Metro Nashville Continues to Administer Pfizer Vaccines Ahead of CDC Emergency Meeting on Heart Inflammation Reactions

Metro Nashville health officials will continue to administer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine, which will be discussed in an upcoming emergency meeting called by the CDC. According to preliminary reports, there have been double the expected cases of heart inflammation occurring in both Pfizer and Moderna vaccine recipients. 

The CDC meeting is scheduled for this Friday. Officials will discuss whether there exists a definitive link between the two vaccine types and the reported cases of myocarditis and pericarditis. The Tennessee Star inquired with the Metro Public Health Department (MPHD) if they would continue administering the Pfizer vaccine up until the CDC holds its emergency meeting. MPHD spokespersons confirmed to The Star that they would.

Read the full story

Commentary: Donald Trump’s Comments on the Virus, Elections Deem True

On Saturday, June 12, former President Donald Trump released a statement that, in tone, will have his opponents rolling their eyes.

“I told you so,” they will say, because Donald Trump told them so and managed to get in a bit of signature Trump braggadocio along the way.

Under the legend “Statement by Donald J. Trump, 45th President of the United States of America,” this is what he wrote:

“Have you noticed that they are now admitting I was right about everything they lied about before the election?”

Read the full story

Legislator Behind Tennessee’s Critical Race Theory Ban Weighs In on Shelby County Schools Racial Justice and Equity Training

Tennessee State Representative John Ragan (R-Oak Ridge) offered his thoughts on Shelby County Schools’ (SCS) consideration of implementing racial justice and equity training. Ragan shared with The Tennessee Star that a requirement of this training as a condition of employment could potentially be an issue – it would have to be voluntary.

As The Star reported this week, SCS may invest up to $480,000 for the racial justice and equity training offered by the nonprofit New Leaders. Upon review of New Leaders’ materials, The Star discovered that it encourages participants to adopt “culturally responsive” practices in schools – a synonym for critical race theory. Additionally, materials repeatedly assert the need for white people to be aware of their race, privilege, and power.

Read the full story

Commentary: The Real Threats to Our Democracy

United States Capitol at night

In the Wall Street Journal of June 10, Peggy Noonan captured the kernel of the crisis of national division that afflicts America: Donald Trump and opposed perceptions of last year’s presidential election. Equitable person though Noonan is, she qualifies as a Trump-hater, whose invective against Trump has only escalated over time.

Noonan’s premise today is that any question about the 2020 presidential election is unfounded conspiracism, but that suspicion is growing, spread by “the Trump underworld—the operatives, grifters, and media figures around him  . . .  This lessens our faith in our systems   . . . it leaves the GOP with an untreated cancer.” She holds that “QAnon is important” in propagating this fraud. She thinks that anyone who wasn’t appalled by the storming of the Capitol on January 6 has given up on democracy. Lingering concern about the fairness of the result is in itself an assault upon democracy. “The breaching of the Capitol happened because of a conspiracy theory: that the election was actually won by Mr. Trump but stolen from him by bad people.”

She makes no allowance for exactly the opposite view: that there is ample evidence that Trump was sandbagged in rigged voting and vote-counting in only six states, stonewalled by the courts, and defamed by a unanimous national political media: the courts couldn’t face overturning the election, and the media can’t accept the idea that it was a tainted election. I agree with her that “the only thing that can stop” (the cancer that supposedly afflicts the GOP, even if it is in fact benign righteousness) “is true facts independently developed and presented with respect and receipts.” 

Read the full story

Biden’s ICE Shuts Down Trump-Era Initiative to Help Victims of Illegal Aliens

Under the orders of Joe Biden, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ordered the shutdown of an office created by President Donald Trump for the purpose of helping victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens, as reported by CNN.

The announcement was made on Friday that the Victim Of Immigrant Crime Engagement (VOICE) office was coming to an end, instead being replaced with an office that will focus on helping victims of crime irrespective of the immigration status of either the victims or the culprits.

Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement that “all people, regardless of their immigration status, should be able to access victim services without fear,” directly implying that the new office will actually cater to illegal aliens rather than American citizens. Acting ICE Director Tae Johnson confirmed these intentions in his own statement, declaring that ICE would be “committed to serving all victims of crime.”

Read the full story

Pompeo to Launch PAC Supporting Republicans in 2022

Mike Pompeo

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is launching a super PAC to help elect conservatives in the 2022 midterms, Politico reported Tuesday.

The Champion American Values PAC (CAVPAC) will allow him to travel the country and raise unlimited funds for members of the GOP running campaigns in local, state, and federal elections.

“We’re going to go out, and we’ve started this already, but we’re going to go out and expand to a greater degree, helping candidates all across the country,” Pompeo told Politico in a phone interview.

Read the full story

Arizona Governor Issues Executive Order Preventing COVID Vaccine Mandates on College Campuses

Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced on Tuesday an executive order that will prevent the state’s public colleges and universities from mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for its students.

The executive order comes in response to Arizona State University informing its students that they “expect” students to return to campus in the fall fully vaccinated. Further, individuals who choose not to receive the coronavirus vaccine would be subjected to a mask requirement and weekly testing.

Read the full story

After Skyrocketing to Record Highs, Lumber Prices Fall Back to Earth

Close up of wood after being cut down - lumber yard

Lumber prices have begun to drop following record highs, with futures closing Monday at their lowest price in over two months.

Lumber futures reached their highest-ever price in early May according to Nasdaq, trading at $1,711.20 per thousand board feet. Futures closed Monday at $966.20 per thousand board feet, still well above pre-pandemic levels which hovered around $400.

Prices skyrocketed due to a variety of factors, including supply chain disruption due to COVID-19 restrictions, labor shortages, and higher demand due to the surge in the housing market, according to a report by Wells Fargo economists. The report noted that while prices were unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels, restarting domestic lumber production and restoring domestic supply chains would stabilize the market.

Read the full story

Immigration Cases Have Doubled Since 2017

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Immigration cases deciding if migrants will be legally allowed to stay in the U.S. have doubled since 2017, according to migration data released Monday.

Over 1.3 million cases are pending, with more than 110,000 pending in New York courts alone, according to Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC). Migrants wait an average of two and a half years for a judge to decide their case, Axios reported Monday.

“The number of pending deportation cases more than doubled during the Trump administration, but the court backlog still continues to grow under the Biden administration,” TRAC Assistant Professor Austin Kocher told the Daily Caller News Foundation Tuesday.

Read the full story

Dozens of Chinese Warplanes Enter Taiwan Airspace, Largest Incursion Yet

Flypast of the Chengdu J-20 during the opening of Airshow China in Zhuhai

Taiwan claims dozens of Chinese warplanes penetrated its airspace Tuesday, the largest and most recent Chinese incursion as tensions between the two countries escalate.

Twenty-eight People’s Liberation Army aircraft, including fighter jets, bombers, and anti-submarine airplanes, entered Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) Tuesday, according to a report issued by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense. It marked the largest recorded daily incursion, exceeding a 25-aircraft incursion on April 12, Reuters reports.

Taiwan dispatched air patrol troops to intercept the Chinese planes and mobilized anti-aircraft missile systems in response, the ministry’s report said.

Read the full story

DeSantis Social Media Warrior Triggers Florida Media Outlets

Christina Pushaw

The Press Secretary for Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) tussled Monday and Tuesday with two prominent Florida news media outlets, accusing them of political bias.

Of [South Florida Sun Sentinel]’s last 10,000 Tweets, ONE (1) was positive about [Gov. Ron DeSantis]. And it was a Letter to the Editor. Not written by Sun Sentinel staff. This is absolutely incredible. And they will still say the bias is all in our imaginations,” Christina Pushaw said, citing an account called District AI that claims to be run by an artificial intelligence engineer. 

Read the full story

Second Minneapolis No Go Zone Established in Uptown Called ‘Boogie World’

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Minneapolis has a second No Go Zone, despite efforts from law enforcement and city officials to remove barricades blocking an intersection in Uptown Minneapolis at Lake Street and Girard Avenue. This is the second autonomous zone in Minneapolis. The other is located at the place of George Floyd’s death, which is still occupied by protesters despite the city’s efforts to clear and reopen the area.

Read the full story

DeSantis Signs Bills Requiring Moment of Silence for Schools, Prioritizes ‘Religious Freedom’

Gov. DeSantis signing bill

Earlier this week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill requiring Florida’s public schools to allow for one to two minutes of silence at the beginning of each day, before instruction begins.

DeSantis signed the legislation while at the The Shul of Bal Harbour, a Jewish community center in Surfside, FL. Principals in all public schools will be directed to set aside the moment of silence and teachers will be prohibited from making suggestions regarding the nature of the suggested prayer or reflection during the allotted time.

Read the full story

School-Choice Advocates Applaud Ohio Senate’s Budget Plan

Matt Dolan

School-choice advocates are calling the recently passed Ohio Senate budget proposal as a step in the direction toward more options for parents.

The Senate’s version of the budget includes differences negotiators still must work out with the House’s budget, but it includes a provision that allows parents to create an education savings account for afterschool care. Negotiations begin this week.

“While the new Afterschool Child Enrichment Education Savings Account program is limited, its inclusion in the budget is an important step in helping parents afford desperately-needed resources giving them the flexibility necessary to improve their children’s educational outcomes,” said Rea Hederman, executive director of the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute, a Columbus-based think tank.

Read the full story

Minneapolis City Council Recommends Police Get $5 Million After Budget Cuts

Police officers

Due to the huge wave of violent crime sweeping Minneapolis, the City Council Committee has recommended that the Minneapolis Police Department receive $5 million in overtime funds after major budget cuts were implemented following the death of George Floyd.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo requested that the Minneapolis City Council assist in funding the projected $9.5 million dollar overtime bill for the Minneapolis Police Department. Overtime for officers during the murder trial of ex-Police Officer Derek Chauvin alone totaled over $2.9 million, due in part to a shortage of officers.

Read the full story

Minnesotans Hold ‘Never Again’ Protest Against Gov. Walz Emergency Powers

Minnesotans held a “Never Again” protest in response to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s extension of his emergency powers for the 15th time. The Never Again protest was in support of Representative Jeremy Munson’s (R-MN-23B) HF 28 Bill that would limit the emergency powers of governors and outlines the citizens responsibility in a public health crisis.

The protest was held in front of the Minnesota State Senate building before the Special Session convened regarding Governor Tim Walz emergency powers, and then moved into the State Capitol building as the session began.

Read the full story

Florida State Representative Michele Rayner Announces Bid to Replace Charlie Crist in Congress

State Representative Michele Rayner of District 70 officially announced her campaign for U.S. Congress in 2022 to replace the seat left vacant by Charlie Crist and his bid for Governor.

Rayner, a Democrat and the first openly gay woman of color elected to the Florida Legislature, will join a list of candidates in the upcoming primary looking to represent the Democratic party in the 13th Congressional District of Florida.

Read the full story

Michigan Republican Secretary of State Candidate Observes Arizona Election Audit

Kristina Karamo

A Republican candidate for Secretary of State traveled to Arizona, where a high-profile audit of the 2020 general election results is taking place.

“Kristina Karamo, candidate to be Michigan’s next Secretary of State, is the only person from Michigan to make the trip to Maricopa County, AZ to see first-hand how Arizona’s audit of the 2020 election is being conducted,” a Karamo press release said.

Read the full story

Minnesota Car Dealerships Now Offering Catalytic Converter ‘Theft Deterrent’

Cars in a parking garage at night

Catalytic converter thefts have become such a problem that some car dealerships are now charging $60 for theft deterrent services.

The Rudy Luther Toyota dealership in Minnetonka is now offering to spray catalytic converters with “high-temp, flame-proof orange paint” and engrave VIN numbers on the converter casing.

A sign at Rudy Luther Toyota in Minnetonka promotes “catalytic converter theft deterrent” services.

Even still, the dealership “does not guarantee against catalytic converter theft” but hopes “the installation of our product” will encourage thieves to “move on to an easier target.”

Read the full story

Group Provides Petition to Fight Critical Race Theory in Georgia

Classroom full of kids, that are being read a book

Members of a group called No Left Turn in Education this month asked Peach State residents to stand up to Critical Race Theory (CRT) and sign a petition asking government officials to ban it. In a press release, No Left Turn in Education Georgia chapter members also said they want K-12 schools statewide to ban the 1619 Project and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion & Action Civics.

Read the full story

Richmond City Council Approves November Referendum on One Casino Proposal

  The ONE Casino proposal will go to a Richmond voter referendum in November, after the City Council approved a recommendation from an evaluation panel. On Monday evening, the Council and the public discussed the proposal. Proponents said the casino would provide an economic boost for the Southside Richmond area including tax revenue and more jobs guaranteed to start at $15 per hour. Opponents said the casino’s profits would come at the cost of Richmond’s lower income communities and could struggle to attract outside tourism. “It’s just not a casino. It’s going to be entertainment, live entertainment. It’s going to be a park for the children, a park for the animals to be there. This is something that is really, really big for Southside, not only just the eighth district. This is probably the biggest development I know in the eighth district in over 50-some years,” Eighth District Council Member Reva Trammell said. Second District Council Member Katherine Jordan was the only member to vote against the proposal. Jordan explained, “I don’t support gaming, my constituents overwhelmingly said not only do they not want a casino in Scott’s Addition, but they didn’t want one, period, when they reached out to…

Read the full story

Mother of Woman Killed in Uptown Minneapolis No Go Zone Speaks Out

A woman died after a car plowed into the recently occupied ‘No-Go Zone’ in Uptown Minneapolis, near Lake St. and Girard where a wanted man, Winston Smith, was shot by police. The car drove into a group of protesters in the street shortly before midnight.

Deona Marie Knajdek was pronounced dead at the scene and three others were injured by the vehicle, with two reportedly in critical condition.

Read the full story

Minneapolis Mayor Holds Press Conference on Uptown No Go Zone

  In a press conference on Tuesday afternoon to address the new autonomous zone in Uptown Minneapolis, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said that they want to advance racial justice but that they need to “acknowledge that the atmosphere has substantially changed.” The second Minneapolis No Go Zone was established after Winston Smith was killed by U.S. Marshals after he pulled a gun and resisted arrest. Frey said, “We cannot allow the unauthorized closure of streets. When there are not clear delineators of where you can drive and where you can not, it risks people getting hurt.” Mayor Frey emphasized the use of “de-escalation tactics” in the continued policing of Uptown and surrounding areas. Frey discussed the continuing removal of the barricades and he said that the barricades were removed and will be removed again, but that they did not have a plan to do so at that time, calling the street being blocked a “major safety concern.” During the same press conference, Minneapolis City Council President Lisa Bender said that they will stand with Winston Smith’s family in demanding transparency. She also shared that there were “shortcomings of relying on a police-only system of safety.” Bender stated that last summer…

Read the full story

Ohio Reaches Record Settlement with Publicly Traded Pharmaceutical Company for Alleged Overpayment of Services

Dave Yost

Centene Corp (CC) reached a record settlement agreement Monday with Ohio for its alleged overbilling of the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) for its pharmaceutical services.

America’s largest Medicaid managed care organization agreed to pay $88.3 million to Ohio after Dave Yost, the state’s attorney general, filed a lawsuit in March, according to a Yost press release.

Read the full story

Independent Investigators Release Report on Investigation into Virginia Parole Board Investigation

Independent investigators found probable bias in the Office of the State Inspector General’s investigation (OSIG) into the Vincent Martin parole case, according to a report released Monday. The report says that OSIG’s investigation was not thorough enough and says OSIG failed to identify likely bias in its Senior Investigator Jennifer Moschetti. It also says the OSIG investigation and findings were not influenced by Governor Ralph Northam.

Read the full story

Short-Term Rental Bills Divide Michigan Local Governments, Renters

State Representative Sarah Lightner

Legislation in Lansing aims to dictate whether local governments can ban Michiganders from generating income via short-term rentals (STR).

The Michigan Municipal League (MML) opposes the bill backed by GOP lawmakers, Senate Bill 446 and House Bill 4722, which aim to stop governments from banning STRs. A vote is expected within two weeks.

Each side says the other wants governmental overreach. MML says Lansing outright prohibiting local government from banning STRs statewide is advocating for “big government,” while the GOP says local government telling residents how they can and can’t use their home is also government overreach.

Read the full story

Moms for Liberty Williamson County Lays Bare Evidence of Critical Race Theory, Suicide Ideation, Violence, and More in Curriculum Across 33 Counties

  FRANKLIN, Tennessee – After around 1200 hours of investigation, a parent-led deep dive team uncovered how a widely-used English curriculum in Tennessee pushes narratives on history and introduces K-5 students to a range of concepts such as Critical Race Theory, suicide ideation, gender fluidity, alcoholism, promiscuity, torture, cannibalism, and more. The curriculum, Wit and Wisdom, offers social-emotional learning (SEL) and was produced by the organization Great Minds. It is approved for use in 33 counties. Moms for Liberty (MFL) Williamson County Founders Robin Steenman and Lori Friedheim presented their team’s findings on Tuesday during their public event, “Let’s Talk Wit and Wisdom.” The group gave attendees packets with comprehensive reviews on the Wit and Wisdom books and teacher manuals. MFL explained that these reviews are works in progress. Up-to-date versions of their reviews of these curriculum materials are available here. The Wit and Wisdom K-5 curriculum is divided by grade and then by module. At the start of the presentation, Steenman outlined 9 common themes and ideas that their deep-dive team recognized in Wit and Wisdom: suicide ideation, condemnation of White people, displays of extreme emotion, cannibalism, opposition to the nuclear family and America, dark imagery, graphic death, and age-inappropriate content…

Read the full story