Ohio state House Representatives introduced two pieces of legislation Monday that aims to reform state campaign finance laws. These bill proposals come a week after Speaker of the House Larry Householder and four other people were arrested by the FBI. These five men are accused of “worked to corruptly ensure that HB 6 went into effect by defeating a ballot initiative to overturn the legislation. The Enterprise received approximately $60 million into Generation Now from an energy company and its affiliates during the relevant period,” according to the DOJ press release. The first bill called House Bill (HB) 737, which was introduced by State Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Jessica Miranda (D-Forest Park), would update Ohio’s campaign finance laws to reflect changes the federal level made to campaign finance laws after the 2010 Supreme Court case Citizens United vs. Federal Elections Commission. If the bill became law, it would place “additional reporting requirements on entities that make political contributions,” according to the state House of Representatives’ press release. “We cannot continue down the path of what is, but should aspire to pursue what should be when it comes to campaign finance reform,” Manning said. “I believe that we…
Read the full storyMonth: July 2020
Ohio Teachers Union Calls for Online Classes as Schools Deal with Covid
The Ohio Education Association (OEA) called for remote learning in counties more heavily affected by the coronavirus.
The teachers union, which represents over a hundred thousand teachers, made the demand in a press release Tuesday urging the state to “enact stronger measures to keep students and educators safe.”
Read the full storyOpioid Overdoses Rise in State During Coronavirus Pandemic
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is reporting significant increases in opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MDHHS reported emergency medical services (EMS) in the state responded to a 33 percent increase in opioid overdoses from April to May of this year. The department adds that opioid overdoses increased by 26 percent from the prior year during the period between April and June.
Read the full storyStudents See Spike in Reported Violent Crime After University of Minnesota Cuts Ties with Minneapolis Police Department
Students saw an increase in reported violence just weeks after the University of Minnesota announced that it would cut ties with the Minneapolis Police Department after the death of George Floyd.
In the weeks following the University of Minnesota’s announcement that it would cut ties with the Minneapolis Police Department, students received multiple systemwide public safety alert messages, telling them to be cautious on and near campus due to various reported violent crimes. This is a substantial increase in safety notifications for Minnesota students, given that prior to the announcement, only seven such announcements with only two emergencies were made in a six month period.
Read the full storyTrump Administration to Send Federal Agents to Cleveland
Federal agents will be sent to Cleveland as part of “Operation Legend.” The operation, named after four-year-old Legend Taliferro who was killed in Kansas City, was created to help combat the uptick in violence in the wake of the George Floyd Protests. Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams stressed that there will not be “Federal Troops” in the city.
Read the full storyCommentary: Michigan Is Already on Its Way to Full Economic Recovery
With the “v-shaped” economic recovery taking shape nationwide, Michigan has begun to bounce back from the artificial coronavirus downturn sooner than most of us dared to hope.
Despite Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s excessively harsh stay-at-home orders, Michigan regained more than 460,000 nonfarm jobs since the start of May, reducing the unemployment rate by almost a whopping 10 percentage points. Blue collar industries that provide the lifeblood for Michigan’s middle class, such as construction and manufacturing, are doing particularly well — those two sectors alone created more than 180,000 new jobs in May, no doubt fueled in part by the President’s focus on ramping up domestic production of medical supplies needed to confront the invisible enemy.
Read the full storyNashville Metro Council Member Wonders If Mayor John Cooper Will Allow Conservatives to Help Pick New Police Chief
Nashville Metro At-Large Council Member Steve Glover wondered this week if certain residents of Davidson County who lean right politically will have a say selecting a new police chief to replace the retiring Steve Anderson.
This, as Mayor John Cooper on Tuesday announced what he called a roadmap to finding a new chief. According to a press release, Cooper will rely on Metro Human Resources and a candidate review committee to narrow that person down.
Read the full storyMike Pence Endorses Bill Hagerty for U.S. Senate
Vice President Mike Pence this week endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty to represent Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.
Hagerty is competing against physician Manny Sethi for the chance to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
Read the full storyCommentary: Joe Biden Is a Clear and Present Danger to the American Way of Life
A Biden presidency would be a disaster for everyday Americans. If given the chance, Joe Biden will endanger your family’s security, infringe upon your rights, increase your cost of living, lower your home’s value, and hurt your 401(k) – all while killing countless jobs.
Read the full storyMarsha Blackburn Wants Jerrold Nadler to Visit Portland After He Denies Violence There
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) suggested this week that U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10) visit Portland after he denied any social unrest had broken out there.
Blackburn tweeted this Monday.
Read the full storyBarr Says Unrest Not Linked to Floyd, Defends Feds’ Response
Attorney General William Barr defended the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying on Tuesday “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.
Barr told members of the House Judiciary Committee at a much-anticipated election year hearing the violence taking place in Portland, Oregon, and other cities is disconnected from Floyd’s killing, which he called a “horrible” event that prompted a necessary national reckoning on the relationship between the Black community and law enforcement.
Read the full storyJeff Webb Explains His Endorsement for Manny Sethi as Tennessee Senator
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Memphis entrepreneur Jeff Webb to the studio to discuss what separates Tennessee US Senate candidate Dr. Manny Sethi from Bill Hagerty.
Read the full storySpotlight on Four Big Tech CEOs Testifying in Competition Probe
They command corporations with gold-plated brands, millions or even billions of customers, and a combined value greater than the entire German economy. One of them is the world’s richest individual; another is the fourth-ranked billionaire. Their industry has transformed society, linked people around the globe, mined and commercialized users’ personal data, and infuriated critics on both the left and right over speech.
Read the full storyBiden’s Notes: ‘Do Not Hold Grudges’ Against Kamala Harris
Joe Biden was uncharacteristically tight-lipped on Tuesday about the final stretch of his search for a vice president. But the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee seemed prepared to talk about at least one leading contender: California Sen. Kamala Harris.
As he took questions from reporters on Tuesday, Biden held notes that were captured by an Associated Press photographer. Harris’ name was scrawled across the top, followed by five talking points.
Read the full storyAir Travel Not Expected to Recover Until 2024
Global air travel is recovering more slowly than expected and it will take until 2024 to return to pre-pandemic levels, the trade association for the airline industry said Tuesday.
The International Air Transport Association pushed back its prediction by one year due to the slow containment of the outbreak in the U.S. and in developing countries.
Read the full storyJeff Webb Reflects on Growing up in Northern Dallas and His Time at the University of Oklahoma
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Jeff Webb to the studio to talk about growing up in Texas and his college years at the University of Oklahoma.
Read the full story‘Egregious’: Democratic Mayors Ask Congress to Restrict to Restrict Deployment of Federal Officers to Quell Riots
Democratic mayors wrote to Congress Monday, asking for limitations on the Trump administration deployment of “unidentified federal officers” to their cities to calm protests, according to a letter posted on Twitter.
The mayors requested that federal agents be required to present identification except “on an undercover mission authorized by the local U.S. Attorney,” according to the letter Wheeler posted on Twitter. Six Democratic mayors, including Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland and Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago signed the letter.
Read the full storyMysterious Seeds Arriving Across the U.S. and U.K.
Unidentified seeds, seemingly from China, have arrived unsolicited across the country. Agricultural officials are asking residents not to plant these seeds. Stating that they may be from invasive, destructive, or otherwise dangerous plants. Officials in at least 27 states have reported unsolicited packages of seeds delivered to residents. Similar packages have begun arriving throughout the U.K.
Jane Rupp, a Better Business Bureau representative, believes that these shipments could be part of a brushing scam, where online sellers ship large quantities of cheap merchandise to increase their overall ratings and visibility by creating fake reviews in the recipients name, reports Fox. Similar cases were reported in late 2019 with Americans receiving unordered, low cost, and even empty packages.
Read the full storyCommentary: Reckoning with the Riots
The showdown is coming over urban violence in America. The continuing rioting and destruction erupting in new cities every few days is almost certain to provide yet another profound demarcation of opinion over how to govern the United States and address the problems that have so stirred the country since the killing of African American George Floyd by a white Minneapolis policeman on May 25. America’s toleration of a completely unjustifiable level of general violence compared to anything in its past demonstrates considerable progress in civility and restraint in the past 50 years.
Read the full storyVice President Mike Pence Set to Visit Thales Academy Wednesday
Vice President Mike Pence will visit Thales Academy on Wednesday while he is in North Carolina, according to ABC11.
Pence is going to view Thales Academy to see “how school choice works and to advocate for its further implementation,” ABC 11 reports.
Read the full storyWithout ‘Sea Changes,’ Democratic Platform Alliance with Black Lives Matter Is ‘Naught,’ Co-Founder Says
The Democratic platform needs to strongly address police brutality and racial justice, a Black Lives Matter co-founder told the Democratic National Committee Monday, Axios reported.
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors wants the party to be a political force to match the current movement and are focused on policy change, Axios reported.
Read the full storyJeff Webb Talks About His Recent Commentary Which Asks CEOs to Cancel the Cancel Culture
Tuesday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Jeff Webb to the studio to discuss his recent townall.com op-ed regarding American businesses and cancel culture.
Read the full storyWhite House Petition to Investigate Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for Unfounded Conspiracy Theory Reaches 600,000 Signatures
Over half a million people have signed a White House petition calling for an investigation into a conspiracy theory involving Bill and Melinda Gates.
Created by “C.S.” on April 10, the petition demands that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation be investigated for medical malpractice and crimes against humanity. There is no evidence to support these claims. The petition has 621,609 signatures as of Monday evening.
Read the full storySteve Bannon Interviews Peter Navarro on War Room Pandemic About the Chinese Communist Party
Host Steve Bannon interviewed Peter Navarro at the Freedom Summit about America-China relations amid the coronavirus pandemic that was started by the Chinese.
Read the full storyOhio’s Largest School District Will Start the School Year Online
Columbus City Schools (CCS) Superintendent/CEO Dr. Talisa Dixon announced Tuesday that Ohio’s largest school district will start the 2020-2021 school year virtually.
CCS will be online for the first quarter for the next school year. The first quarter of the school year will start September 8 and end October 27.
Read the full storyMinneapolis Communities Form Watch Groups, Build Barricades to Fight Crime Surge
Communities in Minneapolis have established community watch groups, some consisting of armed individuals, to protect residents with one community even erecting barricades in response to increasing crime levels, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The city has seen a major surge in violent crime since the death of George Floyd, according to the Star Tribune, who died on May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck, video of the incident shows. The Minneapolis city council in June voted to allow the police department to be dismantled following Floyd’s death, and on Friday voted to reduce the department’s budget.
Read the full storySen. Peters Asks FEMA to Help Fund Michigan Coronavirus School Response
Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) sent a letter to the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Monday asking the agency to help fund schools in Michigan as they prepare to open during the coronavirus.
In the letter, Peters pushed FEMA to allow schools in Michigan and nationwide to access to funding from the Disaster Relief Fund to help pay for public safety trainings, adapting classrooms and acquiring personal protective equipment for students and staff.
Read the full storyOhio Will Host First 2020 Presidential Debate in September
The first 2020 presidential debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden will occur in Ohio on September 29. Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic will be co-hosting the event at their shared health campus.
The debate was originally slated to be held at the University of Notre Dame, however, the university was forced to withdraw from hosting the event, citing coronavirus concerns.
Read the full storyMinnesotans Divided Over ‘Safe Return’ to Schools
This week, educators and parents wait with bated breath on Governor Tim Walz’s upcoming decision on a safe return to schools.
On the Facebook page, “Minnesota for a Safe Return to Campus”, the greatest concerns were mainly posted by educators. Death, unrealistic demands, a future lack of interest in teaching as a profession, and the inability to be with elderly loved ones were all consistent issues listed throughout the page.
Rep. Jordan Opens AG Barr Hearing with Brutal Video Highlighting Antifa Violence, Looting and Rioting
During a House Judiciary Committee hearing with Attorney General William Barr Tuesday morning, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, went over the heads of the corporate media to show a brutal video highlighting the violence and mayhem of the Black Lives Matter and antifa mobs.
Read the full storyRep. Steve Cohen Tries to Blame Jeffery Epstein Death on AG William Barr
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Tuesday held U.S. Attorney General William Barr accountable for the death of Jeffrey Epstein.
Cohen accused Barr of neglect in Epstein’s death at a House Judiciary Committee hearing.
Read the full storyWhite House Coronavirus Task Force Advisor Deborah Birx Recommends Masks Statewide in Tennessee
Dr. Deborah Birx, a top White House Coronavirus Task Force advisor, advised all mayors in Tennessee to mandate use of masks to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Birx said that right now, 70 percent of Tennessee counties have mask mandates in place, but she said requirements are needed in every county.
Read the full storyManny Sethi Campaign Explains Past Donation to Leftist Congressman
Manny Sethi’s wife, Maya, released an ad Monday trying to clarify what she said was confusion over how and why the Federal Election Commission recorded her husband donating $50 to a liberal political candidate in 2008.
Mrs. Sethi said in the ad that she donated $50 to help a friend.
Read the full storyCommentary: Time to Grab Some Popcorn as Attorney Lin Wood Agrees to Take on Carter Page’s Case
Lin Wood, the attorney representing a Kentucky teenager in a number of defamation lawsuits against major media outlets, announced a settlement Friday with the Washington Post. The terms of the agreement between the family of Nicholas Sandmann – the Covington Catholic High School student accused of disrespecting a “native elder” while wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat during the January 2019 March for Life – remain secret.
Wood and Sandmann settled a similar lawsuit against CNN earlier this year. Cases still are pending against NBC News, ABC News, CBS News, the New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Gannett.
Read the full storyDonald Trump Jr. Names Bill Hagerty His MAGA Candidate of the Week
Donald J. Trump Jr. announced Monday that he named Bill Hagerty his MAGA candidate of the week.
Hagerty wants to replace the retiring U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN).
Read the full storyNashville Attorney Jim Roberts Talks Progress With the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed Nashville attorney Jim Roberts to talk about the number of petitions he’s received for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act and how it will appear on the ballot.
Read the full storyMelania Trump Announces Rose Garden Renewal Project
by Darlene Superville WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — Melania Trump has announced plans to redo the White House Rose Garden to make it more in line with the original design implemented during the 1960s Kennedy administration. The first lady says Monday in a statement that decades of use and changes made to support a modern presidency have taken a toll on the outdoor space just off the Oval Office. President Donald Trump has been using the Rose Garden a lot more lately to make statements and hold news conferences in the age of the coronavirus. The first lady also hosted a state dinner for Australia in the garden last year. Plans described by the first lady include returning the Rose Garden to its original 1962 footprint with improved infrastructure and drainage and a better environment for the plants and flowers. The renovation also includes making the space more accessible for people with disabilities, and improvements for audiovisual and broadcasting needs, she said. “The very act of planting a garden involves hard work and hope in the possibility of a bright future,” said Mrs. Trump, who adds the garden project to a list of other White House renovations, including refurbishing the Red…
Read the full storyCrom Carmichael Weighs in On Abuses of Power and the Media’s Perpetuation of Lies
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio to discuss recent abuses of power and the media’s perpetuation of lies.
Read the full storyRiots in Oakland Leave a Trail of Fires, Smashed Windows
OAKLAND, California (AP) — A protest in Oakland, California, in support of racial justice and police reform turned violent when a small group of rioters wearing helmets and goggles and carrying large signs that doubled as shields set fire to a courthouse, vandalized a police station and shot fireworks at officers, authorities said. About 700 demonstrators participated in what started as a peaceful march Saturday night but then some broke from the larger group and smashed windows, spray-painted graffiti and pointed lasers at officers, said Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland Police Department spokesperson. Several fires were set in the downtown area, including one at the Alameda County Superior Courthouse that was quickly contained. Demonstrators hurled rocks, ceramic paint-filled balls and frozen water bottles through windows at the courthouse, federal building and police building in a raucous night that was unlike peaceful marches that have taken place in the city in recent weeks, Watson said. “This was different,” Watson said. “This group of protesters had specific intentions to participate in one way or another — whether that’s carrying backpacks in with clearly very heavy items, and the smaller group would actually be engaged in doing the damage — there is…
Read the full storyAfter Talk of Collaboration, College Football Conferences Go Their Own Way
Plans for the 2020 college football season — if it is played — should start coming into focus this week.
They will trickle down from the top of major college football, with Power Five conferences putting in place revised schedules they hope will make it easier to manage potential disruptions brought on by COVID-19.
Read the full storyDemocratic Rep. Jerry Nadler Says Antifa Violence in Portland is ‘a Myth’
Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York said antifa violence in Portland is a myth in a YouTube video published Monday.
Nadler made the comment during an interview with Austen Fletcher. Fletcher hosts Fleccas Talks, a political channel, according to the Dartmouth Review.
Read the full storySenate Republicans Propose New $1 Trillion Coronavirus Relief Package
Senate Republicans’ latest COVID-19 stimulus package proposes another round of direct payments to Americans and more enhanced federal unemployment benefits for workers who lose their jobs during coronavirus restrictions.
The $1 trillion package, called the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection, and Schools (HEALS) Act was released Monday.
Read the full storyWealthy Donors Pour Millions into Fight over Mail-In Voting
Deep-pocketed and often anonymous donors are pouring over $100 million into an intensifying dispute about whether it should be easier to vote by mail, a fight that could determine President Donald Trump’s fate in the November election.
In the battleground of Wisconsin, cash-strapped cities have received $6.3 million from an organization with ties to left-wing philanthropy to help expand vote by mail. Meanwhile, a well-funded conservative group best known for its focus on judicial appointments is spending heavily to fight cases related to mail-in balloting procedures in court.
Read the full storyNASA’s Next Mars Rover Sports Brawn, Brains, and Even a Helicopter
With eight successful Mars landings, NASA is upping the ante with its newest rover.
The spacecraft Perseverance — set for liftoff this week — is NASA’s biggest and brainiest Martian rover yet.
It sports the latest landing tech, plus the most cameras and microphones ever assembled to capture the sights and sounds of Mars. Its super-sanitized sample return tubes — for rocks that could hold evidence of past Martian life — are the cleanest items ever bound for space. A helicopter is even tagging along for an otherworldly test flight.
Read the full storyCommentary: LARPers Lament as Real Life-and-Death Consequences Come to Austin
There’s a term, and an acronym, that every American interested in following the rank stupidity of this summer’s occurrences in America’s blue cities ought to be familiar with.
The term is Live-Action Role Playing, and the acronym is LARPing. What you’re seeing on the streets of Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Austin, and other cities are textbook examples of this phenomenon playing out.
Read the full storySwing Voters in Michigan Focus Group Say They Are Voting for Trump, Call Biden a ‘Puppet:’ Report
Former Vice President Joe Biden is not mentally fit for the presidency, and he would likely become a “puppet” for the “deep state,” several Michigan of swing voters said during an Axios focus group session released Monday.
The focus group included nine people who voted for former President Barack Obama in 2012 but voted for President Donald Trump in 2016. Seven of the nine swing voters said would vote for Trump in November’s election, Axios noted in a report Monday on the group.
Read the full storyNew Durable-Goods Orders Rise Again in June
New orders for durable goods posted a second consecutive month of rebound in June, rising 7.3 percent following a gain of 15.1 percent in May. The two gains followed drops of 18.3 percent in April and 16.7 percent in March. If transportation equipment is excluded, new orders for durable goods increased 3.3 percent in June following a 3.6 percent rise in May. Durable-goods orders had been holding above the $200 billion level since May 2011 before posting sharp declines in March and April (see first chart). New orders for June are back above the $200 billion threshold, totaling $206.9 billion, but are still 21.9 percent below June 2019.
Read the full storyDemocrats Seek Coronavirus Aid Bill Provision to Limit Federal Agents from Patrolling Cities
Senate Democrats are planning to insert a provision in the coronavirus relief bill that would place restrictions on the Trump administration’s ability to send federal agents to help quell protests in cities across the country.
The provision would require federal agents to identify themselves, use marked vehicles and stay on federal property rather than patrol city streets, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Monday, according to NBC News. Local officials including mayors and governors would need to approve the use of federal agents patrolling streets.
Read the full storyMinnesota Sees ‘Return’ of Vaping-Related Lung Injuries
Minnesota health officials warned Friday of a possible resurgence of lung injuries related to vaping, saying they’ve had 11 reported cases in the past two months.
The state Health Department asked medical providers to watch for additional cases. Officials also said the coronavirus has made it more difficult to identify vaping-related cases because the symptoms can be similar. All 11 cases — with a median age of 18 — required hospitalization and some needed ventilators.
Read the full storyVirginia’s New COVID-19 Workplace Standards Amount to Unfunded Mandates on Businesses
Virginia business groups are decrying the expanded COVID-19 regulations adopted by the Department of Labor and Industry, which include unfunded mandates and additional training and sanitization requirements.
Virginia became the first state to adopt temporary COVID-19 workplace safety and health standards last week through a vote by the department’s Health Codes Board, which did not consider many of the concerns from business associations.
Read the full story