President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block the House Ways and Means Committee from accessing his New York state tax returns under a new law.
Read the full storyTrump Sues to Stop House From Getting New York Tax Returns Under New Law
Month: July 2019
Commentary: Democrats’ Forced Labor Unionization Bill Threatens Jobs and Workers’ Rights
The Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2019 (PRO Act) is a great illustration of just how radical and out-of-touch today’s Democrat Party is. The bill, which has 179 House Democrat cosponsors and 40 Senate Democrat cosponsors, would force millions of workers into unions they oppose and destroy jobs while lining the pockets of liberal fat-cat donors. Just when some workers finally begin recovering from the Great Recession is no time to be killing jobs in the franchise industry and the gig economy. For these and other reasons, the bill must be rejected.
Read the full storyMueller Forgot Which President Appointed Him US Attorney
Robert Mueller was unable to remember which president appointed him U.S. attorney for Massachusetts on Wednesday, highlighting just how shaky the former special counsel was during his House Judiciary Committee testimony.
Read the full storySen. Josh Hawley Does a Victory Lap After DOJ Opens Anti-Trust Review Into Big Tech
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley appeared to take some credit for poking and prodding Attorney General William Barr into pursuing action against big tech companies as conservatives and liberals breathe down the necks of Facebook and Google executives.
Read the full storyBrutal Social Media Response to Mueller’s Stumbling Congressional Testimony
Democrats, journalists and celebrities responded to former special counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony Wednesday, with some noting he appeared to be “struggling,” “frail” and not “as sharp” as years past.
Read the full storySteve Cohen of Memphis ‘Failed Miserably’ Trying to Force Audience Applause for Robert Mueller
Tennessee Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen of Memphis evidently embarrassed himself Wednesday as former special counsel Robert Mueller wrapped up his testimony before the House Judiciary and Intelligence committees.
Read the full storyAll Four Nashville Mayoral Candidates Issue Statements on ICE Attempt to Arrest Illegal Alien in Hermitage
A group of Hermitage neighbors interfered with an attempt by ICE on Monday morning to apprehend an undocumented immigrant man and a 12-year-old boy following a traffic stop, Fox 17 reported. Neighbors locked arms around a van the immigrants hid in while ICE agents tried to serve a civil warrant (detainer). Agents left after a standoff that lasted more than two hours when the immigrants went into a house, with their access secured by the neighbors. Metro Nashville Police Department officers were on scene but did not participate with ICE, the station said. On his official Twitter account, incumbent Mayor David Briley tweeted, “Every Nashville resident and family deserves to feel safe, regardless of immigration status. My statement on yesterday’s events.” His tweet was accompanied with the following statement: It is my job as Mayor to keep all Nashvillians safe. On Monday, ICE agents attempted to detain a Nashville resident. However, the agents did not end up detaining the resident, and no arrests were made. Our police officers do not actively participate in immigration enforcement efforts and only serve as peacekeepers. The officers were at the incident to keep neighbors safe and secure a perimeter. I am keenly aware…
Read the full storyCameron Sexton Chosen House Republican Caucus Speaker Select
NASHVILLE, Tennessee — After four rounds of voting, State Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) won the battle to become the House Republican Caucus Speaker Select late Wednesday morning. Sexton came out the leader, after a process of elimination of the other five candidates, with 41 votes. Sexton is set to replace the current embattled Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin), who was himself the Speaker Select following a Republican House Caucus meeting in November 2018 and officially elected by the full House membership in January, when the Tennessee House of Representatives meets in special session on August 23. The meeting, held in the former Supreme Court chambers in the State Capitol, was attended by 70 of the 73 Republican members of the House. As indicated near the start of the meeting, it would take 36 votes to achieve a majority. Representatives Charlie Baum (R-Murfeesboro), Dale Carr (R-Sevierville) and current House Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin) were absent. The six candidates for Speaker, in the order that they drew at the outset of the meeting to determine when they would make their speeches, were Representatives Jay Reedy (R-Erin), Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough), Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah), Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville), Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville).…
Read the full storyCommentary: Republicans, Don’t Screw Up the Mueller Hearing
by Julie Kelly Republicans will have a chance to redeem themselves this week after the farce they helped create: The special counsel investigation into alleged “collusion” between Russia and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 presidential election. Robert Mueller is scheduled to testify before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Intelligence Committee in a public hearing for a total of five hours on Wednesday—not nearly enough time to plumb the depths of his 448-page report or to grill Mueller about his tactics and partisan team of investigators. Republicans will need to make the most of the limited time they have. So, this seems like an appropriate time to remind Republicans that they are as much to blame as Democrats for foisting this costly, useless and destructive travesty on the American people. With few exceptions, Republicans capitulated to every single Democratic demand and the ongoing media-manufactured hysteria about the urgency required to investigate so-called “election collusion.” “Some of us very early on saw enormous conflicts [with Mueller], even conflicted as being a witness. We knew there was something wrong,” U.S. Representative Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), one of the few Republicans skeptical of the Mueller probe from the beginning, told…
Read the full storyA Primer on Collaborative Conferencing
The Tennessee General Assembly was clear in 2011 that they wanted to get politics out of our public schools while supporting teachers’ rights to fight for higher wages and better working conditions. Professional Educators of Tennessee fervently supports the right of educators to discuss working conditions and salary with their employers.
Read the full storyState Sen. Dickerson, Others in Pain Management Business Sued By United States, Tennessee for Allegedly Committing $25M in Medicare, TennCare Fraud
State Sen. Steven Dickerson (R-TN-20) is among those being sued by the federal government and Tennessee over alleged Medicare and TennCare fraud totaling at least $25 million. The United States and Tennessee on Monday filed a consolidated complaint in intervention alleging violations of the False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act by Anesthesia Services Associates, PLLC, doing business as Comprehensive Pain Specialists (CPS), according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Don Cochran for the Middle District of Tennessee and Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery III. The governments allege that the scheme defrauded Medicare and TennCare of at least $25 million. The complaint also names as defendants Dr. Peter B. Kroll, of Goodlettsville; Dr. Steven R. Dickerson, of Nashville; and Dr. Gilberto A. Carrero, of Nashville, three of the principal owners of CPS, as well as John Davis, of Franklin, the former CEO, who was convicted by a jury in April of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute; and Russell S. Smith, a chiropractor from Cleveland. The complaint also states claims for violation of the Federal Priority Statute and common law claims, including unjust enrichment and fraud. A federal judge in April granted prosecutors’ requests to intervene in whistleblower complaints…
Read the full storyMedia Requests for EPA Records Soar Under Trump
by Kevin Mooney Major news outlets, seemingly more prone to investigative reporting in the Trump era, are much more aggressive in seeking records from the Environmental Protection Agency than they were in the final years of the Obama administration, The Daily Signal has learned. ABC News, CBS News, the Associated Press, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Politico are among 20 news organizations showing a large increase in Freedom of Information Act requests, according to EPA numbers obtained by The Daily Signal. The 20 media outlets include not only news organizations with liberal perspectives but some, such as CNN, BuzzFeed, Mother Jones, and Huffington Post, that freely mix news coverage and left-leaning opinion. According to the data, the biggest percentage increase in FOIA requests to the EPA by the 20 media outlets occurred between 2016, Barack Obama’s last year as president and 2017, Donald Trump’s first year as president. The organizations made a total of 626 FOIA requests to the EPA in 2017, more than doubling the 249 requests in 2016. Dating to 1967, the federal Freedom of Information Act requires disclosure, upon written request and with exceptions, of previously unreleased information and documents controlled by the…
Read the full storyMark Green of Tennessee Won’t Support New Spending Bill
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, a Republican congressman representing Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, weighed in Tuesday on reports about a spending deal between the White House and Congressional leaders. In a press release, Green made an analogy to which almost every American can relate. “Imagine someone living far beyond their means. He receives a large income, yes, but he has a giant mortgage, a luxury vehicle, high-end clothing and expensive hobbies. His expenses far exceed his income. Year after year goes by, but he never changes his lifestyle. Debt piles up. Now he’s worried about missing payments on his bills. So, he looks for another loan. A normal bank would never loan this person more money. Would you?” Green asked. “In this case, the bank is the American taxpayer. And the taxpayer is represented by Congress. And leaders in Congress are poised to loan this guy (the federal government) more money, rather than instruct him to adjust his lifestyle. The spending deal before us would continue Washington’s reckless spending with an unlimited line of credit. That means our children and grandchildren will pay for it. While I am glad our military receives a boost under this deal, and Fort Campbell would…
Read the full storyRep Rashida Tlaib Calls for $20 an Hour Minimum Wage
by Evie Fordham Democratic Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib called for a federal minimum wage of up to $20 an hour at a “One Fair Wage” event in Detroit on Sunday. “Big fights like this one, $15. When we started it, it should have been $15. Now I think it should be $20 … It should be $20 an hour. $18-20 an hour,” Tlaib said in a video posted by America Rising on Monday. Tlaib and Michigan Democrat Debbie Dingell participated in an event called “Server for an Hour” to support the Raise the Wage Act that passed the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives Thursday. Tlaib brought up the common counter-argument that raising the minimum wage will not actually feel like more money in the wallets of workers. Fighting for our working families sometimes means walking in their shoes. It was only for an hour, but it was hard work. @HouseDemocrats passed #Fightfor15 #OneFairWage & now the Senate needs to. Thank you to @onefairwage for inviting me into your movement. pic.twitter.com/POihHhC7kE — Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) July 22, 2019 “They say all this is going to raise the cost. But I can tell you, milk has gone up. Eggs has gone up.…
Read the full storyTrump Administration Looks to Remove Ineligible People from Food Stamp Rolls
by Whitney Tipton The United States Department of Agriculture proposed Monday eliminating a loophole in food stamp eligibility requirements that would cut 3.1 million people from the program and save $2.5 billion. Those who receive temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will not longer be automatically eligible to get food stamps through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if the rule is enacted, according to the USDA. “Some states are taking advantage of loopholes that allow people to receive the SNAP benefits who would otherwise not qualify and for which they are not entitled,” said USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, according to Reuters. The USDA wants to change the current rule in 43 states that make TANF recipients automatically eligible for SNAP benefits. Instead, TANF recipients must apply for SNAP and submit to a review of their assets and income to determine if they are qualified. The proposed rule is expected to result in removing 3.1 million people from the program, according to the USDA. It will also result in a cost savings of $2.5 billion, the agency said. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the change could save the federal government $8.1 over the next 10 years. Trump tried…
Read the full storyFacebook Plows Record Amount of Cash Into DC Lobbyists as Its Algorithm Changes Crush Media Outlets
by Chris White Facebook spent several million dollars on lobbying efforts over the past few months as the Silicon Valley company’s algorithm changes continue to wallop small media outlets. The big tech company dropped more than $4 million during the second financial quarter, a record for Facebook up to this point, Washington Post writer Tony Romm noted in a tweet Tuesday. Google and Amazon came in second and third place, as they spent $2.9 million and $4 million, respectively. All three companies’ lobbying efforts come as Republican and Democratic lawmakers continue to scrutinize Facebook and Google’s death-grip on the tech industry. House Democrats opened a broad antitrust investigation in June into the tech industry’s power and impact on competition — Facebook in particular is taking heat as lawmakers believe the company is violating people’s privacy rights. President Donald Trump and other Republicans meanwhile argue big tech companies are unfairly censoring conservatives. Facebook, Google and Amazon’s spending carries on a trend. They dumped a combined $48 million into lobbying in 2018, up 13% from 2017, government disclosures from January show. Google was the biggest spender that year, increasing its lobbying contributions 18% to $21.2 million, while Facebook’s spending grew nearly…
Read the full storyUS Senate Confirms Mark Esper as Secretary of Defense
by Reuters WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed Army Secretary Mark Esper to be secretary of defense, ending the longest period by far that the Pentagon has been without a permanent top official. As voting continued, the Senate overwhelmingly backed Esper, a former lobbyist for weapons maker Raytheon Co., to be President Donald Trump’s second confirmed leader of the Pentagon. Esper, 55, received strong bipartisan support despite some sharp questioning during his confirmation hearing by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren about his ties to Raytheon and his refusal to extend an ethics commitment he signed in 2017 to avoid decisions involving the company. Warren, a 2020 presidential hopeful, was the only member of the Senate Armed Services Committee to voice opposition to Esper’s confirmation during the hearing. Raytheon is the third-largest U.S. defense contractor. There has been no confirmed defense secretary since Jim Mattis resigned in December over policy differences with Trump. Many members of Congress from both parties have urged the Republican president to act urgently to fill the powerful position. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called on members to support Esper as he opened the Senate on Tuesday morning. “The nominee is beyond qualified. His record…
Read the full storyCommentary: Bernie Sanders Oppressor of the Working Class
by CHQ Staff Presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders has pledged to American workers that he would institute a $15-per-hour minimum wage if he wins the White House in 2020. But, reports Dom Calicchio of Fox News, unionized workers on Sanders’ own campaign say they wish he would start now — by paying a higher wage to them. In a letter to Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir, Mr. Calicchio reports the campaign staffers claim they “cannot be expected to build the largest grassroots organizing program in American history while making poverty wages.” “Given our campaign’s commitment to fighting for a living wage of at least $15.00 an hour,” the letter continued, “we believe it is only fair that the campaign would carry through this commitment to its own field team.” The field organizers claim that their long hours working on behalf of Sanders drop their actual pay to about $13 per hour. “Many field staffers are barely managing to survive financially,” the union letter says, “which is severely impacting our team’s productivity and morale. Some field organizers have already left the campaign as a result.” Sanders’ campaign manager Shakir seemed to paint a different picture Mr. Calicchio reported, “We know…
Read the full storyOne America News Network’s Neil McCabe Joins the Tennessee Star Report to Discuss Robert Mueller’s Testimony
On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to One America News Networks Neil McCabe about Mueller’s upcoming testimony and how the Democrats hope that he will say things that were not in the report in effort to open up impeachment hearings. The team noted that if Mueller does answer questions from Democrats that this would leave the window open for Republicans to hold him in contempt. Towards the end of the segment, the team discussed the possibility that the Mueller team had been leaking to Democrats during the entire investigation. Gill: A lot of stuff going on and to help us sort out some of it, Neil McCabe from One America News Network. Neil, good to have you back with us. McCabe: Hey, good morning. How’s it going? Gill: It tires me out just going down the list of all the stuff that’s going to happen. Leahy: Yeah. Neil, so you interviewed reporter John Solomon the other day. What did he have to tell you about James Comey and Robert Mueller? McCabe: What’s interesting is everyone talks about the Mueller…
Read the full storyBill Ketron’s Daughter Kelsey Resigns from Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee
Kelsey Ketron, daughter of Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, reportedly resigned as a member of the Tennessee Republican Party Executive Committee Tuesday. This, according to the Murfreesboro-based DJN.com, which also reported Kelsey Ketron was in her second term representing District 13 on the committee. “Her resignation letter was confirmed by Michael Sullivan, executive director of the Tennessee Republican Party. The letter was short, with Ketron saying it was an honor to serve the Republican party for the past five years, and that’s she is resigning from her position on the state executive committee,” DNJ.com reported. “Ketron didn’t give a reason for resigning, Sullivan said. The state GOP declined to release Ketron’s resignation letter, citing a policy of not releasing internal party documents.” As reported this month, Kelsey Ketron was reportedly accused of fraudulent practices at her Murfreesboro-based insurance company. Kelsey Ketron serves as vice president of Universal International Insurance agency. Bill Ketron owns the agency and is its president. According to NewsChannel 5, clients allegedly paid Kelsey Ketron for insurance policies, but they never got the coverage for which they paid. This week DNJ.com quoted Bill Ketron, who said Kelsey Ketron has taken a leave of absence from running the insurance…
Read the full storyTrump Says He’s Considering Options After Guatemala Halts ‘Safe Third Country’ Designation
by Reuters WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump said he is now considering a “ban,” tariffs and remittance fees after Guatemala decided to not move forward with a safe third country agreement that would have required the Central American country to take in more asylum seekers. “Guatemala … has decided to break the deal they had with us on signing a necessary Safe Third Agreement. We were ready to go,” Trump tweeted. “Now we are looking at the ‘BAN,’ Tariffs, Remittance Fees, or all of the above. Guatemala has not been good,” Trump wrote. Guatemala, which has been forming Caravans and sending large numbers of people, some with criminal records, to the United States, has decided to break the deal they had with us on signing a necessary Safe Third Agreement. We were ready to go. Now we are looking at the “BAN,”…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2019 ….Tariffs, Remittance Fees, or all of the above. Guatemala has not been good. Big U.S. taxpayer dollars going to them was cut off by me 9 months ago. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 23, 2019 It was not immediately clear what policies he was referring to. The…
Read the full storyMark Green of Tennessee Goes on Offense Against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
U.S. Republican Congressman Mark Green, representing Tennessee’s Seventh Congressional District, has gone on offense against New York Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This, according to IJR.com, which reported Green went on offense because Ocasio-Cortez said Republican lawmakers approve of U.S. Republican President Donald Trump’s tweets telling various Democratic congresswomen to go back to their home countries and fix them. Green reportedly said there was “no choice but to assume” that Democratic lawmakers “condone” the recent attack on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. “Green responded to her post on Thursday, publishing a copycat tweet that turned the tables on the New York Democrat by saying there was ‘no choice but to assume that Ocasio-Cortez ‘condones’ the attack on an ICE migrant holding facility in Washington state over the weekend,” IJR.com reported. An armed individual recently attacked a Washington detention facility. “Until [Ocasio-Cortez] denounces this attack (which should be easy!), we sadly have no choice but to assume she condones it,” Green wrote. “It is extremely disturbing that the *entire* Dem caucus is silent. Is this their agenda?” This is not the first time in recent weeks Green has gone after Democrats. As The Tennessee Star reported earlier this month, during…
Read the full storyTrump Calls Tlaib a ‘Lunatic’ After Watching 2016 Video Showing Her Being Removed from His Rally
President Donald Trump criticized Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) Tuesday during a speech where he called her a “lunatic” after watching a video of her being thrown out of a 2016 Trump rally. The video showed Tlaib being removed by security guards at Detroit’s Cobo Center. While leaving, she yelled “you guys are crazy” at Trump supporters. In response, a person called her an “animal” and told her “to get a job.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI6Nmhz2PSY&feature=youtu.be “There is no way she stands for the values of the people of Michigan. But I watched her this morning. She’s vicious. She’s like a crazed lunatic,” Trump said at the Turning Point USA’s Teen Student Action Summit. “She starts screaming, and this is not a sane person, folks, when you look at that. And this is what we’re up against,” he added. Donald Trump took jabs at Freshmen Democrats Rashida Tlaib, AOC and Ilhan Omar when speaking to young conservatives at the Turning Point USA Teen Action Summit. Earlier today, he predicted Omar’s remarks would give him the edge to win Minnesota in 2020 https://t.co/XlmbeYUwbD pic.twitter.com/H0QMFQphdj — POLITICO (@politico) July 23, 2019 At the 2016 Trump rally, Tlaib and at least 14 other protesters were…
Read the full storyFLASHBACK: Mark Dayton Tells Minnesotans to ‘Find Another State’ If They Aren’t Happy
Former Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, a Democrat, once told a crowd of frustrated residents to “find another state” if they weren’t happy with Minnesota. The comments were made during an October 2015 forum in St. Cloud hosted by the local chapter of the NAACP. Dayton was responding to concerns some residents had about the large number of refugees settling in the area. “Minnesota is not like it was 30, 50 years ago. But this is Minnesota and you have every right to be here. And anybody who cannot accept your right to be here and that this is Minnesota should find another state,” Dayton said, calling the behavior of some St. Cloud residents “unacceptable, un-Minnesotan, illegal and immoral.” “If you are that intolerant, if you are that much of a racist or a bigot, then find another state,” he continued. “Find a state where the minority population is one percent or whatever. It’s not that in Minnesota. It’s not going to be again. It’s not going to be that in St. Cloud, or Rochester or Worthington.” Video of Dayton’s comments were circulating in conservative Twitter circles Tuesday in response to the mainstream media’s coverage of President Donald Trump. As…
Read the full storyMultiple Requests Filed for Formal Investigation Into Ilhan Omar’s Alleged Criminal Conduct
State Rep. Steve Drazkowski (R-Mazeppa) announced Tuesday that he’s submitting a formal request for a full investigation of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) wrongdoings to the U.S. House Committee on Ethics. Drazkowski made the announcement during a press conference Tuesday at the Minnesota State Capitol, where he said Omar “may be the most corrupt politician in Minnesota history.” “Had it not been kept from the public she likely would not be a member of Congress today,” he said. “Representative Omar deceived the IRS in filing her taxes when she filed jointly with someone who she was not legally married to. She deceived the voters, she lied to them about her sham marriage to Ahmed Elmi.” As The Minnesota Sun reported, Drazkowski had previously asked Rep. Angie Craig (D-MN-02) to request an ethics investigation into Omar, but Craig allegedly dismissed the request and its importance. “I believe there is sufficient evidence to warrant an investigation. Congresswoman Omar has demonstrated a consistent pattern of deceptive and criminal conduct. The facts laid out in this request clearly show that there is probable cause for such an investigation,” Drazkowski writes in his letter to the U.S. House Committee on Ethics. “The United State…
Read the full storySenate Judiciary Committee Members Comment on the Heartbeat Bill Summer Study
With the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Summer Study on the Heartbeat Bill just three weeks out, every committee member was contacted by The Tennessee Star, confirming their attendance and offering an opportunity for them to comment on their expectations of the two-day meeting. The Judiciary Committee, a standing committee of the State Senate, is comprised of nine members, seven Republicans and two Democrats: Chairman Mike Bell (R-Riceville), 1st Vice-Chair Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol), 2nd Vice-Chair Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) and members Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga), Sara Kyle (D-Memphis), Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield), Katrina Robinson (D-Memphis) and John Stevens (R-Huntingdon). The Judiciary Committee is responsible for all legal, law enforcement, judicial and court-related matters, as well as all other matters not covered by any other standing committee, according to the Tennessee General Assembly website. The Heartbeat Bill Summer Study is being undertaken by the Senate Judiciary Committee as an outcome of the only Senate hearing on the bill during the first half of the 111th General Assembly, which was held on April 9. After a reading a prepared statement, as reported by The Star, Chairman Bell made the motion, a move he said was rare for him as Chairman, to send the…
Read the full storySen. Blackburn Joins Bipartisan Effort to Enhance Cybersecurity Training Through JROTC
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced bipartisan legislation Monday that would enhance the preparation of students in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) for careers in computer science and cybersecurity, she said in a press release. The JROTC Cyber Training Act is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Gary Peters (D-MI). Identical bipartisan legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX). Blackburn tweeted, “By providing funding for high school training in computer science and cybersecurity, we can ensure that the next generation in uniform is prepared for the future of combat. Glad to join @SenJackyRosen to invest in this crucial aspect of rebuilding our nation’s military.” By providing funding for high school training in computer science and cybersecurity, we can ensure that the next generation in uniform is prepared for the future of combat. Glad to join @SenJackyRosen to invest in this crucial aspect of rebuilding our nation's military. https://t.co/KYlveHOGQE — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 22, 2019 By 2026, the Department of Labor projects there will be 3.5 million computing-related jobs, yet the current education pipeline will only fill 19 percent of those openings, Blackburn said.…
Read the full storyU.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty Leaves Position, Is Expected to Run for Lamar Alexander’s Senate Seat
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty has left the Land of the Rising Sun to return to the Volunteer State in a likely run for Lamar Alexander’s Senate seat. Hagerty tweeted, “Farewell Japan, and thank you for the incredible hospitality you have shown me and my family. These past two years have been the greatest of our lives.” Farewell Japan, and thank you for the incredible hospitality you have shown me and my family. These past two years have been the greatest of our lives. 🇺🇸🤝🇯🇵 またお会いしましょう ! 👋🏼✨ https://t.co/j53xf4zODO — ラーム・エマニュエル駐日米国大使 (@USAmbJapan) July 22, 2019 Alexander (R-TN) announced in December that he would not run again for the Senate, The Tennessee Star reported. President Donald Trump earlier this month endorsed Hagerty’s potential Senate bid, which likely would be announced after he leaves federal government service, The Star said. Just a week ago, speculation was still running rampant on whether Hagerty actually would run for the Senate, the Nashville Post said, calling him the “hypothetical frontrunner.” Ward Baker, who ran Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s 2018 campaign, is expected to run Hagerty’s campaign, Politico said. Baker is the former executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. On a recent Tennessee…
Read the full storyCommentary: Trump’s Big Win Over Public-Sector Unions
by John W. York Public-sector unions and their progressive allies just lost a major battle in their ceaseless legal campaign against this president. Last summer, one district court judge struck down nearly every provision in a package of executive orders meant to curtail the overweening power of federal employee unions. Almost a year later, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rightly overturned the decision. In fact, it determined that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, an Obama appointee to the U.S. District Court for D.C., should never have heard the case in the first place. One of the biggest impacts of the executive orders is to sharply curtail a wasteful practice known by the Orwellian moniker “official time.” This practice allows federal employees to do union business instead of their actual job during their regular working hours, while being paid their regular wage. While official time was authorized by statute back in 1978, its use is now out of control. In 2016, the Office of Personnel Management found that federal employees spent a combined 3.6 million hours working on union business during the work day (though this is likely a significant underestimate). Indeed, thousands of federal employees throughout the government do nothing…
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General: Rainy Day Fund Monies Excluded From the Copeland Cap
Tennessee’s Attorney General Herbert Slatery issued an opinion in 2018 in response to a legislator’s inquiry indicating that allocations to the reserve for revenue fluctuation account, otherwise known as the Rainy Day Fund, do not count toward the Copeland Cap. State Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) (pictured left) requested an opinion from the state’s Attorney General (pictured right) to two separate questions on the topic. Specifically, Senator Kelsey’s two questions to the Attorney General were: In determining whether “the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues exceed[s] the estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy” under article II, section 24 of the Tennessee Constitution, are funds that are allocated to the “reserve for revenue fluctuation” included in “appropriations from state tax revenues”? (emphasis added) And In determining whether “the rate of growth of appropriations from state tax revenues exceed[s] the estimated rate of growth of the state’s economy” under article II, section 24 of the Tennessee Constitution, are funds previously allocated to the “reserve for revenue fluctuation” included in “appropriations from state tax revenues” in the year in which the funds are withdrawn? (emphasis added) The Attorney General opined in 18-05 that the answer to both questions…
Read the full storyNineteen People Have Died from Drinking Tainted Alcohol in Costa Rica, Officials Say
by Hanna Panreck Costa Rica issued a national alert warning citizens about tainted alcohol after officials confirmed 19 people died from methanol poisoning. Fourteen men and five women between the ages of 32 and 72 died from methanol poisoning since June 2, according to the Ministry of Health on July 19. Seven of these deaths were in the San Jose Province, a very populated area in Costa Rica, CBS reported. The government confiscated about 30,000 bottles of liquor suspected of containing methanol under the brands Guaro Montano, Guaro Gran Apache, Aguardiente Estrella, Aguardiente Barón Rojo, Aguardiente Timbuka and Moltov Aguardiente. Aguardiente in English translates to “fire water,” The Associated Press reported. “The Costa Rican government has tested the bottles. These are local bottles of Aguardiente, a popular, neutral spirit made typically from sugar cane, and it had 30-50% methanol in the bottles, which are perfect replicas and counterfeit bottles,” Kemal Canlar, founder of SafeProof.org, said Monday in an interview with “Fox & Friends.” “This is illegal black market, illicit counterfeiters, they are looking to make a profit by infiltrating the supply chain.” “It’s a lot cheaper, so you buy methanol typically in a 55-gallon drum. It costs pennies per gallon and it’s toxic,” Canlar added. Methanol is used…
Read the full storyCommentary: The Banality of Google’s Wokeness
by Emina Melonic Although many people don’t see it or refuse to acknowledge it, we are living in a mangled version of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s 1984. There are technological and morally dubious (at best!) forces that control the flow of information we see and can release into the world. Facebook, Twitter, and Google – our current rendition of “The Big Three” – rightfully have been accused of censorship, as example after example comes to light. Yet, even as more is revealed with each new example, nothing seems to be done to change the situation. The rest of the population – i.e., the users – are powerless to do anything about it because the structure of all social media companies allows rhem to operate under the guise of privatization. If the company is private, then logically it would follow that we have no right to criticize their company policies. Add to that the fact that their services, mainly, are free to users, and complaints are often met with dismissive charges of ingratitude. And yet, users have no genuine choice because these are the platforms that amount to today’s public square. We have no choice because the primary way of…
Read the full storySenator Schumer Calls for Federal Probe Into Russia-Based FaceApp
by Kaylee Greenlee Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced recently on Twitter the “need” for a federal investigation into the popular Russia-based image-editing technology for smartphones called “FaceApp.” “BIG: Share if you used #FaceApp: The FBI and FTC must look into the national security and privacy risks now because millions of Americans have used it; it’s owned by a Russian company; and users are required to provide full, irrevocable access to their personal photos and data,” Schumer said in his tweet. FaceApp allows users to morph an uploaded photo to make the subject appear older, younger, or even a different gender or ethnicity. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz-J1E7FhzD/?utm_source=ig_embed FaceApp’s terms and conditions state: You grant FaceApp a perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, fully-paid, transferable sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, publicly perform and display your User Content and any name, username or likeness provided in connection with your User Content in all media formats and channels now known or later developed, without compensation to you. Yaroslav Goncharov, a chief executive at Wireless Lab, started developing FaceApp in 2014 after spending time as a technical lead at Microsoft in Redmond, Washington. “Goncharov told the Moscow publication Afisha.ru in 2017 that he…
Read the full storyLeaked Docs Reportedly Show Huawei Secretly Built Up North Korea’s Wireless Phone Network
by Chris White A Chinese tech company at the center of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China secretly helped North Korea maintain its commercial wireless network, The Washington Post reported Monday. Huawei partnered with a massive Chinese state-owned company called Panda International on projects in the communist nation over eight year, the report notes, citing documents and contracts, as well as anonymous sources. The memos do not explicitly lay out a connection between Huawei and North Korea, but they do raise questions about the relationship. A former Huawei employee leaked the spreadsheets and documents detailing the nature of the relationship. Other anonymous sources provided separate memos confirming the linkage, according to WaPo’s report, which comes as Trump and Republicans consider the implications of allowing Huawei a foothold in U.S. technology. The Commerce Department has never connected Huawei and North Korea despite undergoing a nearly four-year long investigation into the matter. The department has not replied to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for a comment about the report. All of this comes after the Department of Justice charged Huawei in January with bank fraud and violations of U.S. sanctions on Iran. The president signed an executive order in May that effectively bans technologies from foreign…
Read the full storyDemocrats Join Forces to Urge the Supreme Court to Block the Southern Border Barrier Based on ‘the Environment’
by Kevin Daley Environmental groups and House Democrats urged the Supreme Court not to disturb a lower court order blocking the reallocation of military funds for border wall projects. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to put that ruling on hold while litigation continues July 12. Granting that request — called a stay — would give the government an irreversible victory, a coalition of environmentalists led by the Sierra Club warned. “If a stay is granted and wall construction begins, there will be no turning back,” the green groups told the justices in court papers. U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam barred the administration from using $2.5 billion in military funds for border wall construction. The trial court’s injunctions stalled border barrier construction projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to stay Gilliam’s ruling while litigation continued by a 2-1 vote July 3. The government filed a stay application with the Supreme Court on July 12. Environmentalists fear ‘irrevocable victory’ Stays are supposed to preserve the status quo among litigants while a lawsuit proceeds through court. If the justices grant the administration’s request, the government can begin construction on several border wall projects the courts…
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Report Talks to ‘Point of View’s’ Chris Berg About the Tangled Web of Ilhan Omar’s Background
During a specific interview discussion Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Leahy talked to good friend and host of Fargo, North Dakota’s Point of View about Ilhan Omar’s alleged illegal immigration into the United States and her questionable political affiliations associated with her background. Towards the end of the segment, the three men dissected whether or not there was enough speculation to pursue a DOJ or US Attorney General investigation into Omar’s past. They also noted that this issue could potentially be investigated at the federal level. Leahy: Our good friend Chris Berg who is the host of Point of View at the top television affiliate in Fargo, North Dakota caught that clip and sent it to us. And Chris, welcome to the Tennessee Star Report. Our story on that has over six thousand Facebook shares. Berg: (Chuckles) Thanks for having me Mike. Great to have you and happy Monday. Leahy: So tell us about Ilhan Omar. Ilhan was from Somalia. Came to the United States when she was twelve. Lived in Virginia for a couple of years.…
Read the full storyRep. Steve Cohen Unblocks ‘Terrorists’ from His Twitter Page
U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen, a Democrat representing Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District, will no longer block people from seeing his Twitter page, because to do otherwise could put him in legal jeopardy. But Cohen still reportedly won’t allow his critics or people he accuses of harassing him — people he described as “Twitter terrorists” — to have full access to his Twitter. “You can mute people, so I’ve been doing a whole lot of muting,” Cohen reportedly said. This, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. A federal court ruled that elected officials who block people on Twitter are possibly acting against the First Amendment. The judge in that matter directed that ruling at U.S. Republican President Donald Trump. But Cohen seemed to know the same rules would likely apply to him. “In the past, I have blocked people, not from my district. I’ve tried assiduously to avoid blocking people from my district no matter how rude, crude or socially unacceptable their tweets may have been,” Cohen reportedly told The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “But, when it did get to the Court of Appeals … I decided the best thing to do is go ahead and accept that court’s ruling that it’s…
Read the full storyWashington Braces for Mueller’s Appearance Wednesday
A leading House Democrat says special counsel Robert Mueller will give “very substantial evidence” that will make the case for impeaching U.S. President Donald Trump. “This is a president who has violated the law six ways from Sunday,” House Judiciary Committee chairman Jerrold Nadler told Fox television on the weekend. Legislators from Trump’s Republican Party, however, predict a highly anticipated hearing this week will amount to nothing more than a rehash of previously published information. Also speaking Sunday on Fox television, Congressman Doug Collins, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, accused Democrats of “going after things that we’ve already known.” Mueller is set to testify before two House committees Wednesday about his investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to meddle in the 2016 presidential election and if Trump obstructed justice in trying to derail the probe. “We have to present, or let Mueller present, those facts to the American people…because the administration must be held accountable and no president can be above the law,” Nadler said. Mueller report conclusions The Mueller report concluded there was not enough evidence to determine that Trump or his campaign colluded with Russia. But Mueller wrote he could not exonerate…
Read the full storySOLVED: Vice President Mike Pence’s Cancelled Air Force Two Trip to New Hampshire Was Reportedly Due to a Guest Under Investigation for Drug Trafficking
by Chris White The White House abruptly cancelled a trip Vice President Mike Pence was scheduled to take because he likely would’ve come face-to-face with an alleged interstate drug dealer, Politico reported Monday, citing law enforcement officials. One of the people Pence was likely to have shaken hands with at a July 3 New Hampshire event on opioid addiction was under federal investigation for moving $100,000 of fentanyl from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, the report notes. The reason for the cancellation was clouded in mystery, with President Donald Trump contributing to some of the drama. Jeff Hatch, who agreed to plead guilty Friday and spend four years in prison, works for an opioid addiction treatment center in southern New Hampshire that the vice president was set to visit. Hatch, a former New York Giants football player, has publicly discussed his own challenges with drug and alcohol addiction. The event was billed as “a roundtable discussion with former patients and alumni at the Granite Recovery Center headquarters,” which would include comments from Pence “on the opioid crisis and illegal drug flow in New Hampshire.” The vice president’s office declined to comment on the controversy, according to Politico. Hatch was caught in…
Read the full storyLeft Primaries Rep. Richard Neal, the Democrat Who Refuses to Turn Over President Trump’s Taxes
by Whitney Tipton Alex Morse, the mayor of Holyoke, Massachusetts, announced plans to challenge House Ways & Means Chairman Richard Neal in 2020 Monday. Morse, 30, is being encouraged to run by progressive Democrats who are frustrated by Neal’s delay in obtaining Trump’s state tax returns under the law passed by Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, NBC News reported. “There’s an urgency to this moment in Massachusetts’ 1st District and our country, and that urgency is not matched by our current representative in Congress,” Morse said in a video to announce his challenge. Democrats have been frustrated with Neal, a Massachusetts representative, because he has not pushed for Trump‘s New York state tax returns despite the law. Liberal magazine The American Prospect wrote Neal’s committee “has shown none of the zeal for oversight exhibited by its counterparts.” “We respect his focus on moving rapidly on health care, tax policy, and pensions but at the same time many of us have tried to express the sense of urgency which we and our constituents feel about enforcing the law and obtaining Trump’s tax returns,” an aide to a Democratic member of the Ways & Means told NBC. Cuomo signed a bill into law July 8 giving access…
Read the full storyCOUNTDOWN: Three Weeks Until the Heartbeat Bill Summer Study
In three weeks, the State Senate Judiciary Committee will undertake the much anticipated two-day Summer Study on the legislation known as the Heartbeat Bill. The Heartbeat Bill seeks to protect the life of unborn children from the point that their heartbeat is detected, usually at about six weeks after conception. The legislation was sponsored by Representative Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough) and Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) during the first half of the 111th Tennessee General Assembly as HB 0077 and SB 1236, respectively. The House version essentially sailed through the committee process, which passed its first stop at the Public Health Subcommittee on February 20, and was voted on by the entire chamber on March 7. With 65 Ayes, 21 Noes and 7 Present and Not Voting, it was only Democrats who opposed the measure, although two voted in favor of it. Meanwhile, all 7 Present and Not Voting were Republicans. The bill experienced a completely different fate in the State Senate, where it sat on notice for two months before being placed on the Senate Judiciary Committee calendar. As reported by The Tennessee Star, testimony and a question-and-answer period from expert witnesses lasted about one and a half hours,…
Read the full storyCameron Sexton Radio Spots Promote Republican Legislative Accomplishments
State Representative Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) is promoting the legislative accomplishments of the Republican Administration and legislative supermajorities with a new pair of radio ads. Many of the successful legislative items, from tax cuts to school safety to job creation were lost in the shuffle when scandals involving House Speaker Glen Casada and his top staffers captivated the media as the Session ended. Sexton ran similar spots intended to advance the agenda of the Republican supermajority in the House earlier in the year. As Caucus Chair he has said that part of his role is policy, not just politics, and the ads during Session and in advance of a Special Session in August are an important way to fulfill that role. Sexton is seeking the nomination for House Speaker in a Republican Caucus meeting scheduled for later this week. The winner of that election, which requires at least 37 votes in the 73 Member Caucus, is expected to succeed House Speaker Glen Casada following his resignation on August 2. The full House will vote on a new Speaker on August 23 during the Special Session called by Governor Bill Lee. Tennessee Star Political Editor Steve Gill says the ads are…
Read the full storyCommentary: Can President Trump’s New Asylum Rules Stem the Illegal Tide?
by Rachel Bovard Illegal immigration numbers remain at levels triple that of previous years, and Congress continues to bicker, foot stomp, other otherwise ignore the problem. In the face of this, the Trump Administration released its latest attempt to bring the border crisis under control. Under new rules issued last week, migrants will now be required to seek asylum in at least one country they pass through on their way north. In other words, to qualify for asylum in the United States, Hondurans and Salvadorans would first have to apply for – and be denied – asylum in Guatemala or Mexico. The response from critics was predictable. “These new regulations are illegal and flout our asylum laws,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted on Tuesday. In a press release, the ACLU stated that the “Trump Administration is trying to unilaterally reverse our country’s legal and moral commitment to protect those fleeing danger,” right after they vowed to file a lawsuit to fight the change. U.S. Representative Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, described the regulations as “xenophobic and racist.” None of them, however, acknowledged a key feature of the new rules: they put the United States in compliance with exactly the way…
Read the full storyForgotten Founder Pelatiah Webster: America’s First Economist
by Lawrence Reed Everybody knows who America’s first president was, but can you identify the country’s first economist? If any man or woman deserves that description, it is surely the one who wrote this and so much more: I propose . . . to take off every restraint and limitation from our commerce. Let trade be as free as air. Let every man make the most of his goods in his own way and then he will be satisfied. His name was Pelatiah Webster. Largely forgotten today, he was regarded as “the American Adam Smith” after his death in 1795 at the age of 68. His wisdom, especially on trade and money matters, deserves a renewed appreciation today. Webster was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, in 1726. Twenty years later, he graduated from Yale and became a minister in Massachusetts. By 1755, however, the lure of entrepreneurial opportunities took him to the business world of Pennsylvania. He was an almost instant success as a merchant, amassing a small fortune in the process. His reputation as an authority on matters of trade, finance, and currency was unmatched by anyone in the 13 colonies on the eve of the American Revolution. The…
Read the full storyFormer DHS Chief Janet Napalitano Turned University of California President Trashes Immigration Agency She Once Oversaw
by Celine Ryan University of California System President Janet Napolitano denounced large-scale immigration enforcement on Sunday, claiming that such efforts “are designed to strike fear in our immigrant communities” and adding that “the University of California will not be a willing participant in them.” “We will continue to stand by the privacy and civil rights of our undocumented community,” Napolitano, former President Barack Obama’s Department of Homeland Security Secretary, which oversees ICE, said, further promising that UC police would not help federal immigration officers investigate or make arrests in federal immigration law cases. UC spokeswoman Claire Doan declined to comment further on the matter, saying that Napolitano’s statement “speaks for itself.” Former Vice President and 2020 Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden is under criticism from the Left because, like under the Trump administration, mass deportations of illegal immigrants also occurred under the Obama administration, in which Napolitano also served. Politico estimated that up to 3 million individuals were deported during the Obama administration. Many individual universities within the system issued their own statements. Mirroring Napolitano, UC Merced Chancellor Dorothy Leland claimed in her own statement that this type of immigration enforcement is “orchestrated to strike fear in immigrant communities.” Leland’s statement went on to provide a list…
Read the full storyReport: US May Set Refugee Cap at Zero for Coming Year
by Victoria Macchi The Trump administration is considering more dramatic cuts to the U.S. refugee program, with one official suggesting the White House not allow any refugees into the country in the coming fiscal year. In a Politico report released Thursday, government officials from several federal agencies attended a meeting last week and discussed several options that included a ceiling of 10,000 — well below the current refugee ceiling of 30,000, which is already an all-time low for the program. The U.S. resettled 23,190 refugees since the beginning of fiscal 2019 last October. With 2½ months remaining until the count resets, the U.S. is on track to fall short of this year’s cap, according to U.S. State Department data. Since the so-called “refugee ceiling” is an upper limit, and not a quota, the government is not required to meet the annual admissions number. Multiple figures Scott Arbeiter, president of World Relief, one of the primary refugee resettlement nongovernmental organizations in the U.S., said he has heard multiple figures proposed for the coming fiscal year, all well below the program’s historical annual threshold of around 60,000 to 70,000. In President Barack Obama’s last year two years in office, his administration made…
Read the full storyTrump on ‘The Squad:’ They Are Not Capable of Loving Our Country
by Chris White President Donald Trump said Sunday he doesn’t believe congresswomen in the “Squad” are capable of being patriotic Americans, adding that they are “destroying” the Democratic Party. “I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said,” Trump said in a Sunday morning tweet. “They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation!” I don’t believe the four Congresswomen are capable of loving our Country. They should apologize to America (and Israel) for the horrible (hateful) things they have said. They are destroying the Democrat Party, but are weak & insecure people who can never destroy our great Nation! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 21, 2019 His comments come after Trump’s July 15 Twitter rant in which he asked “why don’t they go back” of “‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen,” seemingly referring to members of the “Squad” as well. Republicans including Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Texas Rep. Will Hurd criticized Trump for his remarks. The president has been dealing with the fallout from those comments ever since. House Speaker…
Read the full storyBritain Drafts Plans to Sanction Iran Over Tanker Heist
by Jamie Dettmer British officials are drawing up plans to target Iran with sanctions for its seizing of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait off Hormuz, and it may urge European Union countries to reimpose sanctions that were lifted in 2016 as part of Tehran’s agreement to curb its nuclear program. The British government is under strong pressure from lawmakers to act decisively in the sharply escalating diplomatic quarrel between the two countries, but there’s growing domestic criticism in the House of Commons about the lack of naval protection for British tankers in the Strait. The outgoing British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is being blamed by some parliamentarians and military officials for failing to agree to a system of joint naval patrols the U.S. was urging Britain and other European navies to establish with American forces. Downing Street took the view that if Britain joined an American-proposed “coalition off navies” it would be seen as endorsing President Donald Trump’s hard-line, sanctions-led approach to Iran, say British and U.S. officials. British defense minister Tobias Ellwood told British broadcasters Sunday that Downing Street is is looking at imposing sanctions against Iran over the seizing of the British-flagged and Swedish-owned Stena Impero and its…
Read the full storyCommentary: Hollywood’s ‘Fierce Resistance’ Kowtows to China’s Censors in ‘Top Gun 2’
by Thaddeus G. McCotter Hollywood, the cultural epicenter of the “resistance” to the faux totalitarianism attributed to President Trump, has a vastly different approach to the real totalitarianism of Communist China: capitulation and self-censorship. As noted by Mark MacKinnon, the senior international correspondent for The Globe and Mail, the sequel to 1986’s “Top Gun” – which, after 33 years of intermittent thought, the creative geniuses behind the project have christened with the inspired title “Top Gun: Maverick” – has the rare quality of being a nostalgia trip that performs the deft, duplicitous trick of including a bitter dose of revisionist history. “There’s a new Top Gun movie coming out. And Maverick is wearing the same leather jacket – only this time it’s Communist Party of China-approved, so the Japanese and Taiwanese flag patches are gone . . . ” Why did Hollywood change the patch and stuff the Japanese and Taiwanese flags down the memory hole? “‘Mystery’ solved,” MacKinnon reports. “China’s Tencent Pictures is one of the main producers of Top Gun: Maverick.” In agreement is Alan Tonelson, the founder of RealityChek, which is “a blog covering economics, national security, tech, and their intersections”: “i.e., Hollywood Values . . . the…
Read the full storySteve Cohen of Memphis Compares Republicans to Nazis Yet Again
U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen, a Democrat representing Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District, reportedly warned that U.S. Republican President Donald Trump’s recent rally in North Carolina was on par with Nazism. Cohn reportedly made these remarks on an MSNBC interview this past week. Cohen took issue with Trump’s criticism of U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, representing Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District. “It was more reminiscent of Germany during the beginnings of the Hitler regime. People yelling send her back. That was un-American,” The Washington Times quoted Cohen as saying. “Republicans should stand up and let people know they are for the security of all Americans, for all American citizens, and nobody should be sent back. Nobody should be encouraged to be sent back.” As The Tennessee Star has reported, these are not the only hyperbolic remarks Cohen has made this year. This calendar year alone, Cohen has already expressed his delight over the Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives no longer requiring people to say “so help me God” under oath. At the time of the Notre Dame Cathedral fire in France earlier this year, Cohen used the occasion to say Trump is “torching the entire structure of government.” Among other outbursts, Cohen has also: • Said the…
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