirteen Killed Including Suspected Gunman In Virginia Beach Municipal Center

Admin

by Evie Fordham   At least 13 people are dead after a Virginia Beach city employee opened fire on coworkers in a municipal building Friday around 4 p.m., authorities said. Four others were injured and taken to the hospital, reported The Virginian-Pilot. The suspected gunman, a longtime city worker identified as 40-year-old DeWayne Craddock, died when officers responded with gunfire and is counted among the 13 dead. The suspect was a public utilities department worker who was allegedly armed with a .45-caliber handgun with a sound suppressor, Virginia Beach Police Department Chief James Cervera said, according to The Virginian-Pilot. “This is the most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach,” Mayor Robert M. Dyer said at a press conference. “The people involved are our friends, coworkers, neighbor, colleagues.” The names of the victims have not been released. The shooting occurred on multiple floors of Building 2 of the Virginia Beach Municipal Center, reported CNN. The building is the site of planning and public works offices near City Hall. The police department is nearby. One victim was shot in a vehicle outside the building, and the rest of the victims were shot inside. Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam responded to…

Read the full story

Minneapolis Will Host Segregated Race Talks for ‘White Bodied’ and ‘Black Bodied’ City Employees

Zachery Schmidt

  Minneapolis is holding segregated race talks amongst its city employees this summer. During “Sacred Conversations with City Staff” black and white employees will be separated to reflect upon the “how they relate to the enslavement, resistance and continual push for liberation for African American people.” The talks will be once a day in May, June, and July. Each month has a special topic for its talks. May’s theme is “Remembering Who We Are,” June’s theme is “Recovering the Narratives of Oppression and Liberation” and July’s theme is “Re-imagining a Future without Harm.” The discussion in May was postponed, according to its website. Discussions for what they deemed “black-bodied staff” and “white-bodied staff” will take place in separate places. City staff will be provided a number of resources and a time to reflect on “how what they are learning related to their role in the City.” Minneapolis will host speakers to talk to the city’s employees about how the institution of slavery has affected Minnesota. On August 20, an event will take place to commemorate the exact date the British brought over African slaves 400 years ago. Also, during this event city staff and community members will have a discussion…

Read the full story

Heartbeat Bill Victory Party for Ohio

Beth Lear

  NORTH ROYALTON, Ohio – Janet Folger Porter hosted a raucous victory party for the Heartbeat Bill on Friday, May 31st.  After more than eight long years, obstructionism by some ‘Republicans’ and many heartbreakingly close calls, the Heartbeat Bill, Senate Bill 23, became law on April 11, 2019. Janet Porter began pushing for the law, which prohibits abortions once a baby’s heartbeat can be detected, in Ohio in 2010. The first bill was introduced in 2011.  Since then, 9 states have adopted some version of the bill: Arkansas (2013), North Dakota (2013), Iowa (2018), Mississippi (2019), Kentucky (2019), Ohio (2019), Georgia (2019), Missouri (2019) and Louisiana (2019). Through her organization, Faith2Action, Janet motivated a nation to respect life once again.  A tireless juggernaut for the unborn, the adjectives describing Porter never stopped.  Relentless, courageous, fearless were just a few of them. But she made it clear this night was not about her.  Friday’s victory party was all about the heroes behind the Heartbeat Bill, and there were dozens. Awards were handed out to interns, key players behind the scenes, an intern’s mother (who dropped everything to drive a State Representative to the House because just one more vote was needed),…

Read the full story

Joe Biden Skips California’s Democratic Convention to Stump in Ohio at Human Rights Campaign’s Columbus Dinner

Jason M. Reynolds

  Joe Biden is rolling the dice and striking out on his own on the campaign trail, keeping his distance from the other Democratic presidential candidates. Biden appeared at the Human Rights Campaign’s Columbus Dinner Saturday, Cleveland.com said. The gala was at Ohio State University’s Archie Griffin Ballroom. The HRC is the nation’s largest LGBTQ rights organization. In visiting Ohio Saturday, the former vice president, who is the front-runner in his party’s primary race, showed he is not afraid of missing out by not attending the same events as his plethora of competitors, WGME said. Instead, he is focusing on a November 2020 competition against President Donald Trump, as if his primary challengers are not an issue. Also, Biden plans to avoid an Iowa state party dinner that will draw rivals next weekend, although he will visit Iowa two days later, WGME said. And, he will miss a South Carolina economic forum on the black community, although he will attend the state party convention the next weekend. Fourteen of the 23 other Democratic presidential hopefuls attended the California Democratic Convention in San Francisco that Biden skipped. The stakes are big as California has 400 delegates for the national convention up…

Read the full story

Southern Momentum Puts Out Additional Ads to Oppose UAW at Volkswagen Chattanooga

Chris Butler

  Southern Momentum, a grassroots group of Volkswagen Chattanooga workers who oppose the United Auto Workers, ramped up their media campaign this week with additional radio and television ads in the Chattanooga market. “While the Detroit-based UAW and its cronies have been working for more than five years to organize our facility, over the span of a few weeks, we have been able to build a significant coalition of workers inside the plant to push back on the false attacks and intimidation by the UAW,” said CB Bitton, a team leader at Volkswagen Chattanooga, in a press release. “We are proud to fight for the future of the plant and for the livelihoods of our families. Without Volkswagen, many of us would either be out of work or at a job with less pay and fewer benefits. It is important this facility thrive, and we can’t take a chance on our future by allowing the UAW – with its long track record of broken promises, lost jobs, and closed plants – to come into our factory. It is time to send a strong message and reject the UAW yet again.” A Southern Momentum radio ad warns listeners that UAW is an…

Read the full story