Day: September 28, 2020

Records Reportedly Show Nashville Mayor John Cooper Killed Plan to Let Tennessee Titans’ Fans into Nissan Stadium

Chris Butler

  A Nashville sportswriter this week posted documents on his website that he said proves Metro Nashville Health officials were ready last month to have fans at Nissan Stadium at the start of the season. But Mayor John Cooper said no, according to those records. Paul Kuharsky, who has covered the NFL for more than 20 years, this week on his website posted emails that Metro Nashville officials sent to one another. Kuharsky said he obtained these emails from the group Nashville for a Rational COVID Policy. Officials with that organization did not return The Tennessee Star’s request for comment Friday. Tennessee Titans spokeswoman Kate Guerra said Sunday she had no information about the matter and suggested we contact the mayor’s office. No one in either the mayor’s office or the Metro Health Department returned our request for comment. Kuharsky did not return our request for comment Sunday. In his story, Kuharsky quoted a July 30 email from Metro Health Department Director Michael Caldwell to Cooper’s Chief of Staff Bill Phillips and Metro coronavirus Task Force Chair Alex Jahangir. Jahangir said in the e-mail exchange that they had discussed a proposal that was “consistent, if not more restrictive, than most…

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Carol Swain Commentary: Critical Race Theory and the Decline of American Justice

Admin

Is racism in the DNA of white people, and is it a permanent part of American society? Critical race theorists argue that American society is structured to give white people undeserved advantages over people of color. They say people who look like me (Black) are victims. We are supposedly powerless to free ourselves from systemic racism, institutional structures, and cultural stereotypes that keep us in bondage. Systemic racism permeates every facet of our lives, including institutions and laws. The only hope is for whites to become “woke,” or conscious, of their racism and commit themselves to becoming antiracist. So, where did we get these ideas that now undergird the diversity, equity, and inclusion industry that rests on top of existing affirmative action programs that have been around since the mid-1960s?

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The New York Times Claims It Has Obtained President Trump’s Tax Returns, Trump Organization Attorney Says ‘The Facts Appear to be Inaccurate’

Christina Botteri

The New York Times published a lengthy report over the weekend based, they say, on tax documents they obtained from “sources.”

Breitbart News reports that The Times “found no evidence of any links to Russia,” as has been consistently claimed by multiple news outlets over the course of the Trump’s term in office. However, they add that the documents do show the extent of the entrepreneur’s Russia connections are limited to the 2001 Miss Universe pageant held in Moscow – which were “the most profitable Miss Universe during Mr. Trump’s time as co-owner, and that it generated a personal payday of $2.3 million.”

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Berkeley to Become First City in the Country to Ban Unhealthy Food in Supermarket Check-Out Lanes

Admin

Berkeley, California next year will implement a first-in-the-nation ban on junk food in supermarket checkout aisles, per a regulation passed this week by the city council. 

The Healthy Checkout Ordinance seeks to “eliminate the encouragement of unplanned purchases of unhealthy foods and beverages” that proliferate at supermarket checkouts.

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Commentary: The Case for ‘Jefferson’ and ‘Greater Idaho’

Admin

The U.S. House of Representatives in June passed a bill in favor of statehood for the District of Columbia. In response, historian Nicole Hemmer wrote, “should Joe Biden win the presidency and bring with him majorities in the House and Senate, he should make statehood for D.C.—and for Puerto Rico—a priority for his first 100 days in office.” Also in June, The New Republic published an opinion column stating “D.C. Statehood Is a Test of Biden’s Political Courage.”

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Judson Phillips Commentary: An Agenda for 2021

Admin

In Tennessee, the election hoopla is over, even though we haven’t had the election yet. President Trump will carry the state. Bill Hagarty will destroy his unknown Democrat opponent.  The Republicans will maintain a supermajority in the Legislature. 

Conservatives need to think about 2021 and need to think about winning in 2021.  Getting conservatives united is a difficult task.  Trust me, I know from personal experience.  To say it is harder than herding cats is an understatement. 

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Richmond Bans Guns While City Collapses from Rioters

Jacob Taylor

Richmond Police Department (RPD) officers were seen at the Robert E. Lee monument on Saturday morning posting signs on the recently-passed Richmond city gun ordinance. 

The new ordinance, passed unanimously by the Richmond city council early this month, does not outright ban firearms in public spaces, but it does call for restrictions when a permitted event is taking place.

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Virginians to Decide Gerrymandering Amendment

Admin

An anti-gerrymandering constitutional amendment that would change the way legislative districts are drawn in Virginia will be decided on the ballot.

The amendment is intended to prevent gerrymandering by establishing a 16-person bipartisan redistricting commission that would propose redistricting plans to the General Assembly. The General Assembly would be allowed to approve or decline the proposals, but would not be allowed to offer any amendments.

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TRUMPDATE: Latest from the Trump Virginia Campaign for September 28

Jordan Bondurant

Welcome to the Monday edition of our daily Virginia Trump campaign update! We will provide our readers with daily updates on the Trump Virginia campaign from today to November 3 (and after…if need be!).

It’s officially 36 days until the election on November 3 – and one day until President Trump and Joe Biden square off in the first presidential debate. Chris Wallace of Fox News will be moderating.

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Engineering Professor Under Investigation for Referring to COVID as the ‘Chinese Virus’

Admin

The University of Cincinnati placed an engineering professor on administrative leave and launched an investigation into him after he referred to coronavirus as the Chinese virus.

The public university told Professor John Ucker that he is on administrative leave with pay as of September 18 after a student, Evan Sotzing, posted a screenshot of an email from Ucker.

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Interim Ohio Health Director Himes Succeeds in Moving Mask Lawsuit to His Home Turf

Jason M. Reynolds

Interim Ohio Health Director Lance Himes succeeded in requesting that a lawsuit to overturn the use of masks in public schools be moved out of Putnam County Common Pleas Court and into his home turf, The Lima News reported.

The case has moved to Franklin County. The plaintiffs live largely in Northwest Ohio, in communities including Leipsic, Berkey and Perrysburg.

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Virginia Society of Human Life Fights Potential Right-To-Abortion Amendment

Eric Burk

Delegate Kathy Byron (R-Lynchburg) gave an insider’s view of Virginia right-to-life politics at a Zoom fundraiser for the Virginia Society of Human Life (VSHL) on Saturday evening. 100 people tuned in to the event, filling it to capacity. The fundraiser is part of a broader effort within the VSHL to motivate voters for the November election and raise awareness of a likely proposed amendment to Virginia’s constitution coming in 2021.

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Attorney: Nashville Mayor John Cooper Distorted Facts When He Said White House Influenced Him to Close Bars Due to COVID-19

Chris Butler

A Nashville attorney who represents Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk owner Steve Smith said Mayor John Cooper misstated facts when he said White House officials influenced him to close bars on lower Broadway to contain COVID-19.

That attorney, Kirk Clements, said so to The Tennessee Star and in a document he said he’s already disseminated to the public.

“He [Cooper] claims the White House told him to shut down bars, but they [members of the White House] didn’t make that phone call to the cities until July 22. Cooper shut the bars on July 2,” Clements told us.

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