Month: June 2020

Media Focus on Driver Who Hit Agitator During Louisville ‘Protest’ That Led to 17 Arrests

Admin

A small but chaotic protest in Louisville, Kentucky, last Wednesday led to seventeen arrests, five cars towed, and one confiscated gun, but for some reason, the local media initially focused like a laser beam on a panicked woman in a car that struck a “protester.”

Louisville has seen unrest since May 28 over the shooting of 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, a unarmed black woman killed by police during a shootout in her apartment. The incident happened during a no-knock raid for drugs in her apartment on March 13.

Read the full story

Kerry Roberts and Clint Brewer Weigh in on John Bolton’s Gripe with Trump and Question the Loyalty of Previous Administration Picks

Julie Carr

Live from Music Row Tuesday 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 Leahy and state Senator Kerry Roberts welcomed public affairs strategist Clint Brewer to the studio.

During the third hour, Roberts and Brewer gave their take on John Bolton’s new book and discussed his discontent with the way that Trump would “wing” decision making. They both agreed that Trump has had a pattern of hiring and firing but added that he’s been unable to establish any loyalty from many of his key administration.

Read the full story

SCOTUS Abortion Case May Be in The Hands of Chief Justice Roberts

Admin

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts may play a pivotal role in a the first major SCOTUS abortion place to occur during President Donald Trump’s administration.

Both Roberts and Justice Neil Gorsuch joined the court’s four liberal judges in a landmark decision June 15 that federal law protects LGBT employees from discrimination, while Roberts joined the liberal justices in a ruling announced Thursday that the Trump Administration could not terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Read the full story

A Third Shooting Reported in Seattle’s CHAZ as Mayor Moves to End the Police-Free ‘Occupation’

Admin

Seattle Police Tuesday morning reported the third shooting in Seattle’s Capitol Hill “autonomous zone” since Saturday. In all, four people have been shot in CHAZ, including one victim who died.

The shooting was reported just before 5:00 a.m. just outside of Cal Anderson Park on the edge of the zone, also known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP).

Read the full story

‘Absolute Lie’: DFL Chairman Falsely Claims Jason Lewis ‘Denouncing Need for Police Reform’

Anthony Gockowski

Minnesota DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin falsely claimed that Republican Senate candidate Jason Lewis is “denouncing the need for police reform.”

Lewis, a former congressman who’s running against Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), hosted a press conference Monday outside the Minneapolis Police Department’s Third Precinct to express his support for the “good men and women of law enforcement,” and condemn Democratic efforts to abolish the police.

Read the full story

Judge Declines to Pause Order Reopening Gyms, Despite Whitmer Request

Jordyn Pair

A federal judge refused on Monday to pause an order to reopen indoor gyms in Michigan, despite Gov. Gretchen Whiter filing an appeal in a higher court.

U.S. District Court Judge Paul Maloney ruled on Friday that indoor gyms could reopen on June 25. Gyms are not explicitly permitted in the MI Safe Start plan, which denotes when certain industries can reopen in Michigan. Maloney said in his opinion that gyms would be held to the same standard as other workplaces.

Read the full story

Republican Pete Stauber, Former Law Enforcement Officer, Carries Police Reform Bill in the House

Anthony Gockowski

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN-08), a former law enforcement officer of more than 20 years, announced last week that he will carry police reform legislation in the U.S. House.

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced on Wednesday the Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act, a Republican-backed police reform bill that was set in motion after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Read the full story

Gov. DeWine Endorses Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and Dayton Area Being the New Permanent Home for the Space Force

Zachery Schmidt

Gov. Mike DeWine backed the idea of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) and the surrounding Dayton region being the new headquarters for the United States Space Command.

“Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Dayton region would be excellent hosts for the U.S. Space Command’s new headquarters,” he said. “This area is already home to the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, and Air Force Material Command. It’s a powerful combination and a synergy that you can’t find anywhere else.”

Read the full story

Tech Leads the Way as US Stocks Head for a Third Month of Gains

The Associated Press

Stocks closed higher on Wall Street Tuesday, extending the market’s recent winning streak after another strong showing by technology companies.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and is on pace for its third straight monthly gain. The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily weighted with technology stocks, climbed to an all-time high for the second day in a row. Bond yields rose, another sign of increasing confidence in the economy.

Read the full story

Exclusive: Rep. Steve King: ‘Five Sources’ Told Me Leader McCarthy Tried to Get Trump to Rebuke Me

Neil W. McCabe

The nine-term Republican Iowa congressman and kingmaker in his state’s crucial presidential caucuses told the Star Newspaper Group he was done in House GOP Leader Kevin O. McCarthy (R.-Calif.) after years of challenging the compromises made by the House GOP leadership.

“I have five different sources, who have informed me that Kevin McCarthy actively and aggressively was seeking to convince President Donald Trump to endorse my primary opponent Feenstra within at least two-and-a-half weeks out and all the way up to primary day itself,” said Rep. Stephen A. King, who was beaten by state Sen. Randall L. Feenstra in the June 3 primary.

Read the full story

Behind the Scenes Takeaways From President Trump’s Tulsa Rally

Laura Baigert

  TULSA, Oklahoma – At an event as big, complex and scheduled on short notice as President Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa Saturday, there are innumerable behind-the-scenes tidbits that never make it to click-bait headlines or a story. Here are a few such takeaways. Rally Attendees Tulsa rally-goers ranged from CEOs of major corporations to heads of small manufacturers, to a Tulsan currently living under a bridge because he temporarily lost his job due to COVID-19, from home-schooling families to higher education students, from places as far away as Boston, Massachusetts to Portland, Oregon and San Diego, California as well as numerous fly-over states in between, representing every color and age, from those who voted for Trump in 2016 to those who weren’t even registered to vote in 2016. A couple of first-time Trump rally attendees pointed out the President sense of humor, saying he was “hilarious,” in the way he presented stories about “the fake news.” One attendee from Indiana was impressed that the rally began with a prayer, and noted that it is needed to set an example to get the country turning back to God. A freelance photographer who has captured a countless number and variety of…

Read the full story

US Honeybees Are Doing Better After Bad Year, Survey Shows

The Associated Press

American honeybee colonies have bounced back after a bad year, the annual beekeeping survey finds.

Beekeepers only lost 22.2% of their colonies this past winter, from Oct. 1 to March 31, which is lower than the average of 28.6%, according to the Bee Informed Partnership’s annual survey of thousands of beekeepers. It was the second smallest winter loss in the 14 years of surveying done by several different U.S. universities.

Read the full story

ANALYSIS: DOJ Investigators Involved in Antitrust Probe Don’t Appear to be Scrutinizing Claims of Bias in Google’s Search

Admin

by Peter Hasson and Chris White   Department of Justice investigators who are conducting an antitrust probe targeting Google do not appear to be scrutinizing claims that the tech giant manipulates its search function, leaks about the probe and a source familiar with it indicate. Google critics argue that Google Search must be a focus of the investigation, pointing to the company’s sheer dominance in the market: Google consistently accounts for roughly 90% of online information searches, and company employees have expressed a willingness to artificially manipulate search results on the platform. Google did not comment on allegations of search bias, or on the pending antitrust investigation. “We continue to engage with the ongoing investigations led by the Department of Justice and Attorney General Paxton, and we don’t have any updates or comments on speculation,” Google spokeswoman Julie McAlister told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The company’s goal is focusing on the kind of products that serve customers and support businesses, she added. Google’s search feature can potentially skew a major national election toward one candidate over another, according to Robert Epstein, a research psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology. Research he published in 2017 suggests Google’s bias affected the vote in the 2016 election.…

Read the full story

Tennessee Star Senior Reporter Laura Baigert on Trump in Tulsa: I Think He Felt Like He Was Back with His Family

Julie Carr

  Live from Music Row Monday 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 Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star Senior Reporter Laura Baigert to the newsmakers line. During the second hour, Baigert gave a first-hand account of the Trump rally and fellow media attitudes in Tulsa this past Saturday. She described the event as being high energy and described Trump’s enthusiasm as that of someone being reunited with their family. Leahy: We are joined now by our prolific and spectacular senior political reporter who was live on the ground in Tulsa for President Trump’s rally. She filed five stories from Tulsa during the rally. Count them. And the first story, Enthusiasm for President Trump in America Still Strong in Tulsa on Eve of Rally. American Ingenuity on Display at Trump Rally in Tulsa with TrueHero Extreme Coverage Face Shields. Hours Before Trump Rally Crowd Swells to Thousands. President Trump Delivers High Energy Speech to Enthusiastic Supporters in Tulsa. Carol Swain and Herman Cain Say Support For Trump is Growing. We welcome to our microphones, the prolific, productive Laura Baigert. Baigert: Good morning Michael. How are you? I…

Read the full story

No More ‘Summer of Love:’ Seattle Mayor Will Move to Dismantle CHOP/CHAZ Protest Zone

The Associated Press

Faced with growing pressure to crack down on an “occupied” protest zone following two weekend shootings, Seattle’s mayor said Monday that officials will move to wind down the blocks-long span of city streets taken over two weeks ago that President Donald Trump asserted is run by “anarchists.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan said at a news conference that the violence was distracting from changes sought by thousands of peaceful protesters seeking to address racial inequity and police brutality. She said the city is working with the community to bring the “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest” zone to an end.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Destruction of Marriage and Family is the Destruction of Civilization

Admin

Marriage and families are the cornerstone of not only civilization but of nature itself, without which humans would have never survived as wandering nomads and early farmers, let alone building cities, an economy and governments to represent the people in state-to-state relations.

Without families as a basic building block, children are not nurtured, educated and empowered to raise and sustain families themselves, and the human race could not continue, always being but one generation away from extinction.

Read the full story

Carol Swain Describes Tulsa Trump Rally, Predicts How Blacks Will Vote in the 2020 November Election

Julie Carr

Live from Music Row Monday 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 Leahy welcomed Dr. Carol Swain to the newsmakers line.

During the third hour, Swain joined the show to recount the Trump rally this past Saturday in Tulsa. She went on to describe the events leading up to the rally as a VIP guest and predicted Trump would see an increase in the black vote by around 15-20 percent in November’s election.

Read the full story

Eight More Key ‘Russiagate Investigators’ US Attorney John Durham is Likely Investigating

Admin

The multiple investigations of the U.S. government’s intelligence-gathering activities against the Trump campaign have typically focused on the actions of the same small group of former officials: James Comey, Andrew McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, John Brennan, James Clapper and a few others.

But just as significant to the efforts to get to the bottom of the government’s Trump-related surveillance are a handful of current and former FBI and Justice Department employees whose names are not as well known to the public.

Read the full story

Crom Carmichael and Caller Bernadette Discuss Racism and Democrat Designed Victimhood Mentality in the Black Community

Julie Carr

Live from Music Row Monday 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 Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio.

At the end of the second hour, Carmichael discussed a recent Wall Street Journal article written by Ian Rowe who has brought charter schools to New York City in an effort to offer a better education for black children. Later in the segment, the duo took a call from regular Caller Bernadette who expressed her dismay for Black Lives Matter and the continued victimhood mentality in the black community.

Read the full story

Police Push Protesters Back From Andrew Jackson Statue in Front of White House as They Attempt to Pull it Down

Jason M. Reynolds

The attack against American history continued Monday evening as police blocked protesters attempting to tear down a statue of Andrew Jackson in front of the White House.

Reporter Shomari Stone tweeted, “BREAKING: Metropolitan Police and US Park Police move demonstrators back from Lafayette Square Park. Two separate protesters tell me the groups want to tear down the Andrew Jackson statue near the White House. @NBCNews@MSNbc @nbcwashington”.

Read the full story

Kudlow Echoes Pence, Says ‘No Second Wave’ of Coronavirus Coming

Admin

by Andrew Trunsky   White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said Monday that there “is no second wave” of the novel coronavirus coming, as states across the country reported rapid increases in new virus cases. Kudlow touted the progress that the country has made in combating the COVID-19 virus during an interview with CNBC. “There are some hot spots. We’re on it,” Kudlow said. “We know how to deal with this stuff now, we’ve come a long way since last winter and there is no second wave coming.” His comments resembled those made by Vice President Mike Pence, who wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal June 16 titled, “There Isn’t A Coronavirus ‘Second Wave.’” “All in all, I think it’s a pretty good situation, and of course reopening the economy is the key to economic growth, and we’ve had a whole bunch of green shoots that are showing recovery probably coming on faster than a lot of people thought,” Kudlow said. Kudlow blamed the increasing case count on additional testing, a similar argument to what President Donald Trump said during his Saturday rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kudlow’s statements stand in contrast with those made administration official Peter Navarro, who said on CNN Sunday that…

Read the full story

Manny Sethi Applauds Trump Steps to Limit Immigration

Chris Butler

U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi issued a statement Monday regarding President Donald Trump’s executive action on immigration.

“I agree with President Trump taking steps to limit immigration. As I have said for the last two months, America needs to put Americans first,” Sethi said in an emailed press release.

“As our country gets back on its feet, we must prioritize Americans and make sure every American has a job before we allow workers from other countries to come to our country. I will be a Senator who always puts America first.”

Read the full story

Dean Phillips Challenger Says Single-Parent Homes ‘Chief Barrier’ to African-American Advancement

Anthony Gockowski

Republican congressional candidate Kendall Qualls said the “chief barrier to the advancement of the African-American community is the rise of single-parent households,” not “racism, police brutality or white privilege.”

Qualls is running against Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), a first-term Democrat who unseated former Republican Congressman Erik Paulsen in 2018.

Read the full story

In Minneapolis, Talk of Changing the Police Department Means Taking on the Union

The Associated Press

by Amy Forliti   MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) — The fiery leader of Minneapolis’ police union has built a reputation of defying the city, long before he offered the union’s full support to the officers charged in George Floyd’s death. When the mayor banned “warrior training” for officers last year, Lt. Bob Kroll said the union would offer the training instead. When the city restricted officers from wearing uniforms at political events, he had T-shirts made to support President Donald Trump. He commended off-duty officers who walked away from a security detail after players on the state’s professional women’s basketball team, the Minnesota Lynx, wore Black Lives Matter T-shirts. And after Floyd’s death, he didn’t hold back as he called unrest in the city a “terrorist movement.” As Minneapolis tries to overhaul its police department in the wake of Floyd’s death, city leaders will collide with a pugnacious and powerful union that has long resisted such change. But that union and Kroll are coming under greater pressure than ever before, with some members daring to speak out in support of change and police leaders vowing to negotiate a contract tougher on bad cops. Other unions have publicly called for Kroll’s removal,…

Read the full story

DeWine Opines on ‘Fast Reopening’, Walks With His Dog in Exclusive Dispatch Interview

Jason M. Reynolds

What’s a newspaper to do when given an exclusive interview with the governor during a pandemic that has ravaged the state’s economy and rioting that has ravaged the capital city? Would you push against answers that are not true?

If you’re The Columbus Dispatch, you allow Gov. Mike DeWine to talk about the “quick” reopening of the state, his walks with his dog Dolly and how he social distances with his grandkids.

Read the full story

Enbridge Continues to Run Line 5, Despite Whitmer’s Concerns About Damage

Jordyn Pair

Enbridge Inc. rebuffed a request from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to shut down Line 5 after one of the supports for the pipeline sustained damage, according to a statement released by the company on Saturday.

Enbridge owns Line 5, a set of two 20-inch pipelines running under the Straits of Mackinac that pump crude oil. The company notified the state on Thursday that an anchor support on one of the pipelines had “incurred significant damage,” according to a statement from Whitmer’s office. The damage was reportedly discovered on or around May 26.

Read the full story

‘Tear Them Down’: Black Lives Matter Activist Shaun King Demands ‘White European’ Jesus Statues Be Removed

Admin

Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King called Monday for the removal of statues, murals and stained glass windows that depict Jesus as a “white European,” which he claimed “are a form of white supremacy.”

“Yes, I think the statues of the white European they claim is Jesus should also come down,” King, a former surrogate on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, wrote on Twitter. “They are a form of white supremacy. Always have been.”

Read the full story

‘Jaws,’ ‘Black Panther,’ and More Coming Back to the Drive-In, with a Percentage of the Proceeds Going to Black Lives Matter

The Associated Press

Jaws,” “Black Panther” and “Back to the Future” are just a few of the modern popcorn classics coming to the drive-in this summer.

Tribeca Enterprises, IMAX and AT&T on Monday announced the initial lineup for its summer series of films, comedy and football, running every weekend from July 2 through Aug. 2 in cities like Los Angeles, New York, Dallas, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Miami and Seattle.

Read the full story

Stock Indexes Move Higher on Wall Street After a Shaky Start

The Associated Press

Stock indexes are higher on Wall Street in choppy trading Monday as investors weigh the risks that rising coronavirus cases could pose to hopes for an economic recovery.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% in midday trading after an initial slide of 0.6% following weakness in overseas markets as the global tally of infections approaches 9 million. The price of gold rose, a signs of caution in the market. Bond yields were mixed.

Read the full story

Commentary: Immortalizing Bureaucracy

Admin

Just as the infamous Dred Scott case in 1857 would have extended slavery throughout America, so Thursday’s decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California threatens to make the machinations of bureaucratic government supreme and unrepealable.

Chief Justice John Roberts’ 5-4 court opinion strengthens the grip of the administrative state – the interlocking network of bureaucracy and political correctness – over the democratically elected branches that are supposed to make us a nation of self-governing citizens.

Read the full story

Shelby County Reports Biggest Virus Spike Since Pandemic Began

The Associated Press

Tennessee’s largest county reported Saturday its highest single-day increase in COVID-19 cases, though officials were trying to figure out if the jump represented a surge in people getting sick or delayed results from testing laboratories.

The Shelby County Health Department in Memphis reported an increase of 385 cases of the new coronavirus, eclipsing the previous single-day spike by more than 100 cases.

Read the full story

Gov. Lee Considers Calling Special Session of Legislature to Pass Bill Giving Businesses Protection From COVID-19 Lawsuits

Jason M. Reynolds

Gov. Bill Lee is thinking about calling the Legislature in for a special session to pass a bill to provide retroactive COVID-19 legal protection for businesses, the Chattanooga Times Free Press said.

The General Assembly ended their session on Friday without the House passing the Tennessee Recovery and Safe Harbor Act. It received 46 of 50 votes needed. House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) questioned whether the measure was legal under Tennessee’s Constitution regarding the impairment of contracts. (The Senate had approved the bill.)

Read the full story

Tennessean Admits Big Mistake After Running Ad That Generates Withering Criticism

The Associated Press

A Tennessee newspaper said Sunday it is investigating what its editor called a “horrific” full-page advertisement from a religious group that predicts a terrorist attack in Nashville next month.

The paid advertisement that appeared in Sunday’s editions of The Tennessean from the group Future For America claims Donald Trump “is the final president of the USA” and features a photo of Trump and Pope Francis. It begins by claiming that a nuclear device would be detonated in Nashville and that the attack would be carried out by unspecific interests of “Islam.”

Read the full story

Comedian DL Hughley Announces He Is COVID-19 Positive After Fainting Onstage

The Associated Press

Comedian D.L. Hughley announced he tested positive for COVID-19 after collapsing onstage during a performance in Nashville, Tennessee.

The stand-up comedian, 57, lost consciousness while performing at the Zanies comedy nightclub on Friday night and was hospitalized, news outlets reported. On Saturday, Hughley posted a video on Twitter in which he said he was treated for exhaustion and dehydration afterward.

Read the full story