Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said her husband is now recovering from home after testing positive for the coronavirus.
Read the full storyKlobuchar Says Husband Is Recovering from Coronavirus, Slams Trump for Response
Month: March 2020
Michigan Could See Nearly $3.9 Billion in Federal Stimulus Money for Coronavirus Impact
As the 10th most populated state in the country, Michigan may be a major beneficiary of the federal stimulus package currently winding through the U.S. Capitol.
Read the full storyMore People Died of Suicide Than Coronavirus in Tennessee Last Week
More Tennesseans died from suicide than the coronavirus last week, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs revealed in a weekly update.
Read the full storyMarsha Blackburn Resolution Would Hold China Accountable for COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee has called on the Chinese government to take responsibility what she calls “its abject failure to be forthright about the severity of its COVID-19 crisis at its inception.” “Chinese officials destroyed early COVID-19 test kits, suppressed information and refused international assistance,” Blackburn said in a press release. “The Communist Party is so petrified of the truth that they kicked out journalists and fabricated a story of where the virus originated. It’s time the Communist Party admits to the serious missteps that heightened the severity and spread of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” The resolution calls on the Chinese government to do the following: • Publicly state there is no evidence that COVID-19 originated anywhere else but China • Denounce the baseless conspiracy that the U.S. Army placed COVID-19 in Wuhan • Revoke its expulsion of American journalists • End its detainment of Uyghur Muslims and other persecuted ethnic minorities • End all forced labor programs. The resolution also condemns the following: • The Chinese Government censorship of doctors and journalists during the early days of the outbreak and its treatment of the deceased Dr. Li Wenliang • The Chinese Government’s refusal to allow…
Read the full storyCommentary: A Buy American Executive Order Can End China’s Control of Our Medicines
With all we are facing today, with all the fear and outright transformation of our entire society, it might seem odd that a group of medical organizations would sign a letter opposing American independence in the production of medicines and medical equipment. You would think that in the crisis these groups would want to see America move toward a strong, independent position. But you would be wrong.
Read the full storyTennessee Vehicle Emissions Testing Suspended Until May 18
Your pending vehicle emissions test can wait.
Read the full storyDr. Anthony Fauci Says Coronavirus Is Likely Seasonal
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday provided the strongest endorsement so far of the theory that coronavirus is likely to follow a seasonal pattern.
Read the full storyCommentary: Six Things You Can Do to Cope with Boredom at a Time of Social Distancing
More and more of us are staying home in an attempt to slow down the spreading coronavirus. But being stuck at home can lead to boredom.
Read the full storyScott DesJarlais Says CARES Act Will Make Country Stronger Than Ever
U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) announced Friday that he voted for the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Read the full storyAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wants Coronavirus Cash Relief to go to Illegal Aliens
Socialist congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) made clear her dissatisfaction with the coronavirus stimulus package passed by the Senate this week, saying that the cash relief should also be sent to illegal aliens, according to Breitbart.
Read the full storyMark Green Votes for Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced Friday that he voted in favor of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Read the full storyCrom Carmichael: ‘We are Still in the Middle of the Storm and a lot of Things Are Going to Change’
Live from Nashville, Tennessee Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.– host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Crom Carmichael to the newsmakers line.
Read the full storyBritish Prime Minister Has Coronavirus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Downing Street statement. In a video announcement Friday on his Twitter account, Johnson said he has “a temperature and a persistent cough” that he described as “mild symptoms” of the virus.
Read the full storyClint Brewer Discusses the Latest Coronavirus Developments and Bill Gates’ Appearance on CNN
Public affairs strategist and all-star panelist Clint Brewer joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Friday morning on the newsmakers line.
Read the full storyOmar and Bernie Ask Bezos for Answers About Amazon’s Efforts to Slow COVID-19 Spread
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) sent a letter Friday to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos asking for “detailed information” about his plans to protect warehouse workers from the coronavirus.
Read the full storyEconomist Recommends Ohio Use Federal Stimulus to Bolster Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund
Following Ohio’s shocking unemployment rate increase of 2,565 percent, one economist says the COVID-19 coronavirus’ economic impact will be “long lasting” and provides a list of recommendations.
Read the full storyShelter in Place Order Now in Effect in Minnesota: Here’s What You Need to Know
Gov. Tim Walz has issued a statewide shelter-in-place order for Minnesota to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The order took effect Friday at midnight and will remain in effect until 5:00 p.m. on April 10. As opposed to a complete lockdown, a shelter-in-place order still allows for many everyday activities and permits numerous industries to continuing working.
Read the full storyGov. Mike DeWine State of the State Is Postponed Indefinitely
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced Thursday that his annual State of the State (SOS) will be postponed indefinitely due the coronavirus outbreak in the state.
Read the full storyDeWine May Cut State Budgets by Up to 20 Percent, But Public Sector Cannot Match Loss of Private Sector’s 188K Lost Jobs
Even as Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine orders state departments to cut up to 20 percent of their budgets and implement a hiring freeze, state workers are not feeling the coronavirus economic burn like the private sector.
Read the full storyMichigan Pharmacists Can Refill Emergency Prescriptions for 60-Day Supply
Michigan pharmacies are now able to dispense emergency refills of prescriptions, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced on Wednesday.
Read the full storyKroger Hired 23,500 Workers, Wants to Hire 20,000 More
Kroger announced on Friday that it recently hired more than 23,500 workers to meet additional demand during the coronavirus pandemic and that it plans to hire 20,000 more.
Read the full storyTennessee Doctors Ask Gov. Lee to Issue Shelter in Place Order
At least 2,000 health care workers have signed a petition asking Gov. Bill Lee to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
Read the full storyTennessee Unemployment Claims Go Up Dramatically
Tennessee has had an unprecedented spike in new initial unemployment claims according to data the United States Department of Labor released Thursday.
Read the full storyLeft-Wing PBS to Instruct Tennessee Children During Coronavirus Outbreak
The Tennessee Department of Education has secured a partnership with the state’s PBS stations to deliver daily educational content to public school students as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to keep them out of school.
Several organizations, including the Family Research Council, have, in the past, faulted PBS’s educational materials for what they call a left-leaning bias.
TDOE spokeswoman Victoria Robinson on Thursday said she could not describe the PBS content in detail or whether state officials are making sure it has no political biases.
Read the full storyCommentary: Senate Paves Road to Reopening the Economy with Coronavirus Relief Bill, But When Will States Reopen Schools?
By a vote of 96-0, the U.S. Senate has passed a $2.2 trillion legislative package, by far the largest in U.S. history, to keep tens of millions of Americans on payroll and expand unemployment benefits to those who are laid off while the country waits out the deadly Chinese coronavirus that poses additional risk to seniors and those with underlying conditions.
That way, when the virus passes, those businesses, particularly the 30 million small businesses that are struggling most of all right now, but also critical industries, will be able to rapidly reopen and we can get back to our lives.
Read the full storyMark Green: COVID-19 Bill Has Pork and Will Create Debt, But it Will Jumpstart the Economy
U.S. Rep. Mark Green, (R-TN-07) said Thursday there are some unfortunate realities about the pending $2 trillion federal stimulus bill, but he also said the country needs Congress to pass it.
Read the full storyAfter Kicking Out Students to Combat Coronavirus, Harvard Mulls Using Empty Dorms as Homeless Shelters
When Harvard told students to leave its dorms for the rest of the spring term earlier in March, most would have expected that they would be empty until the fall. But if some students have their way, the dorms will soon be filled with a new kind of resident.
Read the full storyChinese Propaganda Has Infected the U.K.’s Daily Mail Coronavirus Coverage
The Daily Mail, the popular British tabloid widely read in the United States, has published dozens of articles in recent months about coronavirus that were based on stories originating from People’s Daily, the communist party’s official newspaper, and other Chinese propaganda mills.
Read the full storyCommentary: America’s Amazing Neighborhood Response to the Coronavirus
The coronavirus has triggered a disruption of ordinary life most of us would’ve considered unimaginable a few weeks ago. Some jobs have vanished as if by a cruel magician’s trick; others have mutated beyond recognition. Parents have become school teachers, while school teachers struggle to find how best to continue practicing their profession from behind computer screens.
Read the full storyTrump Admin Plans to Identify COVID-19 Hotspots So Low-Risk Areas Can Reopen
President Donald Trump said Thursday that his administration is working on a county-level approach to the coronavirus that will enable the government to identify hotspots across the nation.
Doing so will allow social distancing measures to be relaxed or tightened based on the number of confirmed cases in each county, Trump said in a letter sent Thursday to the nation’s governors.
Read the full storyMexican Protesters Block Border Traffic, Tell Americans to ‘Stay At Home’
In a seemingly-paradoxical turn of events, Mexican protesters on Wednesday blocked incoming traffic at the U.S. southern border, demanding their government do more to restrict American travel into their country.
A group of about a dozen protesters, holding signs and wearing face masks, used two vehicles to block southbound traffic coming out of a U.S.-Mexico port of entry near Nogales, Arizona, according to a report from the Arizona Republic. The protesters said their stunt was meant to highlight the dangers posed by incoming U.S. residents who may carry the coronavirus.
Read the full storyTennessee Right To Life Calls on Governor Bill Lee to Halt Elective Abortions in Tennessee
In an email and website campaign Thursday, Tennessee Right To Life called on Governor Bill Lee to halt elective abortions in Tennessee.
Read the full storyCarol Swain Describes the Inspiration Behind Her Recent Op-Ed on Governor Cuomo’s Sudden Appreciation for the Sanctity of Human Life
Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was on the newsmakers line by all-star panelist Dr. Carol Swain.
Read the full storyWhite House Coronavirus Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx Forcefully Rejects Doomsday Scenario
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House task force on coronavirus, took a crack Wednesday at scientific models that have projected doomsday scenarios for the coronavirus pandemic, saying the estimates do not take into account adjustments made to stop the spread of the virus.
“And I think the numbers that have been put out there are actually very frightening to people,” Birx said of some of the models that have projected that between 50% to 60% of the population could become infected.
Read the full storyOhio Health Director Amy Acton Dismisses Trump Admin County-Level Risk Assessment
In the coronavirus press briefing Thursday, Ohio Health Director Amy Acton dismissed the Trump Administration’s plan for a county-level approach to identify hotspots throughout the country, and instead asserted that as many as 8,000 new cases per day would be diagnosed as early as May 1.
Read the full storyCommentary: Coronavirus Exposes Just How Antiquated and Unworkable the Michigan Education System Really Is
The coronavirus has thrown our entire society in disarray, and no less poignant an example exists than our K-12 public schools. The closure of schools across the country has stopped the normal learning process dead in its tracks. In a valiant attempt to continue, many districts have sought to leverage long distance learning. Unfortunately, weaknesses in the law, technological infrastructure, and teacher preparation, as well as inequities among students, are barriers to success. For example, the Michigan Department of Education has announced that under the law, virtual learning will not count for funding purposes as “seat time.”
Read the full storyOhio Gov. DeWine: Investigation Ongoing While Abortion Clinics Clearly Violate Order
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said during Thursday’s COVID-19 press briefing that an investigation is ongoing relative to abortion clinics in violation of the Department of Health order that cancelled all elective surgeries.
Read the full storyOhio Hit Harder with Unemployment Than Other States
Ohio was hit harder with unemployment filings than other states during the immediate aftermath of the coronavirus.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 3.28 million claims were filed in the week that ended March 21. That marked an increase of more than 3 million claims over the week prior, when 282,000 claims were filed, The Ohio Star reported.
Ohio’s claims totaled 187,784, the Cincinnati Enquirer said, up from 7,046 the previous week.
Read the full storyMichigan’s Gov. Whitmer Asks Trump for Major Disaster Declaration
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has submitted a request to President Trump to ask him for a major disaster declaration, which would allow the state to aid its residents in a variety of ways.
If granted in full, the declaration would allow the state to provide meals for families in need, rental assistance and temporary housing, as well as funding for field hospitals and mental health support.
Read the full storyStar Tribune Was Refusing to Run Ad Warning of Economic Consequences of Walz’s Coronavirus Response
The Star Tribune initially refused to run an advertisement in its print edition that was critical of Gov. Tim Walz’s “severe reactions” to the coronavirus pandemic.
Read the full storyMinnesota Had 116,000 New Unemployment Claims Last Week
Minnesota has seen 182,000 workers apply for unemployment insurance since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Steve Grove said Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee Volunteers Step Up to Make Masks to Support Medical Personnel
Tennesseans have stepped up volunteer efforts to make masks to support medical personnel during the period of high demand and needs relating to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read the full storyMichigan Unemployment Claims Reach Record High
The economic fallout caused by the coronavirus pandemic includes massive unemployment caused by government-mandated shutdowns of businesses throughout Michigan.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reported 129,298 Michigan employees filed unemployment claims last week. Government figures indicate that number has increased from nearly 5,338 people filing unemployment claims reported March 14, a difference of more than 123,960.
Read the full story3.3 Million File Unemployment Claims in U.S. – a Record Number
Nearly 3.3 million Americans filed unemployment claims last week, a record number as businesses were forced to shut down to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 3.28 million claims were filed in the week that ended March 21. That marked an increase of more than 3 million claims over the week prior, when 282,000 claims were filed.
The previous high in a single week, according to the department, was in October 1982, when about 695,000 claims were filed. The nearly 3.3 million claims filed last week is nearly five times the prior record.
Read the full storyCoronavirus Forces Tennessee’s Elected Officials to Hold Official Meetings in Cyberspace
The coronavirus outbreak has forced Tennessee’s local elected officials to relocate their regularly scheduled meetings from their official council chambers, where many of them would otherwise have to sit within six feet of each other.
Read the full storyCarol Swain Commentary: How Coronavirus Showed Andrew Cuomo the Sanctity of Human Life
“My mother is not expendable, and your mother is not expendable, and our brothers and sisters are not expendable, and we’re not going to accept a premise that human life is disposable, and we’re not gonna put a dollar figure on human life. The first order of business is save lives, period. Whatever it costs.” Governor Andrew Cuomo (NY-D).
Read the full storyNevada Governor Bars Anti-Malaria Drugs for Outpatient Coronavirus Treatment
The governor of Nevada barred the use of anti-malaria drugs for outpatient treatment after President Donald Trump said the medication could potentially be used as treatment for COVID-19.
Read the full storyLeahy and Brewer Discuss Democratic Groupthink and Its Effects on Every Day Americans
Public affairs strategist and all-star panelist Clint Brewer joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Wednesday morning on the newsmakers line.
Read the full storyThe Tennessee Star Report: Caller and Nashville Dentist Billy Tells Leahy That This is Way Past the ‘Rainy Day Fund’ Situation for Small Businesses in Tennessee
On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy was joined on the line by a caller and Nashville Dentist named Billy.
Read the full storyDelaware Says It Reports Negative Cases to CDC, Will Report to Public
The Delaware Department of Health has confirmed that it is reporting both positive and negative test results of coronavirus testing to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, despite not making that information available to the public.
“Yes, we are reporting both positive and negative results to the CDC,” a spokesperson said in an email to The Michigan Star on Wednesday. “We absolutely understand the interest in knowing the number of negative test results received, as well as the number of positives.”
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