Employees at Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, donated at least $15.1 million to President Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, according to Open Secrets.
The donations eclipsed the amount given from employees in the banking and legal sectors, according to The Wall Street Journal. The five companies were also the largest fundraising sources for Biden’s campaign.
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With President Biden and Kamala Harris steering the American ship of state, there isn’t much left at the federal level to stop “woke” politics from encroaching even further into all aspects of American society. In every federal agency including the military, in corporate America including sports and entertainment, throughout the colleges and universities, and even down into the K-12 public schools, “woke” ideology now permeates the culture. It is a seductive, divisive philosophy that emphasizes group conflict over individual competition and achievement. If it isn’t stopped, it will destroy everything that has made America great.
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Around 1,315 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine scheduled to be administered in Shelby County expired as winter weather closed vaccination sites this week, the Shelby County Health Department announced Friday.
Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter said the health department was not informed the doses were about to expire. The department contracts with a pharmacy, and the pharmacist is responsible for managing the vaccine and thawing doses in the appropriate timeline for use. The vaccine spoilage was first reported by the Commercial Appeal.
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On Tuesday, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the integrity of Michigan’s 2020 general election.
Both sides are claiming victory.
The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could decide in a matter of weeks whether it will remove the work or activity requirement in Georgia’s partial Medicaid expansion plan.
The CMS said the plan, which was approved by former President Donald Trump’s administration in October, does not “promote the objectives of the Medicaid program” and would be impossible to accomplish because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Georgia will provide $552 million in rent and utility assistance to landlords and tenants, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday.
The federal government provided the COVID-19-related aid through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, and it will be paid directly to landlords and utility companies.
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Tennessee entered into a consulting contract with Washington-based McKinsey & Company consulting firm while the state attorney general was investigating the firm for its role in the opioid epidemic, state records show.
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery recently announced the state would receive more than $15 million from a multistate lawsuit settlement with McKinsey over the firm’s role in consulting opioid manufacturers on how to best market and profit from opioid drug sales.
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House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, has introduced adult-use cannabis legislation that a Senate Republican leader opposes.
The bill is derived from conversations in 15 communities statewide.
“The tide is shifting,” Winkler said in a press conference about the 15 states that’ve legalized marijuana so far.
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On Friday, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to ban facial recognition technology for police use.
The determination prohibits every city department from acquiring, obtaining, or using facial recognition technology or information derived from the technology.
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This is no time for despair. This is no time for discouragement, and this is certainly no time for violence. Now is the time to use every constitutional prerogative at our disposal to peacefully fight for the future of our country.
I was deeply disappointed by the outcomes in the Georgia elections and the congressional certification of the electoral college vote making Joe Biden the next President of the United States. However, this is the reality we face, and it is time to acknowledge it.
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Wednesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed the original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the studio who outlined the politicization of the COVID vaccine and government run education.
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I grew up in a Democratic household and strongly supported the ideals and platform of the Democratic Party: free speech, racial equality, and social justice, and empathy for the common man. Quite frankly I have recently become disillusioned with the progressive direction that the Democratic Party has taken and have seen firsthand outside the borders of the United States the dismal failure of the well-intentioned results of progressivism and socialism.
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By now you may have heard of the silent voter.
The silent voter is nothing new. The New York Times identified this phenomenon way back in November of 1886, describing it as “the vote which helps make what are called tidal waves in politics.”
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Three Michigan women have filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Treasury Department on Tuesday in order to stop taxation of feminine hygiene products like tampons, citing gender discrimination and the 14th Amendment of the Constitution.
Emily Beggs, Claire Pfeiffer and Wei Ho filed the lawsuit on August 11 in the Court of Claims, according to MLive. The lawsuit says that collecting taxes on feminine hygiene products is discriminatory based on the 14th Amendment, which protects against “intentional inequalities.”
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Dr. Carol M. Swain appeared on Fox News Channel’s Fox and Friends Weekend Edition with hosts, Jedediah Bila and Pete Hegseth Sunday to discuss how the coronavirus has been politicized and schools have become indoctrination camps of an anti-American agenda.
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A Michigan high school is receiving backlash after it fired a teacher shortly after he tweeted “Trump is our president.”
Varsity baseball coach and social studies teacher Justin Kucera said that Walled Lake school district gave him the option of being fired or resigning after he had tweeted his support of President Trump and for reopening schools, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
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Ypsilanti Mayor Beth Bashert resigned on Tuesday after receiving criticism for controversial remarks about a Black city official during a virtual council meeting.
During a Zoom meeting on June 16, Bashert said that she would be “crucified” for not voting to reappoint city human relations commissioner Ka’Ron Gaines.
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The Senate confirmed Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX-04) on Thursday as President Trump’s top intelligence official in a vote straight along party lines.
Ratcliffe became Trump’s second permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) in a 49-44 vote, with all Democrats opposed. The vote along party lines was the first since the position was created following the 9/11 attack as generally there are never more than a dozen senators voting against a confirmation for the position, according to CNN.
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On March 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the human coronavirus a pandemic, which is defined as a global outbreak of a disease. The existence of the coronavirus has created a worldwide panic. Among the things I don’t understand: why this virus, compared with others before it, warrants shutting down the United States and killing its economy. Our nation survived 9/11, Swine Flu, and H1N1. But coronavirus (COVID-19), together with the politics behind it, threatens to annihilate us.
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Joe Biden won Florida’s 2020 Democratic primary, capturing a majority of the state’s Latino voters.
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Recently I celebrated my birthday with my son and five of his children. His wife and oldest daughter were visiting relatives, so I pitched in and helped James with the kids.
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The Left has shown that the collusion exoneration last year by the heralded Robert Mueller investigation – all 22-months, the “dream team,” and $34 million of it – meant absolutely nothing.
The Left is hooked on Trump and cannot quit him. Ultimately, they hope to destroy him physically. He will be 74 in June. By the standards of senior medicine, they feel Trump is locked in a self-destructive cycle: little sleep, little exercise, poor diet, too heavy, too stressed.
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On New Year’s Eve, four of my siblings, their spouses, and I gathered at my sister’s house in Asheville, North Carolina. A table covered with side dishes and hors d’oeuvres, wonderful conversations and reminiscences, and glasses raised at midnight: it was a memorable New Year’s Eve party.
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One has to wonder if the shock and despair described in David Bowie’s 1971 hit, “Five Years,” would be the preferred collective mentality for humanity, at least if the relentless propaganda campaigns of climate change activists are successful. And one must admit they have powerful allies at their disposal. A climate alarm consensus informs America’s entire educational, entertainment, and media establishments, along with most corporate marketing, and most political platforms from the local city council to the United Nations.
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Planned Parenthood advocacy groups announced their largest political campaign effort to date Wednesday, a plan to push millions of dollars behind candidates in upcoming elections.
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A coalition between the Democratic Party and left-wing militants is coming into view, manifesting as a combined arms approach of state and non-state actors working to suppress political dissent. It is paradoxically authoritarian and anti-establishmentarian, using law enforcement bureaus to effect their designs while simultaneously placing officers and agents in harm’s way.
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One of the great difficulties in perfecting technologies like radar and sonar revolves around the problem of distinguishing accurately between noise and the real McCoy. Is that an enemy bomber or missile out there, or is it just a flock of birds?
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The nine philosopher-kings enthroned on the Supreme Court were finally gracious enough to let President Trump proceed with his plans to build a wall at the southern border, at least for now. In a 5-4 ruling, the court last month overturned an appellate court’s decision, allowing the Trump Administration to tap into military funds and continue construction while litigation is pending.
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by Bethany Blankley The U.S. national debt exceeds $21.5 trillion. That’s almost quadruple the national debt when President George W. Bush first took office in 2001. Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate held a vote on Sen. Rand Paul’s Penny Plan, which would reduce federal government spending and implement fiscal restraint reforms. Only 22 U.S. Senators voted for the Penny Plan, with 25 Republican senators and all Democrats voting against it. The Senate vote came months after about 130 U.S. leaders called on President Donald Trump to lead a “transparency revolution,” and reign in out-of-control federal government spending. “With the economy booming, wages rising, competitive tax rates, domestic energy production flourishing, and unemployment at a near 50-year low across every demographic – the federal debt continues to skyrocket. This is unsustainable,” they wrote in an open letter to the president. Trump responded by directing his federal agency heads to cut five percent of their budgets. Former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, and honorary chair of OpenTheBooks.com, and Adam Andrzejewski, CEO and founder of the watchdog advocacy group, said Trump’s “war on federal government waste” was “a great first step and an achievable goal.” However, his “willingness to lead by example” was…
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by Mitchell Nemeth Labels allow us to paint others into a box where we can then apply our preconceived notions to them. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson famously said: The moment when someone attaches you to a philosophy or a movement, then they assign all the baggage and all the rest of the philosophy that goes with it to you. And when you want to have a conversation, they will assert that they already know everything important there is to know about you because of that association. And that’s not the way to have a conversation. Labels are easy to use, and they allow us to skim past the complexity of an individual’s ideas and thoughts. Weaponizing Labels In political discourse, labeling is a simple way of describing complexity. Few persons are ideologically pure, and, by nature, we are complex beings. American political parties are generally representative of this phenomenon. While the modern Republican Party is broadly conservative, there are numerous libertarians, Christian conservatives, nationalists, and right-wing populists. On the whole, the Republican Party is conservative, but the label is a simple means of describing a much more complex truth. Republican Congressman Justin Amash and Republican Senator Rand Paul have…
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by Edward Ring Just over 10 years ago, the world lost Michael Crichton, bestselling author and screenwriter, who succumbed to cancer at age 66. His loss was greater than we could have known at the time. During the final years of his life, Crichton became increasingly focused on the politicization of science. Few critics of this corruption, if any, are as articulate and influential as Michael Crichton was in his time. And now politicized science, and the justifications it provides activists, journalists, politicians, and corporate opportunists, is more dangerous than ever. Crichton’s scientific background – he obtained a medical degree in 1969, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies – distinguished him from the typical author of thrillers, and informed his life-long interest in science and technology. Whenever Crichton expressed skepticism about the latest environmental crisis of the century, he had credibility. One of the most succinct and moving examples of Crichton’s thoughts on this topic came in the form of a speech he gave in 2003 at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club, titled “Environmentalism As Religion.” The transcript offers a compelling defense of rational environmentalism vs. environmentalism as a religion, and warns against the politicization of…
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by Tyler Arnold Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan auto insurance reform into law Thursday that will guarantee lower rates for all drivers in the state with the highest premiums in the country. “By signing this legislation, we are providing relief to millions of drivers across the state and guaranteeing a better auto insurance system for everyone,” Whitmer said in a news release. “This historic deal shows that, when we put party aside, we can find common ground on our state’s toughest issues to provide realistic and affordable coverage options for drivers across Michigan.” The legislation will eliminate a mandate that required every driver to purchase unlimited, lifetime personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. The PIP portion of a person’s auto insurance bill makes up about half the cost. The new legislation will allow drivers to choose from a series of options, all of which reduce their total bill. A driver that chooses to keep 100 percent PIP coverage will receive 10 percent off of the PIP portion of their bill. Drivers who choose $500,000 worth of coverage will receive a 20 percent reduction and drivers who choose $250,000 worth of coverage will receive a 25 percent reduction. Medicaid-eligible recipients can…
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Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has made it very clear that the Oval Office is in his sights. Coming off a six-point reelection victory, the only nonjudicial Democrat to win in Ohio in 2018, Brown has been working behind the scenes to build the infrastructure, support, and endorsements necessary to mount a challenge to President Donald Trump in 2020. However, the third-term Democrat’s presidential campaign may already be over before its even been announced. With as many as 30 Democrats reportedly considering 2020 presidential runs, some of the most visible progressive legislators have inadvertently sent stringent political litmus tests that will leave many contenders in a difficult position. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and other assertively progressive candidates have made public overtures about the evil and corrupting nature of high dollar fundraising, special interest group funds, PAC’s, Super PAC’s, and other forms of corporate backing. Most of these candidates tout their reelection successes through only small individual donations as evidence of how unnecessary these election tools are. These candidates are now condemning any candidate, Democrat or Republican, who accepts funding from these entities. In 2016, a major talking point for Sanders’ presidential campaign was that his average campaign donation was $27,…
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by Lawrence W. Reed That means it contains all the flaws and foibles of mortals so a free people must confine it, restrain it, and keep a wary eye on it. “Friendship,” wrote C. S. Lewis in a December 1935 letter, “is the greatest of worldly goods. Certainly to me it is the chief happiness of life. If I had to give a piece of advice to a young man about a place to live, I think I should say, sacrifice almost everything to live where you can be near your friends.” Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was just the sort of person I would give an arm to have as a friend across the street. I can only imagine the thrill of listening to him for hours on end. This distinguished scholar and thinker was, of course, a prolific author of works in Christian apologetics and of the seven-part children’s fantasy, The Chronicles of Narnia (which have sold more than 100 million copies and have been adapted into three major motion pictures). While teaching literature first at Oxford and then at Cambridge, he cranked out more than a score of books, from the dense but highly regarded Mere Christianity…
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by Jon Miltimore and Tyler Brandt Despite claims that Antifa fights fascism, the group’s tactics actually mirror those of Benito Mussolini’s regime. On March 23, 1919, Benito Mussolini, an Italian veteran of the Great War and a publisher of socialist newspapers, created the Fasci di Combattimento (commonly known as the Fascist Party) with the help of a few syndicalist friends. Nearly one hundred years later, the word fascism remains at the forefront of our political discourse even though fascism is all but dead as a political force, and the word has lost much of its meaning (if not its power). So why are we still talking about fascists? The Rise of Antifa On November 8, the late-night TV host Stephen Colbert took to Twitter to condemn a mob that had attacked the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson. “Fighting Tucker Carlson’s ideas is an American right,” Colbert wrote. “Targeting his home and terrorizing his family is an act of monstrous cowardice. Obviously, don’t do this, but also, take no pleasure in it happening. Feeding monsters just makes more monsters.’ The attackers consisted of a group who called themselves Antifa. Few Americans had heard the word “Antifa” prior to…
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by Victor Davis Hanson Some progressives lamented the apparent defeat of radical progressive African-American candidates such as gubernatorial nominees Stacey Abrams of Georgia and Florida’s Andrew Gillum by blaming allegedly treasonous white women. Apparently white women did not vote sufficiently en bloc in accordance with approved notions of identity politics tribalism. According to this progressive orthodoxy, being female, gay, or minority trumps everything else. But, of course, no one believes in such mythical notions of solidarity, least of all progressives themselves. White women were expected in Michigan, for example, to vote against a sterling African-American senatorial candidate John James, whose résumé was far more impressive than his victorious opponent, incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow. There was no such thing as minorities on the collective barricades when it was a matter of defeating California congressional candidate Elizabeth Heng, first-generation child of refugees, Asian, female, former Stanford student body president, and Yale MBA in her singular bid to unseat a seven-term white male Democratic incumbent. The outraged identity politics industry has entered the realm of insanity when it screams at the “treason” of white women while bragging that 95 percent of black women voted for a white male Robert O’Rourke against Latino…
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by Grace Carr Chelsea Clinton said she wouldn’t rule out running for political office in a Wednesday interview, saying that she’d consider running if a spot opened up where she thinks she’d be a good fit. “I think if someone were to step down or retire and I thought I could do a good job and it matched my talents, I’d have to think if it’s the right choice for me,” Clinton said, according to the Westchester Journal News. Clinton is the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation. Founded by her father and former president Bill Clinton, the foundation “work[s] on issues directly or with strategic partners from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service,” according to its website. The foundation is also “committed to cultivating a diverse, new generation of leaders.” The Justice Department began investigating the Clinton Foundation in January after allegations that the Clintons had traded political favors for donations. The DOJ also looked into whether Hillary Clinton had advocated for certain policies advantageous to the foundation while she served as secretary of state. [ RELATED: FBI Takes Aim At The Clinton Foundation ] The Clinton Foundation failed…
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by Jeffery Rendall After you’ve finished snickering at the notion consider the reason Trump’s so-called loyal opposition (a.k.a. Democrats and #NeverTrumpers) hate the outsider president so much – isn’t it because he’s so different from most other Republicans? From the beginning you could tell Trump not only didn’t want to be like the “standard” GOPer, he sought to mold a new party in his confrontational style – one that takes popular/majority issues, describes them in simple but brunt terminology and then bludgeons Democrats with them until they capitulate – or are vanquished. Do you think you would’ve heard “Lock her up!” from Mitt Romney’s biggest fans? The GOP establishment’s distinguished gentleman candidates of the past – George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, George W. Bush, John McCain and Romney – all looked and acted as though they belonged at the head of a boardroom table somewhere. These stiffs had manners, too. With maybe the exception of Dole, all cut their teeth in privileged environments where good boys don’t rock the boat or the family might be shamed. Whereas the Kennedy and Roosevelt families equaled American “royalty” for the Democrats so did the Bush and Romney clans for the GOP. Though not quite as…
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An Oct. 6 workshop in Franklin is offering to help high school students – or people of all ages – learn how to have political conversations without losing friends – and there is a taco feast too. The event is titled the Communications Workshop – Getting Your Friends to Understand Why. The Leadership Institute is holding the training from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Marriott Cool Springs, 700 Cool Springs Blvd. in Franklin. State Senator Dr. Mark Green (R-TN) is the guest speaker. High school economics students may remember the adage, “There is no such thing as a free lunch” (TINSTAAFL), referring to the cost of decision-making and consumption. So what’s the cost of this training workshop and lunch? Only $5. The event page for more information and registration is available here. But the organizers say the worskhop is not only for high school students, but also for any professional who needs advice on crafting his or her communications abilities. According to the Leadership Institute, “The Communications Workshop is designed to help you better connect with your friends. The workshop provides an in-depth look at how you can design and improve your political communications in person and online. You…
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Isn’t free money to support man’s best friend a good thing? What if the money is coming from a gubernatorial candidate just before the election? Republican candidate Randy Boyd’s foundation is handing out cash. The Randy Boyd Foundation presented the city of Jackson with the grand prize check of $100,000 for the Tennessee Dog Park Dash, WBBJ reported Friday. The grant requires the park to be built by 2020. “I anticipate it being done much earlier,” said Mandy White with the Jackson Chamber. A total of 37 communities across the state will receive $1 million to build or enhance off-leash dog parks, the Crossville Chronicle reported. Jackson received the largest prize — the other locales were paid $25,000 each. The winning communities for the 2018 Tennessee Dog Park Dash grant are: • West Tennessee: Bolivar, Brownsville, Camden, Decatur County, Dyersburg, Henderson, Humboldt, Lakeland, McKenzie, Memphis, Milan and Pickwick. • Middle Tennessee: Gallatin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg, Manchester, McMinnville, Mount Pleasant, Murfreesboro, Spring Hill and White House. • East Tennessee: Athens, Bristol, Chattanooga, Cleveland, Crossville, Erwin, Greeneville, Jonesborough, Kingsport, Kingston, Morristown, Rogersville, Spring City, Union County, and Jefferson County. ●Grand Prize winner: Jackson. Randy and Jenny Boyd, of course, “will visit and meet with…
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There is no question U2 is one of the most talented bands in our time. They also have done some great work in terms of social justice. Their work has included relief efforts for HIV-positive people in Africa. (RED) was created by Bono and Bobby Shriver in 2006 to fight to end AIDS in Africa. U2 is currently campaigning for global women’s rights such as an estimated 130 million girls who are not getting to attend school. I applaud them for that work. Then there is the right to life — but U2 is not campaigning for people’s rights to live, but rather, for women to have the right to murder their babies. https://twitter.com/ClosertoOne/status/1000558943100284928 On Friday, the people of Ireland voted to legalize abortion. The nation’s Eighth Amendment had protected preborn babies since 1983. Five previous votes on the repeal had failed. Earlier in May, U2 stepped into the debate by tweeting their support of ending the protection of preborn babies. Breitbart reports, “After U2 tweeted a photo endorsing the ‘Repeal the 8th; campaign… fans erupted with a barrage of more than 800 overwhelmingly negative replies, with many voicing their decision to stop supporting the band or attending its concerts.”…
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Yet another Nashville Predators foray into progressive politics has some saying the team’s president and CEO should spend time in the penalty box. The National Hockey League team’s President/CEO Sean Henry endorsed liberal mayoral candidate David Briley. The former vice mayor assumed office in March when disgraced Mayor Megan Barry resigned. The special election is May 24. The political move made national headlines. “I’ve honestly never seen this before, and I think it’s bad for our country to be politicizing every aspect of our lives, including teams endorsing a political candidate,” Clay Travis of Outkick the Coverage said on his website, as quoted by Brietbart. NewsChannel 5’s Steve Layman said in a broadcast column, “Sports and politics don’t mix.” He cited the fallout over the National Football League players who knelt during the national anthem. That leaves the question: Why would a sports team endorse a candidate? Could money be a factor? The Tennessean reported that the Preds are working with Briley to secure a new lease on Bridgestone Arena. Nashville attorney Daniel Horwitz told the newspaper the team’s endorsement does not violate state law against using public buildings to support a candidate unless giving equal presentation to all sides.…
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by Jeffrey A. Rendall If you’re a Republican consultant and charter member of the DC swamp, what do you tell your clients to say about President Donald Trump these days? Just when it appeared as though the GOP was emerging from its self-imposed political exile after the push to pass tax relief last December all heck’s breaking lose now as we move towards the end of March. The Republican Congress can’t do anything right – it won’t move on immigration, the budget’s bloated way out of control (thanks in part to continuing to fund Obamacare insurance bailouts), snowflake teenagers are all over TV spouting off about gun control and the media’s in a tizzy over the rumored firing of Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller. Are foreign actors controlling the news narrative? There’s so much chaos…it’s possible. And then there’s Trump, the Twitter-happy chief executive who (literally) loves pushing buttons – on his phone and on those around him who are easily annoyed. David M. Drucker of the Washington Examiner wrote, “House Republicans were relying heavily on the $1.4 trillion tax overhaul to counteract concerns about the president and revive their 2018 fortunes, burdened with traditional midterm headwinds made exponentially worse by dissatisfaction with…
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Twitter on Tuesday announced steps to make it easier to see who is behind political ads and who they are targeting as social media giants try to thwart skullduggery. The moves include launching an online center with details about advertisers and their messages, according to general manager of revenue and product engineering Bruce Falck. Twitter also…
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