A federal judge in California blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order reducing funding for sanctuary cities Monday, limiting the administration’s ability to punish municipalities that violate federal immigration law. The permanent injunction follows a preliminary ruling, issued in April, in a suit filed by the city of San Francisco and Santa Clara county. “The Counties have…
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Senator Lamar Alexander called the decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to restore the medicare billing privileges for Dr. Bryan Merrick “good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick” in a statement given to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday. Earlier this month, Alexander called on Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to hold hearings in the Senate Finance Commmittee he chairs on the Obama-era regulation that was used to revoke Dr. Merrick’s Medicare privileges in March. “This is good news for the people of McKenzie and Dr. Merrick, and I am glad that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has resolved this situation. I especially appreciate the hard work of Representative David Kustoff to solve this problem — his efforts to fix this problem were very important to all of us,” Alexander said in the statement. “I’m happy to hear that CMS has decided to do the right thing and allow Dr. Merrick to return his attention to his patients and the people of McKenzie,” former Congressional candidate Dr. George Flinn told The Star. Flinn was one of many West Tennessee community leaders he advocated on behalf of Dr. Merrick after his Medicare privileges were…
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Sudan, Somalia, Sierra Leone. Those African nations are notoriously associated with the gruesome ritual of female genital mutilation—but it also occurs in the U.S. where an alarming number of women and girls are subjected to such torture that Immigration and Customs Enforcement pledges to stop, according to an announcement Monday. It’s estimated more than 500,000 women…
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Lift the Vote, a non-profit project that focuses on Christian voter engagement, is encouraging Christians throughout the Volunteer State and the country to support the “#RedWednesday” effort organized by two Christian organizations based in Great Britain that calls attention to persecuted Christians around the world by using the color red on Wednesday “as a symbol of Christian martyrdom.” As Breitbart News reported, “On 22 November, churches and public buildings around the world, including the houses of the British Parliament, will be lit up in red as a sign of solidarity with persecuted Christians across the globe,” adding: Numerous studies have shown that Christians are by far the most persecuted religious group in the world, with some 90,000 Christians killed for their faith in 2016 alone, while as many as 600 million were prevented from practicing their faith. The event known as #RedWednesday calls attention to the plight of Christians in hostile situations around the globe by using the color red to evoke the notion of Christian martyrdom. Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), a Catholic organization that assists persecuted Christians, has organized the event in conjunction with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). “We are supporting this movement and encourage churches…
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by Jeffrey A. Rendall It may be a little hard to remember now, nearly ten months later, but the newly sworn in President Donald Trump created waves throughout the country when he introduced a little known federal judge from Colorado as the prospective replacement for the late legendary Justice Antonin Scalia at the end of January. Neil Gorsuch and his wife Marie Louise stood patiently behind President Trump as the announcement was made to the country. The Justice-to-be then delivered a brief but stirring tribute to the man whom he would succeed and promised, if confirmed, to do everything in his power to maintain Scalia’s tradition of upholding the original meaning of the Constitution. Because of his conservative textualist philosophy Gorsuch endured a grueling senate confirmation battle at the hands of the desperate Democrat opposition which ultimately ended in the slim Republican majority’s “nuking” of the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees, which then paved the way for the appeals court judge to elevate to the high court with 54 votes. It’s safe to say Gorsuch has not disappointed conservatives ever since, and many see the newest Supreme Court Justice as the most successful fulfillment of any of Donald Trump’s…
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Charles Manson, the evil man who orchestrated ten murders committed by his cult of followers in 1969, has died and gone to hell at the age of 83. The end came for Manson at a hospital in Bakersfield, California. Convicted of the murders in 1970, Manson has been in a California prison ever since. The Associated Press recounts the crimes and subsequent trial: A petty criminal who had been in and out of jail since childhood, the charismatic, guru-like Manson surrounded himself in the 1960s with runaways and other lost souls and then sent his disciples to butcher some of L.A.’s rich and famous in what prosecutors said was a bid to trigger a race war — an idea he got from a twisted reading of the Beatles song “Helter Skelter.” The slayings horrified the world and, together with the deadly violence that erupted later in 1969 during a Rolling Stones concert at California’s Altamont Speedway, exposed the dangerous, drugged-out underside of the counterculture movement and seemed to mark the death of the era of peace and love. Despite the overwhelming evidence against him, Manson maintained during his tumultuous trial in 1970 that he was innocent and that society itself…
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Marshawn Lynch has been the subject of plenty of national anthem criticism this year. On Sunday, he made a statement even louder, reportedly opting to stand for the Mexican anthem and kneel for the American anthem: Marshawn Lynch sits during the US national anthem, stands for Mexican anyhem pic.twitter.com/8wdaKprEki — Ben Volin (@BenVolin) November 19, 2017…
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A North Carolina county will slash funding to a volunteer fire department because of the department’s flying of a Confederate flag, according to a Thursday report. While the fire department obtains $19,000 annually and $400,000 every 10 years for a new truck, Montgomery County, N.C. commissioners said they will only cover the group’s fuel and maintenance…
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Progressives aligned with the Bernie Sanders camp called for replacing disgraced Sen. Al Franken with a fellow Minnesota Democrat, Rep. Keith Ellison, as support grew Friday for the senator’s resignation. Justice Democrats, a group of former Sanders campaign staffers and others prominent leftists, launched a petition Thursday asking Mr. Franken to resign following the release of…
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Officials are in New Jersey are expanding the focus of their lawsuit against a top manufacturer of a fentanyl-based medication to include the company’s CEO. New Jersey Attorney General Christopher Porrino announced Friday that the state is amending its current consumer fraud and false claims complaint against Insys Therapeutics, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical manufacturer. Porrino is targeting…
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Foreign investment is vital for a healthy U.S. economy. America’s unique and hospitable climate for foreign investment brings with it economic growth, quality jobs, increased consumer choice, and reasonably priced goods. As President Donald Trump recently told business leaders in Japan: When you want to build your auto plants, you will have your approvals almost immediately.…
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A day after beleaguered Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore despite allegations of sexual misconduct, hie wife on Friday offered a defiant defense laced with attacks on their political enemies. Kayla Moore, who has been married to the Republican nominee for 32 years and runs the Foundation for Moral Law that he created, seconded her husband’s vow.…
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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Democratic Party chairman Stephen Bittel is stepping down after a report detailing a hostile and “creepy” work environment he created for women. “When my personal situation becomes distracting to our core mission of electing Democrats and making Florida better, it is time for me to step aside,” Bittel wrote in a statement…
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A former adviser to Hillary Clinton blasted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand for saying on Thursday that Bill Clinton should’ve resigned after his relationship with an intern was revealed during his presidency. “Yes, I think that is the appropriate response,” Ms. Gillibrand, New York Democrat, told The New York Times when asked if Mr. Clinton should’ve stepped down…
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President Donald Trump lashed out at Hillary Clinton Saturday, calling her a terrible “loser” after she questioned the legitimacy of the 2016 presidential election. Calling the former Democratic nominee “Crooked Hillary,” as he often does, Trump told her: “Get on with your life and give it another try in three years!” Crooked Hillary Clinton is the…
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Many House and Senate Republicans are calling for a new special prosecutor to investigate the 2010 Uranium One deal, the Clinton Foundation, former Attorney General Loretta Lynch, and James Comey. Former Attorney General Eric Holder should be added to the list, as he was a sitting member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United…
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Paula Jones, the former Arkansas state employee who sued Bill Clinton for sexual harassment, said Hillary Clinton is wrong to claim her husband’s victims are “misremembering” his actions. “Every situation has to be judged on its own merit,” Clinton recently told Rita Cosby of ABC News. “And there were allegations that were disproved. It’s unfortunate that…
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Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) cheered of a $1.5 trillion tax cut, but he was feeling as much trepidation as elation knowing his party’s No. 1 domestic policy goal is now in the hands of the fickle Senate. Byrne was blunt in the statement he released after the 227-205 vote. “I truly hope the Senate does not…
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by CHQ Staff F2A President Janet Porter hosted a press conference for embattled Alabama conservative Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore Thursday, followed by a press conference Friday featuring Women for Moore hosted by Alabama Tea Party leader Becky Gerritson (see video below). According to reporting by our friends at CharismaNews.com F2A presented Moore with a letter signed by pro-family supporters, stating: We stand with Judge Roy Moore, a man of integrity who has never wavered from his valiant defense of the unborn, the Ten Commandments and the Constitution. We are confident the voters of Alabama will not be fooled by suspiciously timed accusations without evidence, and will reject the politics of personal destruction led by the Washington Post. If the media lynch mob and establishment politicians are allowed to ambush Judge Roy Moore, then they will destroy anyone who gets in their way. We stand with Roy Moore. The conference was held at the Birmingham Marriott. Speakers included Dr. Alan Keyes of Renew America, Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter, Pastor David Floyd of Marvin Parkway Baptist Church in Opelika, and Pastor Tom Brown of First Baptist Church in Gallant. “When Gideon of the Bible needed encouragement, God told him to go…
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The NFL has come out against House Republicans’ tax cut bill, putting the league out on a political limb even as it deals with the fallout from national anthem protests. Other big pro sports leagues are staying out of the fight, but a spokesman for the National Football League said teams don’t want to lose a…
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Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) called on Republican Roy Moore to withdraw from the U.S. Senate race in Alabama after unsubstantiated allegations of sexual harassment more than 30 years ago were made against him. But on Thursday, Corker refused to call for any punitive actions against Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) after photographic evidence substantiated a more recent claim of sexual harassment brought against him by a woman who was on a 2006 USO tour of Afghanistan with the former Saturday Night Live comic. “I receive these kinds of questions every day about all kinds of things and I just — I don’t really have a lot — I don’t know enough . . . I just, again, I just don’t want to be weighing in on these things every day when I know nothing about them,” Corker told The Intercept when asked about the conduct of his friend and Senate colleague from Minnesota. The Intercept added: But when a reporter pointed out that he had weighed in on the Roy Moore scandal, Corker asked, “How did I weigh in on Roy Moore?” Look, I’m sorry, but even before these reports surfaced, Roy Moore’s nomination was a bridge too far. — Senator…
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Former Republican Congressional candidate Dr. George Flinn, who wrote President Trump asking him to instruct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to amend the Obama-era regulation that were used against a beloved West Tennessee family physician, released a statement on Tuesday that he was “glad to play a small role in the restoration of Medicare billing privileges to Dr. Bryan Merrick, the family physician based in McKenzie, Tennessee: Congratulations to Dr. Merrick, his staff and the city of McKenzie. Ensuring that Dr. Merrick is able to continue serving his patients is an absolute victory, especially in a time when the patient-doctor relationship is dissolving due to government overreach and over regulation. Any help that was provided in writing a letter to President Trump, I was more than happy to do. I’m glad I was able to play a small role in doing the right thing and making sure patients continue to have access to Dr. Merrick. “Federal officials have restored Medicare billing privileges to Dr. Bryan Merrick, whose McKenzie Medical Center is located in the small West Tennessee city of McKenzie,” The Tennessee Star reported on Tuesday: The Tennessee Star led the way in reporting on the story of…
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Conservative grassroots activist Andy Ogles announced he is “ending his campaign for the U.S. Senate effective immediately,” in a statement released by his campaign Wednesday morning. “I entered this race to insure that Tennessee would have conservative representation that would reflect their values and commitment to ‘draining the swamp’ that Tennesseans expect and deserve. With Senator Corker making the decision to exit the Senate at the conclusion of his term rather than being terminated by the voters, the political landscape changed dramatically,” the former head of the Tennessee chapter of Americans for Prosperity said in the statement, which continued: “With each passing day, Senator Corker has underlined why Tennessee voters were prepared to fire him. As others hesitated, I was willing to accept the challenge and believed that once his vulnerabilities could be exposed voters would give him a pink slip. He clearly believed the same thing,” Ogles added. “Senator Corker has shown more passion attacking our President the past eleven months than he expressed in criticizing President Barack Obama during his entire 8 years in the White House. Thanks to Senators like Bob Corker, we have failed to secure our borders, still haven’t repealed and replaced Obamacare and are…
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Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed senior federal prosecutors to look into whether the Department of Justice should appoint a special counsel to investigate the Clinton Foundation and issues connected to the controversial Obama-era Uranium One deal, multiple news organizations reported Monday. Sessions requested that the prosecutors evaluate “certain issues” pertaining to the deal, which allowed a…
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A Tennessee chancery court judge ruled on Tuesday that the opioid abuse lawsuit filed by the Shelby County Commission earlier this month against several pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, and distributors can proceed, but gave Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell until the end of the year to intervene. “I am pleased the judge ruled that the opioid lawsuit would go forward,” Shelby County Commission Chairwoman Heidi Shafer tells The Tennessee Star in an exclusive interview. “The commission’s whole objective in this is to help the citizens of West Tennessee out of this horrible mess,” she adds. “This lawsuit is one of many actions we are taking to stop our communities being flooded with these extremely addictive drugs,” Shafer says. “The end of the year. That is the timeline that was set by a chancery court judge as to when the Shelby County Mayor’s administration needs to intervene in a lawsuit county commissioners filed against opioid makers,” WREG reported about Tuesday’s ruling. “I think he was clear he believes going forward it’s in the public’s best interest for the lawsuit to move forward,” attorney Allan Wade, who “spoke on behalf of the commission in court,” told WREG. “We’ve never objected them getting in…
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Legal and military experts told lawmakers Tuesday the president does not have complete authority to launch the first strike using a nuclear weapon when the U.S. is not faced with an imminent threat. In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee the experts grappled with what scenarios encompass “imminent” threats, when the president could order an…
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by ConservativeHQ.com Staff “I had nothing to do with this. This is a completely manufactured story meant to defraud this campaign. They’re losing. They’re 11 points behind. They don’t like my acknowledgment there is a God… They’re desperate. Sean, they’re simply desperate.” ~ Judge Roy Moore to Sean Hannity The political attacks on Judge Roy Moore – which are really more like assassination attempts – have brought the dirty tricks and smears of the Far Left to a new low. The totally unsupported charges that some 38 years ago, Moore, as a 32-year old adult, pursued some kind of a relationship with a 14-year old girl have all the hallmarks of a Leftwing political hit; a source closely tied to Democratic politicians, no physical evidence, no paper trail, and reporting by a rabidly anti-Republican, anti-Trump publication. Likewise, the allegations brought forward by serial Leftist litigator Gloria Allred lack any evidence, let alone proof. But these defamatory attacks are having two desired effects: First, it is driving Moore down in the polls; and, Second, it has manifested a new low in the disgusting cut and run by establishment Republicans, who wanted Moore defeated by any means possible in the Republican…
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Federal officials have restored Medicare billing privileges to Dr. Bryan Merrick, whose McKenzie Medical Center is located in the small West Tennessee city of McKenzie. The Tennessee Star led the way in reporting on the story of the well respected West Tennessee family practice doctor whose Medicare billing privileges were revoked in March under an Obama-era regulation over a reported $670 in billing errors. “Dr. Bryan Merrick has received word from federal officials that they are reversing an earlier decision to block Dr. Merrick from serving Medicare patients,” according to a statement released by the Office of Attorney Roy Herron on Tuesday, which can be read here: Dr. Merrick’s attorney, former state senator Roy Herron, was called on Monday by two of the several officials that Dr. Merrick and Herron had met with last Thursday in Baltimore. On the call the officials acknowledged to Herron how easily billing for the wrong one of two identically named persons could happen. The officials asked questions about actions taken by the McKenzie Medical Center to try to minimize clerical errors. After Herron explained those numerous preventive actions, the officials and Herron exchanged multiple emails. Late Monday, the officials confirmed that the Medicate revocation definitely would…
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A federal jury has deadlocked in the corruption case against Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), but the judge has ordered jurors to return to deliberate on Tuesday morning. Menendez is being tried on 12 counts of corruption, including bribery. The trial is in its 11th week. Menendez could face up to 20 years in prison on the…
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Songwriter Lee Thomas Miller launched his campaign for the Republican nomination to represent Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District from his home in Brentwood today. “I’m a songwriter, the smallest of ‘small business.’ I’m a small town guy who grew up being taught that every decision should be rooted in common sense. That patriotism and walking with God are part of everyday life. That nobody owes me anything- it’s up to me to earn what I get,” Miller said in his announcement statement. “I’m definitely not a politician and have no desire to ever become one!” he added. The conservative champion of religious liberty explained why he decided to enter the race to succeed Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), who is running for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Senator Bob Corker (R-TN). “I’ve been writing the stories of real Americans for as long as I can remember. Stories about life and loss. Love and regret. Songs about innocence and youth. Songs about faith and the struggle to keep it. I give a voice to those who can not find the words they are looking for. I give a voice to those who are not being heard,” Miller added in the statement…
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Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is now suing all thirteen Shelby County Commissioners to stop the opioid abuse lawsuit they filed earlier this month. But on Monday, the Shelby County Commission hit back, and voted “to direct Mayor Mark Luttrell to drop a lawsuit against its chairwoman over who controls an opioid lawsuit against Big Pharma,” the Commercial Appeal reported. “It’s a blatant bully tactic to try to scare commissioners into believing that they don’t have the right to vote and act as a check and balance on the executive branch,” Shelby County Commission Chairwoman Heidi Shafer told The Tennesssee Star in an exclusive interview late Monday. “I was proud of the commission for standing up to such bullying tactics,” Shafer told The Star. “The commission voted 8-5 to approve the resolution, which was added on to the agenda an hour into Monday’s meeting. The resolution also directs the administration not to file any lawsuits without prior approval from a majority of the commissioners,” as the Commercial Appeal reported, adding: Luttrell’s administration sued chairwoman Heidi Shafer and the commission on Nov. 6 for her decision to hire law firm New York-based Napoli Shkolnik, known for winning a huge class-action settlement for sick Ground Zero workers,…
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by ConservativeHQ.com Staff Last week a group of principled conservatives in the U.S. House of Representatives did what Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will never do – they went on offense against the corrupt cabal protecting Hillary Clinton, James Comey, Robert Mueller and the rest of the insiders protecting the worst villains of the Obama-era swamp. Congressman Andy Biggs (AZ-05) led a special order on the U.S. House floor to shed light on the conflicts of interest of those in the previous administration. Joining Congressman Biggs on the floor were Rep. Mark Meadows, Rep. Jim Jordan, Rep. Matt Gaetz, Rep. Trent Franks, Rep. Louie Gohmert, Rep. Scott Perry, Rep. Ted Yoho, and Rep. Jody Hice. The topics covered included Robert Mueller, James Comey, Uranium One, Fusion GPS, the Trump dossier, Hillary Clinton, and the Clinton Foundation. Congressman Biggs gave these remarks in his opening statement: “As I recall the events of the past two years, it becomes clearer than ever that Robert Mueller should resign. If he does not resign, then he should be fired. We believe he has conflicts of interest that do not allow him to proceed with his investigation in an unbiased, independent manner. Further,…
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Conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate Mae Beavers called on the Tennessee Comptroller to “conduct a complete and thorough audit and investigation” of all the grants issued during Randy Boyd’s tenure as commissioner of Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TECD). Boyd announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in March after resigning as commissioner of TECD in January. “It appears Randy Boyd has used Tennessee taxpayer dollars and resources as ECD Commissioner to lay the foundations of his gubernatorial campaign,” Beavers said in a statement released late Monday. “The Comptroller should conduct a complete and thorough audit and investigation of this grant — as well as all other grants awarded during Mr. Boyd’s tenure — in order to determine if this is part of a broader pattern of targeted corporate welfare designed to build political support,” the former State Senator from Mt. Juliet said. Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury Justin P. Wilson is in charge several departments, including the Division of State Audit, which “conducts financial and compliance audits, performance audits, information systems audits, attestation engagements, investigations, and special studies to provide the General Assembly, the Governor, and the citizens of Tennessee with objective information about the state’s financial condition…
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Sen. Pat Toomey has joined the growing chorus of Republicans who say Roy Moore should drop out the U.S. Senate race in Alabama over charges that the former judge pursued relationships with teenaged girls when he was in his 30s. “I think the accusations have more credibility than the denial. I think it would be best…
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WASHINGTON — Roy Moore, the Republican candidate for Senate in Alabama, lost his lead in the race after allegations that he had sexual contact with teenagers years ago, and the election is now a toss-up, a new poll indicated Sunday. Moore trails Democratic candidate Doug Jones 46 percent to 42 percent among Alabama voters, a lead…
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An Islamic State faction in Somalia has grown significantly over the past year, carrying out attacks in Puntland and receiving some funding from Syria and Iraq, a report by UN sanctions monitors said Friday. The faction loyal to Sheikh Abdulqader Mumin was targeted by US drone strikes last week in the first US operation targeting IS…
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Tennessee political observers are questioning whether former commissioner of Tennessee Economic and Community Development (TECD), and current Republican candidate for governor, Randy Boyd used his previous office as a platform to prepare a gubernatorial campaign by directing state grants to local officials and businesses who might, and in many cases have, support his run for governor. One example cited by those observers involves State Senate candidate Shane Reeves. In July 2016 Randy Boyd, then-commissioner of TECD, approved a $1 million “Fast Track Economic Development Fund” grant for Murfreesboro based TwelveStone Health Partners, whose founder and and CEO Shane Reeves is a candidate for the Republican nomination in the 14th District State Senate special election prompted by the resignation of State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville). Soon after Boyd left his state position to run for governor, the Reeves Family PAC, which lists Shane Reeves as the sole officer, donated $5,000 in April, 2017 to the Randy Boyd gubernatorial campaign. Reeves also personally endorsed Boyd during a campaign stop in Murfreesboro that same month. Randy Boyd resigned as commissioner of TECD in January 2017 and announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for governor in March. In October, the Randy Boyd for Governor campaign announced that “50 of the 95 county mayors…
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Tennessee fired fifth-year head coach Butch Jones after another blowout loss, according to multiple reports Sunday. Volunteers athletic director John Currie told Jones on Sunday morning that he was being fired, sources told ESPN’s Chris Low. The move was first reported by Sports Illustrated. Tennessee, winless this season in the SEC, was blown out 50-17 at…
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Steve Bannon, former White House adviser and the populist chief of Breitbart News, predicts that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will lose his position as the head of Senate Republicans by November of 2018. In an interview with the New York Times released Friday, Bannon told reporter Jeremy Peters “I absolutely do not think [McConnell] will…
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by George Rasley, CHQ Editor In one sense, the fact that Democrats won the gubernatorial races in two Democrat-dominated states, New Jersey and Virginia, is not a big deal. Given political trends in the Old Dominion, the Virginia Governor’s race was Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam’s to lose, likewise with the Chris Christie anchor around her neck, New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno Northam adwas never competitive against Democrat Phil Murphy. But as harbingers of things to come in 2018, the Virginia campaign in particular should be a big deal for Republicans. As our old friend John Gizzi reported for NewsMax, the Virginia Republican establishment was all in agreement that the mean-spirited, Trump-bashing campaign waged by Democratic Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam would surely boomerang and make Republican Ed Gillespie governor. They were wrong. With near final results in, Northam won by the biggest margin of any winning Democrat for governor (53 percent to 46 percent) in 32 years. Coupled with a Democratic sweep of the two other statewide races (lieutenant governor and attorney general) and a stunning gain of at least 12 seats in the state House of Delegates (putting Democrats on the verge of a 50-to-50 seat tie…
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Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore on Friday emphatically denied sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl — or even ever meeting her. Under fire after The Washington Post reported Leigh Corfman’s allegations that he undressed her in 1979, Moore told radio show host Sean Hannity that the allegations are false. “I don’t know Ms. Corfman from anybody,”…
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Matt Herriman, campaign manager for Shane Reeves’ State Senate campaign in the special election in the 14th State Senate District to replace State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), tells The Tennessee Star that Reeves “probably won’t be available at least the next couple of weeks” for an in person interview with The Star “as our schedule is packed as we jumpstart this campaign.” You can read Herriman’s complete response to our request for an interview here: Thank you for your email request to meet with Shane. Unfortunately, he probably won’t be available at least the next couple of weeks as our schedule is packed as we jumpstart this campaign. He will be on the road all across the district. If you’d like, for deadline purposes, to send your questions to me, I’ll get them in front of Shane and back to you as soon as I can. You are also welcome to use any photo from the website for your story. Thanks again for reaching out. The 14th State Senate District covers parts of Rutherford County, all of Moore, Marshall, and Bedford Counties, and the northern two-thirds of Lincoln County. The Republican primary is expected to be held in January, with…
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On Wednesday the Shelby County Commission slapped down an attempt by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell to stop the opioid abuse lawsuit it filed last week, voting 8 to 0 “to immediately move forward in suing opioid manufacturers and distributors.” “Why Mayor Luttrell would want to drag his feet for two years when Tennessee’s opioid prescription rate is the second highest in the United States is a mystery to me,” Shelby County Commission Chairwoman Heidi Shafer tells The Star in an exclusive interview. “We have more prescriptions for opioids than we have people. Who benefits from that?” Shafer asks, adding: Not the babies born addicted. Not the elderly who are routinely prescribed these addictive drugs and becoming hooked. Not the hospitals, schools, and law enforcment. Not the taxpayers! “It looks like the Swamp does not exist only in Washington, D.C. It looks like we have a Swamp right here in Memphis,” Shafer says. The commission’s vote “comes ahead of a Tuesday, Nov. 14, hearing in Chancery Court on county mayor Mark Luttrell’s lawsuit against Shafer. Luttrell claims Shafer violated the county charter by acting unilaterally to hire a law firm,” the Memphis Daily News reported: Commissioner Terry Roland said the commission’s ratification vote…
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The Department of Homeland Security indicated Monday that it would end a quasi-amnesty program for 5,300 people in the U.S. from Nicaragua, but extend it for 86,000 people from Honduras. The U.S. had originally granted Temporary Protected Status to people from both countries after they were ravaged by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Administration officials, speaking on…
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Stanford University is hiring an employee to teach its medical school faculty about microaggressions and implicit bias, according to a Monday report. The university is hiring a “Manager of Inclusion and Culture Strategy” to host social justice trainings for its medical school faculty, as well as investigate and emphasize diversity and inclusion, reported Campus Reform. “Design…
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The U.S. Air Force failed to report Texas church shooter Devin Kelley’s misdemeanor domestic violence charge to the FBI, allowing him to legally purchase firearms. The U.S. armed forces are required to report dishonorable discharges and misdemeanor assault charges to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, that in turn would alert a firearms seller…
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The FBI originally planned to say that Hillary Clinton was “grossly negligent” in her handling of her secret emails, a top senator said Monday, revealing early drafts of the statement former FBI Director James Comey drew up. Sen. Charles E. Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, demanded the FBI detail why Mr. Comey nixed that phrase…
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The Tennessee Journal first reported details of three separate reputable polls that have been conducted in Tennessee which were focused on the 2018 Senate race to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Bob Corker. With the August Republican primary still nine months away, the polls all show Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn with a significant lead in statewide name recognition, a strong edge in approval versus disapproval numbers and a large margin in either a head to head matchup with former 8th District Congressman Stephen Fincher or a three way race with Fincher and former Americans for Prosperity state director Andy Ogles. The polls were all conducted before physician Rolando Toyos, formerly of Memphis, but now of Nashville, entered the race. All three surveys show Blackburn well ahead of Fincher, with each of the polls having been conducted in late September, early October, and late October. Details from the private surveys were made available to The Tennessee Journal as well as The Tennessee Star. Although Fincher supporters have been claiming that the race is a “dead heat” the poll numbers tell a different story. First, any candidate running in the August Republican primary — for any office in Tennessee — must…
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In an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star, Tommy A. Thomas, District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 27th Judicial District, explained his decision not to prosecute University of Tennessee at Martin associate professor of English Charles Bradshaw over a letter he wrote anonymously that contained threats to students promoting a resolution to allow students to concealed carry on campus. UT Martin Chancellor Keith Carver characterized Thomas’s decision not to prosecute Bradshaw as one based on the First Amendment in a statement released on Friday. “The campus reported the situation to the Weakley County District Attorney, who declined to press charges because Dr. Bradshaw engaged in speech protected by the First Amendment,” Carver said in the statement. “That’s not exactly what I said,” Thomas, who serves Obion and Weakley Counties, told The Star on Monday when asked about Chancellor Carver’s statement on Friday that he had decided not to prosecute Prof. Bradshaw since the anonymous threatening letter he sent was protected speech under the First Amendment. “We declined any prosecution because it appeared to me this was clearly not a serious threat but a parody,” Thomas said, adding: Any punishment or anything else should be handled administratively. I did not mention the First Amendment.…
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Former State Rep. Joe Carr (R-Lascassas) announced on Monday he will be running for the State Senate seat in the 14th District currently held by State Senator Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville). On Friday, Tracy was appointed by the Trump administration to serve as the Tennessee State Director of Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Earlier on Monday, Senator Tracy resigned from the State Senate, which means that a special election will be held, most likely within the next 120 days, to replace him in the State Senate. You can read Carr’s full statement here: LASCASSAS, TN (November 6, 2017) – Today, Former State Representative Joe Carr formally announces his candidacy to represent Tennessee’s 14th Senate District of the Tennessee General Assembly. Joe Carr stated, “Tennessee has a great opportunity to assist President Trump in making America Great Again. To do that Tennessee needs to lead the way in removing unnecessary rules and regulations, enforcing the rule of law with those who enter our state illegally, supporting values that protect the life of the unborn, the protection of our Second Amendment Rights and, of course, the demonstrated willingness to fight for Tennessee’s Sovereignty from an ever-expanding federal government. Specifically, we are going…
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