Two national public employee unions sued the Trump administration over its restrictions preventing illegal immigrants from obtaining commercial drivers licenses.
The American Federation of Teachers and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed a petition for review against the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week announced $140 million in investments for Planned Parenthood while its Medicaid funding is on the chopping block.
The state funding for the organization is meant to preserve access to what Newsom said were life-saving critical health care centers.
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Virginia Democrats are planning to attempt to redistrict the commonwealth’s congressional maps to help their party ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Don Scott, the leader of the state’s Democrat-controlled House, wrote in a letter to colleagues Thursday stating the chamber will reopen an existing special legislative session Monday afternoon, NBC News reported. Legislators are expected to use the session to start the effort to draw new maps.
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President Donald Trump announced late Thursday that trade negotiations with Canada “ARE HEREBY TERMINATED” after what he called “egregious behavior” tied to an Ontario TV ad that used former President Ronald Reagan’s voice to criticize tariffs.
The ad at the center of the feud was funded by Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s government as part of a multimillion-dollar campaign running on major U.S. networks. The spot features Reagan warning that tariffs may appear patriotic but ultimately “hurt every American worker and consumer.”
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Friday endorsed Zohran Mamdani to serve as the next mayor of New York City after months of dodging questions about his stance on the 34-year-old Democratic socialist.
The minority leader issued a written endorsement of Mamdani, the Democratic nominee in the mayoral contest, less than one day before the start of early voting. Jeffries’ public display of support comes after Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — two figures widely viewed as the leaders of the party’s far-left flank — sharply criticized the minority leader for dragging his feet on an endorsement.
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The Hill Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said he believes the government should break up OpenAI, underscoring his concerns about AI’s potential impact on the job market and interpersonal relationships. When asked by Axios’s Alex Thompson whether the ChatGPT maker should be split up, he said, “I do, but it’s a deeper issue than that. We need to take a deep breath and understand it’s like a meteor coming. We’ve got to be prepared to deal with all of its complexity.” In the interview released Friday, Sanders voiced concerns about the “enormous transformational impact” of AI on the economy and the potential for “massive” job loss. READ THE FULL STORY
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Axios New York Attorney General Letitia James pleaded not guilty on Friday morning to federal bank fraud charges. President Trump publicly demanded James’ prosecution, and went as far as pressuring a federal prosecutor to leave his job after he refused to pursue charges. James has called the case “baseless” and motivated by political retribution over the civil fraud case she brought against Trump. A tentative trial date was set for Jan. 26, per the New York Times. Prosecutors said they expect the trial to take about a week. The Justice Department (DOJ) said it would call eight to 10 witnesses, per CNN. READ THE FULL STORY
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said he would “love” the opportunity to serve in the U.S. Senate if appointed by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), should she win the 2026 gubernatorial election.
Burchett, who has endorsed Blackburn in the gubernatorial race and previously expressed interest in succeeding her in the Senate, said his approach in the U.S. Senate would be direct and action-oriented, unlike some politicians who, he said, talk about forming “study committees” and accomplish little.
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President Donald Trump, in a Homeland Security Roundtable held in the White House on Thursday, praised federal leadership and law enforcement involved with the deployment of the Memphis Safe Task Force, which he credited or a nearly 50 percent drop in the number of reports of serious crimes this month compared to October 2024.
After announcing that Chicago, Illinois, would be the next city to see the deployment of a federal task force, the president cited the early effort in Washington, D.C., and ongoing deployment in Memphis, as successes achieved using the task force model used by his administration.
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A Tennessee school board unanimously passed a rule stating the American flag and the State of Tennessee flag can only be displayed in their school buildings and classrooms.
The Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education voted this week to prohibit all “political, cultural, or personal” flags from being displayed in school buildings and classrooms unless “directly related to the curriculum or other school-sanctioned event or program.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a statement criticizing congressional Democrats for “holding federal dollars hostage,” as a lapse in appropriations due to the ongoing government shutdown threatens to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for more than 690,000 Tennesseans in November.
In a letter dated October 10, Ronald Ward, the acting associate administrator for SNAP at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, announced that 42 million people across the nation could lose access to SNAP benefits beginning November 1 if the current lapse in appropriations continues and a backup plan is not implemented.
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Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, detailed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s plans to sue former Special Counsel Jack Smith, certain FBI agents, and Biden-era DOJ officials over allegations that these officials illegally surveilled her and several other Republican members of Congress by obtaining their private phone records without proper justification.
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed in a Friday court filing that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have identified Liberia as the latest destination where Kilmar Abrego Garcia will be deported. Additionally, the filing informed Obama-appointed District Court Judge Paula Xinis that the Trump administration has obtained diplomatic assurances regarding the African nation’s planned treatment of the alleged human smuggler.
While federal immigration authorities previously identified other African countries that ultimately declined to accept Abrego Garcia, including Uganda and Eswatini, the filing confirms that Liberia, “has agreed to accept petitioner.” The filing also notes that Abrego Garcia has not claimed to fear persecution or torture in Liberia.
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According to recent polling by multiple institutions, President Donald Trump’s public perception has been unscathed by the shutdown despite Democratic Party messaging that he and his party are to blame.
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Hundreds of Memphis city employees representing 13 labor unions gathered outside City Hall this week to protest what they say is the mayor’s refusal to honor existing memorandums of understanding (MOUs).
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The Minnesota Supreme Court unanimously ruled on Wednesday that USA Powerlifting discriminated against a male athlete claiming to be female who attempted to compete in the women’s division.
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As Congressional Democrats’ “shutdown” of the federal government enters its fourth week, the question on most people’s mind is simple: what does the “end game” look like, what are the realistic outcomes? It is crystal clear that a view of “success” in this battle is vastly different for each side. There is no obvious center position or compromise.
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South African native NELVEN is a genre-bending artist with a sound as unique as his story. As a doctor, model, and athlete, he uses his platform to inspire through health, style, and creativity, seamlessly blending science and the arts into everything he does.
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