Month: June 2019

Both Parties Seek to Delay Abortion Lawsuit in Ohio

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by Tyler Arnold   In a joint filing, both sides of the Ohio abortion lawsuit have requested that the U.S. district court delay information gathering until after a similar case in Kentucky is settled. Both Kentucky and Ohio passed legislation to prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as five and a half weeks into the pregnancy. After a lawsuit was brought by abortion rights advocates, a federal court struck down Kentucky’s legislation. The state has appealed the ruling. A district court has also blocked some of the Ohio law from going into effect. The government cannot charge doctors under this legislation until the judge issues a ruling. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed this legislation in April. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed his state’s legislation back in March. Under the Ohio law, a doctor who conducts an abortion after the fetal heartbeat could face up to a year in prison with a fifth degree felony. The State Medical Board could also take further disciplinary action, which could include up to $20,000 in fines. Although there is no rape or incest exception, the bill does provide an exception if the mother’s life is at…

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Tennessee House Republicans to Select a New Speaker on July 24

Laura Baigert

  A meeting of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus has been scheduled for Wednesday, July 24, to select a Republican nominee for Speaker of the House. The meeting was called by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland). In a statement issued by Leader Lamberth Wednesday, he said his call for the caucus meeting came, “following conversations with our members of the last several days.” Lamberth retweeted his announcement, which was picked up by Cameron Taylor of WSMV. NEW: @WilliamLamberth says a caucus meeting will be held next month to choose a Republican nominee for speaker. Date on special session to elect the next speaker hasn’t been announced yet. @WSMV pic.twitter.com/OtxBdUnHgV — Cameron Taylor (@CameronKSHB) June 26, 2019 The purpose of the caucus meeting is to select the Republican nominee for Speaker of the House, who will eventually replace current Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin). In a closed meeting and by secret ballot, Casada received a 45-24 vote of no confidence by the House GOP Caucus on May 20. At an impromptu press conference following the three-hour meeting, Lamberth said that the House Republican Caucus vote “sent a clear message” that sexist racist and similar behaviors is not acceptable in leadership, the…

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Commentary: Big Tech’s Bid for One-Party Rule Could Result in Over Regulation

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by Robert Romano   The Wall Street Journal is reporting that momentum is building for the U.S. government to subject Google and other Big Tech firms to antitrust scrutiny for fears that they have become too big and too powerful. In today’s digital ecosystem, politicians, political parties, organizations and media all rely on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Google and Youtube to get the message out because that’s where consumers by and large go to in order to consume information. A Pew report found 68 percent of adult Americans use Facebook, or over 170 million. 24 percent use Twitter, or about 61 million. A separate Pew report found 73 percent, or 185 million, use broadband internet. Statista reports that Google’s family of sites are the most popular in America, with 255 million unique U.S. visitors in March 2019 alone. So, the internet is indisputably a huge part of the way people are getting information nowadays. Now, conservatives and Republicans have become alarmed as many of these platforms are censoring and restricting speech that does not coincide with Big Tech’s social justice agenda. Deplatforming is real. Actor James Woods has been censored on Twitter, Stephen Crowder has been demonetized on…

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Supreme Court Strikes Down Tennessee Liquor Law

Zachery Schmidt

  The Supreme Court ruled against a Tennessee law that requires people to live in the state for two years before acquiring a retail license to sell alcohol. The court’s 7-2 decision ruled that Tennessee’s law had violated the Constitution’s Commerce Clause, which gives Congress the power “to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States.” “Because Tennessee’s two-year residency requirement for retail license applicants blatantly favors the state residents and has little relationship to public health and safety, it is unconstitutional,” conservative Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. The case (Tennessee Wine and Spirits Retailers Assn. V. Russell F. Thomas, Executive Director of Tennessee Alchohol Beverage Commission, Et Al.) gave the Supreme Court a chance to define the 21st Amendment’s scope, which allows states to regulate alcohol sales within state lines. Previously, the court ruled against Michigan and New York laws prohibiting out-of-state based wine companies from shipping wine within their states. In the Granholm v. Heald case, a 5-4 decision decided these state laws also violated the Commerce Clause. “While this requirement is less extreme than the others that the Sixth Circuit found to be unconstitutional, we now hold that it also violates the Commerce Clause…

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National Rifle Association Shutters NRATV as Ackerman Split Becomes Official

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by Whitney Tipton   The National Rifle Association (NRA) announced Tuesday that it is closing NRATV as part of the split from its longtime marketing partner Ackerman McQueen. The move comes after months of public feuding and litigation between the NRA and Ackerman, which operates the gun-group’s live television broadcast network and employs its on-air talent including Dana Loesch, the New York Times reported. “Many members expressed concern about the messaging on NRATV becoming too far removed from our core mission: defending the Second Amendment,” said CEO Wayne LaPierre in a statement to members. “So, after careful consideration, I am announcing that starting today, we are undergoing a significant change in our communications strategy. We are no longer airing ‘live TV’ programming.” While the network will continue to air previous content, it will no longer broadcast live programming. No statements have been released about the future employment of its on-air NRA spokespeople, including Loesch. “When given the opportunity to do the right thing, the NRA once again has taken action that we believe is intended to harm our company even at the expense of the NRA itself,” said Ackerman McQueen in a statement obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.…

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US House Passes Emergency Funding Bill for Migrant Care Crisis

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  It took last-minute changes and a full-court press by top Democratic leaders, but the House passed with relative ease Tuesday a $4.5 billion emergency border aid package to care for thousands of migrant families and unaccompanied children detained after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill passed along party lines after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quelled a mini-revolt by progressives and Hispanic lawmakers who sought significant changes to the legislation. New provisions added to the bill Tuesday were more modest than what those lawmakers had sought, but the urgent need for the funding — to prevent the humanitarian emergency on the border from turning into a debacle — appeared to outweigh any lingering concerns. The 230-195 vote sets up a showdown with the Republican-led Senate, which may try instead to force Democrats to send Trump a different, and broadly bipartisan, companion measure in coming days as the chambers race to wrap up the must-do legislation by the end of the week. “The Senate has a good bill. Our bill is much better,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told her Democratic colleagues in a meeting Tuesday morning, according to a senior Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private session.…

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9/11 Gaffe, Technical Difficulties, Spanish Responses: Highlights from ‘BORING’ First Debate

Anthony Gockowski

  Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the debate stage in Miami, Florida Wednesday night for the first of a two-night event. President Donald Trump weighed in on the debate with just one word: “BORING!” BORING! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019 He later criticized NBC News after moderators Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow had to cut to a commercial break to deal with microphone difficulties. “NBC News and MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS organization, which they are!” .@NBCNews and @MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate. Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS Organization, which they are! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019 Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) represented the Midwest during the first round of debates. Klobuchar highlights Early on in the debate, Klobuchar earned a round of applause after taking a shot at Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who said he was the only candidate on stage who had…

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Illinois Becomes Eleventh State to Legalize Recreational Marijuana

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  Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana Tuesday, and the first to do so through its legislature rather than a ballot initiative. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law after the legislature passed it late last month. “As the first state in the nation to fully legalize adult-use cannabis through the legislative process, Illinois exemplifies the best of democracy: a bipartisan and deep commitment to better the lives of all of our people,” said Pritzker in a statement Tuesday. The law will go into effect Jan. 1, 2020. Illinois residents above 21 will be able to possess up to 30 grams of cannabis flower, 5 grams of cannabis concentrate and 500 milligrams of THC, with non-residents able to possess half the amounts. Those arrested for possession of up to 30 grams of marijuana will have their records automatically expunged, while Pritzker will pardon those convicted for possession. Individuals with convictions for violent crime will not be automatically eligible, though they or an attorney can still file suit to remove convictions. Illinois estimates that 700,000 people’s records will qualify for expungement. About 300,000 more will be able to file suit for convictions for up to 500…

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Rep. Green Votes ‘No’ on Democrat Government Appropriations Bill Spending $400M More than President Trump Requested

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) voted “no” on H.R. 3351, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2020. He released the following statement explaining his vote: “Congressional Democrats must not be able to help themselves. They love spending taxpayer money,” said Rep. Mark Green. “The president requested lower spending via the budget he submitted to Congress. Yet again, Democrats proposed yet another spending bill that is $400 million above the President’s request and $1.8 billion more than last year’s levels. Just as I explained last week when I voted NO on the last spending package, Tennessee’s 7th District did not send me to Washington to grow the size of government. That’s why I voted NO.” Green also wrote a series of tweets laying out his position and linking to his statement. Just as I explained last week when I voted NO on the last spending package, Tennessee's 7th District did not send me to Washington to grow the size of government. That’s why I voted NO on this one too. More info here: https://t.co/NRAcHOU8Lb — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 26, 2019 On June 20, The Tennessee Star reported on Green’s “no” vote on a nearly $1 trillion…

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New York Times Isn’t Forthright About Population Growth of St. Cloud, Local Paper Responds by Calling Own Readers ‘Cowards’

Anthony Gockowski

  The New York Times recently sent one of its east-coast reporters to St. Cloud, Minnesota to report on the frustration some residents have with the influx of refugees settling there. The article begins by noting that a “few thousand” refugees “moved into this small city.” But a few paragraphs later The Times writes: St. Cloud, the state’s 10th largest city, increased in population by 33 percent over the last 30 years, to roughly 70,000 people. The share of nonwhite residents grew to 18 percent from 2 percent, mostly with East African immigrants from Somalia, Kenya, and Ethiopia, and the numbers of Somalis are estimated to grow. According to the City of St. Cloud, the estimated 2019 population is 67,924, so a population of 18 percent East African immigrants would be 12,226. A jump from 2 percent of the population to 18 percent would be an increase in 10,868. The actual number of refugees is likely a bit lower, but not as low as the “few thousand” reported by The Times. According to U.S. Census estimates, the number of foreign-born residents as of 2017 was 6,865. Additionally, between 2000 and 2012, the population of the City of St. Cloud grew…

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New Tennessee Star/Triton Poll Continues To Show Re-Election Problems for Mayor David Briley

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  In April, a Tennessee Star/Triton poll of likely Davidson County voters indicated that Mayor David Briley was facing headwinds in his bid for reelection.  The weather hasn’t improved for Briley as Election Day looms just over a month away. If the August 1 election was held today Briley would lead the pack going into a runoff, pulling support from 27.8% of likely voters compared to 22.0% for Carol Swain, 19.8% for John Cooper, 10.9% for John Ray Clemmons and 19.5% of voters undecided or not sure. The Triton poll was conducted over two days (June 24-25) and surveyed 545 likely voters in Davidson County. The poll has a margin of error of 4.2%. Briley’s poll numbers are down slightly from the April poll data. In that poll of likely Davidson County voters, shortly after Cooper entered the race, Briley had support from 30.6% of the voters. Swain’s numbers remain static, with 22% support now compared to 21.1% support in May. Cooper has nearly doubled his support from 11% to 19.8% over the past two months. Clemmons has also seen his results continue to be flat, with 10.5% in April and 10.9% now. Briley remains plagued by favorability/unfavorability responses that…

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Hamblen County Commissioners Send All Cameras to the Back of the Room

Chris Butler

  Hamblen County commissioners recently adopted a policy mandating that anyone recording commission meetings with cameras, video equipment or other recording devices must stand in the back of the room. The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has criticized the policy. But County Commissioner Tim Goins told The Tennessee Star this week that “it’s not a big deal” and “some people were complaining” about people up front making too many noises. Commissioners speak into microphones, meaning everyone in the room should already hear or capture audio on their recording devices, Goins said. “This is not a threat to government transparency,” Goins said. “We want transparency. We want all that good stuff.” County Commissioner Wayne Nesmith told The Star the local cable company televises their county commission meetings. Nesmith also said, however, County Mayor Bill Brittain does not want recording devices in the room. “The mayor doesn’t want anybody recording our commission meetings. In my opinion you should be recording all committee meetings, budget meetings, jail study commission meetings, any meeting the county is doing, they need to be recorded,” Nesmith said. “I’m not sure why. My gut feeling is they don’t want the people in the county knowing what’s going on…

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Franklin Lands Mitsubishi Motors Headquarters With 200 Jobs Moving Here Beginning in August

Jason M. Reynolds

  Mitsubishi is saying “buh bye” to California’s high taxes and moving its headquarters to Franklin, multiple media outlets report. Mitsubishi was one of two final Japanese car manufacturers to have its headquarters in California, CNET said. Honda will be the lone Japanese holdout. Moving to Franklin will allow the company to be closer to its Alliance partner Nissan, which moved there around 13 years ago. Nashville Business Journal added that other Middle Tennessee automotive brand names include Bridgestone, General Motors, Hankook and suppliers and other related companies. The move will include about 200 jobs and an $18.25 million investment in corporate jobs including legal, finance, IT, sales and dealer operations. Mitsubishi is negotiating a long-term office lease plus a lease for interim use. A move to a temporary space will start in August and be done by the end of the year, Nashville Business Journal said. Automotive News said Mitsubishi cited Franklin’s high-tech community, cost savings, business-friendly work environment and, again, proximity to Nissan. Mitsubishi’s decision is yet another loss for Southern California, referred to in 2000 as “Motown West” for the concentration of automotive brands that based their U.S. operations there. Since then, the brands under Ford’s former…

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Commentary: It Is Joe Biden’s Race to Lose as He Leads Every Poll, but Do His Opponents Smell Blood?

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by Robert Romano   As the national race for the Democratic nomination for President in 2020 kicks into high gear with debates on June 26 and June 27, the race is Joe Biden’s to lose as he has led every single poll against his Democratic opponents both nationally and in statewide races compiled by Real Clear Politics since the end of April. Biden’s advantage comes as having served as Barack Obama’s vice president from 2009 to 2016, with the highest name identification. At this point in the 2016 cycle, Hillary Clinton was leading all of the polls on the Democratic side, and Jeb Bush was temporarily leading a few polls for the GOP nomination in June 2015 but soon trailed to then-candidate Donald Trump who dominated the field starting in July 2015. Biden is being viewed as the “safe” candidate to take on now President Trump, even as some his utterances and votes on trade issues might make him ill-suited to take on Trump, particularly in the Rust Belt states that gave Trump a majority in the 2016 Electoral College in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Biden voted for NAFTA and granting China permanent normal trade status, and the Obama White…

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Blackburn Joins Other Pro-Life Senators in Introducing Bill to Halt Use of Taxpayer Dollars in Funding Abortion Services

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined several colleagues to introduce the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act to halt the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortion services. “Sixty percent of Americans oppose their tax dollars being used to fund abortions,” Blackburn said in a press release. “We should honor their wishes by ending the use of public funds. The pro-life community should not be forced to directly or indirectly fund this abhorrent practice.” Co-sponsors are U.S. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Steve Daines (R-MT), Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS). The House version is H.R. 833, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04). The Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act is supported by the Susan B. Anthony List. In January, Blackburn introduced her first bill in the Senate, The Tennessee Star reported. That bill – S. 105, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act – would strips all abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, of federal funding under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. Of the Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act, Cramer said, “Abortion providers do not deserve taxpayer subsidies. While current law prohibits federal funds from being used for abortions, companies like Planned Parenthood still receive millions of…

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Meet the Retired General Who Fought the Taliban on Horseback Now Running for Senate

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by Peter Hasson   Retired Brig. General Don Bolduc officially announced Monday that he’s running as a Republican against Democratic New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. The general was motivated to run by what he described as a crisis of leadership in national politics, he told the Daily Caller News Foundation in a phone interview. “We are facing a leadership crisis. Our politicians are working for themselves, and if we don’t make a change in New Hampshire, nothing’s going to change in Washington, D.C.,” Bolduc said. He said his goal is to bring “servant leadership, personal responsibility and a dedication to our core values” to the Senate. Bolduc’s 36 years in the Army included 10 tours in Afghanistan, two awards for valor, five Bronze Star medals and two Purple Hearts. He’s a former Green Beret and was the commander of Special Operations Command-Africa. The general’s announcement video highlighted his time as one of the legendary “horse soldiers” — U.S. special operations forces who invaded Afghanistan on horseback in a top-secret mission following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. I’ve always put people over politics and service over self. Check out my story ⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3j83Vgli3k — Don Bolduc (@GenDonBolduc) June 24, 2019 Republicans…

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Trump Orders Hospitals to Disclose Prices Up Front

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  U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday which he calls a “groundbreaking action” that will increase the “quality, affordability, and fairness” in the U.S. healthcare system. The order would require hospitals to disclose prices up front showing what patients can expect to pay for services in a manner Trump says will be “clear, straightforward, and accessible.” This also means patients must be told at the beginning how much they can expect to pay out-of-pocket for deductibles and co-pays. Trump says patients would be able to find another doctor if their first choice is too high. “We believe the American people have a right to know the price of services before they go to visit the doctor,” he said. The president complained that for decades, insurance companies, lobbyists, and special interests have not been transparent in disclosing the real costs of medical procedures to patients, often leaving them with huge bills and unexpected costs. “This lack of price transparency has enriched industry giants greatly, costing Americans hundreds of billions of dollars a year.” Trump says he has seen such bills as $800 for saline, $6,000 for simple drug tests, and more than $17,000 to stitch a wound. He…

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Mexico Has Deployed 15,000 Troops to the Border, Is Now Detaining Illegal Migrants

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by Matt M. Miller   Mexico has deployed 15,000 soldiers and National Guardsmen at the U.S.-Mexico border and is detaining migrants who attempt to illegally cross. The Mexican government’s actions aim to meet President Donald Trump’s demands that the country help slow the influx of migrants entering the U.S. from Mexico, AFP reports. “We have a total deployment, between the National Guard and army units, of 14,000, almost 15,000 men in the north of the country,” Mexican Defense Minister Luis Cresencio Sandoval said at a press conference. Sandoval confirmed the governing is now detaining migrants at the border, AFP reports. “Given that (undocumented) migration is not a crime but rather an administrative violation, we simply detain them and turn them over to the authorities” at the National Migration Institute, he continued. Earlier this month, Mexico committed to deploying 6,000 National Guardsmen to its southern border to control immigration, but only a fraction have actually been deployed, according to the New York Times. Trump gave Mexico an ultimatum last month, threatening to place a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports starting on June 10 unless illegal immigration from Mexico into the U.S. was stopped. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador expressed…

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Border Patrol Removes Hundreds of Children From Station Following Reports of Unsanitary Conditions

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by Jason Hopkins   Border Patrol officials relocated the majority of children held at a government facility following reports that more than 300 children being housed were subjected to unsanitary and “inhumane” conditions. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas said Monday that 30 children remained in the border facility near El Paso, Texas, The Associated Press reported. The massive relocation came after an AP report on June 20 gave lurid details of the conditions migrant children were living in. The Border Patrol station in Clint, Texas, contained children who were reportedly hungry, had not showered in days and were left to take care of young infants, according to attorneys who visited the station. Many of the children had been living in the facility for weeks — despite that they are required to be taken into Health and Human Services’ custody within 72 hours. Fifteen children had the flu, and 10 were being held in medical quarantine. “How is it possible that you both were unaware of the inhumane conditions for children, especially tender-age children at the Clint Station?” Escobar asked in a June 21 letter delivered to Customs and Border Protection acting commissioner John Sanders and U.S. Border Patrol chief…

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Stephanie Grisham Is Named New White House Press Secretary and Communication Director

Zachery Schmidt

  Stephanie Grisham is becoming the new White House press secretary and communication director, according to First Lady Melania Trump. “I am pleased to announce @StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She has been with us since 2015 – @potus & I can think of no better person to serve the Administration & our country. Excited to have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse. #BeBest” I am pleased to announce @StephGrisham45 will be the next @PressSec & Comms Director! She has been with us since 2015 – @potus & I can think of no better person to serve the Administration & our country. Excited to have Stephanie working for both sides of the @WhiteHouse. #BeBest — Melania Trump 45 Archived (@FLOTUS45) June 25, 2019 Grisham becomes the fourth women to hold this position after Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced her resignation earlier this month. Also, she replaces Bill Shine who left his position in March. Sanders showed support for her successor on Twitter. “@StephGrisham45 will be an incredible asset to the President and the country. I’m sad to leave the WH, but so happy to leave our team in such great hands. Stephanie will do a…

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Ohio House and Senate to Begin Talks Wednesday on Budget Agreement

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by Tyler Arnold   Formal discussions between the House and the Senate regarding a budget agreement are expected to begin Wednesday. House Majority Leader Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, told The Center Square via email that some informal discussion are already underway. Although both chambers have a Republican majority and successfully passed bipartisan bills, the plans differed from each other on some specifics regarding healthcare transparency, tax cuts, a film industry tax credit and education spending. “I think we’re going to work well together and I fully expect a quality bill that is satisfying to both chambers and the governor,” Senate President Larry Obhof, R-Medina, told reporters. On healthcare, the House version includes a plan called “Healthy Ohio,” which calls for a controversial provision on price transparency. The transparency provision would require hospitals to give patients cost estimates on non-emergency procedures and products. Although supporters argued that this would reduce costs, the Senate pulled it out of its budget proposal after backlash from the medical industry. Although both chambers pushed tax cuts, the Senate version has larger cuts to the personal income tax than the House. The Senate plan would also maintain the current threshold for the small business tax credit, which…

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Commentary: Google Teaching Artificial Intelligence to Attack Conservatives

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Censorship

by George Rasley   Fans of the Terminator series of science fiction action movies will recall that the Terminators were the product of an Artificial Intelligence defense system that turned against humans and decided to wipe out its creators. But what if Skynet had been programmed so that it only learned to attack white people, or Christians, or conservatives? The movie and the results of that dystopian vision of the future would have been a lot different. But not so different from what Jen Gennai, Head of Responsible Innovation at Google Global Affairs had in mind for Google’s Artificial Intelligence when she told an undercover reporter for Project Veritas: The reason we launched our A.I. principles is that people were not putting that line in the sand, that they were not saying what’s fair and what’s equitable so we’re like, well we are a big company, we’re going to say it… …my definition of fairness and bias specifically talks about historically marginalized communities. That’s what I care about. Communities who are in power and have traditionally been in power are NOT who I’m solving fairness for. That’s not what I set up for *inaudible* people to address. Our definition of…

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Google Exec Responds to Project Veritas Undercover Video, Says She Was Tricked

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by Chris White   A Google executive said Monday night that an undercover video of her discussing what the company plans to do about the “next Trump situation” was deceptively edited. Project Veritas caught veteran Google employee Jen Gennai in a video appearing to suggest that her company is working on preventing President Donald Trump from winning re-election. She said in a Medium post shortly after the report was published Monday that she was referring to ways the company can wipe out misinformation online. “Project Veritas has edited the video to make it seem that I am a powerful executive who was confirming that Google is working to alter the 2020 election. On both counts, this is absolute, unadulterated nonsense, of course,” Gennai wrote. Gennai claims her comments were misconstrued to seem ominous. “I was explaining how Google’s Trust and Safety team (a team I used to work on) is working to help prevent the types of online foreign interference that happened in 2016,” she said. Google has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for an interview with Gennai. Her comments come as big tech companies are feeling pressure to do more to clean up their platforms…

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Iran Says White House Is ‘Mentally Retarded’ After Learning of New Sanctions

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by Shelby Talcott   President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said that the White House is “mentally retarded” Tuesday after new sanctions were imposed on the country. “Hard-hitting sanctions” were placed on Iran by President Donald Trump Monday as tensions between the two countries increased. The sanctions were specifically placed on the Supreme Leader of Iran and the Office of the Supreme Leader, among others. They are intended to deny government officials “key” financial assets that are under U.S. jurisdiction. ….a dangerous journey. We don’t even need to be there in that the U.S. has just become (by far) the largest producer of Energy anywhere in the world! The U.S. request for Iran is very simple – No Nuclear Weapons and No Further Sponsoring of Terror! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 24, 2019 “The White House is afflicted by mental retardation and does not know what to do,” Rouhani said on television Tuesday, according to The Hill. Rouhani also said that the sanctions were “outrageous and idiotic,” and that the decision by the Trump administration showed Trump was not looking to talk to Iran. “You [Trump] immediately proved you were lying,” Rouhani said Tuesday, according to BBC. “You are not…

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We Build the Wall Online ‘Wall-A-Thon’ Raises $460K and Counting

Jason M. Reynolds

  Today is the final day to view the “Wall-A-Thon” held at the border by We Build the Wall. The broadcast feed is available here. “LIVE: Broadcast from our new border security wall funded by donors! Broadcasting daily June 24th – 26th! Bookmark this page! We’re excited to update you LIVE from the People’s Wall!” the group’s website says. “You are welcome to call in and speak with our team, including Brian Kolfage, Steve Bannon, Sheriff David Clarke, Congressman Tom Tancredo, Angel parents Mary Ann Mendoza and Steve Ronnebeck, PLUS MANY MORE! It will be an exciting and informative THREE day live event and we can’t wait to share it with you!” As of Tuesday evening, the “Wall-A-Thon” had raised $460,000. The link above provides a way to make a donation. A $100 donation will get your name on a brick. For $1,000 you get a bollard. For $5,000 you get a large bollard. The “Wall-A-Thon” began Monday with We Build the Wall’s Brian Kolfage and Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist, KTSM reported. Kolfage told the TV station there are other projects in various stages of work. “We’re just taking it literally one at a time but right…

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Reporter Calls Star Tribune ‘Frauds,’ Says They Owe Minnesotans Apology for Omar Coverage

Anthony Gockowski

  Few reporters have done more to expose Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) than David Steinberg, with the possible exceptions of Preya Samsundar formerly of Alpha News and Scott Johnson of Power Line. The three of them together did most of the grunt work in uncovering Omar’s marriage controversy. Samsundar was reporting on the topic as early as August of 2016, when Omar was running for the Minnesota House. But according to The Star Tribune, they’re just “conservative activists” who can’t even be trusted with a screenshot. ‘Covering their tracks’  In a June 22 article, The Star Tribune took a look at the allegation in question: whether Omar “once married a man – possibly her own brother – to skirt immigration laws.” But much of the information in that article was reported by Steinberg in a series of articles he wrote for PJ Media between August and November of 2018. “The Star Tribune ran a dishonest, cowardly piece of journalism tonight,” Steinberg said in response. “For 3 years, the paper ignored the work of reporters Preya Samsundar, Scott Johnson, and myself on Ilhan Omar’s disturbing past. Ignored our emails offering new evidence. Now, Ilhan Omar is a national disgrace. Globally, anti-Semites…

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Nashville Mayoral Candidates Stake Out Their Positions on Property Taxes and Youth Violence

Chris Butler

  Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain made a stark contrast between herself and the other more liberal candidates who want the job at a forum at Belmont University Tuesday night. Moderators, for instance, asked if she, as mayor, would pass a property tax next year to fund public schools and give Metro workers a raise. Swain said she would not — that’s because revenues are up 23 percent between 2015 and 2019. “The revenues were an estimated $440 million. We need to find out where the money is going. Where the waste is and so, no, I don’t believe we need to raise property taxes. We need to cut spending,” Swain said. “We don’t have a revenue problem in this city. We have a spending problem because we have leaders who can’t say no. They make irresponsible decisions. They spend like drunken sailors.” At-large Council member John Cooper, when asked the same question, said there are other sources of revenue for the city other than property taxes. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, also criticized the notion of any proposed tax increase. “It’s unfortunate we found ourselves in a position where the most fiscally responsible option was a property tax…

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Tennessee Students Still Struggle After Common Core ‘Rebranded’

Beth Lear

  Students attending K-12 public schools in Tennessee are struggling to perform above average on national standardized tests. Partially adopted in 2010 and fully implemented by the 2013-14 school year, Common Core State Standards (CCSS) failed to produce the academic results expected. The Tennessee Department of Education and Governor Bill Haslam “rebranded” CCSS as Tennessee standards after the legislature passed a bill to repeal the Core in April 2015. “Common Core is as big a change in education as Obamacare is in health care, but unlike Obamacare it needed no votes in Congress to become national policy,” Joy Pullman, executive editor of The Federalist, wrote in her 2017 book, The Education Invasion: How Common Core Fights Parents for Control of American Kids. These controversial K-12 public education standards, “garnered practically no notice from the media before the Obama administration, in concert with largely unelected state bureaucrats and a shadow bureaucracy of private organizations, locked it in nationwide. That meant no public debate before the scheme was imposed upon a country supposedly run with the consent of the governed,” Pullman observed. Common Core State Standards were adopted in full or in part by the governments of 46 states beginning in 2009, the first…

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Google Exposed: Search Giant Working To ‘Prevent’ Trump 2020

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by CHQ Staff   In a bombshell new undercover video, insider interview and document leak, James O’Keefe’s Project Veritas has exposed that search giant Google, whose senior executives were intimately involved in the Obama administration and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, has plans to “prevent” another “Trump situation” in 2020. The brave Google insider says Google violates the “letter of the law” and “spirit of the law” of Section 230 granting it immunity as a “platform.” Key Quotes From The Video: James O’Keefe III: Why did you decide to come forward and talk to Project Veritas. Google Insider: They’re not an objective source of information. They are a highly biased political machine that is bent on never letting somebody like Donald Trump come to power again. Jen Gennai, Head of Responsible Innovation at Google Global Affairs: “we all got screwed over in 2016, again it wasn’t just us, it was, the people got screwed over, the news media got screwed over, like, everybody got screwed over so we’re rapidly been like, happened there and how do we prevent it from happening again…” Google Insider: Well, right after Donald Trump won the election, in 2016, the company did a complete 180 in what they thought was important,…

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Nashville School Board Members Wanted to Raise Property Taxes, Despite Past Excessive Spending

Chris Butler

  Metro Nashville School Board members will not ask voters to raise property taxes this year, as some people expected, said board member Fran Bush (pictured above). This, because of a decree county officials put out Monday, Bush told The Tennessee Star. “It’s too late to submit the resolution. This comes straight from the Metro Election Commission,” Bush said. “We got the information from our attorney today.” No one from the Metro Election Commission’s office returned our request for comment Monday. The Tennessean reported last week that school board members might ask voters to raise the property tax rate by 16 cents so they would have more money for schools. Assuming school board member signed off on the referendum, the vote would have taken place Aug. 1, the paper reported. On Monday, however, The Tennessean reported that Tennessee law could stop school board members from asking for the referendum this year. “Under state law, the election commission cannot put to voters a question less than 60 days before an election,” the paper reported. As The Star reported, there were reportedly problems with the Metro Nashville Public Schools’ spending habits this year. According to a recent audit, district leaders failed to use…

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Rep. Green Calls for ‘Permanent Solution to the Border Crisis’

Jason M. Reynolds

  U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07) on Monday called for a “permanent solution to the border crisis.” Green, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, made his statement in regard to both the Senate and House, which reportedly are working on bills simultaneously to bring humanitarian relief to the ongoing border crisis. According to both a press release and a tweet, Green said, “Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president’s emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes.” Whatever Congress passes must include a permanent solution to the border crisis. We must fix our legal loopholes. Via the president's emergency declaration, we are getting the physical wall built. But we need to build a legal wall by fixing the loopholes. https://t.co/bPr4wduKTC — Rep. Mark Green (@RepMarkGreen) June 24, 2019 The report that Green referenced was from The Hill, which said President Donald Trump’s $4.5 billion border spending request is facing obstacles in differences between the Senate and House versions. The bills are similar on the amount of funding but differ on…

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Commentary: Crack-ups at the Crossroads of Intersectionality

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by Victor Davis Hanson   Progressives do not see the United States as an exceptional uniter of factions and tribes into a cohesive whole – each citizen subordinating his tribal, ethnic, and religious affinities to a shared Americanism, emblemized by our national motto e pluribus unum. Instead, they prefer e uno plures: out of one nation arise many innately different and separate peoples. Progressivism’s signature brand is now tribalism: all of us in different ways are victims of a white male Christian heterosexual patriarchy – or a current 20 percent hierarchy that past and present has supposedly oppressed anyone not like themselves. In contrast, our differences define who we are, and are not incidental to the content of our characters. The salad bowl, not the melting pot, is the new national creed. America is to be a conglomeration of competing tribal parties in the fashion of the Balkans, Rwanda, or contemporary Iraq. How does the relative victimhood work politically? Progressive elites (oddly often white, but “woke,” males) serve as umpires who adjudicate familial spats and intersectional fractures. Like good cowboys, they ride herd, directing the squabbling and snorting flock in the right direction without losing too many strays on the way to…

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Biden: Congress Should Immediately Make ‘Dreamers’ Citizens

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  Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, unveiling his immigration policy outline ahead of the first 2020 debates, is calling for Congress to grant citizenship immediately to more than 800,000 U.S. residents who were brought to the country illegally as children. The former vice president and Democratic polling leader unveiled some of his immigration priorities on Monday in a newspaper op-ed that blisters President Donald Trump for an “assault on the dignity” of the Latino community through policies and rhetoric designed to “scare voters” in 2020. “Trump repeatedly invokes racist invective to describe anyone south of the Rio Grande,” Biden writes, noting “horrifying scenes … of kids being kept in cages” and other “actions that subvert our American values and our ability to lead on the global stage.” Biden, who launched his 2020 campaign in April, calls for streamlining the asylum system for migrants and spending more on electronic security at U.S. borders rather than Trump’s proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall. And he blasts Trump’s latest threats of mass deportation and his decision to cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, three Central American nations that are sources of the increasing wave of migrants to the U.S. border. Trump, a Republican,…

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House Democrats Spread ‘Lies’ About Climate Change And Hurricanes, Scientist Says

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by Michael Bastach   House Democrats’ climate change hearing is based on “inaccurate” information that’s “not in accord with current science or consensus,” according to a scientist. A Committee on Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee will hold a hearing Tuesday on natural disaster policy “in the wake of climate change.” However, Democrats are under fire for making claims on the hearing’s webpage that don’t line up with the facts. Atmospheric scientist Ryan Maue, a hurricane expert, tweeted that the Democrats’ hearing “spreads lies” about the scientific consensus on climate change and hurricanes. The House subcommittee is chaired by California Rep. Harley Rouda and includes Green New Deal champion New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a member. Maue pointed out that major scientific assessments cast doubt on claims global warming is increasing hurricane frequency or intensity. “This is not in accord with current science or consensus anywhere = fraud,” Maue said of House Democrats’ climate claims, which relies on information on information posted online by environmental activists. https://twitter.com/RyanMaue/status/1142809306267639809 Maue took issue with Democrats’ claim that “due to climate change, ‘the number of hurricanes that reach Categories 4 and 5 in strength has roughly doubled’ since the 1970s” – a claim that doesn’t line up with scientific…

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US-China Trade Dispute Triggering Production Exodus

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by Joyce Huang   U.S. tech giant Apple has reportedly asked its major suppliers, mainly China-based manufacturers from Taiwan, to consider moving 15 to 30% of their production outside of China to avoid higher tariffs imposed on U.S.-bound exports. The production migration, which analysts say is already ongoing,will hurt the tech giant’s profit margin, but also lead to massive job losses in China. They add that such shifts have also occurred over the past year among other China-based tech suppliers and the trend will continue if the trade war between the world’s two biggest economies keeps escalating. “Over the past year, to my understanding, manufacturers in the information [technology] sector, for example, [China-based Taiwanese] suppliers of personal computers or consumer electronics have moved faster than handset makers and relocated [part of] their assembly lines outside China,” says Sean Kao, senior research manager at IDC Taiwan on worldwide hardware assembly research. Caught in the Crossfire Tech companies such as Apple are caught in the crossfire of U.S.-China trade frictions and face the threat of heavy punitive taxes on their China-made, U.S.-bound products. Earlier this month, U.S. President Trump said he would decide whether to slap Beijing with further tariffs on another…

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Beto O’Rourke Proposes ‘War Tax’ for Non-Military Households

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by Evie Fordham   Democratic 2020 hopeful Beto O’Rourke unveiled a policy plan Monday to improve health care for veterans, including a “war tax” on households without service members or veterans. The “war tax” would feed into what O’Rourke calls the Veterans Health Care Trust Fund for future wars, reported the Texas Tribune. This country must be willing to pay any price and bear any burden to provide the full care, support, and resources to every single veteran who served every single one of us. My new plan will ensure that we finally do. Take a look: https://t.co/Ym9wIkwE5b — Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) June 24, 2019 The yearly war tax ranges from $25 to $1,000 based on households’ yearly income, reported CNN. O’Rourke will discuss the new plan at a veterans’ roundtable in Tampa Monday. “We must be willing to pay any price, and bear any burden, to provide the full care, support, and resources to every single veteran who served every single one of us,” O’Rourke said in a statement according to the Texas Tribune. The former Texas congressman has been accused of trading policy proposals for platitudes on the campaign trail. The candidate tried to combat that reputation by releasing policy proposals and…

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Britain’s Version of the Never-Trumpers May Bring Down the Government Over Brexit

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by Ben Whedon   The British version of the “Never-Trump” movement may force the next prime minister from power in order to prevent a “no-deal Brexit,” if high-ranking Conservative Party members of Parliament follow through on their threats. Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond said in May he “couldn’t support a government policy stance that said as a matter of choice we are going to pursue a no-deal exit” in an interview with Sky News. “I will act in what I believe is the best interest of this country,” he added on the question of whether he would back a no-confidence vote of his own party over the issue. Hammond and other so-called “Remoaners” support either the cancellation of Brexit outright or at least a withdrawal agreement with the European Union limiting the scope of the United Kingdom’s departure, called a “soft” Brexit. Much like the Never-Trump Republicans, Remoaners are members of the ruling party so opposed to its own agenda (and the results of a democratic election) that they are willing to bring down their own government. They hold this position in opposition to the results of a democratic referendum. The United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in a 2016 referendum…

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Commentary: Free Trade and the ‘Cheap Goods’ Delusion

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by Spencer Morrison   Between 1348 and 1352 a monstrous plague – the Black Death – ravaged Europe. The disease struck young and old, men and women, saint and sinner alike. Half the population died. Whole cities disappeared. Western Civilization was on the brink of collapse. What caused this plague? Bad smells. Foul odors. The stench of decay. This was considered unequivocal, scientific fact – that is until we invented the microscope and discovered that an entire world of miniature animalcules existed right under our noses. In time we realized that these creatures caused illness: germ theory was born, and with it died the centuries-old miasma theory of disease. Received wisdom – no matter how venerable – should always be treated with a healthy dose of skepticism. This is especially true when it comes to economics, as money brings out hucksters who sell snake-oil bottled as genuine emollients. Bluntly: many economists are crooks and liars. The biggest lie they tell us is that international free trade makes stuff cheaper. It doesn’t. It simply enriches the white-collar gangsters who run our banks – the very people who so often fund “libertarian” think tanks. Go figure. The Bigger the Lie . . . Free-trade theory is…

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Constituents of Minnesota’s U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar Reportedly Being Polled About Potential Challengers for 2020

Jason M. Reynolds

  Someone in the Democratic Party may be considering a test drive of a new candidate to challenge controversial first-term U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) (pictured, center). Residents in Omar’s district reportedly are being polled on support for alternative candidates for the 2020 elections. Minnesota political activist Tane Danger tweeted, “Just got a polling robo-call asking if I would be supporting @IlhanMN or “potential candidate” Andrea Jenkins (@annapoetic) for Congress in 2020 (pictured, right). It was clearly testing out some negative messaging against Rep. Omar. Who is paying for this polling and why? #MN05”. Just got a polling robo-call asking if I would be supporting @IlhanMN or “potential candidate” Andrea Jenkins (@annapoetic) for Congress in 2020. It was clearly testing out some negative messaging against Rep. Omar. Who is paying for this polling and why? #MN05 pic.twitter.com/QXgWKlFX4R — Tane Danger (@TaneDanger) June 21, 2019 Danger is co-founder of The Theater of Public Policy, which describes itself as a merger of nonprofit work and improv comedy to tackle “big ideas.” Jenkins, a Minneapolis poet and artist, has been rumored as a potential challenger since February, The Minnesota Sun reported. Jenkins, who is also Minneapolis City Council Vice President, is best known…

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Google Has Also Shown Left-Wing Bias Against Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee

Chris Butler

  U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn had not issued a statement by Monday night concerning a new expose showing left-wing bias at Google. James O’Keefe of Project Veritas released the video Monday. In it, Google employees discuss the tools they use to try to undermine U.S. Republican President Donald Trump and to prevent his reelection next year. The Tennessee Star contacted Blackburn’s office Monday. “I have not yet seen the videos,” said Blackburn spokeswoman Elizabeth Gregory. Gregory said she could not promise a response before Monday’s stated deadline. As reported, a Google software engineer with clout verbally attacked Blackburn last year, calling her “a violent thug” and a “terrorist.” That employee, Blake Lemoine, also defended censoring Blackburn’s campaign ads on social media as she ran for the U.S. Senate last year. The comments reportedly took place in an internal email discussion last summer. The topic of discussion was a FOX News column in which Blackburn, then a congresswoman, urged tech companies to address bias against conservatives. Blackburn has criticized tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Lemoine accused Blackburn of lying to the public and of “causing the deaths of people she claimed to protect” – referring to her work…

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Report: Northeast Cities the Most ‘Post-Christian’ in the Country While Tennessee’s Knoxville Appears in Top 100, Barely

Anthony Gockowski

  Cities in eight states from Maine to Massachusetts topped a list of the “Most Post-Christian Cities in America,” a new study released this month found. The Northeast region stands in stark contrast to the sole Tennessee city of Knoxville who barely cracked the top 100 – coming in at #99. The study, conducted by Barna research, is part of an ongoing survey of Americans based on a random sample of 21,378 adults conducted over a ten-year period. To be identified as post-Christian, an individual had to meet nine or more of the following factors: – Do not believe in God – Identify as atheist or agnostic – Disagree that faith is important in their lives – Have not prayed to God (in the last week) – Have never made a commitment to Jesus – Disagree the Bible is accurate – Have not donated money to a church (in the last year) – Have not attended a Christian church (in the last 6 months) – Agree that Jesus committed sins – Do not feel a responsibility to “share their faith” – Have not read the Bible (in the last week) – Have not volunteered at church (in the last week)…

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Commentary: Representative Chip Roy Takes a Stand to Force Congress to Actually Vote, Much to the Chagrin of Democrats

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by Rachel Bovard   People often question whether it’s still true that one man can make a difference in the modern Congress. This week, Representative Chip Roy (R-Texas) proved that it is. Fed up with the House passing legislation on autopilot (that is, passing amendments and bills “unanimously” without recorded votes and no one in the chamber) and outraged that House Democrats have been blocking the Trump Administration’s request for border funding, Roy used the power he has as a member of Congress to force his will on the body: he objected. Roy objected to unanimously passing amendments, to unanimously agreeing to procedural motions, and even to continuing House business altogether. He objected more than 100 times, forcing the House to take recorded votes on amendments as it processed spending bills that totaled well over $1 trillion. Roy and his colleagues lined up on the House floor demanding that these spending bills include money to address both the security and humanitarian elements of the ongoing crisis at the border. Predictably, they suffered the slings and arrows of their colleagues, many of whom had never taken this many roll call votes in a row. “Wow, who is this a—hole making me stay…

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Yet Another Alabama Resident Charged with TennCare Fraud

Chris Butler

  Tennessee officials have charged yet another Alabama resident with TennCare fraud, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration’s website. This, even though only Tennessee residents are eligible for the TennCare program. Tennessee officials said they arrested Ladreamer Garrett, 27, of Bridgeport, Ala. and charged her with TennCare fraud and theft of services. Authorities said Garrett allegedly applied for and received TennCare benefits for herself and her minor child by fraudulently reporting her residency to appear eligible for TennCare. “Authorities say records show that a month before applying for TennCare, she signed a lease for her residence in Bridgeport, Alabama, where she and her child continue to live,” according to the press release. The Office of Inspector General, with the assistance of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, announced the arrest. District Attorney General J. Michael Taylor is prosecuting.  TennCare fraud is a Class D felony punishable by up to four years in prison per charge. “Lying about one’s residence in order to receive TennCare benefits is a crime,” Inspector General Kim Harmon said in the press release. “We work diligently to preserve TennCare benefits for its intentional use.  We welcome information of anyone abusing the system.” As…

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Trump Approved Cyberattacks Against Iran After He Backed Off a Military Assault

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by Chris White   President Donald Trump approved a series of cyberattacks targeting the systems Iran uses to launch missiles, Yahoo reported. Personnel with U.S. Cyber Command launched the attacks Thursday, the Friday report notes, citing sources within the administration. The sources told reporters that the Pentagon proposed launching them after Iran’s alleged attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman. “This operation imposes costs on the growing Iranian cyber threat, but also serves to defend the United States Navy and shipping operations in the Strait of Hormuz,” Thomas Bossert, a former senior White House cyber official in the Trump administration, told The Washington Post Saturday. The White House has not responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment about the nature of the attack. The Pentagon also declined to comment, citing policies preventing the Department of Defense from discussing ongoing cyberspace operations. Thursday’s strikes targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps represents the first use of force since Cyber Command first stepped up its actions ahead of a belligerent Iran. Cyber Command used new actions that the president granted it that allow the agency to streamline approval for such measures. The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning Saturday that Iran…

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Commentary: We Need a Higher Education Reformation

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by Emina Melonic   American higher education, once the envy of the world, is suffering a crisis of confidence and a loss of purpose. “Once upon a time, universities were institutions dedicated to the pursuit of truth and the transmission of the highest values of our civilization,” writes New Criterion editor and publisher Roger Kimball. “Today, most are dedicated to the destruction of those values. It is past time to call them to account.” What would accountability look like? The distinguished British philosopher Roger Scruton, a conservative through and through, recently proposed a radical solution: “get rid of universities altogether.” Have these men taken leave of their senses? Not at all. Both have been keen observers for decades of the slow-motion catastrophe unfolding in academia. It may be we’ve reached a turning point. Behind most of the problems plaguing education is a noxious identity politics. This is particularly true in the humanities because these subjects easily lend themselves to manipulative interpretation and reshaping by those with an ideological agenda. Take a piece of classical literature, such as Homer’s The Iliad, slap a theory on the text, and bingo, you have just rid yourself of the chore of trying to understand this magnificent piece of dramatic poetry…

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Memphis EDGE Reportedly Gives Corporate Welfare to AutoZone

Chris Butler

  Memphis’ Economic Development Growth Engine has reportedly bestowed a generous amount of corporate welfare upon Auto Zone’s headquarters. This, according to The Daily Memphian, which reported the auto parts retailer will receive a 15-year payment-in-lieu of-taxes (PILOT) incentive, via EDGE. The paper also reported the company will expand its downtown Memphis presence. “The PILOT will save AutoZone $11.2 million and generate $14 million in local taxes over the 15-year term,” according to The Daily Memphian. “The property tax abatement is to incentivize the company to choose Memphis for an investment of $145 million in new technology and customer support operations that will create 130 new jobs with an average base salary of $80,439.” The paper reported the company will house new operations about a block north of AutoZone’s main headquarters building at the 100th block of South Front Street. AutoZone bought the property for $2.2 million in May 2018, according to The Daily Memphian. EDGE board members Tom Dyer and Johnny Moore recused themselves from the vote because their companies do business with AutoZone. As The Tennessee Star reported, EDGE is an unelected board of 11 people who have enough power to grant millions of dollars in tax abatements to corporations. As The…

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Senator Tom Cotton Fires Back at Fellow Senator Chuck Schumer: ‘Democrats Have A Radical, Open-Borders Position’

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by Jason Hopkins   Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton had a response of his own after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused the president of threatening to “tear families apart” with his upcoming illegal immigration raids. “When things aren’t going well, [President Donald Trump] plays to his base. Instead of putting forth solutions to fix our broken immigration system, instead of pursuing criminals, he threatens to tear families apart,” Schumer tweeted Friday. “This isn’t leadership. This is inhumane & unwise.” When things aren’t going well, @realDonaldTrump plays to his base Instead of putting forth solutions to fix our broken immigration system, instead of pursuing criminals, he threatens to tear families apart This isn’t leadershipThis is inhumane & unwisehttps://t.co/WZgtUsF6Ub — Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) June 22, 2019 The New York Democrat’s tweet linked to an article about Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) plan to apprehend over 2,000 illegal aliens across the country Sunday, the first day of the Trump administration’s directive to execute mass deportations of foreign national living in the country illegally. Cotton responded to Schumer, pointing out a detail the minority leader left out about the upcoming raids. “[Schumer] conveniently omits that these illegal aliens’ cases have been heard & rejected, hence they’re under valid…

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Analysis: EPA’s Repeal of the Clean Power Plan Falls Short by Allowing the ‘Carbon Endangerment Finding’ to Remain

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by Robert Romano   The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under President Donald Trump has finally rescinded the Obama era Clean Power Plan that sought to end coal as a form of electricity and puts states in the driver’s seat in terms of regulating carbon emissions rates. But because Congress has left the 2009 carbon endangerment finding in place the probability is that carbon emissions will once again be regulated nationally as a harmful pollutant under the Clean Air Act as soon as Democrats are back in power. Per the EPA release on June 19, the Affordable Clean Energy rule “establishes emissions guidelines for states to use when developing plans to limit carbon dioxide (CO2) at their coal-fired power plants. Specifically, ACE identifies heat rate improvements as the best system of emission reduction (BSER) for CO2 from coal-fired power plants, and these improvements can be made at individual facilities. States will have 3 years to submit plans, which is in line with other planning timelines under the Clean Air Act.” The Clean Power Plan, initially proposed in 2014 and finalized in 2015, was designed to reduce carbon emissions by retrofitting existing coal power plants and making the costs of building new ones so onerous that it…

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Trump Settles Speculation About Mike Pence, and Whether He Wants a Third Term in Office

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by Chuck Ross   President Donald Trump said in an interview airing Sunday that he is “100%” certain Vice President Mike Pence will be his running mate in 2020, and he will accept the results of the election if he loses. “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd asked Trump about the two topics, which have been a source of recent speculation because of the president’s public remarks. Trump’s comments in an interview on “Fox & Friends” on June 14 led to speculation among some political observers and pundits that he is considering replacing Pence. Trump has also made off-hand remarks over the past several months about remaining in office beyond a second term, leading to speculation among some Trump critics that he might refuse to leave office if he loses in 2020. Trump shot down the idea in the interview with Todd. “I only joke,” Trump told Todd, adding moments later that “there won’t be a third term.” “You will accept the results?” Todd asked. “One hundred percent. Sure,” the president replied. Trump said at an event on April 18 that he may remain in office for another “10 or 14 years.” Trump wondered on Twitter on June 16 whether voters would “demand” that he stay in…

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Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak Joins 2020 Presidential Race

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by Matt Miller   Former Rep. Joe Sestak announced his 2020 presidential bid Saturday on his campaign’s website, making him the 25th prominent Democrat to step into the race, NBC reported. Sestak, a former congressman and Navy admiral, said Saturday in the announcement that he wants “to be that president who serves the American people the way they deserve to be served.” Sestak, 67, explained the reason for his entry “later than others” into the race. “And while my announcement may be later than others for the honor of seeking the presidency, the decision to delay was so I would be there with Alex, our daughter, as the brain cancer she had courageously beaten at four years old returned this past year,” he said. “But with her same team of medical heroes, she has again overcome the single digit odds.” Former Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak has announced that he is running for president, becoming the 24th Democrat to join the race. https://t.co/TIkpJ7euSi — Axios (@axios) June 23, 2019 Sestak says that military health care saved his daughter during her struggle with brain cancer, and now he feels accountable to the American people who financed his daughter’s health care through tax dollars. “I had…

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