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With One Month Remaining in the Fiscal Year, Tennessee’s Budget Surplus Is Now Up To $649 Million

Laura Baigert

  Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Stuart McWhorter announced Wednesday that Tennessee’s June revenues were $92.5 million more than the state budgeted for the month, resulting in a total budget surplus of $649.2 million with just one month remaining in the 2018-2019 fiscal year. The state’s revenue collections of $1.6 billion for the month of June, which is the eleventh month of the year on an accrual basis, were $115.3 million more than collected in June of 2018. McWhorter acknowledged that total revenues in June “were notably higher than expected,” which confirms the strength of the Tennessee economy, he said. Revenues have exceeded the budgeted estimates all 11 months of the current fiscal year, with surpluses ranging from a low of $3.2 million in October 2018 to the high of $258.9 million in April 2019. April’s excess revenues alone account for nearly 40 percent of the year-to-date budget surplus. June’s surplus puts revenues to the state 4.8 percent ahead of the budget and 5.6 percent ahead of this time last fiscal year. The Franchise and Excise Tax plus the Sales and Use Tax make up about 80 percent of the State’s total revenues as well as the budget surplus…

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Audit: Tennessee Government Employee Pampers Herself with $150,000 of Taxpayer Money

Chris Butler

  A Tennessee government employee who spent almost $150,000 of taxpayer money on luxuries for herself will face sentencing next month, said her former boss. According to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released this week, a former Oliver Springs Housing Authority employee spent, among other things, more than $16,000 on herself at Amazon.com and nearly $3,500 on her personal property taxes. “This employee admitted to investigators that she used her OSHA credit card and the executive director’s OSHA credit card to make the purchases,” auditors wrote. Auditors said they reviewed OSHA accounting records, bank statements, credit card statements, and supporting documentation to make their findings. Comptrollers did not identify the woman. Oliver Springs Housing Authority Executive Director Karen Leffew told The Tennessee Star Friday the former employee is Melissa Eula May. May, the audit went on to say, gave more than $26,000 of that money to her boyfriend. She also paid nearly $8,000 for two jet skis and nearly $10,000 for a 2001 Tahoe Boat and a trailer. Other expense included the following: • More than $42,000 on Carnival Cruise and plane tickets, jewelry, and sporting goods. • Nearly $4,500 in vehicle repairs. • Exactly $15,000 for a 2015 Sportsman Travel…

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Oberlin College Hit With Maximum Punitive Damages, Must Pay $33 Million to Gibson’s Bakery

Anthony Gockowski

  A jury ordered Oberlin College to pay $33 million in punitive damages Thursday to Gibson’s Bakery, an on-campus business that the school falsely accused of racial profiling. As The Ohio Star reported last week, the Gibson family was awarded $11 million in compensatory damages. State law caps punitive damages at twice the amount of compensatory damages awarded, meaning the figure will likely be reduced to $22 million, according to Legal Insurrection. At the end of the day, the Gibson family will walk away with at least $33 million in total damages ($11 million in compensatory, and $22 million in punitive after state caps). “Oberlin College tried to sacrifice a beloved fifth-generation bakery, its owners, and its employees at the altar of political correctness to appease the campus ‘social justice warfare’ mob,” said Legal Insurrection CEO and Cornell law professor William Jacobson. “The jury sent a clear message that the truth matters, and so do the reputations and lives of people targeted by false accusations, particularly when those false accusations are spread by powerful institutions.” As of June 30, 2018, Oberlin College reported that it had an endowment of $887.4 million. “Throughout the trial the Oberlin College defense was tone-deaf…

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Emails Show Omar’s Committee Boasting of Being Able to Shut Down Stories in Star Tribune

Anthony Gockowski

  Internal emails released this week show members of Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN-05) 2016 Minnesota House campaign committee attempting to “shut down” a story “as we do with the Strib.” “Strib” refers to the nickname used for The Star Tribune, Minnesota’s largest newspaper. The shocking emails were obtained by Powerline from the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board, which discovered the emails during its investigation into Omar’s campaign finance violations. As Powerline notes, the emails were written following the outlet’s publication of an August 12, 2016 story questioning Omar’s marital status—the first story discussing Omar’s alleged marriage to her brother. In response, Omar’s campaign committee temporarily hired Ben Goldfarb as a crisis communications manager. “Does anyone on the team have a relationship with Blois?” Goldfarb wrote in an August 15 email, referring to Blois Olson, best known in media circles for his popular newsletter, Morning Take. That morning, Olson had linked to Powerline’s article in his newsletter. “Someone should probably reach out to talk off the record and shut it down with him as we do with the Strib,” Goldfarb continued. “I don’t know him, but can do it if nobody has a relationship. And we can tighten up the statement today…

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US Women’s Soccer Player Ignored the National Anthem as an ‘F-You’ to Trump

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by Shelby Talcott   U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe ignored the national anthem before the Women’s World Cup game against Thailand on Tuesday. Rapinoe, who is openly gay, had previously said she would never sing the national anthem again as an ‘f-you’ to President Donald Trump. She announced that she would “never put my hand over my heart” or sing the national anthem in an interview with Yahoo News in May. “I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart,” Rapinoe said in May. “I’ll probably never sing the national anthem again.” She was seen standing silently without her hand over her heart when the national anthem played on Tuesday while her teammates sang and placed their hands over their hearts, The Blaze reported. Many people took to social media in response showing both their support and disagreement with her decision. https://twitter.com/MeredithLClark/status/1138519951885705216 so weird to have a scowl while your national anthem, the one that gave you the freedom to pretty much actually PLAY in this game @mPinoe #USWNT — Swami The Mighty G8R 🐊🦏 (@SwamiG8R) June 11, 2019 “Because I’m as talented as I am, I get to be here, you don’t get to tell me if I…

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Mexico Claims Funding for Migrant Caravans Came from Some Accounts in U.S.

Anthony Gockowski

  The Mexican government recently claimed that some funding for the “illicit support of migrant caravans” came from individuals within the United States. In a June 6 press release, Mexico’s Finance and Tax Secretariat announced that it has “blocked the bank accounts of various individuals and corporations that allegedly participated in the trafficking of migrants and the illegal organization of migrant caravans.” As Breitbart first reported, the Mexican government identified 26 individuals who made “several questionable financial transactions from the cities of Chiapas and Queretaro during the times that the migrant caravans were moving through those places.” The press release states that “illegal payment for migrant smuggling” came from individuals in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Cameroon, the United States, and England. Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit froze the accounts of 26 unnamed people for their “probable link with migrant smuggling and illicit support of migrant caravans.” The press release states that complaints have been presented to Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office for prosecution. Breitbart points out that the action came at “a time when Mexican officials are meeting with their U.S. counterparts in an attempt to keep the Trump administration from levying tariffs on international commerce as a punitive measure over the…

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Metro Nashville Candidates Say ‘Yes’ to Sanctuary Cities and ‘No’ to ICE

Chris Butler

  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Metro Nashville Council At-Large candidate Gicola Lane told a crowd of more than 1,000 people Monday she wants city officials to stop working with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Members of the crowd gave thunderous applause. Later in the evening, Nashville mayoral candidate Julia Clark-Johnson said she wants to turn Nashville into a sanctuary city. “The state of California has been successful into changing a lot of their cities into sanctuary cities,” Clark-Johnson said, suggesting Nashville follow that state’s example. Gicola and Clark-Johnson made these comments at Nashville’s Plaza Mariachi along Nolensville Pike this week for a forum devoted to immigrant rights Several other At-Large and mayoral candidates joined them on stage. The Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition sponsored the event, as did the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, the American Muslim Advisory Council, and Conexion Americas. The forum was in question-and-answer format, with members of those groups asking, among other things, what the Metro Nashville government can do to disentangle itself from ICE and stop future deportations. At-Large candidate Bob Mendes, already on the Metro Council, said he will continue to do his part, especially with U.S. Republican President Donald Trump in office.…

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Legal Expert Says Oberlin College’s Response to Verdict Could Hurt Them in Punitive Damages Hearing

Anthony Gockowski

  Oberlin College was ordered by a jury last week to pay $11 million in damages to a family bakery on campus that was falsely accused of racial profiling, but the monetary reward could triple during a punitive damages hearing scheduled for Tuesday. As The Ohio Star reported Sunday: The bakery, called Gibson’s Bakery, has operated on campus since 1885 and had a business relationship with the school until November 2017, when the bakery sued the school for numerous offenses, including libel, slander, and interference with business relationships. The conflict started in November 2016, the day after President Donald Trump’s election, after a black male student was stopped for shoplifting. He and two of his female peers eventually pleaded guilty to shoplifting and aggravated trespassing, but the damage to Gibson’s Bakery was already done. Students accused the business of racial profiling, organized protests outside of its storefront, and distributed flyers on campus that accused the bakery of having “a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.” On Friday, an Ohio jury ordered the college to pay $11 million in damages to the bakery for siding with the student protesters. In response to verdict, Oberlin College Vice President and General Counsel…

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Todd Starnes Commentary: Lawmaker Says Chick-fil-A Logo Might as Well Say ‘We Hate Gay People’

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  A war on the U.S. Constitution and chicken is being waged in San Mateo County, California where an elected leader is trying to stop Chick-fil-A from opening a restaurant. David Canepa, a county supervisor wants to stop the Georgia-based company from establishing an outpost in Redwood City. “Hell no,” the leftist lawmaker told the local NBC television station. “Chick-fil-A’s values don’t represent our values,” Canepa said. “The logo might as well say ‘We hate gay people.’” For the record, the Chick-fil-A logo does not say, “We hate gay people.” It says eat more chicken. “When people think of the Chick-fil-A logo — what they think of is anti-LGBTQ,” he said. Now, that’s a lie and the supervisor knows it’s a lie. Chick-fil-A has never discriminated against gay people. They serve everyone — regardless of sexual orientation. These kinds of hateful attacks against Chick-fil-A is why I wrote “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” Supervisor Canepa told the CBS television station in San Francisco he wants to pressure the nation’s third-largest restaurant chain into canceling their plans. “What we are trying to do is to make sure Chick-fil-A–if they want to do business here–that there…

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Two Men Allegedly Commit Fraud on Bledsoe County and the Tennessee Government

Chris Butler

  Two men took government money and promised to bring 1,000 jobs to Pikeville in Bledsoe County, but they ended up not fulfilling their end of the agreement, according to various news outlets. They ended up taking a sizable amount of money from the government they weren’t entitled to, according to news reports. “A federal seizure warrant says around June 2017, Karim Sadruddin and Rahim Sadruddin acted through one of their businesses, Textile Corporation of America, Inc. (TCA), to receive a $3 million economic development grant from Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD),” according to the Chattanooga-based WTVC. “The plan was for the Sadruddins to purchase and renovate a textile manufacturing facility in Pikeville, Bledsoe County, Tennessee. They joined then-governor Bill Haslam for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in July 2017.” According to The Daily Beast, TCA “fabricated evidence of work performed” in order to draw grants from the federally-owed Tennessee Valley Authority and the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development. “The FBI alleges that the company’s owners pocketed much of that money for personal use,” according to The Daily Beast. The Sadruddins provided fake invoices and fake wire transfer records as proof that they had already paid for the…

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California Lawmakers Move to Expand Medicaid for Illegal Immigrants

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by Kaylee Greene   The California Assembly voted 44-11 in favor of a bill last week that broadens state Medicaid coverage to include illegal immigrants to the tune of more than $3 billion annually. Under federal law, Medi-Cal, the state’s Medicaid program, provides health care to low-income citizens. Assembly Bill 4, if passed, would eliminate the existing citizenship requirements to receive benefits. The bill would “extend eligibility for full-scope Medi-Cal benefits to individuals of all ages, if otherwise eligible for those benefits, but for their immigration status, and would delete provisions delaying eligibility and enrollment.” In other words, under AB 4, illegal immigrants over 19 years old would receive the same full scope Medi-Cal benefits as taxpaying citizens, including keeping their chosen primary care provider. Though the proposal now travels to the state Senate, there is still debate among Democrats about which illegal immigrants should qualify for these benefits. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, concerned over the $3.4 billion yearly increase from the bill, has advocated extending coverage for illegal aliens who are between 19 and 25 years old, costing about $98 million annually. His 2019-2020 budget already proposes $22.9 billion for Medi-Cal from the general fund of $100.7 billion. The…

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Businessman Who Owns Private Border Wall Property Disputes ACLU Claim That Wall Blocks Access to Historic Border Monument

Jason M. Reynolds

  The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico is trying to claim that the construction of the private border wall blocks access to a “historical monument.” The ACLU of New Mexico says the Sunland Park, New Mexico private wall blocks access to Monument One, a border monument dating to 1855 that’s on the National Register of Historic Places, according to a story by KOAT. The ACLU is calling on the International Boundary and Water Commission, who manages the monument’s land, to intervene. The border wall is on private land, but it was built across from Monument One, which is on federal land but accessed from a road and a gate. The commission told KOAT that it has not given We Build the Wall a permit but their application is being reviewed. However, Brian Kolfage, founder of We Build the Wall, says the ACLU is lying and that it is trying to help the drug cartels that are being blocked by the new wall. Kolfage tweeted, “The ACLU is acting like this alleged monument is Yellowstone Natl. Park. The only people coming here are drug smugglers, it’s a dangerous area. Stop LYING TO Americans @ACLU it’s on private property too! Here’s…

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Left-Wing Activists Target Ohio’s Kids – Delaware County First, Now Licking County

Beth Lear

  NEWARK, Ohio – What began in Delaware, Ohio as a Drag 101 class for “teens only” has morphed into “A Universe of Stories – Galaxy of Diversity – An Event for LGBTQIA Teens and Advocates” at the Licking County Library. The event description from the library webpage states, “Shine like the star that you are at this special teen after-hours program celebrating Newark’s Pride Day. The festivities include a drag queen celestial makeup tutorial, flag button and rainbow wing crafts, a safe-sex program from Equitas Health, and games just for you. The library will be closed, but we are open. *Please note: this program includes sexual content.” Rumors were swirling in Delaware County after the Drag 101 class being sponsored by the county library was “canceled” and moved to Secret Identity Comics. One of the rumors was that Licking County Library was also hosting a Drag class. That information and more was confirmed by a staff member at the host branch, West Newark (Emerson R. Miller) at 990 West Main Street. “We have a strong Pride group here (in Newark),” library staff declared. “We are working with Trisha Pound (Executive Director) of Newark Pride,” on the class. Ms. Pound…

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Drag 101 Class Canceled at Delaware County Library Branch, Reason Given Was ‘Threats’ but May Be Just ‘Crying Wolf’?

Beth Lear

  DELAWARE, Ohio – The Drag 101 class sponsored by the Delaware County District Library that was to be held Wednesday, June 5th, has been ‘canceled.’  Kyle Gale, the drag queen known as Selena T. West and a former Miss Gay Ohio America, was being paid by the library to provide the class to teens.  At a press conference given Wednesday, May 29th at the Orange Township Branch where the class was to be held, Library Director George Needham announced the cancellation by reading a prepared statement. Director Needham claimed the cancellation was due to ‘threats’.  After stating “Hundreds of people expressed their support or concern”, he said: However, there were also some hostile and angry messages.  A small number of those messages appeared to threaten the safety of our staff, our patrons, ‘Selena’ and the teens and caregivers for whom we strive to provide a safe space. Notably, Needham’s prepared remarks distributed to media beforehand, however, did not mention the threat to West/Gayle. Information about the Drag 101 class began filtering into the community a couple of weeks before when at least one local school district sent home the information with students.  That information was shared with a local mom’s…

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Commentary: Yes, Christians Can Support Trump Without Risk to Their Witness

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by Chris Buskirk   Can an adulterer be a great surgeon? If your child needed care and the best surgeon had cheated on his wife, maybe more than once, would you let him operate? What if you are a Christian and he is not? Does that matter? Should it? In the secular realm of everyday life—the life that takes place outside the church in which believers and unbelievers interact, mostly happily, mostly without even noticing (or often having any way of knowing) the difference—those questions should answer themselves. Of course, an adulterer can be a great surgeon. And a superbly ethical, thoroughly decent person may be a professional mediocrity—or worse. That’s life. There are innumerable examples of people who are wonderful but unaccomplished just as there are many notable examples of people with serious personal failings who nonetheless have excelled in other parts of their lives: artists, scientists, parents, and even politicians. And yes, I’m not so subtly making a point about President Trump. His private failings have been made very public prompting some Christian pundits to say that not only do those failings disqualify Trump from office, but they are so egregious as to make supporting him sinful for…

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Feds Allege Georgia Construction Owner is Illegal Alien Who Employed Illegal Aliens and Paid Them Below-Market Wages

Jason M. Reynolds

  A North Georgia construction company owner has been indicted on charges that his company hired illegal aliens and paid them below-market wages, according to a press release by U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. Juan Antonio Perez, 46, of Rydal, Georgia, was indicted on charges that his construction company, Aztec Framing, which operated in Northwest Georgia and East Tennessee, profited by employing illegal aliens, the press release said. He has also been charged with being an illegal alien in possession of 14 firearms. Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from possessing firearms. Southern Region Communications Director Bryan D. Cox told Chattanooga’s NewsChannel 9 that agents served search warrants in six locations across North Georgia and East Tennessee. Federal records say the owner of the business, along with his homes and other businesses, were under investigation. According to a complaint filed by U.S.  Immigration and Customs Enforcement Special Agent James Rivas, in one payroll account, Perez withdrew about $5.8 million from June through January, the Chattanooga Times Free Press said. “Perez not only broke the law by allegedly hiring illegal aliens at below-market wages and paying no taxes, he had a large assortment of weapons including shotguns and pistols that he…

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Anonymous Twitter Account Disparaging State House Members Reportedly Operated by State Representative Rick Tillis

Laura Baigert

  An anonymous Twitter account that has been active for nearly three months disparaging Tennessee State House members and staff was outed Wednesday as an account secretly operated by State Representative Rick Tillis (R-Lewisburg). The big reveal came at the hands of fellow State Representative Andy Holt (R-Dresden) via Twitter. The anonymous account was operated under the Twitter handle of @CHBmole. The moniker implied that the author is an insider within the Cordell Hull Building – otherwise known as CHB – home of the Tennessee legislature since late 2017. The @CHBmole account became active in February 2019, and seemed focused primarily on criticism of legislative staffers hired by Speaker Glen Casada. However, one tweet appeared to leak that former State Representative Joe Carr had been appointed as a Deputy Commissioner for the Tennessee of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) prior to the announcement being made public. Along with the comment, “I could not think of a more qualified person,” and a “thinking” emoji was the hashtag “#favoroftheweek.” Another tweet reported that Representative Michael Curcio (R-Dickson) was chosen by Governor Bill Lee to participate in his first State of the State Address. This despite, as the “mole” pointed out, Curcio was apparently…

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More Evidence The Tennessean Is Just a Mouthpiece for the Democratic Party

Julie Carr

  On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – host Steve Gill reviewed the convoluted story created by The Tennessean claiming that the Twitter feed, #ResignCasada was representative of all Tennesseans when in fact all tweets were from liberal Democrats and former failed former Democratic party candidates in the state. You can read the full transcript of Steve Gill’s comments here: Just another example of how The Tennessean is literally a mouthpiece, literally a propaganda screed for the Tennessee Democratic party. There’s a new story up by a character named Dustin Barnes in The Tennessean that highlights #ResignCasada is trending on Twitter. Now it’s interesting if you kind of go through this story. It’s on the Tennesseean.com calls for House Speaker Glen Casada resign started trending on social media shortly after his chief of staff had solicited and text messages and used illegal drugs in the legislative office building. He resigned Monday after the Tennessean published a story that he asked one intern for oral sex and nude photos. Other 2014 and 2016 texts showed he was hitting on…

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Tennessee Ranks As One of Worst States in Which to be a Law Enforcement Officer

Jason M. Reynolds

  Tennessee is near the bottom of the list when it comes to best states to be a police officer, according to a new ranking. Tennessee is 45 of 51 (including Washington, D.C.) of top states in which to be a policeman, according to a ranking by WalletHub. In the past decade, over 1,500 police officers, including 158 in 2018, died in the line of duty. Tens of thousands more were assaulted and injured. Tennessee was No. 31 for opportunity and competition, 39 for job hazards and protections, and 47 for quality of life, according to WalletHub. Those dimensions were evaluated using 27metrics on a 100-point scale. A 100 is the most favorable condition. Regarding the ranking, Nashville mayoral candidate Carol Swain said in a statement, “A new independent study out today ranks Tennessee one of the worst states in the country to be a police officer. Nashville residents continue to face serious crime that threatens our personal safety and harms local businesses, yet Mayor Briley’s administration has hung our first responders out to dry, with police and fire departments that are understaffed, overworked, and underpaid. Nashville can do better!” James Smallwood, president of the Nashville Fraternal Order of Police,…

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Nashville Resident Warns Neighbors About Plan to Privatize Parking

Chris Butler

  Certain Nashville residents say city officials are rushing through a plan to privatize parking so they can get more money out of people’s wallets and help cover their past mistakes. Nashville resident David F. Roberts sent out a letter to thousands of his neighbors that bluntly said the plan will “screw us over” and “make our lives a lot more complicated and MORE EXPENSIVE!” Roberts live in Nashville Metro Council member Freddie O’Connell’s district. “Without taking feedback from residents, they’re getting ready to sign a 30-year contract privatizing parking meters and parking enforcement in our neighborhood,” Roberts wrote. “According to Channel 5 News, the plan will take away free parking, raise prices, and give an unaccountable, for-profit company police-like powers to issue tickets and fines against Nashvillians. What do we get in return? A 20 percent increase in the price to park. A 100 percent increase in the cost of fines. Up to 5,000 spaces that will now charge for parking. And that’s just in the early years. With a 30-year contract, there’s no limit to how much this out-of-state company can squeeze out of us in higher costs.” This plan to charge people to park in their own…

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Trump Administration Ends Unions ‘Skimming’ $100 Million a Year from Medicaid

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by Bethany Blankley   A final rule change has been implemented by the Trump administration to ensure that Medicaid providers receive complete payments as required by law. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the Medicaid Provider Reassignment Regulation final rule that removes states from being able to divert portions of Medicaid provider payments to third parties – including unions – outside of the scope of what the statute allows. The final rule came after CMS considered more than 7,000 comments from the public, healthcare providers, unions, state agencies, and advocacy groups during the public comment period after the changes were proposed. “State Medicaid programs are responsible for ensuring that taxpayer dollars are dedicated to providing healthcare services for low-income, vulnerable Americans and are not diverted in ways that do not comply with federal law,” CMS Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement. “This final rule is intended to ensure that providers receive their complete payment, and that any circumstance where a state redirects part of a provider’s payment is clearly allowed under the law.” Section 1902(a)(32) of the Social Security Act generally prohibits states from making payments for…

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Man Who Oversees Tennessee Legislature’s Server Corrects Phil Williams on His Cade Cothren and Justin Jones Exposé

Chris Butler

  The man who oversees the Tennessee General Assembly’s Local Information Server disputed some of what News Channel 5’s Phil Williams reported about Cade Cothren and Justin Jones and said so to him in an email Thursday. Cothren is chief of staff for Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada. Jones is a left-wing activist and Vanderbilt Divinity School student awaiting a court date for allegedly throwing a cup of coffee at Casada as he stood in an elevator. As Williams reported this week, Cothren might have doctored the time stamp on an email to frame Jones and put him in jail. Jones emailed Casada’s office on Feb. 25, a few days before Jones allegedly assaulted Casada on Feb. 28 and also before court officials told him to have no further contact with Casada’s office. Cothren said he received Jones’ email on March 1 and immediately contacted the office of Nashville District Attorney Glen Funk. Cothren said the email server took a few days to deliver Jones’ email to his inbox. Cothren said, however, he didn’t realize this until later. The email Cothren said he received had a March 1 time stamp. On his Twitter page Friday, Williams suggested he…

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New Law Will Make Tennessee Completely ‘Hands-Free’ While Driving Effective July 1

Laura Baigert

  Both houses of the General Assembly have passed a bill that will allow only hands-free usage of a mobile telephone or personal digital assistant on any road or highway in the state of Tennessee. HB 0165 sponsored by Representative John Holsclaw (R-Elizabethton) and SB 0173 sponsored by Senator Swann (R-Maryville) will go into effect on July 1, 2019. Current law prohibits a driver from talking on a hand-held mobile device while the vehicle is in motion in a school zone when the warning flashers are in operation. A violation under current law is a non-moving traffic violation, with no points added to a driver’s record for the Class C misdemeanor punishable only by a fine of up to $50.00 plus court costs not to exceed $10. In addition, under current law it is considered a delinquent act for anyone under the age of 18 to talk on a mobile phone while operating a motor vehicle equipped with a hands-free device on any road or highway in Tennessee. The new law defines ‘hands-free’ and extends the requirement to be ‘hands-free’ to all roads and highways in Tennessee. Activities prohibited with a wireless telecommunications device in the new law while operating…

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Ilhan Omar Played on Her Phone, Laughed as House Voted on Resolution Sparked by Her Anti-Semitic Comments: Report

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar played on her phone in the back of the chamber as the House of Representatives voted on the resolution that was intended as a reprimand for the congresswoman’s anti-Semitic comments, according to a report published Friday. The House passed a resolution March 7 that initially served to condemn a series of anti-Semitic statements Omar made, but was subsequently “watered down” to condemn hatred in all forms. The resolution was in response to the age-old canards about Jews that Omar had asserted over Twitter, including a claim that Republicans’ support for Israel is bought by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Many also interpreted her comments as Jews having a “dual loyalty” to the U.S. and Israel. The text of the resolution, which passed 407-23, did not mention Omar by name. During the vote, Omar was reportedly playing on her phone and was “seemingly oblivious to the remarkable rebuke being leveled at her,” according to Politico. She was reportedly standing alone in the back of the room until fellow Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal of Washington entered the chamber, where they “embraced and soon doubled over in laughter.” “She came up to…

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SMOKING GUN: TDOE Document Shows Williamson County Schools Delivering ‘White Privilege’ In-Service Training in Violation of State Law

Chris Butler

Williamson County School System officials apparently went against Tennessee law when they imposed an in-service training curriculum that preached “white privilege” and other social justice causes. They did this, of course, through a new Williamson County Schools Cultural Competency series of videos. Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3004 makes it clear that every superintendent of a public school district in Tennessee must submit an in-service training plan that has been approved by the local school board to the TDOE by June 1 of the preceding academic year, and that the Commissioner of Education must approve that plan: (emphasis added) “In-service days shall be used according to a plan recommended by the local superintendent of schools in accordance with the provisions of this section and other applicable statutes, and adopted by the local board of education. A copy of this plan shall be filed with the State Commissioner of Education on or before June 1 the preceding school year and approved by him.” (emphasis added) The Tennessee Star asked the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) to provide a copy of the in-service training plan for this school year (2018-2019) that, by law, Superintendent Mike Looney was supposed to file with the state before…

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WCS Superintendent Looney and TN Dept. of Education Fail to Produce Evidence ‘White Privilege’ Training Is Legally Authorized

Chris Butler

By Tennessee law, the Williamson County School Board is required to approve In-service training plans for teachers. As reported, this year’s In-service training of Williamson County Schools teachers for the academic year 2018-2019 includes a “Cultural Competency” video series that preached “white privilege.” At present, there is no evidence that Superintendent Mike Looney ever prepared the statutorily required In-service training plan, nor is there any evidence the Williamson County School Board ever approved that plan, as is required by law, nor is their any evidence that Superintendent Looney submitted that plan to the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) by June 1, 2018, as is required by law, nor is their any evidence that former Commissioner of Education Candace McQueen approved that plan, as is required by law. Superintendent Mike Looney is supposed to file that training plan with the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE)  every June before the start of a new school year, and the plan may not be implemented without the approval of the Commissioner of Education. So, if those plans, and a document containing former Commissioner of Education Candace McQueen’s approval of those plans are on file with the TDOE, then surely members of that department have…

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Google VP Stepped in After Employees Offended by Christian Video on Marriage

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by Peter Hasson   Google banned a video explaining Christian teaching on same-sex marriage from advertising on YouTube after backlash from upset employees, according to internal Google communications reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation. The video was flagged in June 2018 in an internal listserv, “Yes at Google,” which is run by Google’s human resources department, according to those communications and other internal documents, which a source shared with TheDCNF on condition of anonymity. The listserv has more than 30,000 members and is devoted to policing “microaggressions” and “micro-corrections” within the company, according to its official internal description. The internal backlash to the video grew large enough to merit a response from a Google vice president, who said the video would no longer be eligible to run as an advertisement, the human resources team announced to the listserv. Christian radio host Michael L. Brown argues in the video that gay people are welcome as Christians but that, like every other person, they are called to follow Christian teachings on sex and marriage. Brown has spoken out in the past against “homo-hatred” and “ugly rhetoric” directed at gay and lesbian people by fringe groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. In…

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Williamson County School Board Members Dodge Questions About Whether They Gave the OK to ‘White Privilege’ Training

Chris Butler

By Tennessee law, members of the Williamson County School Board must adopt the In-Service training for teachers before Superintendent Mike Looney files it with the Tennessee Department of Education. Again, it’s state law. The Tennessee Department of Education’s (TDOE) website says so. Here is exactly what Tennessee Code Annotated Section 49-6-3004, which is displayed verbatim on the TDOE website says: In-service days shall be used according to a plan recommended by the local superintendent of schools in accordance with the provisions of this section and other applicable statutes, and adopted by the local board of education. A copy of this plan shall be filed with the State Commissioner of Education on or before June 1 the preceding school year and approved by him. (emphasis added) So, did the Williamson County School Board approve an In-service teacher training curriculum that preached, among other things, “white privilege” leftist social justice causes, and America’s supposed dysfunctional history? County school board members did not respond to The Tennessee Star’s request for comment, despite having more than two days to do so. Only one school board member, Brad Fiscus, responded to The Star, via email. His response, however brief: “I joined the board in August 2018,”…

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Minnesota Democrats Reportedly Want Rep Ilhan Omar Out – She Blames Trump

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by Molly Prince   Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar blamed President Donald Trump on Sunday after reports members of the Minnesota Democratic Party are considering removing her from congressional office for her repeated anti-Semitic statements. I am sorry Mr. @realDonaldTrump 🎶 I am for real, you can’t #MuslimBan us from Congress! pic.twitter.com/EX1KNeUPiA — Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) March 17, 2019 Minnesota Democrats are reportedly dismayed that Omar has made a string of bigoted comments about Jews, which have received massive condemnation from both sides of the aisle. Consequently, members of the state party are looking for someone to contest her nomination in 2020 and run a different candidate in her place. Rather than blaming the Minnesota Democrats, Omar focused the backlash on Trump’s 2017 executive order, which has been referred to as a Muslim ban. The executive order suspended U.S. entry of those whose counties do not meet adjudication standards under federal immigration law for 90 days and included exceptions on a case-by-case basis. Omar, along with fellow Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, became America’s first Muslim congresswomen when sworn into office in January. Both congresswomen’s time in office has been embroiled in allegations of anti-Semitism. Omar has defended the anti-Semitic statements, such as ones invoking…

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Carol Swain Announces She Is Running for Mayor of Nashville Again

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Vanderbilt professor Carol Swain announced on Sunday that she is running for mayor of Nashville again in the municipal election to be held this August. Swain finished in second place to Mayor David Briley in last May’s special election for mayor. Briley easily surpassed the 50 percent runoff cutoff, while Swain received 23 percent of the vote. “Swain made the announcement Sunday during her keynote address at a faculty breakfast club event hosted at Tennessee State University, in Nashville,” according to a statement released by her campaign. “The city of Nashville deserves a mayor that is committed to making commonsense improvements that will enrich our community,” Swain said in the statement. “It is a disgrace that under the leadership of our current mayor, Nashville has the highest debt per citizen of any city in the nation, teachers remain under paid, we lack affordable housing, all while traffic and infrastructure problems clog our streets,” she added. The statement continued: Swain has pledged to work closely with the police, firefighters, first responders and emergency personnel to address ongoing concerns regarding funding, working conditions and competitive pay. She insists that Nashville can be a model for what can be done with sensible,…

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Beto O’Rourke Apologizes for Writing Fictional Fantasies About Plowing Over Children With a Car

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by Chris White   Beto O’Rourke apologized Friday night for writings the former Texas representative made as a teenager describing fantasies about running over children with a vehicle. “I’m mortified to read it now, incredibly embarrassed, but I have to take ownership of my words,” the Democratic presidential candidate said during a taping of the “Political Party Live” podcast in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “Whatever my intention was as a teenager doesn’t matter, I have to look long and hard at my actions, at the language I have used, and I have to constantly try to do better.” His comments come after a report Friday revealed O’Rourke wrote prose when he was a teenager describing a scenario in which he would accelerate a car into a group of children while hearing them scream. The report also showed he was a secret member of a hacking group called the “Cult of the Dead Cow,” which focused on showing people how to hack Microsoft computers. “It’s not anything I’m proud of today, and I mean, that’s — that’s the long and short of it,” he said. “All I can do is my best, which is what I’m trying to do. I can’t control…

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IRS Penalizes Jackson County, Tennessee Over Obamacare

Chris Butler

The Internal Revenue Service fined Jackson County officials a sum of $86,147 for failing to comply with Obamacare, according to an audit Tennessee Comptrollers released Tuesday. That penalty money, of course, will come from county taxpayers. This is the third county in Tennessee this calendar year that must pay a huge sum of money to the feds because of the controversial health care law. Jackson County’s failure to comply with Obamacare occurred during the 2015 fiscal year, auditors wrote. “The county did not provide health insurance to employees from January through October 2015,” Comptrollers wrote. “Beginning November 2015, the county provided health insurance coverage to employees; however, this coverage was not in compliance with federal regulations for certain employees. This deficiency resulted from a lack of management oversight.” In a written response to auditors, the county mayor concurred with the findings. The current county mayor is Randy Heady, according to the county’s official website. “The county mayor and commission had been told by an affiliate with Zane Benefits, with whom we entered a contract, that the cafeteria plan we started in January 2015 made our county ACA compliant,” the county mayor wrote. “In October 2015 we found that in fact…

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Commentary: ‘Obama University’ to Build Millions of Barack and Michelle Clones

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Tennessee Star

by Jeffery Rendall   If you want a little fun, set up a game of “Political Family Feud.” One person in your group can serve as host and do his or her best Richard Dawson or Steve Harvey impression while reading the questions. Here’s a sample: “100 people surveyed, top five answers are on the board and here’s the question: Name something the Obama administration will always be known for?” Buzzer sounds. (Player) “Uh, Obamacare….?” (Host) “Be more specific.” (Player) “Um… Obamacare blew up the health insurance market, skyrocketed premium prices and ballooned costs in the states that adopted Medicaid expansion…?” Ca-ching…ding ding ding!!!! “Number one answer!” After deciding to play the successful side reels off a series of winning responses. “Achieved record sustained lethargic economic growth.” Ding! “Encouraged constant racial strife and largescale protests in big cities across the country.” Ding! “Conducted feckless and ineffective foreign policy.” Ding!!!!, and, “Waged a non-stop war against traditional values and culture leading to same-sex marriage, acceptance of unmitigated illegal immigration and a general malaise rivaling that of the Carter administration.” DIINNNGGG!!!! That’s it? There are lots more answers, you say. What about the deep state’s witch hunt of a presidential candidate and sworn-in president? (Host) “Well,…

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150,000 Sign Petition to Impeach Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib

Anthony Gockowski

A Change.org petition calling for the impeachment of Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) already has close to 160,000 signatures. “This woman is an anti-Semite, a war mongering hate filled Palestinian who has vowed to try and destroy our constitutional rights, hates America, hates American citizens,” the petition states. “She’s a danger to our sovereignty, a detriment to society, and to this country, and is unfit to serve in any capacity within our government.” The petition also takes issue with Tlaib’s election, claiming that she “lied about living in Detroit” by “using her father’s house address.” Tlaib made headlines earlier this week when she vowed to “impeach the motherf—” during a party in celebration of her being sworn in to Congress. “I stand by impeaching the president of the United States. I ran on that,” she said in an interview discussing her comments. She called her promise to impeach President Donald Trump something she “very much” holds “dearly.” “They love that I’m real, and that I am very much focused on getting the government back up and running, but also making sure we’ve held the president of the United States accountable,” she said. Tlaib later apologized that her comments caused a “distraction,”…

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U.S. Sen. Blackburn Introduces First Bill as Senator to Protect The Unborn

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced her first bill Thursday in the U.S. Senate. Her bill – S. 105, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act – strips all abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, of federal funding under Title X of the Public Health Service Act. “Tennesseans and the American people do not want their tax dollars funding abortions,” Blackburn said in a statement on Twitter. “They have made this position clear time and again. Hardworking taxpayers do not want to subsidize the business of abortion providers and entities such as Planned Parenthood.” Today, I introduced my first bill in the United States Senate, S. 105, the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which strips all abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, of federal funding. pic.twitter.com/UwtbwGt1wd — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) January 10, 2019 U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO-04) on Wednesday introduced the House version of the bill, Life News reported. Blackburn has a long history of standing up for the rights of the pre-born. Last August, Blackburn, then a Senate candidate, announced she had assembled a pro-life coalition of more than 500 advocates from across Tennessee, The Tennessee Star reported. Blackburn said in August, “The first of our rights is…

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Warning Nashville: Virginia Police Officers Leaving Over Citizen Oversight Board

Chris Butler

There’s a reported mass exodus of police officers in Charlottesville, Virginia, and one of the reasons cited is a civilian oversight board over the police, like what Nashville will soon have. The Charlottesville Police Department is down nearly two dozen officers, according to that city’s The Daily Progress website. Police administrators are having a hard time filling the vacancies. Things are so bad Police Chief RaShall Brackney told the website the department is experiencing a “mass exodus.” “It seems like, I think, on average, one to two officers a week are leaving the department,” she said. One of the reasons officers leave, Brackney went on to say, stems from how vocal and biased members of the initial Police Civilian Review Board act toward officers. Members create bylaws for a future board that will provide civilian oversight of the department, according to The Daily Progress. Brackney told the website that board members go on TV and radio and speak at marches to discuss how “officers’ days are numbered and that they’re coming after them.” “The officers do not believe that there’s going to be any fair, impartial oversight,” Brackney said. “It’s well-documented of how some of them have treated our officers,…

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House Democrats Dump Trash From National Park Service at the White House

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by Molly Prince   A duo of House Democrats brought garbage to the White House as a means of protesting the ongoing government shutdown that has hampered the National Park Service’s (NPS) ability to maintain its land. California Democratic Reps. Jared Huffman and Jackie Speier delivered bins of trash to the White House’s front gates on Tuesday donning the words “Trump’s Trash.” With the help of volunteers, the Bay Area congressmen gathered the garbage from two sites at Golden Gate National Recreation Area over the weekend and flew it across the country to Washington D.C., reported The Hill. “Mr. Trump, here’s your trash,” Speier said in front of reporters. “We did the work of some of your employees at the National Park Service, who by the way, in our area, have a hard time making it because it’s such a high-cost area.” https://www.instagram.com/p/BsR38pIna2n/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading The Republican-led House passed a stopgap funding bill on Dec. 20 that included appropriations to construct a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. However, with a 51-seat majority, Senate Republicans fell short of the necessary 60 votes needed to send it to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature. Consequently, a government shutdown has been in effect since funding…

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Elizabeth Warren Looped Video of Line Outside Iowa Rally to Create ‘Overflow’ Impression

Anthony Gockowski

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) campaigned in Iowa over the weekend after announcing an exploratory committee for a 2020 presidential campaign. Her first stop was in Council Bluffs where she posted a video of an “overflow line” of supporters gathered outside the event. The video, however, was sped up and looped, meaning it begins playing again from the beginning of the line once it reaches the end. “First event in Iowa, first overflow line in Iowa,” Warren tweeted on Friday. First event in Iowa, first overflow line in Iowa! pic.twitter.com/VGLKONVxoJ — Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) January 4, 2019 One twitter user slowed down the video and showed that about 85 people were standing in line for Warren’s event. Here is the video slowed down 1/1024 speed. As you can see there's about 86 people. pic.twitter.com/tbjpaS8NQx — Mike (@Fuctupmind) January 5, 2019 As Battleground State News reported, Warren was asked at one event about her 2018 DNA test that contradicted her claims of Native American heritage. “I’m glad for us to have a chance to talk about it. I am not a person of color. I am not a citizen of a tribe,” she responded. “Tribal citizenship is very different from ancestry. Tribes…

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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Who Said ‘Congressional Salaries Should Be Furloughed’ During Shutdown, Not on List of Those Refusing Paycheck, Unlike Tennessee’s Rep. Mark Green

Jason M. Reynolds

U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY-14), who previously called for a furlough of Congressional salaries in response to the partial shutdown of the federal shutdown, apparently has not followed through and has even ducked a reporter’s question about it. The New York Post reported on Thursday that Oscasio-Cortez ran away when asked about her salary: “I’ve gotta run!” Ocasio-Cortez told The Post when asked the question Thursday on Capitol Hill. She then scampered down a crowded hallway to get in line for her mock swearing-in with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Her response stands in stark contrast with U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green (R-TN-07), who on Friday sent a letter U.S. House of Representative’s Chief Administrative Officer, Philip Kiko, requesting his salary be suspended until a deal is reached and the partial government shutdown ends, as The Tennessee Star reported. On Dec. 22, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well. It’s completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision. Have some integrity. https://t.co/BgueNNjf0f — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 22, 2018 On another Twitter post Dec. 22, in response…

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Nancy Pelosi and House Dems Introduce Bill That Would Immediately Restore Voting Rights to Convicted Felons Nationwide

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by Andrew Kerr   House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats unveiled a bill Friday that would immediately restore voting rights to convicted felons nationwide. Convicted felons who have completed their prison sentences would have their voting rights restored, but those incarcerated at the time of an election would still be barred from voting. The bill would also mandate automatic voter registration nationwide. House Democrats unveiled details of a sweeping federal elections reform package Friday that, if enacted, would immediately restore voting rights to convicted felons who have completed their prison sentences nationwide. The bill, titled the “For the People Act,” would also mandate automatic voter registration nationwide for eligible voters that provide information to state government agencies such as the DMV. The act “makes automatic voter registration a mandate nationwide — not just in certain states or in certain counties — but nationwide,” Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia said at a press conference announcing the bill Friday. “We must get there, and we will get there, as Democrats.” “It restores voting rights to felons who paid their debt to society,” Lewis added. .@HouseDemocrats are keeping our promise to the American people & unveiling #HR1, the #ForThePeople Act, a…

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Immigrant Arrested for Murder Was Previously Deported at Least Eight Times

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by Jason Hopkins   An illegal immigrant arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a co-worker in Oregon is discovered to have been deported at least eight times. Deciderio Vargas-Ortiz, 52, was arrested for the alleged murder of Renee Luis-Antonio. The two worked together at a creamery in Milton-Freewater, Oregon — a town in the northeastern part of the state — and reportedly had a long-running dispute. Investigators believe Luis-Antonio was shot on Nov. 26 while riding a tractor. Officer were able to locate and arrest Vargas-Ortiz a day after the alleged shooting. The suspect had fled to Washington state, where a SWAT team apprehended him in a local hotel. As it turns out, not only was Vargas-Ortiz residing it the U.S. illegally, but he had already been deported back to his home country of Mexico at least eight times, according to a statement from an immigration spokeswoman. The suspect had also been operating under an alias — his real name being Antonio Vasquez Vargas. “ICE lodged a detainer with the Benton County Jail on Antonio Vasquez Vargas, aka Deciderio Vargas Ortiz, a citizen of Mexico illegally present in the U.S., after he was arrested on local charges,” Tanya Roman, a public…

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Dr. Gina Loudon Commentary: I Am ‘Becky,’ and I’ll Vote How I Darn Well Please

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by Dr. Gina Loudon, Ph.D.   Bitter liberals have found a scapegoat for their mediocre performance in the midterm elections: her name is “Becky,” and they can’t stand her. While the Democrats did take the majority in the House, they fell short of running the tables on election night. Two years after a majority of white women voted for Donald Trump, liberals are furious that a constituency they once thought was firmly in their extremist camp would defy them yet again and deliver defeats for some of their favorite Democrats. For instance, they’re struggling to understand how these women could dare vote against heroes in the fight against “the patriarchy” such as Beto O’Rourke in Texas and warriors against “white privilege” like Stacey Abrams in Georgia. It’s simple, left-wing legal blogger Elie Mystal informs us: “White women gonna white.” The Daily Show’s Tavon Free — a black man — can’t bear that “White women did what white women do” by voting Republican in 2018. Self-described radical feminist Mona Eltahawy is sure it’s because white women are “foot soldiers of the patriarchy.” Rolling Stone’s Jamil Smith is upset that white women “again voted as if patriarchy would protect them.” “White women…

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Bob Corker Cracks Open Door to 2020 Primary Challenge of President Trump

Jason M. Reynolds
Bob Corker

Retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) said that he has not ruled out running against President Donald Trump for the Republican presidential primary in 2020. Breitbart reported the story on Wednesday. When asked by reporters Tuesday if he plans to run for president in 2020, Corker said, “I have not ruled it out.” Reporters said that their colleagues often ask Corker this question, to which he usually gives a vague answer. 2020 WATCH: Will Sen. Bob Corker run for President??? “I haven’t ruled it out.” — Natalie Andrews (@natalieandrews) November 13, 2018 https://twitter.com/byrdinator/status/1062478823785185281 This is not the first time people have speculated on Corker running against Trump. In October 2017, News Channel 9 in his hometown of Chattanooga asked voters for their thoughts. Chattanooga Tea Party leader Mark West said at the time he wouldn’t be surprised if Corker runs but hopes he doesn’t. Corker announced his retirement in September 2017 amidst increasing unpopularity in Tennessee, which arose from his frequent criticism of the president and his America First agenda. He received criticism for praising Democrat and former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen during the U.S. Senate election to replace him, in which he admitted that he has closer ties to Bredesen…

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Sumner County Executive’s Email Rant Signals Major Property Tax Increase for County In 2019

Laura Baigert

In an email sent to dozens of local elected officials ranting about a political rival, Sumner County Executive Anthony Holt, while seemingly trying to conceal a significant property tax increase in 2019, may have actually revealed that intention. County Executive Holt’s email directed to Sumner County’s County Commission members, other constitutional officers and Gallatin City Council members was under the heading of “Information Regarding County Courthouse Project,” referencing the new, greater than $110 million facsimile of Rutherford County’s new courthouse Sumner County is currently pushing along. The $110 million price tag does not address the identified need of a parking garage, which cost Rutherford County $7 million in 2014 dollars and did not include the land purchase. The courthouse project is running in parallel to the first phase of a new K-12 school campus on the 265 acres purchased in 2015 in the Upper Station Camp area, approved in a special-called Sumner County School Board meeting on October 30. A special-called joint meeting of the Education, Budget and Financial Management Committees held on election eve, November 5, expedited the approval of $103 million in debt to advance the school project on to the regularly scheduled full County Commission meeting November…

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Whereabouts of Alleged Illegal Immigrant Who Killed Tennessee Woman Unknown

Chris Butler

The current whereabouts of a man who allegedly drove drunk and killed a 29-year-old Bedford County woman and was taken into custody for it last month are unknown, even to Bedford County Sheriff Austin Swing. That man, Omar Edgar Torres-Rangel, is an illegal immigrant, according to sources. District Attorney Robert Carter, meanwhile, refused to answer when asked if he knows Torres-Rangel’s present location. Officials with the Tennessee Highway Patrol worked the crash scene the night of Oct. 21. Torres-Rangel sustained critical injuries. According to numerous sources, authorities transported Torres-Rangel to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. What happened to him afterward is a mystery. Vanderbilt Medical Center spokesman Craig Boerner told The Tennessee Star the hospital had no patient by that name as of Wednesday. Boerner said he could provide no other information. Keri King was the woman who died in the crash. Her brother, Willie King, said no one in law enforcement can give him or his family any answers. “He was an illegal, and he just walked out of the hospital, and now they are looking for him. I don’t know how that happened. Those are answers we are trying to get,” King said. “How did I find…

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Bedford County Asks for ICE’s Help on Illegal Immigrant Activity

Chris Butler

At least three Bedford County commissioners are concerned about what they say are alleged instances of drug deals, prostitution, gambling, and human trafficking at a local venue for Mexican rodeos and horse races. One of the commissioners wrote a letter to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement describing their concerns about what is known as the Rancho La Herradura in Bell Buckle. This commissioner has asked that The Tennessee Star not identify him, at least not at this time. “According to witnesses, neighbors and constituents, the said rodeo consisted of typical events consistent with a rodeo with the exception, according to sources, of gambling, drug sales, drug use, underage girls and weapons,” the commissioner wrote. “Other sources have told me the underage girls are part of prostitution and/or human trafficking operation which is prevalent both in Bedford County and neighboring Rutherford County.” No one at Rancho La Herradura returned The Star’s repeated requests for comment Tuesday. The commissioner went on to say an Omar Edgar Torres-Rangel, possibly known as Edgar R. Torres, attended a rodeo late last month. “In an intoxicated state, Mr. Torres drove his vehicle north bound in the southbound lane of State Highway 231 where a head-on…

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State Rep.- Elect London Lamar Says She Spoke on Behalf of Constituents In Controversial Video Where She Said ‘Tennessee Is Racist. Period’

Chris Butler

Newly-elected Tennessee State Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said she merely summed up the thoughts and feelings of her constituents when she scolded white Tennessee Republicans as supposedly racist and uneducated. As The Tennessee Star reported, Lamar livestreamed her remarks during a 15-minute Facebook video last week. She removed the video from Facebook a few days later after it got attention she apparently didn’t want. The Star broke this story past weekend. The story has since gone viral worldwide, with Newsweek citing The Star’s work. FOX News, The British Daily Mail, CBS News, and The Washington Post, among many others, also did their own follow-ups. On Tuesday, Lamar took to her personal and professional Facebook pages to address The Star’s articles concerning her. “What was called a rant is actually a statistical analysis of the midterm elections based on my numerous years of political experience. After a review of the numbers after the midterm election, I felt the need to record a Facebook live video to discuss the numbers from both Tennessee and nationwide,” Lamar said. “My comments did not intend to make a generalization about every white person who voted Republican. The truth about a large number of those who…

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Jerry Brown Blames Those Who Deny Global Warming for Deadly Wildfires

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by Michael Bastasch   California Gov. Jerry Brown said “those who deny” man-made global warming are “definitely contributing” to the deadly, devastating wildfires forcing thousands of residents out of their homes. Brown made the comments during a Sunday press conference where he warned that global warming created a “new abnormal” for the state, including fueling deadly wildfires. The Democrat said better forest management was only a partial solution to the problem. “Managing the forests in every way we can does not stop climate change, and those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that we’re now witnessing, and will continue to witness in the coming years,” Brown said. “The chickens are coming home to roost. This is real here,” Brown said before saying he wanted people to “pull together” to tackle the problem. Three major fires scorched more than 200,000 acres, mostly in Northern California, since Thursday, according to Cal Fire. Firefighters only contained about one-quarter of raging infernos, which left at least 31 dead. The 111,000-acre Camp Fire became the most destructive in state history, destroying more than 6,800 structures and displacing tens of thousands of people. The fire spread quickly due to bone-dry conditions and fast-moving…

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Steve Cohen to Take Senior Position on House Judiciary Committee In Quest to Impeach Donald Trump

Chris Butler

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, will assume a senior position on the House Judiciary Committee after Democrats officially retake that branch of Congress early next year. Cohen, in a newsletter to constituents late last week, said he can’t wait. That’s because Cohen gets to go after U.S. Republican President Donald Trump. Don’t expect Cohen to show fairness and objectivity — given his past vitriolic remarks about Trump and Republicans in general. “It will once again be what the Founders intended it to be, ‘the People’s House,’ and no longer ‘the House of Trump,’” Cohen said in the email newsletter to constituents. One of Cohen’s top priorities, he said, is “oversight of suspicious patterns of corruption we’ve seen but were powerless to investigate in Congress,” referring, presumably, to Trump. “I look forward to playing an active role in that oversight as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee,” Cohen wrote. In the same newsletter, Cohen castigated Trump for firing former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and making Matthew Whitaker the acting replacement. “The only reason he (Whitaker) was selected is that he will be a hatchet man, employing an open, notorious and blatant effort to stifle and control the (Robert) Mueller investigation and…

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