Tennessee AG’s Office Responds to Reports of Vanderbilt University Medical Center Handing over Medical Records of Transgender Patients

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s Office released a statement reacting to reports that Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) turned over medical records of transgender patients to the state’s highest legal office.

On Tuesday, The Tennessean reported that it had reviewed a notice from VUMC informing patients of the transfer of records, which, according to the outlet, the facility said was the result of an investigation into “billing for transgender care services provided to individuals enrolled in State-sponsored insurance plans.”

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Senator Marsha Blackburn Calls Hunter Biden’s Guilty Plea on Federal Charges ‘No Coincidence’

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement Tuesday after President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, was federally charged with two violations of failure to pay income tax and one violation of unlawful firearm possession.

Blackburn said, “It’s no coincidence that less than a week after President Trump is arraigned, Hunter Biden is pleading guilty to a sweetheart deal with no jail time. The DOJ is going for the low-hanging fruit by charging Hunter Biden with a gun felony and two tax misdemeanors, after years of slow walking their investigation.”

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Plastic Manufacturer Announces $6.9 Million Investment Project in Georgia’s Washington County

PVS Plastics Technology Corporation officials recently announced that the company will invest $6.9 million to establish its second U.S. facility in Johnson City.

PVS, which describes itself as an “environmentally friendly plastics company,” is based in Niedernhall, Germany. The company specializes in manufacturing electric motor and fan components for the automotive and commercial HVAC industries.

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Vivek Ramaswamy Releases Statement After Barack Obama Accuses Nikki Haley, Tim Scott of ‘Glossing over Effects of Racism’

GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy released a statement defending two of his Republican competitors in the 2024 Republican presidential primary after former President Barack Obama accused the two of “glossing over effects of racism.”

Obama made the comments during a podcast interview, according to The Guardian, which quoted him saying of Senator and presidential candidate Tim Scott (R-SC), who is African-American, “There’s a long history of African American or other minority candidates within the Republican party who will validate America and say, ‘Everything’s great, and we can make it.’”

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Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Reveals Number of Turkeys Harvested During Hunting Season

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) recently announced how many turkeys were reported harvested during this year’s spring wild turkey hunting season.

Compiled figures by the agency show that 31,802 turkeys were reported harvested during this year’s spring season, which ran from April 15 to May 28. This season’s total number of turkeys harvested is a 6 percent increase from 2022 (29,940) and a two percent decrease over the previous 5-year average (32,495), according to TWRA.

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Tennessee Representative Introduces Bill Aimed at Prohibiting Trigger Leads in Homebuying Process

Tennessee U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) introduced a bill on Friday that would ban trigger leads, with some exceptions, when consumers apply for financing through lending companies.

Trigger leads occur when credit bureaus sell the information of consumers who have applied for financing – such as a personal loan or mortgage – to other lenders without the consumers being notified.

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Georgia Representative’s ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Bill on Minors Illegal Included in Republican Committee’s FY 2024 Budget Proposal

Georgia U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA-14) announced this week that her Protect Children’s Innocence Act was included in the Republican Study Committee’s (RSC) FY 2024 Budget Proposal.

Greene’s bill would make performing “gender-affirming care” on minors illegal, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries. 

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Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition Meets with Lee Administration on Concerns Regarding August Special Session

Members of the Lee administration met with the Tennessee Faith & Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) Board of Directors on Wednesday after the group sent a letter urging Governor Bill Lee to cancel his proposed August 21 special session of the Tennessee General Assembly.

“In response to our letter asking Governor Lee to cancel plans for an August Special Session of the Tennessee General Assembly due to public safety concerns as well as constitutional concerns, Chief of Staff Joseph Williams emailed us and requested a meeting with our Board of Directors. We took him up on that offer and on Wednesday, had a meeting with Chief of Staff Williams and Lee Administration Special Advisor Michael Hendrix,” the TNFFC disclosed in a Friday statement emailed to The Tennessee Star.

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Senator Blackburn Gets FBI Deputy Director to Admit Agency ‘Protected’ President Biden During Alleged Bribery Scheme

While being questioned by Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) during a Senate Judiciary Hearing, FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate admitted the federal agency redacted information relating to the alleged bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden, and a Burisma executive in order to “protect” the first family.

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University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s School of Nursing Recognized as Best in the State

The “largest website and community of nurses online,” nurse.org, named the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s (UTC) School of Nursing as the best in the state as part of its 2023 nurse.org Best Nursing Schools by state rankings.

In its ranking explanation, nurse.org cited UTC’s National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Exam (NCLEX) pass rate of 96 percent. Graduates are eligible to take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse upon completion of the bachelor’s program in nursing. The national average NCLEX pass rate is 82 percent.

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Former President Trump Speaks to Enthusiastic Crowd at Georgia Republican Party Convention, Makes Surprise Visit at Local Waffle House

Former President Donald Trump spoke to an enthusiastic crowd at the Georgia Republican Party 2023 State Convention in his first public speech since his indictment.

Before arriving at the Saturday convention, Trump met with police officers on the tarmac after landing and exiting ‘Trump Force One.”

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