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Feds Arrest Nearly 100 Illegal Immigrants at Tennessee Slaughterhouse

Jason M. Reynolds
ICE Arrest

A Grainger County meat-processing plant was the subject Thursday of what one media outlet calls the largest immigration raid in a decade. The Southeastern Provision plant in Bean Station was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Washington Post reports. Agents arrested 97 immigrants; 10 arrests were on federal immigration charges, one on state charges and 86 immigrants for being in the country illegally, the newspaper quoted an ICE spokeswoman as saying. Most of the immigrants reportedly were from Mexico. The raid was part of the Trump administration’s increased focus on immigration enforcement, the newspaper reports. WVLT Local 8 television news reports that the action began as a tax-related raid from the Internal Revenue Service. After the immigrants were detained, relatives and friends gathered outside a National Guard armory in Morristown where they were held. The Washington Post story also said the Tennessee Highway Patrol was involved. The newspaper referenced an IRS agent’s affidavit claiming the plant is being investigated for alleged evasion of taxes, filing false tax returns and hiring illegal immigrants. The agent’s affidavit claims the plant failed to report $8.4 million in wages and to pay at least $2.5 million in payroll taxes for dozens of workers.…

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Saul Alinsky-Styled Organizing Continues in Nashville Through the ‘2018 Conference for Neighborhoods’

Chris Alto
Mike Hodge of NOAH

Using neighborhood newsletters like the one that circulates through Nashville’s hipster Sylvan Park, progressive activists are advertising a full day of Alinsky-styled community organizing with speakers answering the question “what kind of neighborhood are YOU building?” The inaugural 2018 Conference for Neighborhoods will convene at the Tennessee Bankers Association Barrett Conference Center on Saturday, April 14th. The conference is sponsored by the Neighborhoods Resource Center (NRC) which describes itself as a local non-profit, non-governmental, and non-partisan organization “created by local residents.” The organization offers three services to residents and neighborhood associations – Training and Mentoring, Networking and Consultation. This year’s conferees will learn how involved leaders at the neighborhood level can find their way to an elected position on the Metro Nashville Council: From Neighborhood Leader to Metro Council Member Panel Moderator: Ronald Douglas, Jr., and Panelists: Angie Henderson, Jeff Syracuse, and Brett A. Withers Increasingly, neighborhood leaders are running for Metro Council. This panel discussion will welcome three neighborhood leaders who were recently elected to the Metro Council. They will share what motivated them to run, what the campaign was like, and what it is like now that they are in office. Speakers in the conference break-out sessions include veteran community organizer Mike…

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Phil Bredesen’s Claim He’s Not Running Against Trump Backfires with News Joe Biden, Who Said He Would Have ‘Beat the Hell Out Of’ the President, Will Headline His Local Fundraiser

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Gov. Phil Bredesen’s claim that his campaign for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate is not based on his opposition to President Donald Trump took a major credibility hit on Wednesday when The Tennesseean reported that former Vice President Joe Biden–who recently said he would have “beat the hell out of”  President Trump–will be the guest of honor at a Nashville fundraiser for Bredesen next week. According to The Tennessean: Speaking during an anti-sexual assault rally at the private university in Coral Gables, the Democrat mentioned Mr. Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” recording that captured the real estate mogul talking in 2005 about being able to get away with groping women because of his fame. Former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to headline a fundraiser for former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen’s Democratic bid for U.S. Senate during a swing through Nashville next week. The fundraiser for the Bredesen Victory Fund is set for Tuesday, April 10 at 1 p.m, according to an invitation obtained by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee. It’s billed as a “coffee and conversation” with the 47th vice president. A location is not disclosed. The fundraiser comes on the same day Biden will speak at Vanderbilt…

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Steve Gill Eviscerates Biased Polling Firm During Appearance on WKRN

Tennessee Star Staff

Conservative political commentator and Tennessee Star contributor Steve Gill eviscerated the biased poll findings of PPP Polling in his regular appearance on Friday’s edition of WKRN’s “This Week with Bob Mueller.” “A second poll in a row shows Phil Bredesen leading by a 5 point lead over Marsha Blackburn [in the U.S. Senate race]. Let’s talk about the poll first. But that’s a bit of a surprise,” host Bob Mueller said. “There’s also a lot of problems in this poll,” Gill responded. “They polled registered voters rather than likely voters. And the polling company that did this is a Democrat, left leaning polling company, PPP, that did polls in the battleground states last year during the presidential election, and they missed Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida, that all went for Trump, contrary to what they were saying, and vastly underestimated what he was doing in Ohio,” he added. “The national eyes are on this race. Charlie Cook says it’s a tossup, do you agree with that?” Mueller asked Gill. “I think it will be a close race, but I think Marsha Blackburn wins, in large part because, while Phil Bredesen may pretend to be a moderate, he’s ‘Bill-I-Voted-For-Hillary’ Bredesen.…

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Marsha Blackburn, Diane Black, Scott DesJarlais, and Jimmy Duncan Vote Against Deficit Increasing $1.3 Trillion Omnibus Budget Deal

Tennessee Star Staff

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06), Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04), and Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan (R-TN-02) were the only four Republican members of the Tennessee delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives to vote against the deficit increasing $1.3 Trillion Omnibus Budget Bill to fund the federal government for the remainder of FY 2018 that passed the House on a 256-167 vote Thursday afternoon. A total of 90 Republicans and 77 Democrats voted against the bill. The bill now goes to the Senate for a vote on Friday. If it passes in the Senate, President Trump will have until midnight on Friday to either sign or veto the bill before non-essential offices of the federal government shut down. Three Republican members of the Tennessee delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of the huge spending bill: Republicans Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN-01), Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), and Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08). Kustoff’s yes vote could spell trouble for him in August, as he faces a tough primary challenge from Dr. George Flinn, who is a staunch conservative on fiscal matters and is running a well funded and aggressive campaign. The two Democrats in the U.S.…

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Steve Gill Is Back on the Radio!

Tennessee Star Staff

Long-time Nashville radio host Steve Gill is back on the radio. The veteran conservative political commentator and frequent Tennessee Star contributor is hosting a 30 minute program, The Gill Report, which airs on Knoxville’s WETR 92.3 FM from 6:30 pm to 7:00 pm each weekday evening. Gill joins an all-star lineup on the conservative talk radio station that includes Laura Ingraham, Michael Savage, and Lars Larson. Here’s an example of the kind of insight listeners of The Gill Report receive: Steve’s analysis of a recent poll that says Phil Bredesen leads Marsha Blackburn by 5 points in a hypothetical general election matchup for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN). (You can listen to the program live here). Plans are currently in the works to syndicate the program to other radio stations across the state.    

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Bill Allowing Trained Teachers To Carry Concealed Firearms On School Property Passes House Committee

Laura Baigert

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The bill allowing private certified firearms instructors and the local law enforcement agency to train teachers who are allowed to carry concealed firearms on school property passes the House Civil Justice Committee by a vote of 8 to 3 along party lines. House Bill 2208, sponsored by David “Coach” Byrd (R-Waynesboro), after about an hour and a half of debate, passed another hurdle Tuesday. As previously reported by The Tennessee Star, the bill expands a previous bill by Byrd that was restricted to the distressed rural counties of Wayne and Pickett, after local law enforcement did not conduct the training and following the Parkland, Florida school shooting. Byrd, a teacher, coach and principal before retiring and joining the Tennessee General Assembly, would prefer to have a School Resource Officer (SRO) in every school. But, across there state there are approximately 800 SROs for the 1,800 schools, providing coverage to only about 40 percent. The financial reality is that, at a cost of approximately $45,000 per year, rural distressed counties cannot afford to have an SRO in every school. The bill is “permissive,” in that each individual Local Education Agency (LEA) can opt in but is not compelled…

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Conservative Grassroots Leader Andy Ogles Wins Republican Nomination for Maury County Mayor at Convention

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Conservative Grassroots Leader Andy Ogles Wins Republican Nomination for Maury County Mayor at Convention

The Maury County Republican Party held their nominating convention Saturday, and in a surprising twist, selected former Americans for Prosperity State Director and U.S. Senate candidate Andy Ogles to be the Republican nominee for County Mayor. “Maury County faces major fiscal issues in the coming years, and I think I am the candidate to solve them,” Ogles told The Daily Herald moments after his nomination. State Rep. Sheila Butt (R-Columbia), who is not seeking re-election in 2018, nominated Ogles for the office at the convention on Saturday. “I have worked with Andy Ogles on several issues over the past few years. I was delighted when he and his family chose to move to Maury County several years ago,” Butt told The Tennessee Star in an exclusive statement, adding: Andy understands the issues facing our community and the process of governing. He understands budgets and taxes. He understands the importance of a community being financially sound and meeting the needs of a growing population. There are challenges ahead for Maury County. We are in the process at the State level of passing a Private Act that will help with the accountability and the transparency of our County budget. There are real problems that need to be addressed. Andy…

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State Sen. Mark Green and State Rep. Bryan Terry Unapologetic About Not Giving In-State Tuition to Illegal Aliens

Chris Alto
State Rep. Bryan Terry and State Sen. Mark Green

State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) and State Rep. Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro) are clear that the goal of their in-state tuition bill is to block awarding the state benefit to illegal aliens. Their bill augments the Tennessee’s “Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act” with precise language identifying in-state tuition as a state benefit. Terry’s explanation leaves no doubt in this regard: In-state tuition only covers between 25-75 percent of the cost to provide the college education. Taxpayer funds support the rest. That is clearly a state benefit. Any attempt to exclude post secondary assistance in the definition of a state benefit is contrary to the facts and our bill will ensure taxpayers are protected. There are U.S. citizens who live out of state, but pay business or property taxes in Tennessee. They still must pay out of state tuition. We shouldn’t be incentivizing illegal immigrants to take advantage of Tennessee taxpayers when we don’t even provide a courtesy to Americans who are investing in our state. And his bill, HB2101 directly contradicts State Rep. Mark White’s (R-Memphis) bill, HB2429 which is trying to exempt in-state tuition from state law that defines what is a “state or local public benefit.” Last week the House Education Subcommittee…

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Diane Black Calls Federal Judge’s Dismissal of State’s Refugee Resettlement Lawsuit ‘A Slap in the Face to the Overwhelming Majority of Tennesseans’

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Diane Black Calls Federal Judge’s Dismissal of State’s Refugee Resettlement Lawsuit ‘A Slap in the Face to the Overwhelming Majority of Tennesseans’

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) issued a strong statement reacting to U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson’s dismissal Monday of Tennessee’s refugee resettlement lawsuit against the federal government just moments after it was published. “I am incredibly disappointed with Judge Anderson’s decision to dismiss Tennessee’s case,” Black said. “This is a slap in the face to the overwhelming majority of Tennesseans who are sick and tired of being forced to foot the federal government’s bill for resettling refugees.” Turning her ire to the “status quo” of management of Tennessee’s previous top executives, she added, “The last two governors have outsourced refugee resettlement, and I believe it’s time for the state to take back that responsibility. As governor, I will not tolerate this federal overreach, and I will fight to empower our citizens and keep them safe.” Black’s statement points out that even though Tennessee opted out of the federal refugee resettlement program, 2,397 refugees arrived in the state in 2016, resettled by the federal government in a refugee admissions program managed in the state by Catholic Charities of Tennessee. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, a 10th Amendment violation by the federal government for forcing the state to accept refugees and…

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Volunteers Presenting Alternatives To Nashville’s Proposed $9 Billion Transit Plan Build Strong Case

Jason M. Reynolds

A group that is opposed to the $9 billion light rail transit plan is making waves on social media. Better Transit for Nashville’s Facebook page like count reached nearly 2,900 last week compared to Transit for Nashville’s page total of just under 2,700, the former reports in an email newsletter. BTN calls itself an all-volunteer local group. BTN’s popularity may be due in part to its running the numbers on the light rail plan’s alleged drawbacks. Nor is Facebook the only social media platform BTN is using effectively. Its YouTube page has posted a number of videos laying out details such as this: “In 2.5 years, (ex-Mayor Megan) Barry spent $2.4 million on frills, bodyguards & her love affair. The video has all the data. Now she wants to spend $8.9 BILLION for a transit plan that directly serves the rich & only 2% or less of commuters. The plan will spend $568,000 per current transit rider.” The per rider number is garnered from an $8.9 billion cost divided current transit riders totaling 15,650. BTN cites these sources: MTA audits; apta.com BTN says light rail will serve parts of five roadways and 6 percent of downtown workers. The group contends…

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Bill to Close Tennessee’s Primaries Gains Steam

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The Williamson County Republican Party Executive Committee announced Friday they passed a resolution to strongly support HB0887 and its companion Senate bill SB0772.  The proposal’s summary – sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) and Sen. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) – simply states: As introduced, requires a person to declare a statewide political party affiliation before voting in a primary election. – Amends TCA Title 2. (emphasis added) Williamson County Republican Party Chair Debbie Deaver said the measure, which passed overwhelmingly 10-0, would be a welcome change. “It’s a little disingenuous to allow someone to select a candidate for a party they don’t identify with and who they will not vote for in the general election. Just like Alabama doesn’t let Tennessee pick its head coach, and Apple doesn’t have the board of Microsoft select its CEO, we should not let non-Republicans pick our nominees.” The next stop for the bill proposal is the Senate State and Local Government Committee, where it is scheduled to be heard.

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Analysis: Vanderbilt University ‘Barry Poll’ Relies Upon Suspect Methodology That Has Little Political Applicability

Tennessee Star Staff

A new Vanderbilt University poll of 800 “residents” of Davidson County purports to claim that Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has seen little slippage of popularity despite her ongoing sex scandal, including new revelations regarding nude photos, questionable use of overtime security details at non-official events, and continued investigations into potential misuse of public funds and lack of transparency. The “poll” indicates that Barry has see a decline in her approval rating from 72% in a similar poll a year ago to 61% today. The Vanderbilt Poll, which will be released with further details on March 4, 2018, was provided in a “limited preview release” to The Tennessean on February 27. The methodology of the “poll” raises serious questions concerning both the political applicability as well as the means by which the data was collected. 1. The survey was conducted from February 8-19, 2018. No serious polling operation ever conducts a poll over eleven days, particularly when new information is coming forth on a daily basis. 2. Polling “residents” rather than “registered voters,” or more appropriately “likely voters,” limits the political application of the polling data because those who are not even registered to vote tend to be less informed and…

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Metro Councilman on Tennessean’s Call for Mayor Barry to Resign: ‘This Has Become the Opinion of Nearly Every Person in Nashville’

Chris Alto
Steve Glover

Asked for his reaction to the latest call for Mayor Barry’s resignation coming from her former staunch allies at The Tennessean, Metro Councilman Steve Glover told The Tennessee Star: Given the revelations over the past several days, I feel its safe to say that this has become the opinion of nearly every person in Nashville. Putting the welfare of the city above yourself should always be top of mind for anyone elected to serve. Day by day the Mayor’s version of her two year illicit relationship with her bodyguard, which she said during her public admission, did not violate any laws or policies, is unraveling. Judson Phillips, writing in a Tennessee Star commentary on February 1, the day after Mayor Barry admitted to the affair with Sgt. Forrest, was one of the first to call for Barry’s resignation. Another call to resign from long-time pastor and community activist Enoch Fuzz, followed one week later along with a similar message from The Tennessean’s Clarksville-based liberal columnist and opinion writer Saritha Prabhu. Retired Vanderbilt Law Professor Carol Swain nailed the Mayor as “damaged goods” and said “she needs to go” and repeated that message at the “Resign Now! Megan Barry” rally. Despite the nude photos, apparent misstatements by the…

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Defiant Mayor Megan Barry Refuses to Resign: ‘The Tennesseean Is Welcome to Their Opinion’

Tennessee Star Staff

Embattled Nashville Mayor Megan Barry responded defiantly late Wednesday to the call from the Editorial Board of The Tennessean earlier in the day for her to resign. That call comes in the aftermath of her admission to an extramarital affair with her former bodyguard, Metro Nashville Police Sgt. Rob Forrest. “I was elected to serve as mayor by the voters of Davidson County, and I will continue to do so. The Tennessean is welcome to their opinion,” she said in a statement released by Sean Braisted, director of communications for the Mayor’s Office. The Tennessean’s call for her resignation, written by the paper’s very liberal opinion page editor, David Plazas, pulled no punches: A leader must put the interests and the needs of the people she serves above her own. We thought Nashville Mayor Megan Barry was doing just that. However, it has become abundantly clear in recent weeks that this is not the case after the revelation of her affair with her subordinate and former head of security, retired Metro Nashville Police Department Sgt. Rob Forrest. This is a confounding and disappointing situation: – How he could rack up more than $170,000 in overtime pay over three years, which…

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The Tennessean Editorial Board: ‘It Is Time for Mayor Megan Barry to Resign’

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In a crushing blow from one of Nashville Mayor Megan Barry’s best allies, The Tennessean’s Editorial Board called for her resignation Wednesday. The detailed commentary was written by Opinion and Engagement Editor David Plazas on behalf of the entire Board, with collaboration by fellow editorial board members Vice President and Editor Michael A. Anastasi and Executive Editor Maria De Varenne. “A leader must put the interests and the needs of the people she serves above her own,” Plazas’ editorial begins, which lays out in painful detail the many reasons Barry’s continued service in office is untenable: We thought Nashville Mayor Megan Barry was doing just that. However, it has become abundantly clear in recent weeks that this is not the case after the revelation of her affair with her subordinate and former head of security, retired Metro Nashville Police Department Sgt. Rob Forrest. This is a confounding and disappointing situation: – How he could rack up more than $170,000 in overtime pay over three years, which included extended domestic and overseas trips with her alone and overtime charges in Nashville for hours after the mayor’s calendar showed official events of the day had ended. – How her Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling let the…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Heckled During Public Transit Meeting: ‘You Need to Resign! You’re a Disgrace!’

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During a public meeting about the ambitious $9 billion transit plan at Watkins College in Bordeaux Monday, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry was heckled by a lone protester, who stood up and yelled, “You need to resign!” “You need to leave because we are trying to talk about transit,” Barry retorted. As the man was quickly led out of the sparsely attended meeting, he said, “You need to resign! You’re a disgrace. You’re an embarrassment…. I voted for you – you’re a disgrace.” WKRN cameras were rolling and caught the entire incident on video. Citizens in and around Nashville and across the state have been roiled by a series of tawdry revelations after Barry admitted to a years-long affair with her chief of security, former Sgt. Rob Forrest. Concerns over the possible misuse of public funds to carry on, and then cover up the Mayor’s dalliance has sparked several investigations by different state and city agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, the Metro Board of Ethical Conduct, and a Metro Council Special Committee. As The Tennessee Star previously reported: It also highlights a growing concern about a lack of checks and balances and the failure to apply standard internal controls to financial…

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The Archbishop of Canterbury: Islamic Rules Are Incompatible with Britain’s Laws

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by CHQ Staff   Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and leader of the Anglican Church in England, said yesterday that Islamic rules are incompatible with Britain’s laws, which have developed over 500 years on the principles of a different culture. He added that high levels of immigration from Muslim countries can “have an impact on the accepted pattern for choosing a partner, on assumed ages of maturity and sexual activity, and especially on issues of polygamy.” Archbishop Welby’s comments, reported by Steve Doughty Social Affairs Correspondent for The Daily Mail, follow the release earlier this month of a highly critical Home Office report that said all couples marrying in mosques should also have to go through a legally-binding civil marriage ceremony to shield wives from injustices under sharia. They also reverse the position taken by his predecessor Lord Williams, who, observed Doughty, backed incorporating sharia into the British legal system. Archbishop Welby set out his reasons why sharia should not win official status in a book, Reimagining Britain. Archbishop Welby said in advance of publication that British law has “underlying values and assumptions” that come from a clearly Christian tradition. “Sharia law is not just about punishments,” he added. “It is…

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Williamson County School Board Stonewalls Public, Votes Unanimously to Support Superintendent Looney, Arrested for Assault Last Week

Tennessee Star Staff

FRANKLIN, Tennessee–The Williamson County School Board held a special meeting Monday night in Franklin, and voted unanimously to issue a statement of support for embattled Superintendent of Schools Mike Looney, who was arrested last week on assault charges. The vote was 12 to zero. The highly choreographed meeting lasted barely half an hour, and left many in the estimated crowd of 100 members of the public in attendance frustrated, as they were not permitted to speak or ask questions of the board during the meeting or prior to the vote. Williamson County School Board Chairman Gary Anderson began the meeting by reading, in its entirety, the statement of support, which, after one small amendment, was unanimously approved by the Board. During the discussion period, Board Member Eric Welch said “As a parent of a Williamson County Schools student, if my child ever has a psychologically stressful situation in school, I hope that Mike Looney is present,” a remark that caused audible ripples of laughter and headshaking in the crowd. One remarkable admission was made by the School Board in the statement: There is currently no governing law in the state of Tennessee that addresses the issue of how a Superintendent…

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Megan Barry Has Increased Size of Mayor’s Office Staff by 60 Percent

Tennessee Star Staff

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has increased the size of the Mayor’s Office staff from 22 in August 2015, the month before she was elected and sworn in to office, to 36 in February 2018. The Tennessee Star asked Sean Braisted, director of communications for the Mayor’s Office, to explain why Mayor Barry increased the size of her office staff by more than 60 percent during her two and a half years in office, but received no response.   News of this massive increase in her personal entourage comes on the heels of revelations of her increased use of security personnel in contrast to her predecessors and the burgeoning scandal over her extramarital affair with Sgt. Rob Forrest, the former Metro Nashville Police Dept officer who headed her security detail until Jan. 31.   It also highlights a growing concern about a lack of checks and balances and the failure to apply standard internal controls to financial and personnel operations within Metro Nashville Davidson County Government during Barry’s tenure. At least five other examples of these failures have come light in the month since Mayor Barry admitted to an extramarital affair with her former bodyguard. The so-called “computer glitch” in which for…

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Williamson County Citizens Issue Call for the Resignation of Mike Looney Following Alleged Assault of Troubled Student

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Former Williamson County School of Board candidate and outspoken textbook reform activist Laurie Cardoza-Moore is leading concerned Williamson Country residents in calling for WCS Superintendent Mike Looney to step down. Cardoza-Moore and the quickly organized informal group have asked the Williamson County District Attorney’s office to launch a full and thorough investigation into a bizarre incident that resulted in Looney being charged with the assault of a student last week. A public meeting of the Williamson County School Board is scheduled for 6:30 pm tonight in Franklin to discuss the Looney situation. “This past week, a criminal charge was filed against Williamson County Director of Schools Mike Looney following an incident at Franklin High School,” Cardoza-Moore said in a detailed statement Monday morning: Given public statements by Williamson County School Board members, one has to question their level of objectivity and if they see their primary role as defending their employee at all costs or seeking the whole truth, not just Looney’s version of it. If you have been trusting your elected board members to hold their employee accountable, you may want to start paying closer attention. Mike Looney, the director of WCS should be held to the same professional standards…

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Tennessee House Candidate Aaron Shane Puts Up $150,000 Of His Own Money To Oppose Representative Susan Lynn

Laura Baigert

Local businessman and first-time candidate for the Tennessee House 57th District, Aaron Shane, announced this week that he is putting $150,000 into his campaign to oppose Representative Susan Lynn in the August 2 Republican primary. Shane made the announcement of his significant personal financial commitment after beginning his campaign just two weeks prior on a “mission to protect the families of District 57 and repeal the gas tax increase.” Shane is the owner of Shane Electric located in Mt. Juliet, which is a multi-year winner of the Best of Mt. Juliet award. Now a legal citizen, Shane originates from Canada, where he became an “admirer and student of how our Founding Fathers enumerated our God-given rights in the Constitution,” a stark contrast to “the excessive taxation and government overreach” he witnessed in Canada. “I wouldn’t move back to Canada, if you paid me,” Shane emphatically tells The Tennessee Star. A staunch supporter of the Second Amendment, member of the Tennessee Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association, Shane relays that in Canada if you legally own a gun and your house is broken into, you are still expected to call law enforcement and hope they arrive in time. On his…

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Wife of Sgt. Rob Forrest, the Former Bodyguard and Lover of Mayor Megan Barry, Files for Divorce

Tennessee Star Staff

Penny Forrest, the wife of Sgt. Rob Forrest, the former Metro Nashville Police Department officer who conducted a two-year long extramarital affair with Nashville Megan Mayor Barry, has filed for divorce. WKRN reported: Court documents show the complaint was filed on Feb. 23 and cites irreconcilable differences and inappropriate marital conduct. According to the divorce complaint, Penny Forrest would show that her husband “has been guilty of inappropriate marital conduct as to render further cohabitation unsafe and improper.” “Saturday, Rob Forrest’s attorney released the following statement regarding the divorce filing,” NewsChannel 5 reported: Mr. Forrest is aware he will shortly be served with divorce papers. He deeply regrets that his conduct will cost him his marriage. Given the intensely personal nature of a divorce, Mr. Forrest asks for privacy for his family at this difficult time. Mr. Forrest and I will have no further statement. “The divorce complaint also includes a temporary injunction,” WSMV reported: According to the American Bar Association, a temporary injunction is a court order requiring both parties to cease some particular action until a hearing can take place. Failure to do so can result in fines, arrest, or even prison time depending on the circumstances of…

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Off the Record: Unscrupulous Mayor Says She’s the Real Victim in the Adultery Scandal

Chris Alto

Holy hold the presses Batman – we’ve got it all wrong!!! It’s not the citizens of Nashville whose money was used so the Mayor could have sex with her bodyguard who are victimized by the Mayor’s adultery. It’s not Sgt. Forrest’s wife and kids who’ve been humiliated by the Mayor who was huggin’ on Sgt. Forrest at the same time she was hugging his wife and his father-in-law while visiting the family’s patriarch in the hospital. It’s not even her husband Bruce who the Mayor lied to for two years while she was doin’ the dirty with Sgt. Forrest who she publicly made a cuckold. Now that we know about the nude photos, the Mayor says she’s the victim! And about those “nudies” – that is, if they are of her, she’s “furious” about the invasion of her privacy!!! It is, however, kind of confusing how the relationship she described as – consensual between two middle-aged adults who had feelings for each other- and what they do during their “personal time” can ever be an invasion of her privacy. With all the convoluted and not believable statements coming out of the Mayor’s office – like the one about her early…

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GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Lee Donated $500 to Megan Barry’s Mayoral Campaign in 2015

Tennessee Star Staff

Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee donated $500 to Megan Barry’s Mayoral campaign in May 2015, according to public records obtained by The Tennessee Star. The Williamson County businessman’s donation of $500 to Friends of Megan Barry on May 21, 2015 came two months before the August 2015 election for Mayor of Metro Nashville/Davidson County between Barry, David Fox, and real estate developer Bill Freeman. Though the race was technically “non-partisan,” the battle quickly became highly partisan, with progressive Democrats rallying around Barry, conservatives and Republicans supporting Fox, and more moderate Democrats gravitating to Freeman. No candidate gained enough votes in the general election to claim the mayor’s job, so a runoff between the top two vote getters–Barry and Fox–was held the following month in September. Barry defeated Fox in that runoff, 55 percent to 45 percent, and was sworn in as Mayor of Nashville/Davidson County on September 25, 2015. The Lee campaign confirmed Lee’s $500 donation to Barry, and provided The Star with a statement on the issue late Thursday. “Bill doesn’t support Megan Barry. A few years ago a client asked him to give $500 to her campaign and he did. Politicians make political decisions. Businessmen – including Donald Trump…

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OFF THE RECORD: Mayor Megan Barry – Incapable of Shame Until She Got Caught…

Chris Alto

According to a Tennessee Star commenter earlier this week, while Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her bodyguard, Sgt. Rob Forrest, were still taking luxury trips abroad and quickie overnights stateside, not only did the thoughtful Mayor make a surprise visit to Sgt. Forrest’s father-in-law in the hospital, but she also attended his funeral nine days later, and get this, hugged Sgt. Forrest’s grieving wife. And being one of the family in a twisted sort of way, the Mayor attended Sgt. Forrest’s daughter’s wedding: Not only did she visit him in the hospital, but she also attended the man’s funeral and was seen hugging her lover’s grieving wife, and family. It’s also no secret that she was a guest at her lover’s daughter’s wedding as well. During her public confession, the Mayor let slip that the two-year long affair with Sgt. Forrest that she had worked so hard to conceal, became known somehow to their respective spouses – “Barry said the relationship was discovered during conversations between their spouses and private discussions.” Between getting caught by the jilted spouses and getting counseled by reporter Phil Williams who disclosed that he had an “incredible” source, the Mayor was left with no option…

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Washington Examiner: McConnell Favors Marsha Blackburn Over Bob Corker

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Republican leaders in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) have “moved on” from Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who recently indicated he is having “second thoughts” about not running for re-election, and are now all-in behind Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07), who is the presumptive Republican nominee, The Washington Examiner reported on Wednesday: Top Republican leaders, including McConnell and Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as senior Blackburn advisors, some of whom were working for Corker’s re-election campaign before he pulled the plug, are baffled by suggestions that the congresswoman is putting this race in jeopardy. She has hit all of the metrics set for her campaign, launched only after Corker bowed out last fall. Her fundraising is strong, she is organizing on the ground, and she has the consensus support of the Republican establishment in Washington and the conservative grassroots in Tennessee long unhappy with Corker. Blackburn also happens to be a woman. That matters because the Republican Party is lacking female candidates — capable or otherwise — in an election cycle in which the GOP’s biggest vulnerability is a weakness among educated, suburban white women — just like Blackburn. “We simply haven’t been involved…

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OFF THE RECORD: Mayor Barry to Lover’s Father-in-Law – Can You Guess My Secret?

Chris Alto

Hubris alert! No shame! Too big to fall! If it isn’t bad enough that Mayor Moonbeam Barry is using our money to travel out-of-town and overseas to consummate her trysts with bodyguard Sgt. Robert Forrest, she visited, hugged and smiled with Sgt. Forrest’s father-in-law–at least according to what one Tennessee Star reader says is a now deleted October 2017 Facebook post–while he was sick in the hospital during the time she was having her affair with the husband of the guy’s daughter!!!! The mayor might have been motivated by concern and kindness, but, considering the circumstances, the brazenness of the mayor in her visit does seem a tad on the tacky side. But perhaps her visit is only a reflection of how Barry perceives her job and power as mayor. She has a sign in her office that says, “Power is about waking up every day and making a difference in someone else’s life.” Or “lives” perhaps in light of the mayor’s recent two years of committing adultery. A reader sent us the NOW DELETED pictures from Sgt. Forrest’s mother-in-law’s Facebook page of the mayor’s hospital visit with Sgt. Forrest’s father-in-law. The pictures with the mayor, “a special visitor,” were posted on October 14,…

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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Was Scheduled to Travel With Lover Rob Forrest to Attend the Grammy Awards in New York

Christina Botteri

After repeated denials that taxpayer money was used to fund and then cover up the years-long affair between Nashville Mayor Megan Barry and her security chief, Rob Forrest, WMSV reported that newly released documents the show the illicit couple was set to travel to New York together in order to attend the Grammy Awards on January 26. “Within the last two hours, we obtained more records from City Hall,” reporter Allana Autler began: We’ve just learned that there was another trip scheduled for the Mayor and her bodyguard for January 26 – just a few weeks ago. It was for Barry to attend the Grammy Awards in New York. Records show the trip was approved on January 10th. The Mayor’s spokesman says he can’t say when in January it was cancelled. But he did say she changed her plans and came home instead. We now know that’s the weekend before news of the affair broke. This new bombshell revelation appears at the end of the video embedded below, which contains a two-and-a-half minute report of an one-on-one interview by Aulter of Barry regarding a number troubling details surrounding the affair between the Mayor and her security chief, and the potential misuse of taxpayer money.…

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OFF THE RECORD: Can Corker Heal the Rift with President Trump?

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Senator Bob Corker is apparently open to the idea of running for reelection, despite previously announcing that he would not run in 2018. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has reportedly advised Corker that the idea is a “non-starter” unless he can get President Trump on board. Is it possible for Corker and Trump to “kiss and make up” at this point? A quick review of some of the most blatantly anti-Trump statements that Corker would have to overcome make it clear that he would not only have to “eat some crow” – he would have to devour a whole flock! Corker likely doesn’t have the stomach to do so. And some may recall that Trump dined with his nemesis Mitt Romney while dangling a prospective Secretary of State appointment – and then left Romney dangling before turning to Rex Tillerson. If this video compilation of the “Best of Corker Bashing Trump” becomes “Must See TV” at the White House it is more likely that President Trump will have a warm and friendly reconciliation with Rocket Man before he does so with Liddle Bob.    

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Mayor Megan Barry Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Questions from WSMV Reporter About Taxpayer Resources Used to Send Her and Lover Rob Forrest On Luxury Trips

Christina Botteri

WSMV reporter Alanna Autler caught up with embattled Mayor Megan Barry to ask several questions regarding the possible misappropriation of taxpayer funds and other resources used to support and then cover up Barry’s years-long affair with the head of her security detail, Rob Forrest. Despite several attempts by Autler to get a straight answer regarding records showing overseas travel and luxury accommodations with Forrest, Mayor Barry refused to deliver any kind of answer, and instead hid behind the lawyerly response that, “in cooperation with the TBI investigation we continue to provide them the answers, and I look forward to knowing that were no taxpayer dollars misused in any way.” WSMV edited the video of the interview for the news broadcast into what is essentially a ‘highlights’ reel of the most scintillating parts of the interview. However, in a separate post, the station published the entire transcript of the encounter between Barry and Autler. The video version does a good job of showing Barry’s clearly rehearsed non-answers to the young journalist’s questions. But when the segment is compared to the unedited video and full transcript, the extent of the Mayor’s stonewalling behavior is laid bare. Part One – Travel to Greece and San Francisco…

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Steve Osborn Commentary: It’s Time for Tennessee’s Grassroots to Back Diane Black for Governor

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by Steve Osborn   The folks in the grassroots conservative movement have been working hard these last few years trying to be the Vanguards of Liberty, and trying to undo the damage inflicted on our nation by liberals. We may disagree from time to time on issues, tactics, or candidates, but we remain steadfast and united in our common goals: defending the Constitution, restoring our constitutional Republic, and preserving our long-held American values. However, some of us have been choosing to support one candidate over another because of what is said on the campaign trail or what we’ve heard from someone else without doing any research from reputable sources on our own. In many ways, we’ve acted like we’re electing a high-school class president based on a popularity contest without truly knowing who best shares our values, or who would best represent us in the state. We have to grow beyond that. Just doing basic research of the candidates would either support what is said on the trail, or prove that a candidate is simply pandering for votes. Consequently, we’ve been electing Republicans in Tennessee who’ve run as conservatives only for them to show that they’re actually liberals once they’re in…

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Commentary: And There Are Some Questions The Tennessean Doesn’t Even Want to Ask

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Tennessean columnist Alex Hubbard noted in a column over the weekend that “Some Questions Matter More Than Others in Megan Barry Affair.”  He’s right, and many of the questions he posed are actually among those that deserve a clear and honest answer from Mayor Barry. However, there are a number of other “non-ideological” questions that Hubbard either doesn’t want asked or answered. Perhaps there is an ideological basis for the questions that the liberal Tennessean prefers to ignore. First, Hubbard follows the lead of previous Tennessean editorial commentary in defini-tively stating that the current “public discussion surrounding sexual harassment does not apply here.” Really? Sexual harassment isn’t just about “consensual versus non-consensual” distinctions when it comes to sexual relationships in the workplace. A boss and subordinate may be perfectly happy with their secret affair, and the benefits that inure to the subordinate in terms of promotions, bonuses, and other work benefits. That may have been the case with Mayor Barry and Sgt. Forrester. But what about the other members of the security detail who didn’t benefit from the “consensual” relationship? Perhaps another officer passed on the flirtations of Mayor Barry, thereby denying himself the overtime and international travel that Sgt.…

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Support for Nashville Mayor Megan Barry Begins to Crumble as Calls for Her Resignation Grow

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The Tennessean’s Clarksville-based liberal columnist and opinion writer Saritha Prabhu penned a passionate call on Mayor Megan Barry to resign from office Friday afternoon after a new wave of revelations surrounding Barry’s affair and cover-up with top staffer Rob Forrest came to light. “Disappointed on many levels describes how I feel about the Megan Barry situation,” she begins, in a surprisingly candid and heartfelt indictment of Nashville’s first woman to hold its top elected office: Mayor Barry shocked and saddened our Middle Tennessee community when she revealed recently that she had had a nearly two-year extramarital affair with her top security officer. I live in Clarksville, but I was proud when Nashville elected its first female mayor in late 2015. But now, each new revelation about the affair has been damning to her and to her continued political survival. To cut to the chase: She should do Nashville and herself a favor and resign. To continue as mayor would be to prolong the ugliness, and drip-drip nature of the revelations, and to further undercut her authority to lead. If this had been an affair with a private citizen on her own dime, it’d probably be none of our business. But this is different,…

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State Representative Candidate Claims TBI Home Raid Was Politically Motivated

Laura Baigert

The townhome of Jeremy H. G. Hayes, candidate for State Representative for the 57th District, a seat currently held by Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet), was raided by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Tuesday morning, a move the candidate says was politically motivated. Four TBI agents came with a warrant to search his townhome, reportedly telling Hayes they have “Reason to believe you voted out of district in the last primary.” Simultaneously and without a warrant, three additional agents went to the home of Hayes’ grandmother, where Hayes tells The Tennessee Star he stays four to five nights a week to care for the 78-year old who suffers from multiple sclerosis and stage IV kidney failure. Lynn’s claim that Hayes, one of her challengers in the August Republican primary, lives out of the district has been going on for the better part of a year. She told The Star back in March 2017 about Hayes, “he doesn’t live in Wilson County nor in my district.” Hayes provided a digital photograph of his State of Tennessee driver’s license to The Star that shows an issue date of April 2017 and an expiration of April 2025, with a Mt. Juliet address, information that…

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Ralph Bristol Out at Cumulus Media’s SuperTalk 99.7 WTN

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After an 11-year run as the host of  Nashville’s Morning News, broadcast giant Cumulus Media and Ralph Bristol have parted ways. Bristol posted a lengthy statement on his Facebook page: GOOD MORNING NASHVILLE, IT’S….OVER Cumulus Media terminated my employment today due to irreconcilable editorial differences. We cannot agree on what information and communications should be kept private and which should be hashed out publicly. Since I won’t abide by their rules, they will not abide by my continued employment. Please know first, I am not sad or angry. And I have nothing to fear, financially or otherwise. I’m free, happy and as blessed as ever. As I leave the radio, I want to thank a bunch of people, including, but not first, those who fired me, and it’s probably best that I didn’t do this on the air because you’ve heard enough of this particular grown man cry, and I tend to get emotional when I say nice things about people. I’d like to start by thanking my “Gang of Four,” Doogie Vance, Ken Weaver and Chris Weber, who along with me, have solved all of mankind’s important problems during a daily segment that started many years ago as a traffic…

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Commentary: College Professor Debunks 4 Common Capitalism Myths He Hears from Students Every Day

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by James Davenport   One of the most disappointing things I face as a college professor is the lack of understanding most students have regarding capitalism. The simple fact is, despite its importance to our daily lives, relatively few people have a strong grasp of what causes economic growth and why markets are so central to continuously rising standards of living. In my teaching, I have encountered several myths or misperceptions about capitalism from students as well as individuals outside the classroom. Dispelling these myths has become a focus of much of my teaching. Myth #1: Capitalism Was “Created” One of the most pervasive misunderstandings about capitalism is the idea that it was created by someone. Some of this can be attributed to the language used to describe Adam Smith’s role in explaining the market process. The common reference to Smith as “the father of modern economics” can lead people to assume that he in some way created the market system. It is also not unreasonable to conclude that, since socialism is generally reliant on planning, many would assume that capitalism is as well. However, as Friedrich Hayek explained, the market system is not really “created” as much as it is…

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Former Judge Bob Corlew Announces Candidacy for GOP Nomination in 6th Congressional District

Tennessee Star Staff

Former Chancery Court Judge Bob Corlew announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Congress in the 6th Congressional District on Wednesday. “I have dedicated my life to public service, not political service, serving my community and my country. I am a veteran, a teacher, a servant leader, but most importantly, I am a grandpa of eight wonderful grandchildren,” Corlew said in a statement released by his campaign. “I am a Christian Conservative who believes Tennessee’s values are worth fighting for. President Trump needs folks who will work with him, not against him, and I will work with President Trump to make our community and our country great again,” Corlew added. “In 2017, Corlew served as Lions Club International President after retiring from thirty years of service as a judge, most recently serving Cannon and Rutherford Counties as Chancery Court Judge,” the statement noted. A video of Corlew’s campaign announcement has been posted on his campaign website, and can be seen here as well: Corlew joins two other Republicans seeking the 6th Congressional District seat Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) has said she will not seek to retain in 2018 since she is a candidate for governor. Former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner…

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Nashville Metro Council Plays Shell Game With Transit Costs

Jason M. Reynolds

The Metro Council voted Tuesday to not disclose the true cost of Mayor Megan Barry’s light rail transit plan to voters on the May 1 referendum. Metro Councilmembers John Cooper and Tanaka Vercher had asked that the May ballot language include the full $9-billion-dollar costs. They proposed the amendment that Metro Council voted on Tuesday night during the plan’s second reading. The amendment is available here. The council voted 21-14 not to accept the amendment, according to a spokesman for NoTax4Tracks, a PAC that opposes the transit plan. There will be one final reading, but it is not immediately clear if amendments will be allowed, the spokesman says. That vote could come in as early as two weeks. Once the amendment failed, the council voted on the Barry administration’s favored language for the referendum, citing a price tag of just over $5.3 billion. The council voted 30-6, with three not voting, to create the ballot language, according to Barry’s Twitter feed. NoTax4Tracks PAC on Tuesday had announced their support for the proposed amendment’s effort to let voters know the full cost of the city’s light rail transit plan. “The city does not want voters to know the full costs of the light rail…

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Commentary: Jeff Sessions Is Turning the Justice Department Around

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By Printus LeBlanc   While everyone is wondering what was said and what was not said, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is quietly restoring the rule of law and eliminating the progressive leftist funding mechanisms installed by the Obama administration. It is time to recognize the excellent work Attorney General Jeff Sessions is doing. One of the most overlooked actions Attorney General Jeff Sessions took was to end third-party settlements. Under the previous administration, the Justice Department allowed companies it fined to pay third-parties organizations not associated with the original crime. Not only did the department allow the offenders to pay third-parties, they received double the credit for doing so. The payments would go to Obama administration approved organizations such as National Council of La Raza, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and the National Urban League. All left leaning organizations that help the help the Democrat Party carry out its mission. Congressional investigators estimate at least $3 billion went to third-party groups during the Obama administration. Sessions issued the order on June 7, 2017, stating, “When the federal government settles a case against a corporate wrongdoer, any settlement funds should go first to the victims and then to the American people— not to bankroll…

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Nashville Would Tie For Highest Sales Tax In Nation Under Mayor Barry’s Transit Plan

Jason M. Reynolds

From apparel to zip-up kitchen bags, merchandise sold in Nashville would bear some of the highest sales tax in the nation if the backers of the city’s proposed light rail system have their way, a PAC says. NoTax4Tracks is the PAC opposing the May 1 referendum in Nashville/Davidson County on a proposed increase in sales and hotel taxes.  The organization issued a press release over the weekend criticizing Mayor Megan Barry’s plan to raise the state-city sales tax to 10.25 percent to help finance the transit plan. The PAC says 10.25 percent would give Nashville the highest sales tax in the nation. According to the Tax Foundation, two cities currently are tied for the dubious honor of highest sales tax, and both have rates of 10.25 percent: Long Beach, California, and Chicago. Nashville would tie for the top spot in the nation’s most expensive cities in which to shop. Nashville is currently tied in ninth place on the Tax Foundation’s sales tax list. The city’s sales tax would increase by 0.5 percent from 9.25 percent to 9.75 percent, NoTax4Tracks says on its website. By 2023 the tax will have increased to 10.25 percent. “Whether it’s a senior living off of…

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Secrecy and Withholding of Information Characterize Move of Tyson Foods Plant into Humboldt, Tennessee

Chris Alto

Gibson County Mayor Tom “Welcoming” Witherspoon and Humboldt Mayor Marvin Sikes claim that only positive impacts will result from the arrival of the Tyson Foods chicken plant, first rejected in Tonganoxie, Kansas, but now being relocated to Humboldt, Tennessee. The plan to put the plant in Tonganoxie was defeated by citizen-led opposition because of concerns of Tyson’s history of environmental violations, impact on infrastructure and potential to attract refugee workers. Opposition to the Kansas plant also focused on the secrecy surrounding the plan for Tonganoxie and withholding of information from public scrutiny. Twilight Greenaway, reporting at Moyers & Company, the website operated by far left journalist Bill Moyers, described the citizen-led opposition in Tonganoxie as “staggering” and fueled in part by the secrecy in which the deal was arranged between Tyson executives and local officials until information was finally made public. As Greenaway reported: The Tyson plant was also a long-kept secret with the code name Project Sunset. Local lawmakers were asked to sign nondisclosure agreements when considering welcoming it to town, and the company is said to have worked through intermediaries when negotiating with the landowner over the 300-acre lot it would occupy. But once the deal was done and…

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Question Posed: How Did Bob Corker Go from ‘Dead Broke’ to $69 Million Net Worth During 11 Years in U.S. Senate?

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  “How do you increase your net worth by 69 million dollars while you’re working full-time as a Senator?” That’s the question Rolling Stone reporter Matt Taibbi asked about Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) on Friday. Neither Taibbi nor Rolling Stone are fans of Corker (or of President Trump, Republicans, or conservatism in general). And Rolling Stone has had problems of its own, recently, as has Taibbi. Nonetheless, Taibbi puts a fine point on what many political watchers across the Volunteer State have been asking for years. Federal campaign contributions and lobbying data tracker Open Secrets has perhaps the most jaw-dropping illustration of Corker’s rise to wealth. As Rolling Stone’s Taibbi writes, “Corker didn’t just enter the Senate without any money. He entered it carrying, according to his own disclosure forms, a mountain range of huge loans.” Setting the stage for his ‘promotion’ from Chattanooga Mayor to U.S. Senator, Taibbi writes of Tennessee’s junior senator: Corker took office in January, 2007, during the last gasp of the Bush/Rove political juggernaut. The Iraq war had gone south and the Republicans had just been routed in midterms. The financial crisis was just around the corner. And nobody paid attention to the smooth-talking freshman Senator from Tennessee, who turned…

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Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner is the Director of ‘Memphis Greenspace,’ Which Took Down Civil War Monuments

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The hasty removal of two Confederate monuments Wednesday overnight has sparked a number of questions into the specifics of the transaction between Memphis city officials and the virtually unknown non-profit corporation that bought the properties, called “Memphis Greenspace.” Shelby County Commission member Van Turner held a press conference Thursday to begin to answer those questions, beginning with the fact that he is the director of “Memphis Greenspace.” WREG News Channel 3 was in Memphis to cover the presser: Memphis Greenspace, the nonprofit group that purchased two controversial city parks Wednesday, announced plans for recently purchased public parks after the removal of two Confederate statues during a press conference Thursday morning. Memphis Greenspace plans to renovate the parks so they can be a safe place for children and more accessible to the public. Van Turner, the director of the non-profit organization and a Shelby County commissioner, led the press conference. He addressed critics of the purchase during the press conference. “This is not a shady deal. It’s a legal deal,” he said. “I presented this solution to Bruce McMullen, the city attorney for the city of Memphis, and he has consistently been an advocate for the removal of these statues legally.”…

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Tennessee House Republican Caucus Calls for Investigation into Removal of Confederate Statues in Memphis

Tennessee Star Staff

On Thursday, Tennessee House Majority Leader State Rep. Glen Casada (R-Thompsons Station) and Republican Caucus Chairman State Rep. Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville) called for an investigation into the removal of two Confederate statues Wednesday evening from property that was owned by the City of Memphis until just a few hours earlier. “Last night, the Memphis City Council unanimously approved the sale of the Health Sciences Park and Fourth Bluff Park under the cover of night to a private entity. For years, these two parks have housed the statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis,” the statement began. Casada and Williams noted that “within an hour following the vote … cranes were spotted shortly thereafter to remove both statues,” adding: Multiple questions have been raised involving the legality of these actions, including: Did Memphis officials violate sunshine laws by coordinating this sale outside of the public eye? Did anyone gain financially from the rapid and clear undervalued sale of these two properties? Were existing state statutes violated related to the removal or relocation of these memorials? With these and many additional questions still unanswered, we will immediately begin work in conjunction with the Speaker, the Attorney General, the Comptroller’s office, and other…

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Memphis Takes Down Confederate Monuments

Tennessee Star Staff

Confederate monuments on what was until recently city property were taken down in Memphis after the sun set on Wednesday with little advance public discussion of the propriety of the actions taken secretively to circumvent state law. Whether the actions of the Memphis City Council and Mayor Jim Strickland that caused these stealth take downs of Confederate monuments Wednesday legally circumvent state law, or are in fact a brazen violation of state law, is a matter that members of the Tennessee General Assembly are sure to investigate when they convene in Nashville next month. It is unclear whether Mayor Strickland or Memphis officials sought a legal opinion from Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery on their legal right to undertake these actions. According to a recent Tennessee Star Poll, 64 percent of Tennessee Republican likely primary voters are more likely to vote for a candidate who opposes the removal of these monuments, while 26 percent are less likely to vote for a candidate who opposes the removal of these monuments. The Commercial Appeal was on the scene as crews arrived to carry out the removal of Confederate monuments, on order of the new owners, who bought the properties for a paltry $1000 each:…

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Poll: Diane Black Opens Up 10 Point Lead Over Randy Boyd in Race for Tennessee GOP Gubernatorial Nomination

Tennessee Star Staff

Rep. Diane Black (R-TN-06) has opened up a ten point lead over Randy Boyd, her closest rival for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Tennessee, according to a new poll released by The Tennessee Star. Black received the support of 21 percent of likely Tennessee Republican primary voters to lead the field of five contenders, followed by Boyd in second place with 11 percent. Rounding out the bottom tier of candidates are Speaker of the Tennessee House Beth Harwell (R-Nashville) with 6 percent, Bill Lee with 4 percent, and former State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) with 3 percent. The good news for Black’s four rivals for the GOP nomination is that 52 percent of likely voters in the August 2018 Tennessee Republican gubernatorial primary are still undecided. The poll also provided information on Tennessee Republican voter attitudes on six key policy questions that are expected to drive the debate in the Republican gubernatorial primary over the next eight and a half months. Likely Tennessee Republican primary voters in 2018: Overwhelmingly oppose providing taxpayer subsidized in-state college tuition to illegal immigrant students by a whopping 88 percent to 6 percent margin, more than 14-to-1 against.  Overwhelmingly oppose Republican candidates who accept…

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SHOCKER: GOP’s Mark Pody Barely Avoids Upset in Narrow Victory Over Democrat in State Senate Special Election

Tennessee Star Staff

In a shockingly close election, Republican State Rep. Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) narrowly defeated Democratic candidate Mary Alice Carfi in the 17th State Senate District’s special election by a mere 308 votes on Tuesday, 5,990 to 5,682, in unofficial results obtained by The Tennessee Star. Barring a recall challenge from Carfi, Pody will take over the State Senate seat left by former State Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet), who resigned in August to devote full time to her campaign for governor, and be seated in the Tennessee State Senate when the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes in January. The surprisingly narrow margin of victory for Pody, 51 percent to 49 percent, was dramatically lower than the last time the State Senate seat was contested in 2010, when Beavers easily won by a 24 percent margin. When Beavers ran for re-election in 2014, the Democrats did not field a candidate. The slim margin of victory for Pody was even more surprising, given that the Democratic candidate spent very little money on her campaign, focusing instead on get-out-the-vote efforts, sources tell The Star. A county-by-county analysis of the vote total, as seen here on the tally board at Pody election headquarters on Tuesday night,…

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Smith County, Tennessee Launches Lawsuit Against Prescription Opioid Manufacturers

Tim Dukeman

Smith County filed a lawsuit Tuesday against prescription opioid manufacturers and distributors. The lawsuit is an effort to recover taxpayer money spent to fight the opioid epidemic and defray costs to the Smith County community. Mark P. Chalos, of the national plaintiffs’ law firm Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, made the announcement on behalf of the county. The lawsuit alleges that the prescription opioid manufacturers violated the law by heralding opioids as safe and medically necessary, despite them being extremely addictive. Further, Smith County charges the manufacturers with concealing the true risks of these jobs, to the detriment of Smith County’s government and its residents. As Business Wire reported: The complaint states that these defendants also conspired to manufacture and distribute millions of doses of highly addictive opioids, knowing that they were being trafficked and used for illicit purposes, and recklessly disregarded their devastating effect on the taxpayers and government of Smith County. As a result of the conspiracy, Smith County taxpayers have spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight the opioid crisis and deal with its effects on their community. “What we have seen throughout our region is millions of pills being sold in communities where there aren’t millions of people.…

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Commentary: CFPB Whistleblower Exposes Agency’s Extortion Practices

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By Printus LeBlanc   The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been in the news a lot lately, mostly because the former head of the agency Richard Cordray stepped down. However, before stepping down, Cordray believed he had the right to pick his own successor and chose Leandra English. The President disagreed and has appointed Mick Mulvaney to rein in the out of control agency. There is currently a legal battle brewing over who is in charge with a federal judge ruling Mulvaney is acting director. The CFPB was authorized in the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. It was created as a result of the 2007-2008 financial crisis. The unconstitutional agency has jurisdiction over banks, credit unions, securities firms, payday lenders, and other financial companies in the U.S. The agency is considered “off-budget” and therefore does not answer to Congress. The agency gets its funding directly from the Federal Reserve System. The only requirement of the CFPB is to appear and report twice annually before the House Financial Services and Senate Banking committees. Why is this agency so important to liberal progressives? English went judge shopping across the country to stop Mulvaney from being appointed to head the…

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