July 2019 - Page 4 of 9 - Tennessee Star

House Republicans Want Nellie Ohr’s Oppo Research of Trump’s Family: Report

July 22, 2019July 21, 2019 Admin

by Chuck Ross House Republicans are reportedly seeking documents from former Fusion GPS contractor Nellie Ohr related to her research into President Donald Trump’s family, including his wife and children. During a congressional interview Oct. 19, 2018, Ohr said while she worked for Fusion GPS, the firm behind the infamous Steele dossier, she compiled open-source research on the travels and business activities of Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump, and Trump’s wife, Melania. “I was asked to research Trump’s family broadly in connection with any — any Russian connections,” Ohr told a Republican staffer during her interview. “Were you doing independent research based off of each family member?” the staffer asked. “I did some,” said Ohr, a Russia linguist. “As I recall, I did some research on all of them, but not into much depth.” Asked about her research into Trump Jr., Ohr said “I looked into some of his travels” in order to “see whether they were involved in dealings and transactions with people who had had suspicious pasts.” House Republicans are requesting Ohr’s investigative files, according to Fox News, citing two sources familiar with the matter. They want to know how the information on Trump’s family was used in the Fusion…

Read the full story

Progressives Reportedly Want to Unseat Tennessee Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Chris Butler

Progressives have reportedly targeted several House Democrats for the 2020 primary, including U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper, a Democrat representing Tennessee’s Fifth Congressional District. This, according to the nonprofit Maplight.org, which did not specify who, exactly, progressives have in mind to challenge Cooper. The progressive challengers, the website went on to say, won’t have an easy time unseating these incumbents. “Fifteen moderate House Democrats targeted for a 2020 primary by a progressive organization have at least two major advantages over challengers, according to a MapLight analysis,” the website reported. “They’re likely to benefit from a new Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee policy that blacklists consultants and vendors who work for a primary challenger. The policy was implemented by Rep. Cheri Bustos, the DCCC chair and a target of Roots Action, the progressive organization.” In addition to Cooper, other targets include Jim Costa of California, Henry Cuellar of Texas, Eliot Engel of New York, Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, Jim Himes of Connecticut, Steny Hoyer of Maryland, Derek Kilmer of Washington, Dan Lipinski of Illinois, Gregory Meeks of New York, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Kurt Schrader of Oregon, David Scott of Georgia, and Juan Vargas of California. According to Maplight.org, Roots Action…

Read the full story

Commentary: One of the Left’s Goals Is to Abolish Citizenship

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Matthew Goose Few issues so clearly separate those who care about America from those who do not like immigration. In recent days, Democrats have advised illegal immigrants to defy the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service, suggested decriminalizing illegal entry, and even embraced free healthcare for illegal immigrants. Democrats applauded the Trump Administration’s decision to abandon the citizenship question on the 2020 census—calling it vindication for “democracy” —but denounced the ICE raids on illegal aliens with deportation orders. While claiming fealty to the United States, the Democrats have all but proudly declared they are for open borders and against the rights and interests of American citizens. They have reached a consensus that American citizenship is a meaningless abstraction and an unearned privilege that effectively must be abolished—if not by law, then by ignoring the existence and unique rights of American citizens qua citizens. Peel back the sentimental platitudes (does anyone really think families shouldn’t stay together?) and the Democrats’ take on immigration reveals a profound betrayal. They are more concerned with the welfare of illegal immigrants than with that of the citizens of the country they were elected to serve. By seeking to abolish American citizenship, Democrats are withdrawing…

Read the full story

UK Knife Crime Hits Record High, Despite London Mayor’s ‘Knife Control’

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Jake Dima The U.K., most notably London, has experienced a sharp increase in knife-related crime, despite “knife control” efforts to curb the violence, newly released figures detail. Knife crime in both England and Wales is up 8% from April 2018 to May 2019. U.K. police reports from 43 departments recorded 47,136 incidents involving sharp objects, an Office of National Statistics crime report says. London Mayor Sadiq Khan implemented blade bans in London in April 2018, but they don’t appear to be working as intended. Blades found on one’s person have increased 21% since 2018, the report details. No excuses: there is never a reason to carry a knife. Anyone who does will be caught, and they will feel the full force of the law. https://t.co/XILUvIFLOW — Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) April 8, 2018 The 8% rise is calculated to equate to an increase of over 3,300 knife-related incidents compared with this time last year. It’s supposed that even more stabbings or cuttings occurred and went unrecorded, as the U.K.’s Greater Manchester Police was excluded from the data for undercounting, according to the report. The number of knife-related incidents has been on the rise for years, increasing by more…

Read the full story

The Supreme Court Might Overturn One of Justice Stevens’s Landmark Decisions

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Kevin Daley Late Justice John Paul Stevens left a far-reaching legal legacy in his 34 years on the Supreme Court, writing landmark decisions on presidential powers, property rights and the death penalty. Yet the endurance of his legacy might be an open question. The Supreme Court signaled weeks before Stevens died Tuesday it might overturn one of his most significant opinions, a 1984 decision called Chevron v. National Resources Defense Council. The Chevron case initially seemed like an arcane agency issue of little consequence. In the sweep of time, however, it became one of the most important precedents governing the power of federal agencies. Chevron provides that the courts should defer to an agency’s interpretation of an ambiguous law it administers, provided that interpretation is reasonable. For example, under Chevron, the courts should defer to the Environmental Protection Agency’s reading of an unclear provision in the Clear Air Act. Supporters of Chevron say it ensures complex regulatory questions will be resolved by subject matter experts, instead of layman judges who are ill-equipped to parse complicated areas like pharmaceutical certification. They frame the approach as one of judicial humility and a recognition of the modest role courts should play…

Read the full story

Commentary: Maine and Nevada Show Why the Electoral College Helps Small States, Not Red States

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Hans Von Spakovsky Last month, both Maine and Nevada did what was in the best interests of their states: They rejected bills that would have enrolled their states in the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an unwise effort to override the Electoral College. In Maine, it was killed by legislators in the state House after it passed Maine’s Senate. In Nevada, Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak vetoed the bill that had been passed by members of his own party in the Legislature. The National Popular Vote compact, which is an agreement between states, requires a participating state to award all of its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who receives the most votes across the nation, not to the candidate who actually won the vote in that state. In other words, states are agreeing to ignore what the majority of voters in their state decides when it comes to who they believe should be president. This interstate compact has been sold to state governments as a means to abolish what supporters wrongly claim is the “outmoded, undemocratic Electoral College.” What is “undemocratic” is an agreement that means that even if every single voter in a state voted against a presidential…

Read the full story

No 2020 Democrats Will Attend Muslim Caucus Conference

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Sarah Price None of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have agreed to attend the first Muslim-American national gathering on July 23rd and 24th, according to the Huffington Post. Both the Muslim Conference and the Huffington Post reached out to every 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful in regard to the event. Most either did not respond or noted a scheduling conflict. Former Vice President Joe Biden and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio ignored the invitation. Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro declined. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said they would send pre-recorded videos. However, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren confirmed that she would participate via live stream, according to the Huffington Post. None of them will be there in person. The Conference of the Muslim Collective for Equitable Democracy, hosted by the Muslim Caucus, will take place in Washington, D.C. The organization’s website describes its mission as being “On a bold path to cultivate and lift up our grassroots, multi-state affiliate base of changemakers organizing to advance racial and religious equity.” Many of the event’s organizers are frustrated with the lack of interest and participation…

Read the full story

Carson Says Trump ‘Not a Racist’

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Joshua Nelson While many Democrats are accusing President Donald Trump of “racism” because of a controversial tweet, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is countering the narrative by touting the president’s policies. “I have an advantage of knowing the president very well, and he’s not a racist, “ Carson said in a Wednesday interview on Fox News’ “America’s Newsroom.” “His comments are not racist, but he loves the country very much,” Carson added. “He has a feeling that those who represent the country should love it as well.” The comments Carson referred to were tweets from the president directed at a group of minority freshman Democratic lawmakers known as “the squad” who have been outspoken in their criticisms of the president and America. In his string of tweets, Trump said the group, made up of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar or Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Illinois, should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.” All the women are American citizens. Following Trump’s remarks, House Resolution 489 was introduced in the House Judiciary Committee, a measure that “condemns” the president as “racist”…

Read the full story

Commentary: Support for $15 Minimum Wage Plummets When Americans Are Told Its Economic Impact

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Jon Miltimore Minimum wage laws, I’ve noted, are popular with the public. This no doubt explains why House Democrats passed a bill Thursday that would raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Yet the minimum wage’s apparent popularity might be political pyrite (fool’s gold). A newly published Business Insider survey found that support for the minimum wage wilts when Americans—both Republicans and Democrats—are told of its full economic impact. Of the 1,100 poll respondents, 63 percent supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. Just 22 percent opposed the policy. However, when told of the Congressional Budget Office’s recent finding that raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour would cost an estimated 1.3 million jobs, respondents soured on the policy. After being told that “a proposed policy” to raise the minimum wage could lead to 1.3 million job losses, people were considerably less enthusiastic. Thirty-seven percent of respondents would support a policy with those implications, considerably down from the 63% who backed a $15 minimum wage. The CBO, which projected that job losses could be as high as 3.7 million, explained in their report who would be most affected by the minimum wage…

Read the full story

Brooklyn Man Charged After Joining ISIS, Training Other Members

July 21, 2019July 20, 2019 Admin

by Audrey Conklin The U.S. Department of Justice on Friday charged a Brooklyn man who joined ISIS with providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization. Ruslan Maratovich Asainov, a naturalized American citizen born in Kazakhstan, was recently transferred into FBI custody after being detained in Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces, according to a Friday statement from the Justice Department. “The defendant … turned his back on the country that took him in and joined ISIS, serving its violent ends in Syria and attempting to recruit others to its cause,” U.S. Attorney Donoghue said in a statement, according to the DOJ. 1) “The defendant, a naturalized U.S. citizen residing in Brooklyn, turned his back on the country that took him in and joined ISIS, serving its violent ends in Syria and attempting to recruit others to its cause,” stated United States Attorney Donoghue… — US Attorney EDNY (@EDNYnews) July 19, 2019 “Our counterterrorism prosecutors and law enforcement partners will continue working relentlessly to hold accountable those like the defendant who have supported ISIS’s violent agenda,” he continued. Donoghue also said the FBI hopes “countries around the world, including our European allies and partners, will…

Read the full story

Ilhan Omar Begins to Refer to Somalia as ‘My Country’ Before Catching Slip-Up

July 21, 2019August 3, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) began to refer to Somalia as “my country” before catching herself and calling it the “country I came from” during a recent speech. The slip-up came during her remarks to a crowd of supporters gathered to greet her Thursday night at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. “We have always been about creating a more perfect union, an inclusive one. One that is not just tolerant, but accepting. And so since the first day this president introduced the Muslim ban knowing my coun—the country I came from was on that and that my country now was on the track of implementing fascist laws, I knew that I had to speak up,” Omar said. The comments drew criticism from some conservative journalists, who questioned if Omar identifies “as an American or a Somalian.” LISTEN CLOSELY to @IlhanMN freudian slip here when she got back to MSP last night. So does she identify as an American or a Somalian? What say you? Plz share your Point of View pic.twitter.com/qhDVsnSQiT — Chris Berg (@chrisbergpov) July 19, 2019 Omar made similar remarks during a 2015 speech to the Revolution Somali Youth League before she was elected to the Minnesota House.…

Read the full story

With One Month Remaining in the Fiscal Year, Tennessee’s Budget Surplus Is Now Up To $649 Million

July 21, 2019August 3, 2019 Laura Baigert

Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced Wednesday that Tennessee’s June revenues were $92.5 million more than the state budgeted for the month, resulting in a total budget surplus of $649.2 million with just one month remaining in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The state’s revenue collections of $1.6 billion for the month of June, which is the eleventh month of the year on an accrual basis, were $115.3 million more than collected in June of 2018. McWhorter acknowledged that total revenues in June “were notably higher than expected,” which confirms the strength of the Tennessee economy, he said. Revenues have exceeded the budgeted estimates all 11 months of the current fiscal year, with surpluses ranging from a low of $3.2 million in October 2018 to the high of $258.9 million in April 2019. April’s excess revenues alone account for nearly 40 percent of the year-to-date budget surplus. June’s surplus puts revenues to the state 4.8 percent ahead of the budget and 5.6 percent ahead of this time last fiscal year. The Franchise and Excise Tax plus the Sales and Use Tax make up about 80 percent of the State’s total revenues as well as the budget surplus…

Read the full story

Williamson County School Board Member Wants Glen Casada’s Seat

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Chris Butler

Williamson County School Board member Brad Fiscus reportedly wants to run for Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada’s seat. This, according to his professional Facebook page. The Nashville Post, meanwhile, reported Fiscus will run as an independent. Fiscus told The Tennessee Star in an email Friday he is out town until next week and unavailable to answer questions. The Post reported that Fisk opposes school vouchers. “Fiscus is also an advocate for public schools, and he sees the latest school voucher and the Education Savings Account programs supported by Casada and signed into law by Gov. Bill Lee as a threat to schools across the state,” The Post reported. “Though the programs are currently only for failing schools in Davidson and Shelby counties, Fiscus has said before that the doors are now open for them to be in other school systems across the state.” Fiscus said on his Facebook page this week that, if elected to the Tennessee General Assembly, he will still keep his job as a Williamson County School Board member out of District 4. “I am dedicated to serving this district throughout my term to 2022. One of the first things I did while discerning if this was the…

Read the full story

Commentary: Fifty Years Ago, the Eagle Landed

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

by Lee Edwards Let us pause to celebrate the 50th-anniversary today of a mission once thought impossible: the landing of a man on the moon. Let us proclaim, without embarrassment, that America, and only America, had the requisite leadership, scientific community, and resources to make it possible for Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong to take that giant leap for mankind. Let us freely admit we needed a kick to get started. That happened when the Soviet Union put the first satellite known as Sputnik in orbit and pushed ahead of the United States in the space race. The Cold War was red hot, and everything was measured on how it affected that global conflict. As one commentator wrote, “the United States could not afford [a] slight to its technical expertise and economic strength.” In a dramatic address in May 1961, President John F. Kennedy tasked NASA with the goal of “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth,” and to do so before the end of the decade. The following year, Kennedy raised the stakes of the Apollo program by calling space “a new frontier” and declaring: “We choose to go to the moon, not…

Read the full story

Trump Is Nominating Justice Scalia’s Son for Labor Secretary

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

by Kevin Daley President Donald Trump will nominate the late Justice Antonin Scalia’s son Eugene Scalia as labor secretary. The New York Times was first to report that Trump is considering Scalia for the position. The pair reportedly met at the White House on Thursday afternoon. The president confirmed the news in a late Thursday tweet. “I am pleased to announce that it is my intention to nominate Gene Scalia as the new Secretary of Labor,” Trump said. “Gene has led a life of great success in the legal and labor field and is highly respected not only as a lawyer, but as a lawyer with great experience working with labor and everyone else. He will be a great member of an administration that has done more in the first two and a half years than perhaps any administration in history!” Eugene Scalia is a partner in the Washington offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. A 1990 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School, Scalia’s practice touches labor, employment, regulatory, and appellate issues. He is connected to the Federalist Society, the conservative lawyers group. His confirmation would be Scalia’s second stint at the Department of Labor. He served…

Read the full story

Movies to Watch This Weekend

July 20, 2019July 20, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

The Lion King: The long-awaited “live-action” re-imagining of The Lion King is here. Simba (JD McCrary) and King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) are returning to the big screen after a 25-year hiatus. In this Disney version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Simba questions what his royal destiny will be on the wide-open plains of Africa. Mufasa’s brother, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor) has his own plan to take the throne. Eventually, Simba and Scar battle it out, and Simba is exiled after the Battle of Scar. He must figure out how to grow up and get back what is rightfully his. Unlike it’s animated predecessor, 2019’s The Lion King has not been received well at the box office by movie critics. Rotten Tomatoes scored it a 55 percent. However, fans scored it a 90 percent. Into the Ashes: An ex-con name Nick (Luke Grimes) is adjusting to life in rural Alabama with his new wife and job. However, Nick was not able to escape his past violent life for long. His past crew has not forgotten about the money he stole, so they take his wife. Nick must decide if he wants to go the lawful route or the outlaw route. Critics have given…

Read the full story

McGavock High School Aviation Teacher and His Program Compete for Share of $1M Award from Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Program

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

Derek Rowe, a Nashville high school aviation maintenance teacher, is one of 50 educators and teacher-teams who were named semifinalists of the 2019 Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence, according to a press release. Rowe, a teacher at McGavock High School in Nashville, and his skilled trades program are in the running for a share of $1 million in total cash awards, Harbor Freight Tools for Schools said in a statement. More information about the program is available here. Rowe, who teaches aviation maintenance, was chosen by an independent panel of judges from among a field of 749 skilled trades teachers who applied for the prize. The semifinalists—some competing as individuals and some as teacher teams—hail from 26 states and specialize in trades including manufacturing, welding, construction, automotive and agriculture mechanics. Rowe moved to the United States six years ago from Great Britain to work as a training director with a helicopter company, according to a Metro Nashville Schools blog. That did not work, and he began teaching at the teach high school level. Rowe has been an aviation instructor for more than 30 years, serving 17 of those years in the British Army as a…

Read the full story

Commentary: To End Border Crisis, Trump Administration Restricts Central American Asylum Claims

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

by Robert Romano Under current immigration and asylum regulations, it was impossible to enforce the law on the southern border. The hundreds of thousands of Central Americans flooding the border the past several months gamed the system, betting that a compassionate America would let them in. Afterward, the families were released into the U.S. pending hearings, but those that showed up did so only to the extent they might be granted asylum, and upon rejection were never heard from again. It’s mandatory catch-and-release. Because of the way the regulations were written. As a result, the number of family units showing up on the border has been skyrocketing. In all of FY 2018, 161,113 family units were apprehended, and 58,660 unaccompanied children. Now family units are up to 427,881 in FY 2019, an increase of 165 percent and unaccompanied children is up 14 percent to 67,116, with three more months remaining in the fiscal year. Now, to get a handle on the problem and to deter future migrant waves, the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice are using their powers under the law to provide for additional restrictions and have issued a new rule telling asylum seekers…

Read the full story

US Shot Down Iranian Drone, Trump Says

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

President Donald Trump said a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian drone Thursday that was threatening the ship and its crew in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters at a White House event that the drone came within 900 meters of the USS Boxer and ignored “multiple calls to stand down.” “The drone was immediately destroyed,” he said. “This is the latest of many provocative and hostile actions by Iran against vessels operating in international waters. The United States reserves the right to defend our personnel, our facilities and interests.” Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in New York that he had “no information on losing a drone today.” All of the country’s drones returned to base, Iran’s top military spokesman said, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. “All drones belonging to Iran in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz … returned safely to their bases after their mission of identification and control, and there is no report of any operational response by USS Boxer,” Abolfazl Shekarchi, a senior armed forces spokesman, was quoted as saying by Tasnim. “We have not lost any drone in the Strait of Hormuz nor anywhere else,” tweeted Deputy Foreign…

Read the full story

Michigan Beauty Pageant Winner Stripped of Title Over Past ‘Insensitive’ Tweets

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

A model who supports President Donald Trump had her beauty queen crown removed after “inappropriate” past social media posts were discovered. Kathy Zhu, a Chinese immigrant, believes her Miss Michigan World America title was stripped because of her conservative beliefs. The former beauty pageant winner has a large social media following with almost 90,000 followers on Twitter (76,100) and Instagram (13,300) combined. Miss World America (MWA) sent an email to Zhu on Thursday explaining that her past social media posts violated its rules and conditions of “being a good character and whose background is not likely to bring into disrepute Miss World America or any person associated with the organization.” Zhu posted the email and her reaction to it on Twitter. “Miss World America’s State/National/Chief Director accused me of being racist, Islamaphobic, and insensitive. They stripped me of my Miss Michigan title due to my refusal to try on a hijab in 2018, my tweet about black on black gun violence, and ‘insensitive’ statistical tweets,” she said. https://twitter.com/PoliticalKathy/status/1152044590645616640 The former pageant winner had two 2018 social media posts come under question. In 2018, when she was a Central Florida University freshman, Zhu approached the Muslim Student Association booth celebrating…

Read the full story

Kyrsten Sinema, Eight Other Senators Sign Letter to Speed Up Removal of Certain Migrants

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

by Shelby Talcott Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is aiming to implement a program at the U.S.-Mexico border that would speed up the removal of migrants without valid asylum claims. The Arizona Democrat joined eight other senators in signing a letter Wednesday to acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, The Arizona Republic reported. The letter detailed how the pilot program, which is called “Operation Safe Return,” would allow for some migrants to be deported within 15 days, according to the letter. “This pilot program would apply to families who aren’t claiming ‘credible fear,’ which of course is the first threshold in seeking asylum,” Sinema told The Arizona Republic. “If someone says, ‘I left my country because I can’t make a living,’ [or] ‘It’s hard to take care of my family’ — that’s what we call an economic migrant.” Border Patrol would be given one to three days for “detailed, fair and accurate interviews” with migrant families. If the families are fearful of returning to their home countries, they would be deported, the newspaper reported. If a family is fearful, the next step would be for asylum officers to conduct a credible-fear interview. The officers would have nine days after the family…

Read the full story

ICE Is Considering Opening a Detention Center in Maryland

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Admin

by Matt M. Miller U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is considering opening a detention facility capable of containing hundreds of illegal migrants in Maryland. ICE posted an advertisement on a federal contracts forum in April that it was surveying potential locations for the facility near Baltimore, the Baltimore Sun reported. The facility reportedly would have the capacity to hold 600-800 detainees, according to the Baltimore Sun. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is looking for more detention facility space within 50-miles of its Baltimore field office.https://t.co/xsxxrVO88g — The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) July 18, 2019 The new facility would become the fourth detention facility in the state of Maryland, including centers in Frederick, Howard and Worcester counties. ICE is “continually reviewing its detention requirements and exploring acquisition options that will afford ICE the operational flexibility needed to house the full range of detainees in the agency’s custody,” ICE spokeswoman Justine Whelan said in a statement. The agency will consider the response to the detention facility advertisement to gage whether it would like to move forward with the project, Whelan explained. ICE officials posted the advertisement a few months after the end of a contract with Anne Arundel County to detain…

Read the full story

New Private School in Nashville to Stress Critical Thinking and Character Education

July 20, 2019July 19, 2019 Chris Butler

NASHVILLE — A new private school set to open in the Nashville area one year from now will stress, among other things, character education and innovative thinking. That school, Thales Academy, will cost less than other private schools in the Nashville area, said Director of Operations and Academics Timothy Hall. School officials will open at a temporary incubator location in July 2020 in the area, Hall said. About 50 parents came out to hear Hall and other school officials discuss their plans at an information session at Nashville’s West End Community Church Friday. “This is a private school that will cost about $6,000 a year. In the Nashville market other private schools probably cost about $12,000 – $22,000,” Hall told The Tennessee Star. “For the beginning, it’ll be K-5, maybe K-8, depending on the enrollment and how that matches out. If we have the right enrollment then we’ll create a high school and junior high school as well.” School officials are looking concurrently for both an incubator location and a location for the permanent building afterwards, Hall said. According to slides Hall and others showed parents, Thales Academy teaches critical thinking and leadership skills, and it also teaches students…

Read the full story

Blackburn Calls for Support of Bipartisan BROWSER Act to Protect Online Users’ Privacy and Cites Concerns Over FaceApp

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Thursday spoke on the Senate floor asking for support for the bipartisan BROWSER Act and discussed the dangers of FaceApp ahead of the first Senate Judiciary Tech Task Force meeting she led that afternoon. “A quick scroll through an average Instagram feed this morning revealed post after post of artificially-aged faces—all thanks to FaceApp, who now owns those images, and can do whatever they like with them,” Blackburn said in a press release. “Don’t mistake that recklessness for trust. Ask anyone who downloaded that app last night how they feel about it this afternoon.” Video of her speech is available here. Later in the day, Blackburn tweeted, “Thank you @LindseyGrahamSC for asking me to serve as Chair of the @senjudiciary Tech Task Force.” Thank you @LindseyGrahamSC for asking me to serve as Chair of the @senjudiciary Tech Task Force. pic.twitter.com/PxtvZyvMsk — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) July 18, 2019 The free FaceApp allows users to make themselves look older in photos. Business Insider reported on privacy concerns that have surfaced for the Russian-created app that has more than 12.7 million new users. The terms of service allow the company to license photos for commercial…

Read the full story

Commentary: President Trump’s Tweets Were in Response to U.S. Reps’ Past Racist and Anti-American Statements

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Robert Romano “Go wherever they want them, or they can stay. But they should love our country. They shouldn’t hate our country. You look at what they’ve said. I have clips right here. The vilest, most horrible statements about our country, about Israel, about others. It’s up to them to do what they want. They can leave, they can stay. But they should love our country, and they should work for the good of our country.” That was President Donald Trump’s response on July 16 to the flap over his tweets blasting U.S. Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.). Trump had tweeted on July 12, “So interesting to see ‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly… and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then…

Read the full story

Here’s Why Protesters Are Demanding Puerto Rico Gov. Rico Rosselló Resign

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Chris White Thousands of protesters in Puerto Rico are demanding Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resign over corruption charges and what many believe are misogynistic private messages he shared with officials. Protesters hurled bricks, glass and fireworks, at police Wednesday evening in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Police fired tear gas in response as they attempt to clear the streets. Authorities also shot rubber bullets into the crowd, which included celebrities such as Ricky Martin and award-winning actor Benicio Del Toro. People have lit up the streets for five consecutive days, urging Rosselló to resign in the wake of corruption charges and the leaking of a private correspondence between him and close associates. The messages reportedly include misogynistic and homophobic comments, as well as cynical comments about deaths following Hurricane Maria. Martin and the other celebrities asked participants to protest peacefully. “Puerto Rico, say present without fear. Let’s march in peace and remain firm and assertive,” he told NBC reporters Wednesday. “When Puerto Rico unites, we accomplish wonderful things and we can change the course of history.” Del Toro made similar comments. “I’m here in support of the people of Puerto Rico,” he said during the rally. Others flocked to…

Read the full story

Audit Accuses Carter County Teacher of Stealing Thousands

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Chris Butler

Authorities have accused a Carter County teacher of taking nearly $2,000 of school money and spending it on himself. That teacher, John-Claude Hardin, allegedly misappropriated at least $1,865. Hardin taught at Unaka High School, part of the Carter County School System, the audit said. “The investigation was initiated after school officials identified and reported shortages in cash collections. The results of the investigation were communicated with the Office of the District Attorney General of the 1st Judicial District,” according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released this week. “The school’s Career Technical Education (CTE) department operated a meat processing program where customers brought livestock to the school to be slaughtered by students. The customers paid a fee to the school for this service. The school also raised cattle on a farm the CTE department operated.” Comptrollers said that during the period November 13, 2017, through November 20, 2018, Hardin misappropriated CTE funds totaling at least $1,865 from the school using two schemes. Hardin allegedly withheld cash collections from meat processing fees totaling $1,229 and sold a steer from the school farm without authorization and retained the sale proceeds of $636. To conceal his misappropriations, Hardin allegedly altered receipts and created false…

Read the full story

Commentary: Stiffening the Backbone of the Right

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Matthew J. Peterson Many people seem surprised that CNN gave a platform to white-supremacist Richard Spencer this week. They angrily decry the outrageous hypocrisy of the Left putting Spencer on the national airwave when it routinely de-platforms those on the Right for far less than giving voice to self-avowed neo-Nazis. But why? Don’t you know the rules? You know—the rules the Left is used to making, and the rules the “kept Right” is used to keeping. Did you actually think any of what is going on in Big Tech is really about stopping radical hate and violence? If that were true, all the folks from Antifa praising their terrorist lunatic who tried to shoot up a government facility this week would be de-platformed. Don’t hold your breath. The Left demands that every elected Republican official publicly apologize for a some nutjob murderer in New Zealand, but do you think that means Leftists have to apologize for Antifa’s “principled” domestic terrorism against journalists and government buildings here at home? Pfft. What are you, a racist? Spencer was deemed useful to pronounce Trump’s tweets racist. He quickly went on to complain that Trump has done nothing for white nationalists, contradicting…

Read the full story

US House Passes $15 an Hour Minimum Wage

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

House lawmakers voted Wednesday to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. In a vote that mostly followed party lines, House members passed the Raise The Wage Act, the first minimum wage increase since 2009. The measure has not yet come up in the Senate. The bill would more than double the national minimum wage over the next 6 years, a marked increase from the current $7.25 federal minimum wage. The bill would also raise the minimum wage for tipped employees to the same level from the current $2.13 an hour. In the 231-to-199 vote, three Republican representatives joined the majority and voted for the bill, while six Democrats voted against it. “This is about workers, it’s about their economic and financial security and today is a bright day because it affects so many people in our country,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at a news conference. Skepticism While the vote was nearly unanimous by Democrats, some members were skeptical. Democrats Tom O’Halleran of Arizona and Stephanie Murphy of Florida introduced an amendment that would mandate the Government Accountability Office to track the bill’s effects and report to the House before the entire wage increase is…

Read the full story

Maury County Officials Say Rising Population Won’t Pay for New Growth

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Chris Butler

Maury County officials say their population boom can’t pay for all the new growth, at least not at first, and now they must decide if a sales tax or a property tax is the best way to get more money. As The Tennessee Star reported, County Mayor Andy Ogles said he’d veto any property tax increase to pay for new growth. Ogles says Maury is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, if not the nation. He instead suggested a sales tax referendum next year. County Commissioner Don Morrow told The Star this week that it’s rare to see people vote themselves a tax increase. “However, I feel that the sales tax is fair because it spreads that tax out over everyone that spends money in the county, and it even helps our county with people who are spending money in our county from other counties,” Morrow said. “Currently we have a lot of people coming in to Columbia to shop and spend money on our square in various places.” But Morrow also said the growth cannot pay for itself. “If I can use the analogy of opening a business then you rent your building. You have to…

Read the full story

Financier Jeffrey Epstein to Remain Jailed until Sex Trafficking Trial

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Reuters NEW YORK – American financier Jeffrey Epstein will remain behind bars while he awaits trial on charges of sex trafficking dozens of underage girls, a U.S. judge ruled on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman announced his decision at a hearing in federal court in Manhattan, rejecting Epstein’s request to stay under house arrest in his New York mansion valued at $77 million. Epstein has pleaded not guilty. The money manager’s social circle over the years has included Donald Trump before he became U.S. president, former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew. Epstein is accused of arranging for girls under the age of 18 to perform nude “massages” and other sex acts, and of paying some girls to recruit others, from at least 2002 to 2005. Prosecutors have said that a search of Epstein’s Upper East Side home, which has been valued at about $77 million, turned up hundreds or thousands of pictures of nude women, some of them minors, along with cash, diamonds and valuable art. Epstein is being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a fortress-like jail that has been criticized by inmates and lawyers for harsh conditions. Prosecutors had urged Berman to keep…

Read the full story

President Trump Is Deploying an Additional 2,100 Troops to the Border

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Jason Hopkins The Trump administration is beefing up its resources at the U.S.-Mexico border as it continues to deal with a massive influx of illegal immigrants. Acting Defense Secretary Richard Spencer approved Tuesday night the deployment of 1,200 active-duty troops and another 1,000 Texas National Guard personnel to the U.S. southern border, Department of Defense spokesperson Maj. Chris Mitchell said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Texas National Guard troops will be split up in their duties, with 750 personnel to “provide supplemental holding support to [Customs and Border Protection] at CBP’s temporary adult migrant holding facilities in Donna, Texas, and Tornillo, Texas,” and the other 250 will provide “port of entry (POE) enforcement support at CBP-designated POEs and airports in Texas to enhance border security and improve the flow of commercial traffic,” Mitchell said. “Decisions regarding arming military personnel and related rules for the use of force will be informed by the circumstances of their mission and be made by the Governor of Texas, in consultation with CBP,” Mitchell continued in his statement. The announcement comes after the Department of Defense earlier in July requested the Pentagon to authorized an additional 1,000 Texas…

Read the full story

Planned Parenthood Has a History of Removing Health Care-Focused Presidents

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan Planned Parenthood has a history of removing its presidents over ideological differences surrounding the political role of the organization. Former Presidents Leana Wen and Pamela J. Maraldo were both removed from their positions for promoting healthcare over politics. The Planned Parenthood board fired Wen Tuesday after she had served less than a year as president. The organization temporarily replaced Wen, an acclaimed MD, with the co-founder of the progressive Perception Institute, Alexis McGill Johnson. Planned Parenthood removed Wen largely because of her issues managing Planned Parenthood, six sources told BuzzFeed. Requests for anonymity were granted so sources could speak openly, the publication noted. A source also revealed Wen’s removal was likely accelerated by the intense political climate surrounding abortion. Sources claim Wen did not care about “the long-term future of abortion access work that had already been going on, saying there was no budget for it,” shied away from “trans-inclusive” language and told staff transgender issues might deter Planned Parenthood supporters in the Midwest. But Wen is not the first Planned Parenthood president to be removed for prioritizing healthcare over politics. Maraldo became Planned Parenthood’s president in 1993, shortly after former President Bill Clinton took…

Read the full story

‘Six Million Meals’: DHS Chief Breaks Down How Much Care Illegal Migrants Receive

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Jason Hopkins Acting Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan revealed exactly how much care illegal migrants receive upon arriving at the border, abolishing narratives set by Democratic critics of the department. “Despite the scale of the challenge we face, and the failure to enact legislation that would have prevented — and could still end this crisis, DHS has made significant strides in its effort to secure the border, and to better protect the health and safety of migrants in our custody,” McALeenan said Thursday during a House Oversight Committee hearing. Since January 2019, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has delivered more than 6,000,000 meals, performed around 400,000 medical health interviews, and conducted over 80,000 medical assessments for migrants in Customs and Border Protection custody, McALeenan said. Furthermore, agents have delivered more than 21,000 sick or injured migrants to hospitals this year, and have “conducted medical transportation or stood hospital watch for over a quarter million hours.” There are now more than 200 medical professionals working at various border facilities who screen migrants upon their detention. “I am confident that no law enforcement agency in the world is providing more critical lifesaving care or medical support than U.S. Customs and…

Read the full story

Ted Cruz Presses Executive on Why Google Disbanded Panel Rather Than Include Conservative Leader

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Rachel del Guidice Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called out a Google vice president Tuesday afternoon for the tech giant’s decision to dissolve an advisory council on artificial intelligence after inviting Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James to join the panel. Cruz asked Karan Bhatia, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, about the worldwide internet company’s disbanding of the advisory council after Google employees objected to including the head of the leading conservative think tank. “You worked at The Heritage Foundation, I believe you said,” Cruz told Bhatia during a hearing held by the Judiciary subcommittee on the Constitution. “Do you consider The Heritage Foundation to be some fringe organization?” Bhatia replied that he considered Heritage to be a conservative organization. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called out a Google vice president Tuesday afternoon for the tech giant’s decision to dissolve an advisory council on artificial intelligence after inviting Heritage Foundation President Kay Coles James to join the panel. Cruz asked Karan Bhatia, Google’s vice president of government affairs and public policy, about the worldwide internet company’s disbanding of the advisory council after Google employees objected to including the head of the leading conservative think tank. “You…

Read the full story

Top Ten Most Popular Governors Are All Republican, Survey Shows

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan The top ten most popular governors in the United States are all Republicans, a Morning Consult survey shows. Second-quarter survey results from a Morning Consult survey reveal that the top ten most popular governors are all republicans. The survey also shows that all but three of the ten most unpopular governors are Democrats. The results, which are “respectively determined by total approval and total disapproval, with net approval (approval minus disapproval) serving as the tiebreaker,” reveal that on average, Republican governors are more popular than Democratic governors. While Democratic governors have an average net approval of +5%, Republican governors have an average net approval of +19%. 🚨The top 10 most popular governors are ALL Republicans🚨: Charlie Baker (MA)Larry Hogan (MD)Chris Sununu (NH)Phil Scott (VT)Mark Gordon (WY)Doug Burgum (ND)Asa Hutchinson (AR)Gregg Abbott (TX)Bill Lee (TN)Ron DeSantis (FL) https://t.co/xsHuzY765y pic.twitter.com/6TrL9VtO5r — Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) July 18, 2019 Several characteristics from the survey reveal surprising data. Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker is not only the most popular governor in the United States, he also is more popular with Democrats than Republicans. Meanwhile, Republican Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin comes in as the most unpopular governor with 56 percent of…

Read the full story

Omar Silent on New Claims That She Has a Different Real Name and Entered Country Fraudulently

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

A bombshell report released Thursday claims that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) entered the country fraudulently in 1995 as a member of the “Omar” family, which allegedly isn’t her real family. The article was published Thursday at Powerline by David Steinberg, formerly an editor of PJ Media who has written extensively on Omar over the past three years. In his article, Steinberg claims: “In 1995, Ilhan entered the United States as a fraudulent member of the ‘Omar’ family. That is not her family. The Omar family is a second, unrelated family which was being granted asylum by the United States. The Omars allowed Ilhan, her genetic sister Sahra, and her genetic father Nur Said to use false names to apply for asylum as members of the Omar family.” He goes on to claim that Omar’s real name, before applying for asylum, was Ilhan Nur Said Elmi. The family split up in 1995 when three of her siblings were granted asylum by the United Kingdom, including Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, whom Omar allegedly married in 2009 and divorced in 2017. As The Minnesota Sun has previously reported, this alleged marriage to her brother occurred at a time of massive immigration fraud. Steinberg cites…

Read the full story

Pete Buttigieg Casts Himself as Moral Christian Alternative to Donald Trump in Fluffy Tennessean Interview at Exclusive Nashville Fundraiser

July 19, 2019July 18, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

If you were able to catch a glimpse of Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg in Nashville on Wednesday, you were part of a select few. The progressive mayor of South Bend, Indiana stumped in Music City Wednesday — but only far-left progressives with cash to spend were there, as the event was pay-to-attend as The Tennessee Star reported in a “softball” preview story Monday that basically provided the candidate’s policy positions. The far-left Tennessean ran a glowing story Thursday. The story is here, in which the homosexual mayor who has said America was founded on white supremacy cast himself as a moral Christian alternative to President Donald Trump: “Voters who are guided by religious principles need to know they have a choice,” he said. People of faith “don’t have to stand with a president whose personal life flies in the face of what faith teaches us about how to conduct ourselves,” Buttigieg said. The venue also was announced at the last minute, The Star said. The Tennessean revealed that location was the Cannery Ballroom. Buttigieg did not exactly get grilled by any other media either. NewsChannel 5 had a six-paragraph story here. The only quote from Buttigieg was: “It’s important to speak to…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Zachery Schmidt

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…

Read the full story

Commentary: The Congresswoman Representing Somalia

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Chris Butler

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…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

Why Did Planned Parenthood Fire Leana Wen?

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

Commentary: Immigration by the Numbers

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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,…

Read the full story

US House Kills Impeachment Resolution Against Trump

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Admin

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…

Read the full story

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

July 18, 2019July 17, 2019 Chris Butler

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…

Read the full story