The State of Tennessee recently started their first school year under a new law that gave school districts and individual schools the ability to decide if they would allow their faculty and staff to carry a concealed firearm. And during a pearl-clutchy segment on Wednesday’s edition of NBC’s Today, the liberal network suggested that a handgun was effectively useless against an AR-15, but highlighted a teacher keeping a baseball bat in her classroom instead of a gun. Without citing her source, NBC anchor Kate Snow lead into her report by proclaiming “there have been more than 750 shootings on school campuses” (she may have gotten that figure from the Gun Violence Archive, which NewsBusters has debunked). “The new law sets up a lot of rules and training before a teacher or staff member could show up to school armed,” she reported. “But each school district and principal would need to approve.” And according to a teachers union, so far none have opted to adopt the policy. Snow sat down with sixth-grade history teacher Josh Arwood who would like to carry his firearm to school, and fifth grade science and social studies teacher Jennifer Orth who proclaimed in pure ignorance that a handgun was completely “useless” against someone with an AR-15. The anti-gun journalist backed up Orth, grilling Arwood on being supposedly outmatched: ORTH: People are not walking into schools with handguns. People are walking into schools with AR-15s. And a handgun against an AR-15 is useless. SNOW: And to you, Josh, do you worry if that weapon is larger than what you have got, do you worry you will be able to do any good. ARWOOD: Well, I mean, I wouldn't be able to do any good if I didn't have a weapon. You know? At least having something gives me some chance.     An AR-15 does not make the user magically impervious to bullets, nor do they weaken the effectiveness of handguns. In the 2022 shooting at the Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana, a gunman opened fire with an AR variant and was quickly put down by a mall patron with a concealed carry handgun. That fact was made even more striking by the cognitive dissonance Orth. At the end of the segment, Snow highlighted how “Jennifer keeps a baseball bat in her classroom.” If a handgun was “useless” against an AR, what was a baseball bat going to do? “Tennessee is not unique,” Snow warned. “About half the states have laws allowing teachers or other school employees to be armed, according to the Giffords Law Center,” she added, omitting the fact the Giffords Law Center was a left-wing, anti-gun rights organization. She followed up with a hard cut to a hysterical woman on the verge of an emotional breakdown over the law. “I can't imagine sending my child into a school knowing that there is a gun that is within feet of her learning how to be a fifth grader,” proclaimed Mary Joyce, holding back tears. Snow noted that Joyce was the mother of a girl injured in the Covenant School shooting last year and touted how she “fought for gun reforms, like a red flag law that never passed. And this spring she was part of heated protests against the legislation to arm teachers.” At no point did Snow mention that the Covenant School shooter was a transgender terrorist who targeted the school. Intentionally downplaying the opinions and rights of the other people living in the community and the state, Snow and Joyce whined that lawmakers didn’t listen to naysayers like them: SNOW: Why do you think this law passed? The legislators said they were doing this for Covenant, in the wake of school shooting at your kid’s school. JOYCE: They weren't listening. They haven’t listened at all. It almost felt like we were screaming underwater. They also suggested, without evidence, the law was passed for less than noble reasons. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NBC’s Today August 14, 2024 8:41:27 a.m. Eastern CRAIG MELVIN: The new school year underway for a lot of folks, including students in Tennessee who, for the first time in public schools, a new law allows teachers and staff to be armed in the classroom. SHEINELLE JONES: NBC News Daily anchor Kate Snow traveled to Tennessee to see how it's playing out. Good morning. KATE SNOW: Yeah. Good morning, guys. So, in the last five years, there have been more than 750 shootings on school campuses. This law was passed in the spring in the wake of a devastating shooting the Covenant School in Nashville last year where you remember six people, including three children, were killed. The new law sets up a lot of rules and training before a teacher or staff member could show up to school armed. And while some teachers say they will feel safer carrying a gun, that doesn't seem to be happening just yet. [Cuts to video] As kids and teachers head back to school in Tennessee, a new law allows teachers and staff to “possess and carry a firearm” on school grounds. GOV. BILL LEE (R-TN): There is an option in that piece of legislation. It is a tool that districts can use if they choose to. It, therefore, will be decided at the local level. SNOW: But each school district and principal would need to approve. And so far, the Tennessee Education Association says it is “unaware of any school boards that have modified their firearm policies to accommodate the new law.” Josh Arwood teaches sixth grade history in Greene County in rural eastern Tennessee. He wishes his district would allow him to carry his gun into the classroom. JOSH ARWOOD: If they were to allow it, I would be fine with doing it. SNOW: You would sign up to carry? ARWOOD: Uh-huh. SNOW: And what would that look like for you? ARWOOD: It would be concealed at all times. SNOW: He says he would be ready to confront a shooter to save his students. ARWOOD: What if somebody came into my school meaning harm to them? I want to feel like I did everything I could to protect them. SNOW: We sat down with Josh, alongside Jennifer Orth who teaches fifth grade science and social studies in Nashville. SNOW: Do you think teachers should be armed? JENNIFER ORTH: No, I don't. I’m just afraid the likelihood of someone being hurt accidentally is greater than the likelihood than any teacher is going to be able to prevent school shootings. People are not walking into schools with handguns. People are walking into schools with AR-15s. And a handgun against an AR-15 is useless. SNOW: And to you, Josh, do you worry if that weapon is larger than what you have got, do you worry you will be able to do any good. ARWOOD: Well, I mean, I wouldn't be able to do any good if I didn't have a weapon. You know? At least having something gives me some chance. ORTH: I just don't think that an environment that is full of children needs to be full of more guns. Just in general. SNOW: Under the new law, teachers would need to pass background checks, undergo 40 hours of training, and would be personally liable if something went wrong. Anyone armed must conceal their weapon, and no one would know which staff members were armed, not even parents. And Tennessee is not unique. About half the states have laws allowing teachers or other school employees to be armed, according to the Giffords Law Center. MARY JOYCE: I can't imagine sending my child into a school knowing that there is a gun that is within feet of her learning how to be a fifth grader. SNOW: Mary Joyce’s daughter Monroe was nine when she was injured at the shooting at the Covenant School. She describes herself as conservative, a supporter of the Second Amendment. Last summer she fought for gun reforms, like a red flag law that never passed. And this spring she was part of heated protests against the legislation to arm teachers. Why do you think this law passed? The legislators said they were doing this for Covenant, in the wake of school shooting at your kid’s school. JOYCE: They weren't listening. They haven’t listened at all. It almost felt like we were screaming underwater. SNOW: Do you think this is the law now for political reasons? Do you think it was political? JOYCE: I think partly it was political. SNOW: Josh, who’s also a Republican county commissioner, and Jennifer, a registered Democrat, agree on this. ARWOOD: It’s at least a good step to kind of see where it goes. But I think it was so some of them could give themselves a pat on the back and be able to throw some red meat to their constituents. ORTH: I think they were trying to say, ‘well, we did something. We tried to do something to make the kids safer.’ [Cuts back to live] SNOW: Representative Ryan Williams, the Tennessee lawmaker who sponsored this legislation said in a statement, in part, “There is nothing political about ensuring districts have the ability to determine how best to protect their schools from dangerous individuals.” Josh has been a teacher for 18 years; Jennifer 11. And guys, they both say their jobs have gotten harder. Jennifer said to me, “When I walk into a new classroom, the first thing I do is think about where would I put the kids in the event of a shooting.” And by the way, Jennifer keeps a baseball bat in her classroom. HODA KOTB: So, in Tennessee, no teachers will be armed this school year at this point. SNOW: At the moment because no districts, according to the teachers' education association, no schools have agreed, no districts have agreed. And you have to have the district and your principal saying yes, and then you have to do the other things, the training and all of the requirements you have to have a permit yourself, et cetera, et cetera. MELVIN: It is a sad commentary on where we are as a society and a country that this is a debate that's being had. KOTB: Yeah. Agreed. MELVIN: Thank you, Kate.

Nancy Pelosi has once again demonstrated her influence over 81-year-old President Joe Biden, pressuring him to reconsider his re-election bid despite his initial insistence on staying in the race. When Biden stepped aside and let Kamala Harris take over as the Democratic presidential nominee, Pelosi was given her wish — and Biden made that clear in a recent interview with CBS. “What happened was a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races. And I was concerned that if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic you’d be interviewing me about,” Biden said. “‘Why did Nancy Pelosi say, why did so and so,’” Biden said, playing the interviewer. “I thought it’d be a real distraction.” “He’s clearly upset with her and with everybody who pushed him out,” Pat Gray of “Pat Gray Unleashed” says. “He basically admitted he was pushed out of office or out of the campaign.” Now, as the Minnesota governor joins Kamala Harris’ campaign — an old clip from 2007 reveals Pelosi’s appreciation for good old “Tampon Tim” — and might signal that she had something to do with Harris’ choice. “He taught these people in high school, and then he had to lead them in the armed services,” Pelosi said of Walz. “So, he knows the potential of our young people and what we put at risk when we send them into harm's way without the equipment they need.” “I want him to know how much we all appreciate his service to our country, whether it’s in the classroom, or on the battlefield,” she added. Want more from Pat Gray?To enjoy more of Pat's biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

A Florida male who allegedly distributed child pornography worked as school district counselor for special needs children.Miami-Dade police said the investigation into 62-year-old Robert Lee Turner began after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip claimed that Turner had distributed two videos containing child sex abuse content, according to police. 'Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations.' Law enforcement officials tried to serve a warrant at Turner's home, and he allegedly tried to stall them by barricading himself in his bathroom. As a result, they arrested him and charged him with resisting arrest. During the search, police discovered Turner allegedly sent the two child sex abuse videos to about 50 people online. They described the videos in disturbing detail in the charging documents and said Turner allegedly responded to one of the videos by commenting, "yummy." He was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on five counts of child pornography/sexual performance by a child and two counts of sexual performance by a child. Turner on Tuesday appeared in court with visible injuries and wearing a safety smock. A judge ordered a $28,000 bond but said Turner would have to wear a GPS monitor and be on house arrest if released. He also was ordered to avoid contact with children and was allowed to use the internet only to consult with his attorney. The district released a statement indicating that Turner was fired without confirming what position he held: “Miami-Dade County Public Schools is deeply troubled by the disturbing allegations made against this individual. This type of behavior will not be tolerated. As such, the individual’s employment with the District has been terminated. and he will be precluded from seeking future employment with M-DCPS.”However, Miami-Dade Police Department Det. Andre Martin told WSVN-TV that “Robert Lee Turner is a counselor for Miami-Dade Public Schools. He traveled from school-to-school within the school district and has been in contact with numerous children. What’s even more disturbing is he was a counselor for children with special needs, who tend to be the most vulnerable of our juvenile population.”Meta has taken down Turner's Instagram account. A video news report from WPLG-TV showed Turner at his first court appearance. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Longtime Democrat leader Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland is now recovering after suffering a "mild" stroke over the weekend.On Sunday night, Hoyer, 85, "experienced a mild ischemic stroke and sought medical treatment," according to a statement from his deputy chief of staff, Margaret Mulkerrin.Hoyer has been a mainstay in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than four decades.As the New York Post noted, Mulkerrin's statement did not clarify to which hospital Hoyer was taken or how long he remained there. However, Mulkerrin did add that Hoyer "has responded well to treatment," "has no lingering symptoms," and that he "expects to resume his normal schedule next week."Mulkerrin's statement also extended thanks to the entire "medical team" on behalf of Hoyer and his family.The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute reported that the vast majority of strokes — fully 87% — are ischemic, meaning they involve blockages that prevent the brain from receiving normal blood flow, WBAL-TV reported.Hoyer has been a mainstay in the U.S. House of Representatives for more than four decades. After spending a few years in the Maryland Senate, Hoyer won a special election in 1981 for the seat representing his state's fifth congressional district.Since then, Hoyer advanced so far in his party's ranks that he eventually became House majority leader from January 2019 until January 2023. An ardent Democrat partisan, Hoyer was also a key figure in the two impeachments of former President Donald Trump, calling the first impeachment investigation "a duty to the country, to the American people, and to the Constitution of the United States."To this day, Hoyer remains in Congress and is still an active member of the House Appropriations Committee.Both legislative chambers are currently on August recess, even though a federal statute requires an August recess only during odd-numbered years.This stroke is not Hoyer's first medical scare, the Post reported. In 2018, while he was still majority leader, he was hospitalized after developing pneumonia. He also contracted COVID-19 in 2022.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Tuesday, acting Judge Juan Merchan rejected Donald Trump’s latest bid to compel the judge to recuse himself from the New York criminal case, one of the four indictments lodged against the former president. It is the third time Trump’s legal team has requested Merchan step aside.Trump’s recusal request alleged that the judge has a conflict of interest, citing Merchan’s daughter’s career. Loren Merchan works for a progressive political consulting firm whose clients include Trump’s political adversaries. Trump’s attorneys have claimed that Loren Merchan financially benefited from the New York criminal case overseen by her father. 'New York is trying to steal the Election!'According to Judge Merchan’s latest decision to reject the recusal motion, Trump’s lawyers provided “nothing new for this Court to consider.” Trump’s team argued that Loren Merchan’s ties to Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly now that Harris is running against Trump in the upcoming election, warrants Judge Merchan’s recusal. However, the judge stated that the “alleged relationship” between the presidential candidate and “a member of this Court’s family” is the “same argument” that was already made by the defense in the previous two recusal motions. Merchan stated that he found “no need to repeat the legal analysis” conducted as part of the first motion.“This Court now reiterates for the third time, that which should already be clear — innuendo and mischaracterizations do not a conflict create,” Merchan wrote in his rejection. “Recusal is therefore not necessary, much less required.” “Counsel has merely repeated arguments that have already been denied by this and higher courts,” Merchan continued. “Defense Counsel’s reliance, and apparent citation to his own prior affirmation, rife with inaccuracies and unsubstantiated claims, is unavailing.”The House Judiciary Committee recently launched an investigation into Loren Merchan over her father’s potential conflict of interest regarding his daughter’s work.Meanwhile, Trump is still subject to Merchan’s gag order, which prohibits him from publicly discussing court staff or their family members, which includes Loren Merchan.Trump responded to the judge’s refusal to lift the gag order in a post on Truth Social, stating that the restrictions are preventing him from answering reporters’ questions amid his presidential campaign.“Suppression and manipulation of the vote. Voter interference. This is the real Fascist ‘stuff,’ the old Soviet Union! So much to say, and I’m not allowed to say it. Must get U.S. Supreme Court involved. New York is trying to steal the Election!” Trump wrote.In May, Trump was found guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records in the New York case. Judge Merchan previously agreed with Trump’s motion to postpone sentencing until September after the Supreme Court ruled on the former president’s immunity claim in a separate federal case. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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