Day: June 25, 2025

New Tennessee Law Lowers DUI Threshold in Vehicular Homicide, Assault Cases

Kaitlin Housler
drunk driving

A new law set to take effect on July 1 enhances the penalty for aggravated vehicular homicide and assault.

The law, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly unanimously earlier this year as House Bill (HB) 0190, reduces the blood alcohol concentration (BAC) threshold from 0.20 percent to 0.15 percent in two sections of the Tennessee Code relating to vehicular homicide involving intoxication cases and aggravated vehicular assault or similar serious driving offenses involving alcohol cases.

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Metro Nashville Budget Includes $10 Million for Human Resources Department with ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’ in Mission Statement

Tom Pappert
Nashville City Hall

The budget proposed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and approved by the Metro Council last week, will provide nearly $10 million to its human resources department, which has the mission of aiding the establishment of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the government workforce. 

Already criticized for the inclusion of a property tax hike, O’Connell called the plan “a common sense, balanced bduget that delivers on the quality schools, reliable services, and safety Nashvillians deserve,” when it he signed the 2026 budget last week. 

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Reporter Tom Pappert Criticizes ‘Self-Defeating’ Whistleblower Complaint Filed by Former DOJ Attorney Erez Reuveni

Kaitlin Housler
MPL and Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, criticized former U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorney Erez Reuveni, who recently filed a whistleblower complaint alleging misconduct by Trump-era DOJ officials, arguing that the complaint is politically motivated and undermines the government’s legal case in the deportation matter involving Kilmar Abrego Garcia and other immigration cases.

On Tuesday, Reuveni filed a complaint claiming he attempted to advise his former client, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), that it was planning to engage in illegal activity in three separate immigration court cases, but was “thwarted, fired, and publicly disparaged” for his efforts by the Trump administration.

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FBI Documents Show Agency Sat on Intel on Potential China Plan to Meddle in 2020 Election for Biden

Just the News

The FBI has located internal documents showing that it did not pursue intelligence indicating that Communist China was looking to hijack the 2020 presidential election with a potential mail-in ballot scheme to assist then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden because the bureau feared that would undercut then-FBI Director Christopher Wray’s assurances to Congress that foreign meddling did not pose a threat to the presidential race, officials told Just the News.

The documents showing the internal conversations and deliberations are being transmitted to Congress, the officials told Just the News on Wednesday, and Attorney General Pam Bondi is expected to address the allegations as early as Wednesday during a Senate Appropriations hearing.

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Newsom’s California Illegally Discriminated Against Female Students with Trans Policy, Trump ED Department Says

Daily Caller News Foundation
Girls Basketball

The Department of Education (ED) announced on Wednesday it has found California in violation of Title IX for allowing men to compete in women’s sports.

The department opened an investigation into the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) in April and February, respectively. California state law allows men to compete in women’s sports and use women’s facilities, and CIF has openly announced its intention to continue abiding by state law despite ED’s warning.

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Los Angeles County Vice Mayor Allegedly Told Gangs to Defend Territory from ICE, FBI Investigating

Just the News
Vice mayor gonzalez

The vice mayor of a city in Los Angeles County allegedly told gangs to defend their territory from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, leading to an FBI investigation, according to a recent news report.

Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez allegedly posted a video on social media late last week in which she encouraged two gangs to protect their territory from ICE. She reportedly deleted the video shortly after posting it, according to Fox News.

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Mamdani Wins NYC Democrat Primary: What People Need to Know

The Daily Signal
NYC

New York Democrat Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani brought the Cuomo political dynasty to its knees Tuesday night with his victory in the New York City mayoral primary.

Mamdani, 33, a self-described socialist, would become New York’s first Muslim mayor if elected. He held 43.5% of Democrat votes, compared to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 36.4% with 93% of votes reported Wednesday morning.

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Migrant Successfully Fights Off Deportation Case Because Home Country Would Force Him to Shave Beard

Daily Caller News Foundation
Tajikistan

An asylum seeker in the U.K. successfully fought off deportation by arguing that he would be forced to shave off his beard if returned to his home country of Tajikistan.

The country’s Home Office attempted to deport the unidentified man, but an asylum court ruled that he is likely entitled to international protection because of his beard, according to the Telegraph. For years, Tajikistan’s government has enforced an unofficial no-beard policy for men in an ongoing campaign to prevent citizens from becoming radicalized and joining Islamic extremist organizations.

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DHS Says ‘Dangerous’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia ‘Will Never Go Free on American Soil’ amid Pending Release from DOJ Custody

Tom Pappert
Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Tricia McLaughlin, the assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, told The Tennessee Star that Kilmar Abrego Garcia “will never go free on American soil” on Wednesday, shortly after U.S. Magistrate Barbara Holmes ordered additional filings to determine whether the citizen of El Salvador to be released from U.S. Department of Justice should be released from custody pending trial.

Holmes’ decision came after she, his defense attorneys, and prosecutors acknowledged the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued an immigration detainer for Abrego Garcia, making it likely the citizen of El Salvador will be apprehended by ICE following his release from DOJ custody on Friday.

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Federal Court Seeks Arguments Ahead of Possible Release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from DOJ Custody, Transfer to ICE

Tom Pappert
Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia on Wednesday was transferred from the custody of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) in Nashville to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after U.S. Magistrate Barbara Holmes released him on his own recognizance following her Sunday order which denied the DOJ request for a detention hearing. 

Because Abrego Garcia is subject to an active ICE detainer, Acting U.S. Attorney Robert McGuire said in a Tuesday request to stay Holmes’ decision that transferring Abrego Garcia to ICE custody will likely result in his second deportation from American soil.

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Blackburn Introduces Bill to Encourage App Store Competition

Zachery Schmidt
person using phone

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with other senators, introduced a bill that seeks to provide enforceable rules that encourage competition and bolster consumer protections within the app market.

The Open App Markets Act (OAMA) protects developers’ rights to offer competitive pricing and to tell consumers about lower prices. Additionally, this app preserves the ability to sideload apps, which allows users to install apps outside of official app stores.

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Left’s Legal Tactics to Block Deportations May Backfire in Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Case, Reporter Says

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the Left’s legal efforts attempting to block the Trump administration’s deportations of illegal aliens may end up backfiring in the case of alleged human smuggler and citizen of El Salvador, Kilmar Abrego Garcia.

Earlier this month, Abrego Garcia was transported from the CECOT mega-prison in El Salvador to Nashville, where he pleaded not guilty in a federal court after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) charged him with participating in a criminal conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens throughout the country for nearly a decade.

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Rep. Andy Ogles Proposes ‘Big Beautiful BBQ’ If Lawmakers Can’t Pass Spending Bill by July 4th

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) proposed that congressional lawmakers hold a “big beautiful BBQ” on the Capitol lawn next week to celebrate Independence Day if the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” does not pass by the targeted July 4 deadline.

The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed the U.S. House on May 22 and is currently being debated in the U.S. Senate.

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Congressman Andy Ogles Predicts Decision to Release Kilmar Abrego Garcia to Be Overturned Unless Trump Admin Deports Him First

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) predicted a rapid approval for the request by federal prosecutors to stay the Sunday decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Holmes to deny prosecutors’ requested detention hearing for Kilmar Abrego Garcia, but said the Trump administration could instead opt to deport the citizen of El Salvador for the second time.

Ogles made the remarks during his Monday appearance on “Just the News, No Noise,” after first questioning the determination by Holmes that Abrego Garcia does not pose a flight risk, as prosecutors alleged he is a human smuggler who completed over 100 trips throughout the United States during a decade-long involvement in a criminal conspiracy.

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Commentary: The States Leading America’s Drive Toward Secure Elections

The Daily Signal
People Voting

There is a new co-leader in The Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard.

Since 2021, Heritage has been tracking the laws of every state (and the District of Columbia) governing the conduct of local, state, and federal elections. And for most of those years, Tennessee has stood alone at the top of the state rankings. An early adopter of best practices like banning private funding in election administration, Tennessee was the first state to reach the 90-point mark, and it currently sits atop an impressive 91 points.

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America First Legal Sends Letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, Accusing Her of Violating Attorney Ethics Rules

Rachel Alexander
Rachel Mitchell

America First Legal (AFL) sent a letter to Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell last week informing her that her legal analysis stating that AFL cannot represent Maricopa County Recorder Justin Heap in his lawsuit against the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (MCBOS) is incorrect.

AFL copied the State Bar of Arizona in its letter, accusing her of violating three attorney ethics rules and demanding she “issue a retraction to all journalists to whom you sent your letter, delete any public posts of the letter, and post a public apology on X and your office’s website acknowledging your mistake.”

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FDA, CDC Advisers Say Lost Pregnancies Higher than Expected Following Early mRNA Vaccination

Just the News
Pregnant woman

President Trump’s second-term agenda has been careful not to cast doubt on his signature first-term achievement, the development of COVID-19 vaccines through Operation Warp Speed, which congressional Republicans continue to laud and even claim was sabotaged by Pfizer to deny Trump a consecutive term despite his base souring on the therapeutics.

A new preprint study on mRNA COVID vaccines in early pregnancy, coauthored by top advisers to Trump’s Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may fuel the splintering of the Make America Healthy Again movement as the jabs’ opponents ramp up pressure on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to ban them.

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