Day: February 28, 2025

Voter Suppression Concerns Mount Ahead of Williamson County Republican Party Reorganization

Tom Pappert
Williamson County Board Meeting

Voters and candidates have expressed concerns over potential voter suppression tactics ahead of the March 4, 2025 Williamson County Republican Party Reorganization Convention, with reports suggesting such tactics are targeting the Williamson County Conservatives slate of candidates. 

The candidates and voters in Williamson County have cited concerns about emails inaccurately informing voters they are not bona fide Republicans that were sent from the Williamson County Republican Party “Contests and Credentialing Committee,” which would make them ineligible to vote on Tuesday, with the Williamson County Conservatives slate noting their opponents appointed the committee. 

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Memphis Democrat Surrenders to FBI over Indictment Claiming He Profited from Federal Grant Money

Tom Pappert
Shelby County Board of Commissioners member Edmund Ford, Jr.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. on Friday voluntarily surrendered to the FBI after he was indicted with bribery and tax evasion over a 2019 scheme that allegedly involved the Democratic politician being paid to consult for three nonprofits that sought access to federal grant money distributed by Shelby County. 

Three instances of Ford engaging in such behavior are detailed in the federal indictment, the result of a grand jury which was made public Friday, claim that nonprofit organizations either paid Ford directly or through his businesses, E&J Computer Services and Repair and Precise Solutions and Consulting, to obtain access to federal money.

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‘Legacy Tokens’ Memo Suppressing Covenant Killer Manifesto Not DOJ Policy, but Guidance from Obscure Behavioral Analysis Unit

Tom Pappert
Nashville Police Chief John Drake

A review by The Tennessee Star of the original FBI materials containing the term “legacy tokens,” which the agency defined in 2018 as any item left by a mass killer to explain their actions, suggests the suppression of such materials is not a policy of the federal government, but instead is the informal guidance of one Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), one of a collection of groups nestled within the agency’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), which itself is part of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG). 

So-called “legacy tokens” were the subject of the May 11, 2023 memo sent by the FBI’s CIRG to Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake, “strongly” advising against the release of the writings left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender man when she killed six at the Christian school she once attended on March 27, 2023. 

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Commentary: Big Pharma Puts China and Profits Over Americans

Star News Contributor
Big Pharma

Pharmaceutical company executives have been courting President Trump trying to convince him to protect their industry and to continue the cozy relationship between Big Pharma and the government. But Americans voted for change and transparency. With ever-increasing drug prices and decreasing health outcomes, drugmakers’ practices are failing the American public. It’s time for the U.S. government to take a hard stand and hold these corporations accountable.

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Controversial Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Faces Collapse as Director Implements ‘Wind Down’ Plan

Christina Botteri
CFPB Homepage 404

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a federal agency established to safeguard consumers from financial misconduct, faces an unprecedented dismantling under its Trump-appointed leadership, according to a flurry of testimony from current and former employees. Documents filed late Thursday reveal a detailed plan to “wind down” the agency, terminate nearly all of its 1,700 employees, and erase its operational footprint.

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Commentary: Expanding Medicare Coverage for Anti-Obesity Medication Is a Smart Investment

Star News Contributor
Overweight people

Rising healthcare costs are a major concern for Tennesseans, and one of the biggest drivers of those costs is obesity. Tennessee ranks among the most obese states in the country, with nearly 70 percent of adults and over a third of children classified as overweight or obese. This isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a public health challenge that affects families, businesses, and taxpayers.

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Analysis: The Money Trails and Backgrounds of 10 Democrat-Appointed Judges Blocking Trump Policies

The Daily Signal
Gavel court judge order

Federal judges ruling against President Donald Trump’s recent executive actions have been almost entirely appointees of his two Democrat predecessors.

Some were previously activists, others were steeped in Democrat politics, and one is a former clerk for then-Judge Sonia Sotomayor. These judges have issued rulings to block Trump’s policies on immigration, federal spending, the Department of Government Efficiency, and other matters.

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Former Democrat Veep Nominee and Sitting Governor Time Walz Says Country Stolen ‘by Fascists and Nazis’

Alpha News
Tim Walz

Gov. Tim Walz said the country is being stolen “by fascists and Nazis,” according to a recording obtained by Alpha News.

Sen. Nate Wesenberg, R-Little Falls, provided the recording to Alpha News and said the remarks were made during the Minnesota Nurses Association’s (MNA) Day on the Hill Tuesday—an event to spotlight healthcare issues during Minnesota’s 2025 legislative session.

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LaRock, Chase Join Virginia Gubernatorial Race as Youngkin Renews Support for Winsome Earle-Sears

Tom Pappert
Virginia Del. Dave LaRock

Two candidates joined Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in the race to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday, when both former State Senator Amanda Chase and former Delegate Dave LaRock made moves to enter the race.

Framing herself as the candidate most closely aligned with President Donald Trump, Chase announced her candidacy on Wednesday morning, claiming she determined to run for office after hearing rumors about the Earle-Sears campaign that would purportedly lead to a loss against former Representative Abigail Spanberger, who is likely to become the Democratic nominee.

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