Month: July 2019

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

Anthony Gockowski

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

Read the full story

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

Jason M. Reynolds

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

Read the full story

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

Chris Butler

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

Read the full story

Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron’s Daughter Reportedly Under Investigation

Chris Butler

  An elected member of the Tennessee Republican Party’s executive committee was reportedly accused of fraudulent practices at her Murfreesboro-based insurance company. This, according to the Nashville-based NewsChannel 5 and various other news outlets, which reported that Kelsey Ketron, daughter of Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron, is in potential legal trouble. 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. The station identified Susan Calvin of Shelbyville as one victim. “Calvin said she discovered she didn’t have a policy after a frozen pipe burst in her home and she filed a claim,” the station reported, adding that the same thing happened to Wade Hellemn of Lebanon. “He told police earlier this year that after his house suffered water damage last year, he filed a claim and found there was ‘no policy.’ Police called it ‘fraud’ and also mentioned theft of property and forgery in that report. Hellemn told police he had paid Ketron $4000 for that insurance policy that it turns out didn’t exist. And he’s not…

Read the full story

Commentary: Who Is for Middle America?

Admin

 by Pedro Gonzalez   The late Edward Abbey, an irascible and irreverent American environmentalist, took aim at the immigration ideologues in terms still relevant for our time: “The conservatives love their cheap labor; the liberals love their cheap cause.” In other words, if the Republican Party and the Democratic Party can silently agree on one thing, it is that immigration is good, and more is often better. But the latest report from the Federation for American Immigration Reform reveals just how costly inviting the world can be. The FAIR report reveals that “our economy is hemorrhaging much-needed cash each year as a result of money sent to other countries”—that is, remittances—“primarily by foreign-born workers in the United States,” to the tune of $150 billion. “The $150 billion a year sent out of the country each year is money that does not circulate through our own economy, support local businesses, create new jobs, or generate revenues for local, state, and federal governments.” But that massive figure, combined with the $50.1 billion in taxpayer dollars doled out as foreign aid by the U.S. government, is just the tip of the Third World iceberg. The line between charity and masochism has been long…

Read the full story

Planned Parenthood Removes Leana Wen as President

Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan   Planned Parenthood removed Leana Wen from her position Tuesday after she had served less than a year as president. The Planned Parenthood board voted Wen out of her position Tuesday and temporarily replaced her with the co-founder of the progressive Perception Institute, Alexis McGill Johnson, according to the New York Times. McGill will temporarily serve as the acting president and chief executive of both Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund. “I’m proud to serve as Acting President to facilitate a smooth leadership transition in this critical moment for Planned Parenthood and the patients and communities we serve. I thank Dr. Wen for her service and her commitment to patients,’’ McGill Johnson said in a tweet. “I thank Dr. Wen for her service and her commitment to patients.” Wen became president of Planned Parenthood of America in September, the Times reports. Since then, she has advocated for unrestricted access to abortion and fought back against many states’ restrictive abortion legislation. “I just learned that the @PPFA Board ended my employment at a secret meeting,” Wen tweeted Tuesday. “We were engaged in good faith negotiations about my departure based on philosophical differences…

Read the full story

Commentary: Citizen, Legal Resident and Illegal Alien Populations Will Still be Determined Under 2020 Census via Trump Executive Order

Admin

by Robert Romano   Under a July 11 executive order, President Donald Trump is mandating federal departments and agencies to provide records to the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census Bureau to compile an accurate counting of citizen, legal resident and illegal alien populations for the 2020 Census — but without a citizenship question on the Census form for households to fill out. Instead, the Trump executive order requires “All agencies shall promptly provide the Department [of Commerce] the maximum assistance permissible, consistent with law, in determining the number of citizens, non‑citizens, and illegal aliens in the country, including by providing any access that the Department may request to administrative records that may be useful in accomplishing that objective.” In addition, the order specifically requires the following records to be furnished to the Census: “National-level file of Lawful Permanent Residents, Naturalizations” from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, “F1 & M1 Nonimmigrant Visas” from DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “National-level file of Customs and Border Arrival/Departure transaction data” from DHS, “Refugee and Asylum visas” from DHS and Department of State, Worldwide Refugee and Asylum Processing System, “National-level passport application data”…

Read the full story

Josh Hawley to Introduce Bill That Would Hold Universities Financially Liable for Defaulted Student Loans

Admin

by Andrew Kerr   Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri announced Tuesday he will introduce two pieces of legislation this week targeting institutions of higher education, one of which would put universities on the hook financially if its students are unable to repay their student loans. Americans hold nearly $1.5 trillion in outstanding student debt, 10.9% of which is over 90 days delinquent, according to the latest figures available by the New York Fed. Hawley’s proposal would require universities to pay off 50% of the debt incurred by their students facing default. The Missouri senator’s proposal would also prohibit universities from increasing their tuition rates to offset their increased liability. Fox News host Tucker Carlson explicitly called on congress in March to pass a law forcing colleges to shoulder a portion of the liability on defaulted student loans. “Colleges get all of the benefit and none of the risk,” Carlson, who is the co-founder of the Daily Caller News Foundation, said. “That’s the definition of a scam. It’s amazing it could even be legal. It shouldn’t be.” “Maybe congress could take twenty minutes from the Russia hoax and posturing about climate change and fix one of the biggest problems this…

Read the full story

Trump Administration Ends Federally Funded Abortion Referrals

Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan   The Trump administration declared Monday that taxpayer-funded clinics must stop referring women for abortions effective immediately. Family planning clinics that refer women for abortions will be stripped of their Title X funding, according to a measure instigated by President Donald Trump’s administration as reported by CBS News. The Department of Health and Human Services has alerted clinics that they will be enforcing the Trump administration ban, according to CBS. The rules now require that organizations that perform abortions and make abortion referrals will have to do so in separate buildings from those that receive Title X federal funds – a move could potentially cost Planned Parenthood “tens of millions of federal family planning dollars,” according to Politico. “Our doors are still open,” said Planned Parenthood President Leana Wen in a statement. “We will not stop fighting for all those across the country in need of essential care.” “We thank President Trump and Secretary Azar for acting decisively to stop taxpayer funding of the abortion industry, as willed by the American people,” said Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser. “A strong majority of Americans have consistently voiced their opposition to taxpayer funding of abortion –…

Read the full story

Trump On Pelosi’s Resolution: ‘I Don’t Have a Racist Bone in My Body’

Admin

by Evie Fordham   President Donald Trump said he does not have a “Racist bone” in his body Tuesday on Twitter in a screed criticizing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s plan to draft a resolution to condemn his tweets against freshman congresswomen. “Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show ‘weakness’ and fall into their trap. This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat […] Congresswomen, who I truly believe, based on their actions, hate our Country,” Trump wrote on Twitter. Those Tweets were NOT Racist. I don’t have a Racist bone in my body! The so-called vote to be taken is a Democrat con game. Republicans should not show “weakness” and fall into their trap. This should be a vote on the filthy language, statements and lies told by the Democrat….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 16, 2019 “Get a list of the HORRIBLE things they have said. [Democratic Rep. Ilhan] Omar [of Minnesota] is polling at 8%, [Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] at 21%. Nancy Pelosi tried to…

Read the full story

US Senator Says Bureau of Land Management Moving to Colorado

Admin

  The Trump administration plans to move the headquarters of the Bureau of Land Management from its current home in Washington to a city in the western state of Colorado, one of the state’s U.S. senators said Monday. Sen. Cory Gardner released a statement saying the new headquarters would be located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and praised the move as a “victory for local communities, advocates for public lands and proponents for a more responsible and accountable federal government.” “The problem with Washington is too many policymakers are far removed from the people they are there to serve,” Gardner said. The Bureau of Land Management is part of the U.S. Interior Department and has about 9,000 employees. Currently about 400 of those employees work in Washington, and it is not clear how many would be shifted to the new headquarters. The bureau oversees 1 billion square kilometers of public land, of which 99% is located in 12 western states. Critics of moving the headquarters argue it will make officials less able to work with other federal agencies and members of Congress, and that part of the administration’s motivation is to shrink the number of federal workers through attrition when some…

Read the full story

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Has Died

Tennessee Star Staff

by Kyle Daley   Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the Republican corporate lawyer who became the leader of the Court’s liberal wing, died Tuesday night in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was 99. The Supreme Court’s public information office said Stevens died from complications of a stroke suffered earlier in the day. “A son of the midwest heartland and a veteran of World War II, Justice Stevens devoted his long life to public service, including 35 years on the Supreme Court,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement. “He brought to our bench an inimitable blend of kindness, humility, wisdom and independence. His unrelenting commitment to justice has left us a better nation.” “We extend our deepest condolences to his children Elizabeth and Susan, and to his extended family. Steven’s 35 year tenure is the third longest in the Court’s history. When he retired in 2010 at age 90, he was the second oldest justice ever to sit on the high court. – – – Kyle Daley is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.           Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher…

Read the full story

OANN’s Neil McCabe Joins the Tennessee Star Report to Discuss the ‘Squad’ and Problems for Pelosi

Julie Carr

  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 Network’s Neil McCabe about the “squad” and recent claims that Trump is a racist. The three also discussed the Democratic Party’s denial in accepting that Russian collusion didn’t exist, and their continued calls for an unwarranted impeachment. Towards the end of the segment, McCabe described how major Jewish donors of the Democratic Party are becoming upset with Speaker Pelosi and urging her to control AOC. He also noted that there has become a rival split within the Democratic caucus. Leahy: Our guest now, Neil McCabe, One America News Network with us every Tuesday morning at this time. Welcome, Neil. McCabe: Good morning men. Good to be with you. Leahy: So tell us the real story of how people in Washington, Washington insiders, how do they look at Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar and her left-wing squad. McCabe: Well I think the President was doing master trolling. Obviously some of the cable networks, not One America News, but some of the others were sort of hyping this in the…

Read the full story

With Budget Deadline Approaching, Ohio Senate GOP Expects a Compromise Vote

Admin

by Tyler Arnold   Ohio Senate Republicans expect a budget bill compromise to be reached for a vote by Wednesday’s deadline, according to spokesperson John Fortney. “We are very close, and we expect the budget to be ready for a vote before the interim period ends,” Fortney told The Center Square via email. Republicans currently hold the leadership in both chambers of the state legislature, but feuds over what should be done with the budget surplus funds caused the legislature to miss a July 1 budget deadline. The two sides pushed through a temporary spending bill to keep the government open until Wednesday (July 17) so they could have more time to craft a bill that both chambers could support. The specifics surrounding this potential compromise have yet to be released, but both chambers previously passed bills that cut the state’s personal income tax and increased spending for environmental and educational wrap-around programs. One of the main points of contention between House and Senate leadership has been the small business tax credit. Gov. Mike DeWine and Senate Republicans want to maintain the current credit, but House Republicans want to scale it back. Current law provides a tax exemption on 75…

Read the full story

St. Louis Park City Council Reinstates Pledge of Allegiance After Public Outcry

Admin

by Whitney Tipton   A city council in Minnesota voted Monday to reinstate the Pledge of Allegiance after its ban sparked a national outcry, including criticism from President Donald Trump. The St. Louis Park City Council voted 7-0 to again recite the pledge before its bi-monthly meetings after voting on June 17 to abolish the practice, a move which drew local protests and the attention of national media outlets, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported. Council members made it clear that their vote was intended to quell controversy as much as anything. “I’m genuinely concerned about the safety and the productivity of our city staff and our residents, and that is why I am making this motion,” said council member Thom Miller. “To be clear, I fully agree with the change that we made in June to eliminate the Pledge of Allegiance from our standard meeting agendas.” The Pledge of Allegiance to our great Country, in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, is under siege. That is why I am going to win the Great State of Minnesota in the 2020 Election. People are sick and tired of this stupidity and disloyalty to our wonderful USA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July…

Read the full story

Ilhan Omar Has Nine Percent Approval Rating Among Swing-State Voters

Anthony Gockowski

  An internal poll reportedly “making the rounds of some of the most influential Democrats in America” shows that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) has a nine percent approval rating among swing-state voters. The poll was obtained exclusively by Axios, which reports that the poll was conducted in May by Democratic leadership to assess the approval ratings of progressive Democrats among likely voters in swing states. The poll found that 22 percent of respondents had a favorable view of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), while just nine percent had a favorable view of Omar. “If all voters hear about is AOC, it could put the majority at risk,” a top Democrat involved in the 2020 congressional races told Axios. “She’s getting all the news and defining everyone else’s races.” According to Axios, the group that conducted the poll shared it with the outlet on the condition of anonymity because it has to work with all members of the Democratic Party. The poll surveyed 1,003 likely general-election voters who are white and have two years or less of college education. The survey also found that only 18 percent of swing-state voters had a positive view of socialism, compared to 56 percent who viewed…

Read the full story

Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles Says He’ll Veto Any Property Tax Increase

Chris Butler

  Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles says he will veto any property tax increase county commissioners send to his desk. County commissioners are currently debating whether to raise property taxes by as much as 45 cents — or $120 per $100,000 in the value of a home. “That’s crazy,” Ogles told The Tennessee Star Tuesday. Maury County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state, if not the country, because of people moving south, out of Nashville. Some people say this new tax revenue is needed to help pay for all the new growth. Instead of higher property taxes, Ogles said he and other local officials thought up an alternative solution to bring in more revenue. “We agreed as county mayor and city mayors to a sales tax referendum to help fund building projects for the schools,” Ogles said. “If you want new schools then we can raise the sales tax a half a penny to make it equivalent to Williamson County and, I presume, Rutherford County. That’ll be during the March presidential primary. The people will decide.” Ogles also told The Star he’s working with state officials so Maury County can eventually impose impact fees on new construction…

Read the full story

Rep. Steve Cohen Wants Taxpayers to Pay to Reduce Memphis’ High Crime Rate

Chris Butler

  U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat representing Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District, says Memphis’ crime rate is too high and you, the federal taxpayer, must chip in to make it right. Last week, Cohen and U.S. Rep. Val Demings, a Democrat representing Florida’s 10th Congressional District, introduced the Safer Streets Act. They describe it as a new grant program that will help cities with high rates of violent crime. “The Safer Streets Act is intended to provide additional funding to address violent crime in places where the rate is significantly above the national average – places like Memphis,” Cohen said in a press release. “With these grants, local governments with crime rates four times the national average would be eligible for half of the funds; those with three times the national rate would be eligible for 20 percent of the funds and those with twice that national rate would be eligible for the remaining 10 percent of funds. The bill also creates an emergency fund for units of local government that have spikes of violent crime.” If the Safer Streets Act is enacted into law then the U.S. Department of Justice will administer grants to local jurisdictions to hire more law…

Read the full story

Commentary: NEA Embraces the Woke Agenda, But Votes Down ‘Student Learning’

Admin

by Nat Malkus and RJ Martin   Last week, thousands of teachers gathered in Houston for the National Education Association’s (NEA) annual convention. During the convention, any group of 50 delegates could bring to the floor a new business item, which is a one-year, non-binding resolution directing the union to take a certain action. Over 160 new business items were proposed, including New Business Item 2, a motion pledging the NEA would “re-dedicate itself to the pursuit of increased student learning in every public school in America.” The resolution also proposed that the “NEA will make student learning the priority of the Association” and that every NEA program should be evaluated by asking, “How does the proposed action promote the development of students as lifelong reflective learners?” When put to a vote of 6,000 NEA delegates, the motion failed. It’s unclear why the NEA would vote against re-dedicating itself to “increased student learning,” since the vote happened in a closed-door session. But with no obvious poison pills in the item, “supporting student learning” should be the easiest vote that these teachers take. One would think that this motion’s defeat would be a public relations nightmare, because it could fuel the…

Read the full story

Peter Thiel Blasts ‘Treasonous’ Google For Choosing China Over US Military

Admin

by Whitney Tipton   Tech billionaire Peter Thiel said Sunday that the FBI and CIA should investigate Google for allegedly cooperating with the Chinese military over U.S. interests. Thiel, one of the most high-profile Trump supporters in the tech industry, criticized Google’s work with the Chinese during a speech to the inaugural National Conservatism Conference Sunday evening in Washington, D.C., Axios reported. “How many foreign intelligence agencies have infiltrated your Manhattan Project for AI? Does Google’s senior management consider itself to have been thoroughly infiltrated by Chinese intelligence?” Thiel asked. “Is it because they consider themselves to be so thoroughly infiltrated that they have engaged in the seemingly treasonous decision to work with the Chinese military and not with the U.S. military,” he continued. “Because they are making the sort of bad, short-term rationalistic [decision] that if the technology doesn’t go out the front door, it gets stolen out the backdoor anyway?” Thiel suggested his questions warrant the attention of federal investigators. “These questions need to be asked by the FBI, by the CIA, and I’m not quite sure how to put this, I would like them to be asked in a not so excessively gentle manner,” he added. Thiel sits on the board of Facebook,…

Read the full story

Senators Cruz and Hawley Urge FTC to Open Investigation Into Big Tech’s Censorship Practices

Admin

by Chris White   Two of the country’s staunchest big tech critics are asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate social media companies’ perceived censorship practices. Facebook, Google and Twitter exercise lots of influence on Americans and they also use their tools to censor some content while amplifying others, Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri wrote in a letter Monday to the FTC. They are asking the agency to open a public probe into the impact such policies have on people. “Companies that are this big and that have the potential to threaten democracy this much should not be allowed to curate content entirely without any transparency,” they wrote. “These companies can greatly influence democratic outcomes, yet they have not accountability to voters.” They added: “They are not even accountable to their own customers because nobody knows how theses companies curate content.” Cruz and Hawley are two of the biggest Republican critics of Google and Facebook, both of which are consistently accused of discriminating against conservative content. Hawley, for his part, introduced the Ending Support for Internet Censorship Act in June that aims to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which gives online companies immunity only if they…

Read the full story

President Trump Puts Limit on Asylum Claims at Border

Admin

by Fred Lucas   While waiting for Congress to act on closing immigration loopholes, the Trump administration is imposing a new rule to limit asylum claims by requiring professed refugees to first seek asylum in another country closer to home. The Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security announced the new rule for asylum-seekers, which is set to take effect Tuesday. Asylum-seekers will be required to apply for protection from prosecution or torture in at least one other country outside their country of citizenship or nationality before entering the United States. The rule comes as President Donald Trump tries to gain control over the southern border amid a surge of migrants from Central America. Kevin K. McAleenan, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the change is designed to decrease that surge. “Until Congress can act, this interim rule will help reduce a major ‘pull’ factor driving irregular migration to the United States and enable DHS and DOJ to more quickly and efficiently process cases originating from the southern border, leading to fewer individuals transiting through Mexico on a dangerous journey,” McAleenan said in a formal statement. The Trump administration contends it has the flexibility to place the restriction on asylum-seekers…

Read the full story

Scholars’ New Book ‘Inventing Transgender Children and Young People’ Questions Transgender Ideology

Admin

by The College Fix Staff   A new book from a group of academics offers a “dramatic intervention” into the prevailing narrative surrounding transgenderism. In “Inventing Transgender Children and Young People,” a collection of essays challenging the “dangerous” ideology taught in schools and universities, the authors warn of youngsters not being able to have children due to “powerful sex-change drugs,” the consequences of not speaking out against transgender orthodoxy, and teens quickly being labeled “transgender” due to “normal feelings” of bodily discomfort. Contributors to the book include Oxford University’s Michael Biggs, King’s College London’s Heather Brunskell-Evans, and the University of Sydney’s Dianna Kenny, according to the Daily Mail. Dr. David Bell, a consultant psychiatrist at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, said the large increase in the number of females seeking sex changes “cannot be explained by individual factors alone,” nor is the new atmosphere of feeling free to “come out” responsible. “Many services have championed the use of medical and surgical intervention with nowhere near sufficient attention to the serious, irreversible damage this can cause and with very disturbingly superficial attitudes to the issue of consent in young children,” he said. The book also features accounts by whistleblowers who…

Read the full story

Commentary: When It Comes to Democrat Extremists, No One Tops Billionaire Tom Steyer

Admin

by Jeffery Rendall   Just when you thought the Democrat presidential primary race couldn’t get any nuttier came last week’s news that uber-liberal billionaire Tom Steyer’s joined the two dozen or so already declared candidates. The Democrat contest was showing signs of settling into a dull lull after the initial excitement wore off – but now Steyer is on scene to spice things up. Democrats lost a competitor too, as little-known California Congressman Eric Swalwell withdrew from the scrum having miserably failed to attract attention and adoration for his pathetic anti-Second Amendment platform and… well, not much else. Swalwell did participate in the first round of Democrat debates last month yet didn’t distinguish himself in the minds of party voters (at least according to the polls). Republicans made light of Swalwell’s quitting so early – and why not? Heck, we haven’t even reached mid-summer yet! We’re a long way off from Iowa’s snow and ice and the 2020 Democrat caucuses, scheduled for February 3rd. Swalwell didn’t admit as much during his withdrawal speech, but he likely couldn’t sustain a campaign with no money, no name recognition and no distinct niche apart from the rest of the Dems. Money, niche and to some extent,…

Read the full story

Business PAC Endorses David Briley for Nashville Mayor

Chris Butler

  The Nashville Business Alliance Political Action Committee has reportedly endorsed several candidates in advance of the Aug. 1 election. This, according to The Nashville Business Journal, which reported the PAC has endorsed incumbent Mayor David Briley. “It’s not surprising to see the group endorse Briley. Since taking over the office last year, the mayor has courted the support of the city’s business community, with several leading business voices among his largest campaign contributors,” The Nashville Business Journal reported. “Briley also shepherded legislation earlier this year that overhauled Metro’s procurement process to make doing business with the city easier for minority- and women-owned businesses — a key issue for the political action committee.” The website also reported that Tennessee State Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, At-Large Councilman John Cooper, and former Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain are “credible opponents” to Briley. The PAC reportedly advocates for women-and-minority-owned businesses. The PAC also reportedly made other endorsements for the following seats: • Incumbent Jim Shulman for vice mayor. • Berkley Allen, Fabian Bedne, Sharon Hurt, Bob Mendes, and Zulfat Suara for Metro Council At-Large. • Johnathan Hall for Council District 1 • Kyonzte Toombs for Council District 2 • Elise Hudson for Council District 3…

Read the full story

Former Obama Adviser Warns: Voters Are Not Aligned with 2020 Dems on Abortion

Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan   A faith adviser to former President Barack Obama warned that 2020 Democratic candidates campaigning for “abortion on demand” are underestimating American voters’ “more nuanced” views on abortion. Michael Wear, who served on both Obama’s presidential campaigns and in the White House as part of the former president’s “faith based initiative,” according to the New York Times, wrote in a Saturday op-ed that Democratic candidates’ hard line on abortion may alineate American voters who hold “more nuanced” understandings of abortion. Wear warns that Americans do not view abortion as a matter of moral clarity, as Democratic 2020 presidential candidate Kirsten Gillibrand recently said, but as “an issue of great moral complexity that our politics has not settled satisfactorily.” Citing both former Vice President Joe Biden’s and Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s comments on abortion at the Democratic debates in June, Wear said that “the 2020 Democratic candidates are out of step with American voters, even Democratic voters, on the issue of abortion.” “According to some progressives, Democrats need to learn from Mr. Trump’s style of politics and name enemies, draw harder lines and callously stoke the animosities that roil Americans’ lives for partisan advantage,” Wear wrote, adding that this “emulation”…

Read the full story

Lee Beaman Commentary: Nashville Is Still Nashville, Despite the Changes

Admin

by Lee Beaman   There has been much criticism recently of Nashville’s meteoric growth and the changes we’ve seen as a result.  Such concerns are valid and are good reasons to take note and preserve what we most enjoy about our city and what we feel defines us.  Despite the many changes we’ve seen, Nashville is still Nashville underneath it all. The “It” City was wonderful before we got that nickname.  Nashville has been a welcoming city for many generations of residents and visitors. The French novelist Jean-Baptiste Karr is the author of the phrase, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That is as true of Nashville today as it was when Karr first coined it in 1848.  Nashville’s identity and character that make it unique are as strong today as they have been since we can all remember. There has always been a strong business and industry backbone to our city that predates our country music footprint, as important as that has grown to be a part of Nashville today.  Our pillars of industry, which have long been considered to be insurance, banking and publishing, are still strong here today and are joined by additional…

Read the full story

Taxpayers Give Memphis International Airport $15 Million, Despite Dramatic Drop in Traffic

Chris Butler

  The federal government is giving the Memphis International Airport $15 million in taxpayer money for improvements and for economic development. This, despite The Tennessee Star’s past reporting showing fewer and fewer people use the Memphis Airport now versus how many people used it slightly more than a decade ago. According to localmemphis.com, the Feds are handing out $49.3 million to Tennessee’s airports. “Memphis received the second most out of all the airports in Tennessee. Overall, airports in the state received $49.3 million,” localmemphis.com reported. “More than $15 million will be used to construct an airport de-icing pad for planes in Memphis. It will also go to the airport master plan and a miscellaneous study.” According to the website, quoting Federal Aviation Administration members, the money “will help the local economy.” As The Star reported last year, the Memphis International Airport has had a dramatic decrease in the amount of traffic that goes through there. In a report that came out last year, the New York Times described the Memphis airport as “a glaring casualty of an airline merger that transformed the American aviation industry but cost the Mid-South’s most important city its status as a hub.” As the Times went on to say,…

Read the full story

Authorities Say Nashville Man Stole from Taxpayers to Treat His ADHD

Chris Butler

  The Tennessee Office of Inspector General announced several new TennCare fraud arrests this week, including the arrest of one man who allegedly used TennCare to treat his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. That man, Thomas William Biggs Jr., 44, of Nashville, was on the run for more than a year and a half, according to a Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration press release. “Seventeen months ago, in January 2018, a Davidson County Grand Jury indicted Biggs for TennCare fraud, accusing him of using TennCare to doctor shop for drugs,” the press release said. “Charges say he used TennCare benefits to visit multiple healthcare providers within a short time period to obtain prescriptions for Adderall, an often-abused amphetamine used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).” Elsewhere, according to another press release, authorities charged three Shelby County residents in separate TennCare fraud cases: • Alaa Ahmad, 40, of Memphis, charged with two counts of TennCare fraud and one count of theft of property over $10,000. Ahmad is accused of obtaining TennCare benefits by claiming his minor child was living with him when, in fact, the child lives out of the country. Without the dependent, Ahmad was not eligible for TennCare. •…

Read the full story

Rep. Jim Jordan Slams Democrats for Handling of Border Crisis: ‘Fabricating Stories of Cruelty’

Anthony Gockowski

  Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) slammed Democrats for their handling of the crisis at the southern border during a recent hearing before the House Oversight Committee. “What we’re going to hear from Democrats this morning is astonishing. It will be truly astonishing. For months they’ve declared there wasn’t even a crisis on the southern border” Jordan began his remarks. He quoted previous comments from the Democrats, who’ve called it a “fake crisis” and “fear-mongering of the worst kind.” “But weeks later, Democrats sure have changed their tune. The Chairman just recently said ‘Congress cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis at the border.’ For years now, Republicans have been warning about the crisis and working to find solutions, and all the while Democrats have denied there was even a problem. This is not about politics. It’s always been about preserving the integrity of our border and preventing the humanitarian crisis that we are all now witnessing,” Jordan continued. He criticized Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD-07) for failing to hold a hearing on the border earlier in the year. “Instead he prioritized political hearings like, well, like the hearing we first had—Michael Cohen. Think about this. The president made his emergency supplemental request only…

Read the full story

Commentary: ‘High-Skilled Immigrants Act’ Is a Sop to Big Tech

Admin

by Rachael Brovard   In a rare moment of bipartisanship last week, Democrats and Republicans joined hands to make a small, but fundamental change to our immigration system. Not to provide critically needed updates or wholesale reforms, but, rather, to toss a sop to the billionaires of Big Tech. Thanks to furious lobbying from Microsoft, Amazon, Hewlett Packard, Equifax, Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, IBM, Cisco, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, and Eric Schmidt of Google’s group FWD.us, among others, the House this week passed H.R. 1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019. The bill, which was supported by 140 Republicans and 224 Democrats, removes the per-country cap for employment-based immigration visas. In other words, it makes it easier for the tech giants and billionaires of Silicon Valley to hire cheap foreign labor over highly skilled Americans. Current law requires that no country receive more than 7 percent of the employment-based green cards issued each year. This ensures that employment-based visas are limited to a global pool of talent in a wide variety of occupational sectors – and prevents one or two countries from dominating the distribution. The practical effect is that individuals from countries with high demand for…

Read the full story

Facebook’s Recent Algorithm Changes Are Laying Waste to Conservative and Liberal Outlets

Admin

by Chris White   Facebook recently changed its algorithms to steer focus away from explicitly political content, but now that alteration is laying waste to conservative and liberal outlets. Conservative pundit Deneen Borelli laid into Facebook last week, telling her followers on July 9 that the company’s bias against conservatives cost her a job. In fact, she is holding CEO Mark Zuckerberg chiefly responsible after BlazeTV cancelled her Facebook show, “Here’s the Deal.” “And Mark, I hold you responsible for the high-tech lynching of my job,” Borelli, a black conservative who gained a large following during her run, said in her final video on July 9, which received more than 374,000 views as of the posting of this article. Reports appear to show that Facebook’s algorithm shift is suppressing content across all platforms.   A BlazeTV representative confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation that her show was cancelled due to a lack of viewership. “My videos were not clickbait. I didn’t engage in over-the-top antics to get attention. I wasn’t shrill, and my videos were not challenged by a fact-check organization,” Borelli added. She told the DCNF she started seeing her content crater after she spoke at the Conservative Political Action…

Read the full story

Highlights from Democrats’ Insult-Fest Between Team Pelosi and Team Ocasio-Cortez

Admin

by Peter Hasson   A feud between Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has escalated into an ugly insult-fest between the two women and their respective Democratic allies. Here are 11 highlights from the intra-party clash. Pelosi Trashes Ocasio-Cortez And Her Squad Pelosi ignited this clash by taking a shot at Ocasio-Cortez and three other freshman Democrats in an interview with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd published on July 6. “All these people have their public whatever and their Twitter world, but they didn’t have any following,” Pelosi said. “They’re four people and that’s how many votes they got.” Ocasio-Cortez Plays The Race Card Ocasio-Cortez didn’t hesitate to frame her feud with Pelosi in racial terms. She accused the senior Democrat of being “disrespectful” toward “newly elected women of color” in Congress. “When these comments first started, I kind of thought that she was keeping the progressive flank at more of an arm’s distance in order to protect more moderate members, which I understood. But the persistent singling out … it got to a point where it was just outright disrespectful … the explicit singling out of newly elected women of color,” Ocasio-Cortez said Wednesday to The…

Read the full story

Commentary: President Donald J. Trump, Statesman

Admin

by Brandon Weichert   When Donald Trump took office, his predecessor warned him that North Korea was going to be his biggest international headache. Within months of receiving that warning from Barack Obama, the Trump team was faced with escalating nuclear threats from Pyongyang. The world braced as a nuclear standoff appeared to unfold and as President Trump moved U.S. forces into the region, issuing threatening tweets in response to escalating North Korean provocations. Meanwhile, the hateful Left and its allies embedded within the so-called deep state, decried the president’s supposed “warmongering” against North Korea’s Kim Jong-un. Once Trump stunned the world and met with Kim in Singapore last summer—without preconditions—those same Leftists and deep staters insisted Trump was appeasing an intractable dictator intent on acquiring nuclear weapons to use against the United States and its allies. In reality, Trump was pursuing an America First strategy that used all the tools of statecraft available to his—tools most of these “experts” had forgotten how to use. Those Who Want Respect Give Respect  For too long, American policymakers had an all-or-nothing view of foreign policy. Either the United States got everything it wanted through force or it got nothing. Threats, such as those from…

Read the full story

The Long, Ignoble History of the ‘Homeless Industrial Complex’ in America

Admin

by Edward Ring   In his final speech from the White House in January 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned the nation that the military had joined with the arms industry and had acquired unwarranted influence over American politics. His term for this alliance was the “military industrial complex.” Since that time, Eisenhower’s term has been co-opted by other critics of special interests pooling their resources to exercise a dangerous influence on America’s democracy; one example would be the so-called “homeless industrial complex.” This label has been around awhile, and has bipartisan origins. In 2012 a guest editorial appeared in the liberal Washington Posten titled “Dismantling the social services industrial complex.” In it, the author explains “an odd mirror image of this huge complex has emerged in the very ‘industry’ that seeks to feed, clothe and otherwise meet the needs of the poor and vulnerable in our society. It’s a social services-industrial complex, if you will, one that could prove even more difficult to subdue than its military counterpart.” In 2013, writing for Poverty Insights, author John Roberts asked “Is There a Homeless Industrial Complex That Perpetuates Homelessness?” And in January 2017, a former homeless activist published in the ultra-liberal Huffington Post an article entitled “The Homeless Industrial Complex Problem.” The…

Read the full story

President Trump Trolls ‘Progressive Democrat Congresswomen’ on Failed Socialist-Inspired Policies, Democrats Cry ‘Racist!’ Again

Admin

by Kyle Hooten   President Donald Trump launched an attack at some Democratic congresswomen Sunday, suggesting they should fix their “corrupt and inept” homelands before legislating in the U.S. Trump’s tweets were likely directed at Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna S. Pressley of Massachusetts. He also alluded to the tension between the freshman freshman representatives and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, suggesting that Pelosi would be happy to cover travel costs if they decide to leave. Pelosi and all four congresswomen involved responded to the president via twitter. “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 … 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,” wrote Trump. “Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it’s done.” So interesting to see “Progressive” Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete…

Read the full story

Ohio Bill Allowing Students to Transfer Credits Unanimously Passes in the State House

Admin

by Todd DeFeo   A bill aimed at allowing students to transfer general education course credits from one public university in Ohio to another could bring with it potentially higher costs for schools, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill. The state House unanimously passed House Bill 9, which lawmakers hope allows more students to graduate in four years and reduces student debt. The bipartisan legislation would require institutions to notify students if they are eligible for an associates’ degree. It would also allow students to pay in advance for required classes, but that are either at capacity or unavailable – allowing the student to take the course at a later date. “HB 9 is going to be a great asset in our continual drive to restore Ohio’s promise as an opportunity state for students and employers alike,” state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, said in a statement. “We owe it to Ohio’s future – our students – to keep our promise to make college more affordable so that every student who works hard has the opportunity to get ahead by graduating on time and without a mountain of student debt,” Sweeney added. “HB 9 makes it easier for every…

Read the full story

‘Mayor Pete’ Buttigieg is Coming to Nashville Wednesday to Raise Campaign Cash

Jason M. Reynolds

  Pete Buttigieg is the latest 2020 Democratic presidential candidate to plan a Nashville visit. Buttigieg will make a campaign stop in Music City on Wednesday, his campaign website says. The location so far has been hush-hush but will be announced this week. The doors, at whatever the location is, will open at 6 p.m. During a campaign visit in Nashville last week, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke said that Nashville and Texas and other “places that formed the Confederacy” are bigoted and America was formed on white supremacy, The Tennessee Star reported. Former Vice President Joe Biden, a latecomer to the 2020 Democratic presidential race, visited Nashville on May 20 for his “American Promise” tour, The Star said. Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) visited Nashville’s Fisk University in April and inserted herself into the failed $9 billion Nashville transit referendum of 2018 when she said voters rejected the referendum because they wanted to use federal funds. If one wants to hear Buttigieg’s pitch directly, he or she will have to cough up some cash for the privilege. Tickets are available in various denominations from $25 to $1,000, and are available from the event page referenced above. In addition…

Read the full story

Lewisburg Officials Reportedly Might Lay Off Employees After $100,000 Overdraft

Chris Butler

  Members of the Lewisburg City Council reportedly adopted a policy this week that may lead to the city laying off employees seven months after the city’s bank account was overdrawn by $100,000. This, according to the Lewisburg-based Marshall County Tribune this week. But, as the paper quoted Councilman Jerry Gordon as saying, no one has made any decisions as they pertain to layoffs. Department heads believed the city would cut employees from the police, fire, and parks departments, The Marshall County Tribune reported. “In December, the city’s bank account was $100,000 overdrawn, forcing the city to borrow money on future tax revenues in order to make payroll. Ultimately, the city drew $700,000 in tax anticipation notes to keep operating, which have been repaid. The council has already authorized up to $1 million in notes to be issued this fiscal year. By their own resolution, the city should maintain a minimum of 30 percent of the operating budget in the fund balance at the start of a fiscal year,” the paper reported. “That equates to roughly $3.5 million, based on the operating budget. On July 1 this year the city had approximately $300,000 on hand. While sales tax revenues come in…

Read the full story

Analysis: Four Reasons the Left Is So Invested in the Census Debate

Admin

by Fred Lucas   President Donald Trump is signing an executive order directing every agency to assist in getting a reliable count of citizens and noncitizens in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, and others agencies that have population data will be required to share with the Commerce Department to get an accurate count—after a setback by the Supreme Court last month. Liberal activist groups have been vigorously opposing the Trump administration’s push to ask a citizenship question on the census. “It will not stop us from collecting the needed information and I think in greater detail and more accurately,” Trump said in the Rose Garden beneath cloudy skies, flanked by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Attorney General William Barr. Today I will be issuing an executive order to put this very plan into effect immediately. I am hereby ordering every department and agency in the federal government to provide the Department of Commerce with all requested records regarding the number of citizens and noncitizens in our country. We will use these vast government databases to gain a full, complete and accurate count of the noncitizen population. Democrat-allied liberal groups accused Trump of promoting…

Read the full story

‘Anti-Fascist’ Man Killed After Attempting to Burn Down ICE Detention Center

Zachery Schmidt

  A man described as an “anarchist” and “anti-fascist” was killed Saturday morning at a Washington State ICE detention center when he showed up armed with a rifle and incendiary devices. Willem Van Spronsen, 68, lit a car on fire and tried to ignite a propane tank in order to burn the building down. Last year, police arrested Spronsen when he protested at the exact same center. During that encounter with the police, he put his hands around a law enforcement officer’s throat while trying to free another protester. Deb Bartley, a friend of Spronsen, spoke to The Seattle Times and described him as an “anarchist” and “anti-fascist.” She thought he was trying to invoke “fatal conflict.” “He was ready to end it,” Bartley told the Times. “I think this was a suicide. But then he was able to kind of do it in a way that spoke to his political beliefs … I know he went down there knowing he was going to die.” Police first responded to the scene at 4:00 a.m. after an ICE employee saw a man outside armed with a rifle, according to the Tacoma Police Department. The Tacoma Police Department said the four officers who…

Read the full story

The Border Wall Fight Just Got to the Supreme Court

Admin

by Kevin Daley   The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court for clearance to begin constructing 100 miles of fencing through drug-smuggling corridors along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Friday request comes after U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam forbade the administration from using $2.5 billion in military funds for border wall construction. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied the administration’s request to stay that ruling while litigation continued on July 3. “The practical significance of the decision below for the government’s drug-interdiction efforts would weigh strongly in favor of further review,” the government’s stay application to the high court reads. “The decision prevents the Department of Defense from taking steps to support the Department of Homeland Security that the acting secretary of defense determined to be ‘necessary in the national interest’ to stanch the flow of illegal drugs across the southern border,” it adds. The trial court’s injunctions stalled border barrier construction projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The projects are high priorities for DHS given the volume of drug trafficking in those areas, according to government lawyers. President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on Feb. 15. Following the declaration, the Pentagon reprogrammed the…

Read the full story

US Lawmakers Delay Mueller Testimony by One Week

Admin

by Reuters   Former special counsel Robert Mueller will testify before two U.S. House of Representatives committees on July 24, one week later than originally scheduled, the chairmen of the panels said in a statement on Friday. Mueller, who investigated Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, has agreed to appear for “an extended period of time,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said. Mueller had been scheduled to appear for two-hour public hearings before each panel. The earlier uncertainty presented a distraction for Democrats, who have billed Mueller’s testimony as a potential watershed moment that could focus attention on segments of his 448-page report that raise troubling questions about President Donald Trump’s efforts to impede the federal investigation. The Judiciary Committee also sought to interview former Mueller aides Aaron Zebley and James Quarles behind closed doors. But Rep. Steve Cohen told reporters they would not appear after the Justice Department directed them not to. Judiciary Committee members balked at the unofficial, earlier arrangement for Mueller, because many of the panel’s less senior lawmakers would not get time to ask questions. “Everyone on the committee wants an opportunity to examine Mr. Mueller,”…

Read the full story

‘Rogue’ Oklahoma Judge Upholds Law Banning Abortion Method

Admin

by Mary Margaret Olohan   An Oklahoma judge upheld a law Friday banning a common abortion method for second-trimester abortions. Oklahoma County District Judge Cindy Truong upheld a 2015 Oklahoma law banning the dilation and evacuation method, CBS News reported. The law will go into effect as soon as courts issue a final order. The Center for Reproductive Rights challenged the law, according to the outlet. The dilation and evacuation method is considered the “standard of care,” according to Center for Reproductive Rights Litigation Director Julie Rikelman. Rikelman said the organization plans to immediately appeal the ruling to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. “There really is no other standard method of care for women at that point in their pregnancy,” Rikelman told CBS News Friday. “It really puts doctors and women in an impossible situation.” The dilation and evacuation procedure is used for second-trimester abortions when women are between 13 and 24 weeks pregnant. Dilation and evacuation involve pulling apart the limbs of an unborn baby in order to allow the limbs to be extracted from the womb. Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter, a Republican, weighed in on the matter Friday. “It is unconscionable to think that we would allow this…

Read the full story

Movies to Watch This Weekend

Zachery Schmidt

  Stuber: If you are in search of a hard-hitting action comedy movie this weekend, Stuber might be the movie for you. Stuber is about an Uber driver Stu (Kumail Nanjian) who happens to pick up a detective Vic (Dave Bautista) while he is trying to catch a killer. The movie chronicles this unlikely pairing as they try to capture the fugitive. This movie opened up Friday and has received mixed reviews from movie critics. Rotten Tomatoes rated the movie at 46 percent. However, fans have rated the move at 82 percent. Crawl: Crawl details the story of the journey of a young girl named Haley (Kaya Scodelario) who is at home when a Category 5 hurricane hits her Florida home. Instead of listening to evacuation orders, she decides to look for her missing father Dave (Barry Pepper). As Haley locates her father, who is hurt, they both are trapped by the floodwaters. On top of dealing with the rising stormwater, the father-daughter duo has to fend off a group of alligators. Can they survive? Find out this weekend in your local theaters. This movie came out Friday and has received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes movie critics gave the horror…

Read the full story

Trump to Discuss Immigration with Guatemalan President at White House on Monday

Admin

by Reuters   WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales at the White House on Monday for talks on immigration and security, the White House said on Friday. Government sources from both countries have said Morales may sign an agreement with Trump on Monday declaring the Central American country a safe destination for asylum seekers, while five former Guatemalan officials have gone to court to block such a deal. Trump said last month the United States and Guatemala were close to reaching a “safe third country agreement” as part of his efforts to curb U.S.-bound migration from Central America. Under such an agreement, Guatemala would be obliged to process asylum claims from migrants who entered its territory en route to the United States. Migrants from Honduras and El Salvador heading to the U.S.-Mexican border overland usually cross into Mexico via Guatemala. The White House said in a statement Trump and Morales “will discuss ways to create a more robust relationship focused on addressing migration and security priorities.” “The two leaders will also discuss how Guatemala can build a stronger relationship with its Central American partners to expand economic growth, create jobs, and promote opportunities…

Read the full story

Commentary: Why States and Cities Should Stop Handing Out Billions in Economic Incentives to Companies

Admin

by Nathan Jenson   U.S. states and cities hand out tens of billions in taxpayer dollars every year to companies as economic incentives. These businesses are supposed to use the money, typically distributed through economic development programs, to open new facilities, create jobs and generate tax revenue. But all too often that’s not what happens, as I’ve learned after doing research on the use of tax incentives to spur economic development in cities and states across the country, particularly in Texas. Recent scandals involving economic development programs in New Jersey, Baltimore and elsewhere illustrate just what’s wrong with these programs – and why I believe it’s time to end this waste of taxpayer dollars once and for all. Economic development 101 Many states, counties and cities have economic development agencies tasked with facilitating investment in their communities. These agencies undertake a variety of valuable activities, from gathering data to training small businesses owners. Yet one of their most high-profile activities is the use of tax and other incentives to entice companies to invest in their communities, generating local jobs and expanding the tax base. Estimates of how much is spent on such incentives range from US$45 billion to $80 billion…

Read the full story

Rashida Tlaib Says No Person Is ‘Illegal’

Admin

by Jason Hopkins   Michigan Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib claimed that no person in the United States in “illegal,” while testifying before a House committee hearing. “First, no one is illegal. That term is derogatory now because it dehumanizes people. You can say any other forms of maybe ‘coming in without any regulations’ or so forth, but the use of ‘illegal’ is disrespectful and I ask my colleagues to try in so many way to not dehumanize our immigrant neighbors who are trying to come in for safe haven,” Tlaib said Friday during a House Oversight committee hearing. The congresswoman, herself the daughter of Palestinian immigrants, spoke about the southern border crisis and the alleged mistreatment of illegal aliens being held in detention facilities, and claimed that a “dangerous ideology” was governing the country. In an effort to paint a grim picture of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Michigan Democrat spent a significant amount of her time describing the different people she met in their custody, recounting moments she met a young child, a father, a pregnant mother and others who were detained after illegally crossing the border. “The dehumanization is not only with those families, but also with…

Read the full story

Trump Says Ilhan Omar ‘Shouldn’t Even Be in Office’

Anthony Gockowski

  President Donald Trump weighed in on the ongoing feud between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) and the so-called “squad,” a far-left faction of the Democratic Party that includes among its members Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05). The Minnesota Sun published an in-depth synopsis Friday of the growing schism among House Democrats. Pelosi has been dismissive of Omar and her allies, while they in turn have responded by suggesting that Pelosi’s being insulting or even racist. Trump weighed in on the Democratic infighting while speaking with reporters Thursday before departing the White House. He mostly discussed Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), the apparent ringleader of the squad, but called out Omar by name. “I think Cortez is being disrespectful to somebody that’s been there a long time. I deal with Nancy Pelosi a lot and we go back and forth, and it’s fine, but I think that a group of people is being very disrespectful to her. You know what? I don’t think Nancy can let that go on,” Trump said. Trump: Pelosi ‘Not a Racist’ https://t.co/Lw5oAMEdBB pic.twitter.com/JtdveohgwE — Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) July 12, 2019 “I’m looking at this Omar from Minnesota and if one half of the things that they’re…

Read the full story

CEO Resigns, 23 Fired Amid Ohio Doctor’s Alleged Fentanyl Murders

Anthony Gockowski

  Mount Carmel Health System CEO Ed Lamb announced Thursday that he’s terminated the employment of 23 individuals and will resign at the end of the month after a former doctor was charged with 25 counts of murder. “This was a difficult decision, but one that is in the best interest of our organization, our colleagues and the people we serve,” Lamb said in a press release. He also revealed that the employment of “23 colleagues, including 5 physician, nursing and pharmacy management team members” was terminated effective immediately. As The Ohio Star previously reported, Dr. William Husel was charged June 6 with 25 counts of murder for ordering “excessive and potentially fatal doses” of fentanyl for former patients. It’s reportedly one of the largest murder cases ever brought against a medical provider in America, and the largest Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien has seen in his 45-year career in the area. O’Brien said that each count in the indictment alleges that Husel “purposely caused the death” of all 25 patients. The indictment goes on to accuse Husel of ordering fentanyl doses ranging from 500 to 2000 micrograms and administering them to patients, which “shortened their life and hastened or…

Read the full story