Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton was unable to state how many residents are currently hospitalized with the coronavirus during a Monday press briefing.
Read the full storyMonth: April 2020
An American Instinct for Civil Society Powers an Ohio Assisted Living Facility
Amy Lynn Twyman Smith is the executive director of an assisted living network in Newark, Ohio. Her father died when she was 10 years old. Growing up, she was close with her father’s mother, who eventually developed Alzheimer’s disease. Amy saw first-hand just how important quality care was for her grandmother and her family. Her connection with her grandmother cultivated a passion in Amy that led her to work in assisted living for the entirety of her career.
“It can be hard on families,” she expressed. “I want our care to be the most wonderful experience anyone could have. And especially for our residents, I want every day to be wonderful, as if it was their last.”
Read the full storyWhitmer Receives Backlash From Amash, Others Over New Order
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has received backlash from politicians and citizens alike after she extended and added to the “Stay Home, Stay Safe order” that requires Michigan residents to stay at home.
Whitmer extended the order to the end of April. In addition to banning “nonessential” businesses and asking residents to stay at home, the new order also places restrictions on stores, blocks the sale of certain items and prohibits travel between two residences in the state.
The order restricts stores that are more than 50,000 square feet from selling items related to carpet or flooring, furniture and paint, as well as garden centers. It also bans travels between two Michigan residences except for activities that are considered essential, such as caring for a family member or to fulfill custody agreements.
Read the full storyDeWine: No Flip of the Switch Will Restore Ohio to Pre-COVID Conditions
Returning Ohio to normal following the COVID-19 outbreak will take some time, Gov. Mike DeWine said, even as it appears Ohio’s economy hasn’t yet seen the full impact of the pandemic.
It’s “not going to happen overnight. That’s not going to happen … like flipping a switch, and everything’s going to be back to normal,” DeWine said. “I wish I could do that. I wish the reality of life was that,” he said.
Read the full storyRepublican Lawmakers Grow Restless, Call for DeWine to Reopen Ohio
Some Ohio Republican lawmakers are calling for Gov. Mike DeWine to reopen the state.
The governor said Friday he would create a plan to gradually reopen the state, The Plain-Dealer said.
House Speaker Larry Householder convened a task force that will study how to reopen the economy. State Rep. Paul Zeltwanger (R-OH-54) said Ohio needs to plan for controlling the disease for when segments of the economy reopen. He pointed out that some question whether 253 deaths as of Sunday justify the closures.
Read the full storyMinnesota Republicans Introduce Bill to End Peacetime Emergency, Return Power to Legislature
Minnesota House Republicans introduced a resolution Monday that would end Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency declaration and restore power in responding to the pandemic to the State Legislature.
The resolution was introduced shortly after Walz announced that he has extended the state’s peacetime emergency for 30 days, which allows the governor to act unilaterally in adopting “necessary orders and rules.”
Read the full storyAl Gore Thinks Barack Obama Could Assist with the Coronavirus
Tennessee native Al Gore said late last week that as President, Joe Biden, could appoint former President Barack Obama as a “Coronavirus Czar.”
Gore said this from an undisclosed location in Nashville when he appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher.
Maher began the interview by noting that Bernie Sanders dropped out as a Democratic presidential candidate. Biden, Maher said, is the likely nominee.
“What would you think about Biden naming Obama the coronavirus czar right now? He did really good with the Ebola virus,” Maher asked Gore.
“Do you think that would excite people to get to the polls, knowing that Obama was going to be in charge of handling this disease, as opposed to the way it’s being handled at the top right now?”
Read the full storyGovernor Bill Lee Extends Stay-at-Home Order, Announces Plans to Reopen Tennessee’s Economy Soon
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Monday he will extend the state’s stay-at-home order through April 30, but he also said government and private-sector officials are working to reopen the state’s economy in May.
Lee said this at a televised press conference, adding “we are not out of the woods yet, and it could be some time [before we are].”
“Until a vaccine or a therapy is widely available to Tennesseans, this virus will be a present reality to us to manage and consider whenever we are making decisions,” Lee said.
Read the full storyTennessee Dem Chair Criticizes Gov. Lee for Questioning Big Government Response to COVID-19
While Kentucky’s governor threatened to take down the license plate numbers of residents who dared to go to church on Easter, Gov. Bill Lee said he was contemplating how involved the government should be during a pandemic.
Read the full storyCommentary: Big Tech’s Toadying to Chinese Communists Demands Action
As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, China has become infamous for its role in allowing the virus to spread. From misleading the World Health Organization about the virus’s contagious elements, restricting the access of global investigators to infected sites, and lying about their infection numbers, China single-handedly stole months of preparation from other countries that have been savaged by the disease.
China has also hoarded masks and personal protective equipment from desperate countries and threatened to withhold critical medicines relied upon by millions of Americans.
Read the full storyDemocrats Across the Country Are Fighting to Give Coronavirus Aid to Illegal Aliens
by Jason Hopkins Democratic lawmakers in Congress are calling on the federal government to make illegal aliens eligible for federal relief amid the coronavirus pandemic, while local and state Democratic leaders have already made their coffers available for those living unlawfully in the country. President Donald Trump signed the CARES Act on March 27, making $2.2 trillion in stimulus funds available for families and U.S. businesses hurting under the coronavirus-induced lockdown. The relief package not only provides up to $10 million in forgivable loans for each small business, but also $1,200 to single Americans who make $75,000 or less a year. While the stimulus package was by a wide margin in both chambers of Congress and was considered essential in the fight against COVID-19, not everyone was completely satisfied with the bill. “I was appalled to learn hardworking, taxpaying immigrants were left out of the $2 trillion CARES Act,” California Rep. Lou Correa said in a statement released on April 3. Correa, along with 49 other House Democrats, supports the Leave No Taxpayer Behind Act which, if passed into law, would allow illegal aliens to tap into the funds provided by the CARES Act. “By casting out immigrants, we are placing some of…
Read the full storyOle Miss Students Required to Complete ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ Training
The University of Mississippi has introduced a new diversity and inclusion course requirement for students.
The main catalyst for Ole Miss implementing this course was an incident in which several students were photographed holding guns near a memorial for Emmett Till, resulting in an FBI investigation.
The online course, which is 45 minutes long, was due on April 1. The Daily Mississippian reports that it followed the same structure and method as alcohol and sexual assault online courses used at Ole Miss and schools across the country.
Read the full storyMajority of Americans Agree with Trump Calling COVID-19 ‘Chinese Virus’: Polls
A majority of American adults agree with using the term “Chinese virus” to describe coronavirus, despite media members pillorying President Donald Trump for using that term, three polls showed.
Read the full storyCommentary: What Single-Party Rule by the Democratic Party Will Do to America
Recent and ongoing events, historic by any standard, have emphatically refuted anyone who thought a black swan event could not possibly disrupt America’s 2020 election. Recent events might also suffice to remind us that yet another Black Swan event could transpire before the November election, creating additional political disruption.
Regardless of how America’s public health and economic fortunes withstand this current ordeal, most establishment media along with the social media monopolies are firmly in the camp of the Democrats. They will present everything that happens between now and November in a manner to favor Democratic candidates and harm Republicans.
Read the full storyVast Majority of Tennesseans who Test for COVID-19 Come Back Negative
As of Sunday night, more than 43,000 Tennessee residents tested negative for COVID-19, according to the Tennessee Department of Health’s website.
These numbers run in stark contrast to media accounts that focus only on how many people tested positive for the coronavirus.
Lab work for more than 7,500 people in Davidson County who got tested came back negative. More than 1,200 people tested negative in Hamilton County, while nearly 2,200 Knox County residents tested negative. Meanwhile, nearly 6,000 people tested negative for the coronavirus in Shelby County, according to the TDH’s website.
Read the full storyCBP Chief: Imagine the Coronavirus Pandemic If the Border Crisis Was Never Addressed
The head of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) credited President Donald Trump for addressing 2019’s border crisis, an action he said has helped mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among the agency and the United States.
Read the full storyPlanned Parenthood, Abortion Providers Take Texas Coronavirus Abortion Ban to Supreme Court
Planned Parenthood and Texas abortion providers announced plans Saturday to the state’s coronavirus abortion ban to the Supreme Court.
Read the full storyMinnesota Democrats Push for Ballot Harvesting, Drop Boxes in COVID-19 Response
Minnesota Democrats are pushing for several sweeping election changes to adapt to the coronavirus pandemic, including universal mail-in ballots and even ballot drop-boxes.
Read the full storyMichiganders Growing Weary of Gov. Whitmer’s Mounting COVID-19 Restrictions
As Michigan adopts a new phase of government-imposed restrictions on businesses and personal behavior to stem the spread of COVID-19, residents and politicians are registering increased opposition.
Negative reactions stem from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive orders, which declared many businesses “nonessential” and threatened $1,000 fines for people violating the six-foot social distancing rules.
Those edicts took effect on March 24, and were set to expire on April 13. On Thursday, however, the governor extended her executive orders to April 30 – and added tighter restrictions on personal travel and businesses previously declared essential.
Read the full storyMichigan Football Coach Jim Harbaugh: Nothing ‘More Horrendous’ Than Abortion
Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh says there “can’t be anything more horrendous” than abortion.
Read the full storyLegal Groups Sue ICE to Force Release of Illegal Immigrants in Ohio
A group of legal organizations has sued U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) seeking the release of illegal immigrants detained in Ohio.
The ACLU National Prison Project, the ACLU of Ohio, and the lam firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP announced Friday that they have filed a lawsuit against ICE “on behalf of immigrants detained in crowded facilities in Geauga and Seneca Counties.”
The lawsuit seeks the release of illegal immigrants who are in civil detention and at high risk of serious illness or death in the event that they contract COVID-19.
Read the full storyTaxpayer-Funded Minnesota Public Radio Skips White House Coronavirus Press Briefings, Airs ‘All Things Considered’ Instead
It appears as if MPR (Minnesota Public Radio) has moved to stop airing the president’s daily coronavirus briefings at the White House. This is certainly the case when it comes to the publicly-funded network’s radio station, which chose to air the program “All Things Considered” instead.
And while it isn’t clear or not whether the MPR website has consistently had the White House press-conferences available on live-stream, the existence of a live stream (if at all) is usually buried toward the bottom of the page.
Read the full storyOhio Near Bottom in Coronavirus Tests Per Capita Among All 50 States
Ohio is 44th out of 50 states in terms of the number of tests performed per capita for the Chinese coronavirus, data show.
Worldometers tracks COVID-19 test results and related data. The information, which was updated Sunday afternoon, is available here.
Looking at tests performed by 1 million, or per capita, is a method to adjust for population differences.
Based on that strategy, Ohio is 44th out of 50 states and Washington, D.C., with 5,432 tests done for every person out of 1 million people.
The national figure is 8,371 tests per million.
Read the full storyCOVID-19 Causes the Most Pain for Tennessee’s Hospitality Workers
East Tennessee and Northern Middle Tennessee have two things in common at the moment.
Residents in both regions of Tennessee have filed more unemployment claims than anywhere else in the state because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Also, both areas have a large hospitality industry.
And if tourists may not travel to those areas then, of course, Tennessee’s hospitality industry cannot thrive.
Read the full storyCommentary: History of Easter
On April 12, Christians will be celebrating Easter, the day on which the resurrection of Jesus is said to have taken place. The date of celebration changes from year to year.
Read the full storyGovernor Plans to Reopen Texas Businesses Next Week with Restrictions
Texas governor Greg Abbott said he plans to issue an executive order next week to reopen businesses in Texas, although he didn’t offer specific details.
Read the full storyCommentary: Pandemic Waste in Higher Education
Life has been very strange for millions of American college students this past month. Many packed their bags and moved back home to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Universities scrambled to provide virtual classes to their students to help them comply with recommendations for social distancing. Our bustling campuses quickly turned into ghost towns, and university administrators redirected their full attention towards student instruction.
Read the full storyThree Nonprofits Battle Coronavirus With Medical Care, Crisis Supplies, and Hope
Charitable groups have stepped in to serve the hungry, poor, and dying for centuries, and today is no different.
Read the full storyMystery Footnotes from FISA Report Set for Declassification
U.S. intelligence officials are close to declassifying four footnotes from the Justice Department inspector general’s report on the Trump-Russia probe, with a Justice Department official telling the Daily Caller News Foundation that the release of the documents is “imminent.”
Read the full storyResidents in Seven Tennessee Counties Still Have No Confirmed COVID-19 Cases
Residents in seven of Tennessee’s 95 counties have apparently managed to steer clear of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, at least as of Saturday.
Read the full storyJPMorgan Foresees an Apocalyptic Second Quarter, with Unemployment Hitting 20 Percent
JPMorgan economists expect the second quarter to be a bad one, with 25 million jobs lost and a sizable chunk taken out of the country’s gross domestic product as the coronavirus pandemic hits its stride.
Read the full storyAs Death Toll Climbs, Federal Health Officials See ‘Encouraging Signs’ of Slowing Number of Cases
Acknowledging the mounting death toll, President Donald Trump and members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force said Friday that improvements in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Michigan and other coronavirus hot spots indicate that the nation’s response to the pandemic is working to slow COVID-19’s spread.
Read the full storyDemocrat Governor of Kentucky Orders Police to Take Down Tag Numbers of Church-Goers, Other Easter Gatherings So Government Can Impose Two Week Quarantines on Citizens
Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear told police to take down tag numbers of people attending churches and other gatherings on Easter so the government could go to their homes and impose a 14-day quarantine over COVID-19 concerns.
Read the full storyWalz Order Allows State to Share Addresses of COVID-19 Patients with Law Enforcement
Gov. Tim Walz signed an executive order Friday afternoon that grants the Department of Health permission to share the addresses of COVID-19 patients with law enforcement agencies.
Read the full storyState Sen. Huffman Calls for DeWine to Reopen Businesses in West Central Ohio
State Sen. Matt Huffman (R-OH-12) is calling for the reopening of business activity in West Central Ohio, telling Gov. Mike DeWine that it makes sense from “population density.”
Read the full storyEllison’s Office Sues Landlords Who Pressured Tenants to Vacate During Pandemic
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has sued multiple landlords who have attempted to evict tenants during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.
Read the full storyMichigan’s Reserves of Unemployment Funds May Run Out in 15 Weeks
Michigan has 15 weeks before the state’s unemployment reserves are depleted.
Read the full storyTen Nursing Homes in Tennessee Have Cases of COVID-19
The Tennessee Department of Health is now releasing the names and locations of nursing homes with positive cases of COVID-19.
Read the full storyWATCH NOW – Steve Bannon Presents Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP
You can watch a LIVE STREAM of Steve Bannon Presents Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP here beginning at 9 a.m Central Time on Saturday. The Tennessee Star is the only Tennessee media outlet presenting this special two hour program. You can watch the recorded second hour here now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il6VYNoxXOk&feature=youtu.be You can also watch the recorded first hour of the program on YouTube here. According to the press release announcing the special one time live program: Former White House Chief Strategist and War Room: Pandemic host Stephen K. Bannon is hosting a two-hour long special program entitled “Descent into Hell: Life of the Chinese under the CCP” this Saturday, April 11, from 10:00 am – 12:00 noon ET. The groundbreaking special will air live on the John Fredericks Radio Network, America’s Voice Network, Dish TV Channel 219, The Epoch Times, NTD, GTV and GNews in Mandarin. “During Passover season and while we commemorate Holy Saturday, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is suppressing, silencing, and torturing the decent, hard-working people of China. Now, the coronavirus pandemic, for which the CCP is fully responsible, has exposed the party’s evils to the entire world,” said Mr.…
Read the full storyTennessee is Close to Containing COVID-19 But Needs to See Continued Drop in Cases as Well as Better Testing and Tracing, Vanderbilt Modelers Say
A model by Vanderbilt University Medical Center says social distancing has brought Tennessee close to — but not close enough to — the point at which COVID-19 is being contained.
Read the full storyCommentary: President Trump Did the Right Thing By Choosing Life at Every Turn Against the Coronavirus
At some point early in the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump had a choice to make. While Congress was hopelessly distracted with impeachment mania, the first case had arrived in the U.S. on Jan. 15 in Washington state from Wuhan, China, and would not be identified until Jan. 20. That was just three days after the second death had been reported from Wuhan on Jan. 17.
Read the full storyCrom Carmichael: Democrats Want to Blame the Coronavirus’s Death Toll and Economic Problems Caused by the Virus on Trump
Friday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast live from Music Row on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – Leahy was joined on the newsmakers line by the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael.
Read the full storyFaith on Facebook Is Here to Help People Who Can’t Go to Church Amid COVID-19
Faith communities all over the world are leveraging technology to stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic. What would have been impossible a decade ago has been made easy today through smartphones and social media platforms.
Read the full storyCoronavirus ICU Patients in Tennessee with COVID-19 Decline from 110 on Tuesday to 79 on Wednesday
Medical personnel in Tennessee had 110 confirmed COVID-19 cases in their respective intensive care units on Tuesday of this week, but by Wednesday those numbers dropped to 79.
Read the full storyHouse Democrats Block $250 Billion Small Business Relief Package, Pelosi Says ‘No Data’ Supports This Idea
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) said Thursday the House of Representatives blocked the Senate’s $250 billion small business relief proposal based on the fact that no data existed to support this idea.
Read the full storySteve Cohen Pushes for Mail-in Voting and Warns About Russians During COVID-19 Town Hall
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) held a Coronavirus Town Hall by phone this week where he touted mail-in voting and warned that Russians are in America putting out misinformation about COVID-19.
Read the full storyMusic Spotlight: James Robert Webb
Nashville, Tennessee- You may have heard of the story Longwood Symphony Orchestra which is a symphony comprised exclusively of Boston physicians and health-care professionals. The link between music and medicine is well-documented. So when 117 Entertainment Group asked me to interview a traditional country crooner from Tulsa named James Robert Webb who happened also to be a renowned radiologist, I was eager to hear his story.
Read the full storyVietnam Expedites Shipment of Medical Suits to US
Vietnam has shipped nearly half a million protective suits to the United States, marking a quick turnaround in bilateral talks to deal with the significant U.S. shortage in medical equipment, and resulting in a tweet of thanks from the U.S. president.
Read the full storyJohn DeBerry to Democratic Party: ‘No One Party Has Exclusive Control of Over the Mindset, Ideology, Philosophy, and Theology of Any One Group’
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. Tennessee state Representative John DeBerry (D-Memphis) joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on the newsmakers line.
Read the full storyCommentary: Three Characteristics of Today’s Supply Chain Have Caused Local Stores to Run Out of Essential Items
Retailers are frequently running out of everything from flour and fresh meat to toilet paper and pharmaceuticals as supply chains hammered by the coronavirus struggle to keep up with stockpiling consumers.
Read the full story