Marsha Blackburn and Joe Manchin Introduce Bill to Help Student-Veterans

  Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn introduced legislation along with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin that would give student-veterans access to in-state tuition rates at public colleges regardless of if they are in-state residents who receive GI Bill payments. “We should give our veterans every opportunity to succeed after they have finished their service,” Blackburn said. “This legislation would eliminate existing obstacles that prevent our men and women in uniform from a smooth transition into civilian life. I am glad that Tennessee is currently one of the 27 states that currently waives the three-year cap. Let’s make it one of 50.” Right now, the GI Bill has a provision that requires veterans to be within three years of discharge from active duty to access in-state tuition rates. Manchin explained why this bill helps veteran students. “In the United States, Veteran students tend to outperform and out-earn their non-veteran counterparts. Veterans not only defend our freedoms and sacrifice for our country, they continuously work hard and search for opportunities to succeed here at home. Improving the Forever GI Bill will help Veteran students gain access to in-state tuition without having a ‘three-year rule’  that limits their opportunity to receive an education in…

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Commentary: The Congresswoman Representing Somalia

By George S. Bardmesser   I am an immigrant. I want Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Mogadishu) to go back to the shithole country she came from. And I want her to stay there. I spent some time on the Internet looking for even one positive thing that Omar has said about America—but my search was in vain. Omar hates and despises her adoptive country unequivocally and unconditionally. She hates everything about America today, and she hates everything about the America of yesterday. Omar hates white people. Omar hates Jews—and she is not shy about letting everyone know it (“It’s all about the Benjamins baby”). Omar hates our ally Israel (“Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel”). Ilhan Omar is a one-woman hate factory. Maybe I missed a public statement where Omar praised America. But after looking through countless webpages and many gigabytes, I think I am on solid ground when I say: Ilhan Omar hates everything and everyone around her, except possibly her brother, whom she married, and perhaps the 9/11 terrorists who killed 3,000 people (“some people did something”—no biggie). As an immigrant from the no-longer-with-us USSR, I…

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Smyrna Officials Flew to Japan at a Cost of $16,000 to Taxpayers

  Three Smyrna town council members as well as the town’s mayor, vice-mayor, and town manager flew to Japan in May for an economic development trip that possibly cost taxpayers as much as $16,000. This, according to Town Manager Brian Hercules, who told The Tennessee Star the six officials were away for a week. Hercules said he had no exact figures for the cost of the trip, but he estimated a sum of at least $15,000 to $16,000. Hercules told The Tennessee Star this week he could not yet announce any new jobs or industries for Smyrna as a result of the trip. Specifically, this delegation flew to Zama, Japan, on the island nation’s east coast. Mayor Mary Esther Reed (pictured above), Vice Mayor Marc Adkins, Hercules, and three council members Hercules did not identify went to Japan to, among other things, meet with officials at Nissan and Nissan supplier Topre America. Smyrna has had a Nissan assembly plant since the early 1980s. Only three of the five town council members could make the trip, Hercules said. “We felt strong enough about our economic development and the investment these companies had made. We opened it up to the council, and…

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Murder, Rape, Assault, Burglary: Six Examples of California’s Sanctuary Policies Leading to More Crimes

by Fred Lucas   Illegal immigrants released by local police in California after their arrests for minor offenses go on to be charged with more serious crimes such as murder, rape, and assault, according to a new government report. Those crimes could have been prevented if these sanctuary jurisdictions had turned over those accused to federal immigration officials for deportation, the report suggests. In one case, police in San Francisco arrested an illegal immigrant from Honduras again and again over nine months as he repeatedly was released and then booked again for more offenses rather than turned over to federal officials. The cases are documented in the newly published quarterly Declined Detainer Report from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement covering January, February, and March 2018. The report focuses solely on California jurisdictions, although most large municipalities across the country adopted “sanctuary” policies that prohibit local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration authorities. California is a sanctuary state. When ICE determines an illegal immigrant accused of a criminal offense is in police custody, the agency issues a detainer. The paperwork is supposed to ensure the alleged offender will be transferred to federal authorities at the conclusion of his or her time…

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Why Did Planned Parenthood Fire Leana Wen?

by Mary Margaret Olohan   Former Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen was fired for her vision for the organization and for failing to comply with the organization’s political agenda, sources revealed to BuzzFeed News. Wen and Planned Parenthood engaged in closed-door meetings over the past week, a source close to the matter told BuzzFeed – meetings that resulted in the organization asking Wen to resign. Wen refused and was removed from office Tuesday. To all my colleagues at Planned Parenthood, the tens of thousands of dedicated people who are on the frontlines every day, providing life-saving, life-transforming care and fighting to protect access to that care: you are my heroes. Thank you for what you do. pic.twitter.com/6N4RMiTQAG — Leana Wen, M.D. (@DrLeanaWen) July 16, 2019 After the New York Times announced her departure, Wen tweeted that she was removed due to “philosophical differences.” She has not yet responded to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Planned Parenthood removed Wen largely because of her issues managing Planned Parenthood, six sources familiar with the matter allegedly told Buzzfeed. A source also revealed that Wen’s removal was probably accelerated by the intense political climate currently surrounding abortion. Planned Parenthood…

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Mexican Drug Kingpin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Sentenced to Life Behind Bars

  Former Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has received a sentence that will see him spend the rest of his life in prison. Judge Brian Cogan sentenced Guzman Wednesday to life in prison plus 30 years in a federal court in New York. The 62-year-old was convicted in February of trafficking tons of cocaine, heroin and marijuana as a top leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa Cartel. As head of one of Mexico’s largest and most violent drug-dealing groups, prosecutors said Guzman was involved in multiple murder conspiracies. Guzman was finally captured in 2016 after two daring escapes from Mexican maximum-security prisons. He was extradited to the U.S. in January 2017 to face trial. Guzman gained notoriety in the 1980’s after digging tunnels beneath the U.S.-Mexico border that allowed him to transport larger amounts of drugs more quickly that his competitors. He consolidated power in the 1990s and 2000s through deadly wars with rivals. Before his sentencing, Guzman complained about his solitary confinement in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center and that he did not get a fair trial. “My case was stained and you denied me a fair trial when the while world was watching,” he said. “When I was…

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22 MS-13 Members Charged in Murders of Seven People Hacked With Machetes

by Chuck Ross   The Justice Department charged 22 alleged members of MS-13 in connection with seven murders in the Los Angeles area, including one in which a rival gang member was dismembered with a machete. The indictment, which was unsealed Monday, focused on members of a Los Angeles-area subset of MS-13 known as the Fulton clique. Prosecutors called the San Fernando Valley-based gang a “particularly violent subset” of MS-13 that “has recently seen an influx of young immigrants from Central America.” The Trump administration has made MS-13 a major focus of his crackdown on illegal immigration and drug trafficking. The notoriously violent gang originated in El Salvador but has strongholds in numerous American cities. Nick Hanna, the U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, said that the Fulton clique was responsible for 24 murders overall in the Los Angeles area over the past two years. Thirty-four members of the gang were indicted in 2017 in connection with three slayings. The latest indictment charges the 22 alleged gang members under Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute. In addition to seven murders, they are accused of attempted murder and trafficking more than $1.2 million in drugs. Happening now: MS-13 members named in…

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Commentary: Immigration by the Numbers

by Christopher Roach   Democrats have renewed their vows to unwavering support of open borders. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) tussled last week with former Immigration and Customs Enforcement director Thomas Homan. After she described fence-hoppers as asylum seekers, Homan reminded her that they all have the option of presenting their asylum claims at the ports of entry. Her attempt at “gotcha” backfired. Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) got tongue tied on “The View,” saying that she didn’t want to “decriminalize” illegal immigration, but that “we’re not going to treat people who are undocumented [and] cross the borders as criminals, that is correct.” Most dramatically, the entire lot of Democrats running for president raised their hands in support of giving free healthcare to anyone who makes it into the country, legally or otherwise. Is There a Crisis on the Border? Only a few short months ago, the Democrats mocked Trump for suggesting there was a crisis on the border. Now they agree there is a crisis, but they’re chiefly concerned with the conditions of the detainees. While kids every day are separated from parents who are caught with a bag of weed, and our prisons are chaotic nightmare worlds for nonviolent offenders,…

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US House Kills Impeachment Resolution Against Trump

by Ken Bredemeier   WASHINGTON — The House voted Wednesday to kill a resolution to immediately consider impeaching President Donald Trump. The measure failed 332 to 95 even though Democrats control the House. It is unclear if the House would take up the question at a later time. Texas Congressman Al Green introduced the resolution despite opposition from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democrats who instead back investigations into the 2016 Trump campaign ties to Russia, the president’s taxes, and his other financial dealings. The House also wants to know if Trump obstructed justice by trying to derail special counsel’s Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian election meddling. “We’ll go where the facts lead us,” Pelosi told reporters. Green has previously used the legislative rules in the House to force two impeachment votes, in December 2017 and a month later, with the then-Republican-controlled House overwhelmingly voting both times against his efforts. But the new vote is the first time Green has pressed the issue since Democrats took control of the chamber in January. Pelosi has blocked the start of a House impeachment inquiry in favor of the ongoing investigations. She has voiced fears of the political fallout for Democrats pursuing…

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Investigation Reveals $300,000 Theft from Fairfield Glade Volunteer Fire Department

  The former treasurer for the Fairfield Glade Volunteer Fire Department in Cumberland County was convicted on charges of stealing more than $300,000 according to a statement from Tennessee Comptrollers. Comptrollers and members of the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department investigated the man, James Botbyl, according to a press release. “Investigators determined that Botbyl wrote 64 fire department checks totaling $302,303 payable to one of his two personal businesses and deposited them into this personal business accounts. These checks ranged in amounts from $1,000 to $8,600. These checks were written over a 10-month period from November 2017 through September 2018. Investigators determined that Botbyl’s businesses never provided any property or services to the fire department to justify these payments,” according to the press release. “Botbyl was able to conceal the theft by controlling and limiting the amount of financial information provided to the fire department’s board of directors. In September 2018, after learning of this scheme, the board of directors suspended Botbyl. The investigation revealed that during the course of his scheme, Botbyl periodically deposited personal funds totaling $62,743 in the fire department’s bank accounts in an apparent effort to repay some of the stolen money. This left a final shortage…

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Ilhan Omar Cosponsors Legislation to Ban Federal Agencies from Using Term ‘Illegal Alien’

  Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently signed on as a co-sponsor to a bill that would prohibit federal agencies from using the term “alien” to refer to illegal immigrants. The bill, H.R. 3776, was introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX-20) and would prevent “executive agencies from using the derogatory term ‘alien’ to refer to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States.” Instead, federal agencies would be required to use either “foreign national” or “undocumented foreign national” when referring to illegal immigrants. “Words matter. It’s vital that we respect the dignity of immigrants fleeing violence and prosecution in our language. The words ‘alien’ and ‘illegal alien’ work to demonize and dehumanize the migrant community. They should have no place in our government’s description of human beings,” Castro said in a press release after introducing the bill Tuesday. His bill has 16 cosponsors, most of whom are members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he chairs, and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee for consideration. “Immigrants come to our borders in good faith and work hard for the opportunity to achieve a better life for themselves and their family,” Castro added. “Eliminating this language from…

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Amash Challenger Jim Lower Raises Over $200K for Congressional Race in 40 Days

  Michigan State Rep. Jim Lower (R-Greenville) announced Wednesday that he is filing a Federal Elections Commission report that shows he raised $200,506 from 3,161 contributors in just 40 days for his U.S. House race. Two highlights are that Ron Weiser, a former Michigan Republican Party Chair, former Republican National Committee Finance Chair and former United States Ambassador to Slovakia, and his wife Eileen, a former member of the State of Michigan Board of Education, both contributed $2,800 each, Lower said in a statement. That is the maximum contribution for the Primary Election. Lower tweeted: “Thanks to 3,161 individual contributors, our campaign raised just over $200,000 in the first 40 days! Hardworking grassroots voters support our Pro-@realDonaldTrump, Pro-Life, Pro-Jobs, Pro-2A, Pro-Family Values campaign!” Thanks to 3,161 individual contributors, our campaign raised just over $200,000 in the first 40 days! Hardworking grassroots voters support our Pro-@realDonaldTrump, Pro-Life, Pro-Jobs, Pro-2A, Pro-Family Values campaign! @GOPChairwoman @MIGOPChair @IngrahamAngle @FoxNews — Jim Lower (@RepJimLower) July 9, 2019 In terms of organizations, the United States Chamber of Commerce contributed $5,000 even before its formal endorsement process that will occur later in the campaign. The average contribution was $63.43. “Our campaign had an aggressive goal of raising $200,000…

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Murfreesboro Police Carry Out Search Warrant at Bill Ketron’s Insurance Office

  Murfreesboro Police reportedly administered a search warrant Wednesday at Universal International Insurance, owned by Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, as they investigate his daughter Kelsey Ketron. Murfreesboro Police spokesman Larry Flowers told The Tennessee Star little on Wednesday, other than the warrant was related to an ongoing investigation pertaining to Kelsey Ketron. As The Tennessee Star reported, people have accused Kelsey Ketron of fraudulent practices at the Murfreesboro-based insurance company. According to her LinkedIn page, Kelsey Ketron is the company’s vice president. She is also an elected member of the Tennessee Republican Party’s executive committee. According to the Nashville-based NewsChannel 5, two uniformed officers stood outside the office’s front door Wednesday to keep anyone from going in or out. “Kelsey Ketron has been banned by the state of Tennessee’s Insurance Division from all insurance related activities based on what the state called ‘fraudulent practices’ related to one of those clients,” the station reported. “She is also accused of selling insurance without a valid license.” The station also reported Bill Ketron and his daughter have not filed required campaign finance filings with the state in a timely fashion. The station also quoted County Commissioner Robert Stevens, who asked Bill Ketron for…

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