Day: June 23, 2019

Officials Accuse DHS Chief Kevin McAleenan of Personally Sabotaging President Trump’s Planned ICE Raids

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by Jason Hopkins   Administration officials are accusing Homeland Security Acting Director Kevin McAleenan of sabotaging Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) deportation raids by leaking key details of the plan. President Donald Trump abruptly announced Saturday that he would delay plans for Sunday raids targeting around 2,000 illegal immigrants across the country. The president claimed the two-week hiatus would give the White House time to reach a consensus with Democrats on “asylum and loophole” issues at the southern border. However, senior administration officials say there is much more to the story. Current and former officials within the administration who spoke to the Washington Examiner and BuzzFeed are accusing McAleenan of ruining the Sunday operation by either personally releasing details of the plan or by having people in his staff do it for him. “I know he has not approved of this operation for months,” one source familiar with the matter said to the Washington Examiner. “The president wouldn’t leak that. ICE wouldn’t leak that. There’s only a few people involved in these discussions. … The only one who could have shared the details of those operations were [McAleenan]. Revealing details of the deportation raids, such as dates and locations, put ICE…

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Bob Mendes Warns Nashville Will Eventually Pay Higher Taxes

Chris Butler

  Metro Nashville Council Member Bob Mendes implied on his website Saturday that Nashvillians will eventually have to pay higher property taxes. In a 730 word post, Mendes told constituents about Mayor David Briley and the events leading up to this year’s final Metro budget. “Multiple district council members told me that in the days and hours before the vote the Mayor and his office told them that he would raise the tax rate next year,” Mendes wrote. “He’s denied that to the press. I guess you all can draw your own conclusions about what to make of that.” Mendes said this year’s budget disappointed him and that “there now is a broad consensus that we will be right back in this same situation a year from now.” He also said Metro officials are choosing not to fix known budget problems at the expense of making things difficult on Metro employees and on Metro services. “If you follow my posts, you know that I predicted the size of this year’s budget to within a few million dollars. I predicted $2.335 billion, and it came in at $2.332 billion. That wasn’t luck. The size of a budget is pretty predictable when…

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Public Policy Experts Engage in Panel Discussion on Threat Posed by China to American, Indian Economies

Jason M. Reynolds

  A who’s who list of public policy experts on Saturday expounded upon the “unrestricted warfare” that has been waged for decades by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against American electronics and other manufacturers and the importance of India’s help in fighting this threat. The National Indian American Public Policy Institute and the Committee on the Present Danger: China (CPDC) hosted the public event, forum and panel discussion Saturday afternoon at The Rana-Reagan Community Center in Carol Stream, Illinois, according to a press release. One of the panelists, Steve Bannon, former strategic advisor to President Donald Trump, provided The Tennessee Star an exclusive quote Saturday concerning the panel discussion. “It’s a great honor to address the Republican Hindu Coalition on the most vital issue facing America — the economic war China is engaged in against the industrial democratic West,” he said. “Few have felt the brunt of this more than the entrepreneurs of the Hindu American community as the manufacturing base was shipped to China. Today marks the beginning of an effort to reverse this.” Video coverage of the event is available here. Shalabh “Shalli” Kumar, founding chairman of the AVG Group of Companies of Chicago, an electronics inventor and…

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Commentary: Leading Progressives Blame the Wrong Culprit for Rising College Costs

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by James D. Agresti   Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and certain media outlets are blaming steep rises in college costs on reduced government funding for higher education. The reality is that inflation-adjusted government spending per college student has risen by about three times since the 1960s and is now at an all-time high. In spite of this, college graduation rates, academic time investment, and the learning of practical skills are all suffering. The True Costs of College Over the past several decades, college tuitions have ballooned, negatively impacting parents, students, and recent grads who are struggling to pay back student loans. The inflation-adjusted average sticker price for public college has doubled since 1980. For private colleges, it has nearly tripled: Many students pay less for college than published sticker prices because of discounts, scholarships, and financial aid. Thus, David Leonhardt of the New York Times argues that sticker prices exaggerate the cost of college. However, the truth is that society pays for all of these costs and more. Whatever students and parents don’t pay, taxpayers and donors do. In fact, the full costs of colleges far exceed their sticker prices. The average annual sticker price at 4-year public colleges is…

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Michigan Gov. Whitmer Requests Farm Bailout from Federal Government Because of Weather

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by Tyler Arnold   Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is seeking federal funding for farms in her state because of the struggles farmers are facing from an unusual wet period and other issues with the weather. “Michigan farmers are in a state of crisis right now because of extraordinary weather conditions, from historic rainfall, extreme cold, excessive snow, flash flooding, and tornadoes,” Whitmer said in a news release. “Michigan has a rich history in agriculture, and on behalf of our farmers, our families, and our economy, we need to take action now. I’m ready and eager to partner with the federal government to make sure Michigan farmers have the support they need during this difficult time.” In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Whitmer requested that the department give Michigan a USDA Secretarial Disaster Designation and more flexibility – and the ability to apply for aid – under the Federal Crop Insurance Program and Congress’s disaster legislation. Michigan received 37.9 inches of rain between May 1, 2018 and April 30, 2019, which is the third wettest year recorded in state history. Whitmer said that this has led to oversaturated topsoil, which prevented farmers from planting their fields and harvesting…

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Commentary: Don’t Believe Presidential Polls This Far From 2020

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by Robert Romano   Don’t count your chickens before your eggs have hatched. To read some of the alarmist headlines pointing to the latest polls, you might conclude that the 2020 election is already over and President Donald Trump has been ousted. After all, the latest Fox News poll shows former Vice President Joe Biden ahead of Trump, 49 percent to 39 percent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders similarly leads Trump, 49 percent to 40 percent. When you take out supposed undecideds or non-responses, that takes Biden up to 56 percent of the vote and Sanders to 55 percent, with Trump at 44 percent and 45 percent, respectively, a modern-day rout. But does anyone really expect such a lop-sided outcome come Nov. 2020? The largest landslide in recent history was 2008, but even with the economy completely collapsed and Democrats on their way to winning a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, the worst possible conditions for Republicans on the ballot, Barack Obama only garnered 52.9 percent of the popular vote. That is not to say that Biden or Sanders could not defeat Trump, but by 10 points or 9 points? It seems not only unlikely, but exceedingly improbable. The news came…

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Trump Postponing for Now Planned Immigration Raids

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  In a surprise move, President Donald Trump said he would push back by a couple of weeks the raids planned for Sunday by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “At the request of Democrats, I have delayed the Illegal Immigration Removal Process (Deportation) for two weeks to see if the Democrats and Republicans can get together and work out a solution to the Asylum and Loophole problems at the Southern Border,” President Trump wrote in a tweet Saturday afternoon from the presidential retreat in Camp David in Maryland. The reports that ICE planned to conduct large-scale enforcement actions sparked an outcry from Democratic leaders in many major cities, who condemned the plan and initiated efforts to help affected residents. Just hours earlier Saturday, as he departed the White House, Trump said migrants who were to be targeted in a nationwide roundup should return to their native countries. ICE Acting Director Mark Morgan told reporters days earlier the agency would round up and deport families who have received a removal order from a U.S. immigration court. The operation, first reported by The Washington Post, had been expected to begin on Sunday, targeting up to 2,000 families in large cities that…

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Judge Rules to Keep Last Abortion Clinic in Missouri Temporarily Open

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by Mary Margaret Olohan   A judge ruled Friday to keep the last abortion clinic in Missouri open temporarily despite the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services’ refusal to renew the clinic’s license earlier in the day. Hours before State Circuit Judge Michael Stelzer extended his preliminary injunction to keep the clinic open temporarily, DHSS refused to renew the St. Louis abortion clinic’s license, according to NBC News. “Today is a victory for women to be able to access the kind of medical care that they and their health professionals need and deserve,” said M’Evie Mead, who heads policy and organizing at Planned Parenthood Advocates in Missouri, according to NBC. “It is still very, very difficult to access abortion in Missouri because of medically unnecessary hoops and regulations, but you can still come to Planned Parenthood today for all of your reproductive health care,” Mead added. “And that is a good day for women.” Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen has said if the Missouri clinic closes down, Missouri could be the only state in the United States since 1974 without an abortion clinic. “BREAKING: Today, Missouri’s health department weaponized a regulatory process to deny an abortion license to the…

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Democrats Hid Gifts from a Notorious Foreign Meddler

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by Luke Rosiak   Six Democrats took an all-expenses-paid trip paid for by the government of Qatar in December, but two of them did not disclose it, annual ethics forms reveal. Democratic Reps. Donald Norcross of New Jersey and Jim Himes of Connecticut did not report taking the trip to Doha, Qatar, on their mandatory disclosure forms, but Buzzfeed said they were there at the elaborate Doha Forum gathering in December. The congressmen hold sensitive positions that make them targets of influence for Qatar, a wealthy Arab nation. Himes is on the House Permanent Select Committee On Intelligence, and is chair of its Strategic Technologies and Advanced Research subcommittee. Norcross is on the House Armed Services Committee and chairs its Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee. The U.S. has a military base in Qatar and the country also purchases military equipment from the U.S. Despite Democrats’ rhetoric on the dangers of “foreign meddling,” Hines did not respond to questions from the Daily Caller News Foundation about the hidden gift. Norcross’ spokeswoman Ally Kehoe merely stated, “my office is aware of this oversight and we will be filing an amendment.” Most of the other politicians who Buzzfeed said were there did…

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Commentary: This New York Man Got Arrested After Defending His Own Home

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by Amy Swearer   All too often, advocates of strict gun control promise that more complex and convoluted laws will save lives without imposing a serious burden on the right of law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional rights. Their argument simply doesn’t hold up. Their gun control laws fail not only to address how actual criminals get their firearms, but they also impose a real burden on ordinary citizens’ Second Amendment rights. They even risk making felons out of otherwise law-abiding citizens. If that sounds like an exaggeration, just look to the case of Ronald Stolarczyk of Oneida County, New York. He’s now facing felony charges for lawfully protecting himself against criminals without first getting the county’s permission to possess a handgun in his home—something that would cost him hundreds of dollars and months of paperwork. The 64-year-old Stolarczyk was “minding his own business in his kitchen” one day when he heard voices coming from his garage. Stolarczyk tried simply waiting for the intruders to leave, but the two assailants soon ascended the stairs and attempted to enter his central living space. Stolarczyk then yelled at the burglars to leave, hoping that knowledge of his presence would scare them away.…

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Trump Warns Iran US ‘Cocked & Loaded’ but ‘In No Hurry’

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  The United States was “cocked & loaded,” ready to strike three sites in Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz but called off the attacks at the last possible moment to spare Iranian lives. The revelation by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media Friday followed news reports that the president initially authorized strikes on a handful of Iranian targets, such as radar installations and missile batteries, before pulling back. “We were cocked & loaded to retaliate last night on 3 different sights when I asked, how many will die. 150 people, sir, was the answer from a General. 10 minutes before the strike I stopped it,” Trump tweeted, saying the action would have been disproportionate. “I am in no hurry,” Trump added. The president also said that he authorized additional “biting” sanctions against Iran late Thursday night as part of his administration’s maximum pressure campaign to force Iran to restart negotiations over its nuclear program. “Iran can NEVER have Nuclear Weapons, not against the USA, and not against the WORLD!” Trump tweeted. The move appears to pull Washington and Tehran back from the brink of armed conflict that could engulf…

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Ilhan Omar Defends AOC’s Comments Comparing Border Crisis to ‘Concentration Camps’

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently defended fellow freshman Democrat Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), who’s facing ongoing criticism for calling immigrant detention centers “concentration camps.” Ocasio-Cortez made the comment during a Tuesday night live stream on Instagram, and has continued to stand by her remarks. “This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying,” she wrote on Twitter. “This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis.” This administration has established concentration camps on the southern border of the United States for immigrants, where they are being brutalized with dehumanizing conditions and dying. This is not hyperbole. It is the conclusion of expert analysis ⬇️https://t.co/2dWHxb7UuL — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 18, 2019 She later accused the GOP of supporting the building of “mass concentration camps on the southern border.” “Kids and families are dying. Now they want money for more—with zero negotiation on how money is spent,” she added. The GOP has supported building mass concentration camps on the southern border. Kids & families are dying. Now they want money for more – w/ ZERO negotiation on how $ is spent.…

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Ten Months Into the Fiscal Year, Tennessee’s Revenues Exceed Estimates by $556.7 Million

Laura Baigert

  A press release issued Friday by Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced that Tennessee’s May revenues were $46.3 million more than the state budgeted for the month. Also reported was that total tax collections by the state so far this year exceeded the estimates by more than a half billion dollars. On an accrual basis, May is the tenth month of the 2018-2019 fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30. McWhorter said that the more-than-estimated May revenues demonstrated sound growth over the same period last year. “Both sales tax and corporate tax revenues were the largest contributors to the month’s growth and taken together continued to outperform expectations, as they have for most of the year. All other tax revenues, taken as a group, were also more than the May estimates” reported McWhorter. Despite cuts made in the IMPROVE Act, or 2017 Tax Cut Act, to the Franchise & Excise Tax and Hall Income Tax – which will be fully repealed beginning January 1, 2021 – as well as Sales & Use Tax on food, the highest revenue increases this year come from these taxes. Sales & Use – $257 million or 3.41%…

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