A pro-Israeli protestor from Thousand Oaks has died after a pro-Palestinian protestor allegedly hit him over the head with a bullhorn during a clash between the two groups Sunday.
Ynet News confirmed that Paul Kessler, 69, died of internal bleeding after the blow to the head.
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Silicon Valley’s largest companies censored conservative podcaster Steven Crowder’s online show and The Covenant School Killer’s partial manifesto, which Crowder published on Monday.
The popular pundit received a message from Alphabet-owned YouTube saying that Monday’s episode was removed because it violated a policy related to criminal organizations.
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Three of the most prominent Tennessee Democrat lawmakers who used Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s mass shooting at The Covenant School to push a left-wing gun control agenda offered no response to Monday’s revelation that Hale’s crime was motivated at least in part by anti-white racial animus.
State Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) and Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) did not return The Tennessee Star’s Monday comment requests seeking a reaction to the manifesto’s partial release.
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A far-left gun control activist announced earlier this week that she will run against Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) in the state’s 45h House District.
“I’m a mom, former teacher, and gun violence prevention advocate who is ready to fight for our kids. Join the movement today,” said Alison Beale Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, imploring followers to visit her website to donate to her campaign.
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The alleged first page of The Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s now-infamous manifesto, which has been hidden from the public since the mass killing in March, was leaked to the public Monday.
Conservative podcaster Steven Crowder said early Monday morning that he would release the document on his daily show, “Louder With Crowder” at 10 a.m. The contents of the partial manifesto surfaced online shortly before the show aired.
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A haunted house in Middle Tennessee is under scrutiny from the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office, which is looking into its business practices.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to Russ McKamey, owner of McKamey Manor located in Summertown, which calls itself an “extremely haunted” attraction.
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is appealing to the Supreme Court after a lower court ruling upheld Tennessee’s ban on child sex change surgeries.
According to the ACLU’s Petition for a Writ of Certiorari, which asks the nation’s highest court to review the case, there are two questions of law.
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According to a study conducted by Smart Asset, two Middle Tennessee suburbs are among 25 cities that have seen the most population growth in the past five years.
The populations of Murfreesboro and Clarksville have skyrocketed over the past half-decade, according to the study.
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The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is encouraging residents statewide to participate in its annual No Trash November, with the goal of picking up as much litter as possible from Tennessee’s roadways.
“Litter on our public roads is detrimental to safety, the environment, and the economy, while also detracting from Tennessee’s natural beauty,” said TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley in a press release. “We want to ensure our roadways are safe from the harmful effects of litter, especially with the upcoming holidays and increased travel.”
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A coalition of far-Left groups are organizing a number of protests in major U.S. cities across the country in solidarity with a national march on Washington, D.C. on Saturday to demand a “ceasefire” in Gaza. The move comes after four weeks of marches, protests, and demonstrations in support of vicious surprise attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas militants on October 8th.
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According to a study by Forbes Home, those who work in Nashville face the toughest work commute in all of America.
The study analyzed 25 major U.S. cities, including New York and Los Angeles, and using eight separate metrics, determined that Nashville’s workers spend the most time trying to get to work.
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A described “radical centrist” party that is seeking ballot access in Tennessee will not run candidates lower than the presidential level if granted that access.
“We are pleased to potentially have No Labels on the ballot in Tennessee for the 2024 presidential election,” Ryan Clancy, chief strategist at No Labels, told The Tennessee Star. “We will not offer our ballot line to candidates for any office other than the presidency. We’re just creating an opening for an independent Unity presidential ticket if that’s what the people of America — and Tennessee — want and need.”
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According to multiple reports, the centrist No Labels Party is attempting to gain access to ballots across Tennessee for the upcoming 2024 election cycle.
Veteran political operator Ryan Clancy is the chief strategist of the group, and it boasts support from high-profile figures like former Republican Governor of Maryland Larry Hogan, former Democrat Governor of North Carolina Pat McCrory, and former Democrat Senator Joe Liebermann of Connecticut.
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After the Biden Administration bypassed the state of Tennessee completely and decided to give the state’s Title X funding directly to Planned Parenthood in September, Tennessee’s attorney general is taking action.
“We are suing to stop the federal government from playing politics with the health of Tennessee women,” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. “Our lawsuit is necessary to ensure that Tennessee can continue its 50-year track record of successfully providing these public health services to its neediest populations.”
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A company from Georgia is voluntarily recalling collard greens sold in Kroger supermarkets in Tennessee after the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Consumer and Industry Services Division (CIS) found possible contaminants during a routine investigation.
“Baker Farms of Norman Park, GA is voluntarily recalling a single production run of Kroger 16-ounce bagged Collard Greens, due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination,” according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said on X, formerly Twitter, that it is suing the State of Tennessee over a law meant to prevent people from knowingly spreading HIV.
“BREAKING: We’re suing Tennessee for their ‘aggravated prostitution’ statute that targets people with HIV with harsh punishment and lifetime sex offender registration. This law is unconstitutional and disproportionately affects Black and transgender women,” the group said Tuesday afternoon. “The law elevates engaging in sex work from a misdemeanor to a felony based on someone’s HIV status – a protected disability.”
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Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services (DCS) is highlighting a new anti-human trafficking team, which was formed as part of the state’s ongoing effort to combat the practice.
“We’ve had over 500 reports since the beginning of the year,” Kate Greer, the Director of the Human Trafficking Response Team, which is part of DCS, reportedly said.
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Tennessee’s Attorney General is leading a bipartisan coalition of 42 states in suing Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that Instagram causes mental health harms to its young users.
“Meta has known for years that Instagram causes psychological harm to young users,” said General Skrmetti in a Tuesday press release. “Rather than take steps to reduce or disclose the harm, Meta leaned further in to its profit-maximizing approach that hurts kids. Targeting kids with a harmful product and lying about its safety violates the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act. Meta knows every last design decision that made Instagram addictive to kids and that means it knows exactly how to fix the problem. We’re suing to make the company fix the problem.”
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Members of Tennessee’s federal congressional delegation Monday slammed some of their Democrat counterparts who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.
“The fact that some of our leaders are calling for a ceasefire instead of supporting our ally Israel is an embarrassment,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) told The Tennessee Star Monday. “There is no compromising with the animals who brutally murdered innocent civilians and targeted women and children. Hamas is a terror group, and we should treat them like one.”
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Baste Records on Friday launched its first single, a song from artist Five Times August called “Ain’t No Rock and Roll.”
The new record label in Nashville started to build infrastructure for conservatives to thrive in the entertainment industry.
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During October, which is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Tennessee is working hard to provide opportunities for disabled residents who are looking for work.
The state is touting its “Employment First Task Force” to help those with physical and mental disabilities obtain jobs.
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A Knoxville man was convicted for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to a release from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
“On Oct. 19, following an eight-day trial, a jury convicted Benjamin Carpenter, 31, of Knoxville, Tennessee, aka Abu Hamza, of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a foreign terrorist organization,” the release says.
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According to several reports, a “queer and trans activist couple,” both of whom were employed as substitute teachers in Hamilton County Schools, were cited on prostitution charges after an August sting operation.
A police report says that 22-year-old Ezra Fry and 25-year-old David Acevedo were cited in late August, and that Chattanooga Police Narcotics and Vice Detectives carried out the undercover prostitution sting.
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The President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Nashville has been suspended by the group for allegedly undermining the organization’s principles.
“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President/CEO Derrick Johnson has suspended former NAACP Nashville Branch president Venita Lewis for actions that under mind [sic] the mission and work of the NAACP. Her behavior provided cause for the suspension and her membership removal from the organization,” said a statement from the NAACP Tennessee State Conference.
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A member of the U.S. House of Representatives said Wednesday that Washington lobbyists are to blame for holding up the election of Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) as Speaker of the House.
“Since the lobbyist (K STREET) are coming out full force AGAINST [Jordan] I know I made the right decision voting for him,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said Wednesday morning on Twitter/X.
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A new poll released Tuesday by Emerson College Polling shows Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) with a commanding lead in her 2024 run for re-election.
The poll was conducted among 410 Tennessee voters between October 1 and October 4, and found that Blackburn boasts support from 50 percent of respondents.
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As the legal battle over the release of Audrey Elizabeth Hale’s manifesto rages on, The Covenant School, where Hale took six lives in March, is preparing to reopen.
According to WKRN, students will return in January, less than one year after the deadly shooting.
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In the coming days, Tennesseans will be required to obtain burn permits before burning leaf and brush piles as the state attempts to prepare for its dry season and prevent wildfires.
The directive came down from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry (TDF), and residents of the Volunteer State will be required to obtain such burn permits by Sunday.
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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell did not attend a Monday evening solidarity event held by the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel over the weekend.
Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) spoke at the event and told the crowd of 700 people, “We have seen once again the persecution of the nation of Israel, but we will see once again the steadfast resolve of the people of this state and this nation to stand alongside the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.”
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The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU) filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of LGBT activists who say Murfreesboro discriminates against them.
Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), founder and host of the annual BoroPride Festival, is the plaintiff in the case, which says that a city ordinance designed to keep drag shows out of public places violates the First and 14th Amendments.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating another officer-involved shooting this week, this time in Nashville.
“At the request of 20th Judicial District Attorney General Glenn Funk, TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances leading to a fatal officer-involved shooting that occurred Monday evening in Davidson County,” TBI said in a press release.
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A court ruling saying that absentee ballot requests in Tennessee can only be distributed by qualified elections officials has been upheld by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.
In 2020, Tennessee’s Secretary of State Tre Hargett was sued in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee by activists including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the AFL-CIO labor union, who claimed that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, anyone should be able to fill out and return to county election officials an absentee ballot request form on behalf of another person, as long as the form is signed by the would-be absentee voter.
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Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson held a weekend ribbon cutting ceremony at its new $160 million headquarters in Maryville, leaving its former home in Massachusetts behind.
“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” said the company’s CEO and President Mark Smith at the ceremony. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”’
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At the direction of Gov. Bill Lee (R), flags will be flown at half-staff at the Tennessee Capitol Friday in order to honor a Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputy who was killed in the line of duty earlier this week.
“Every day, our men & women of law enforcement walk the thin line between order & chaos to keep Tennesseans safe. Deputy Blakely made the ultimate sacrifice, & we can never fully express our deep gratitude,” Lee said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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A FedEx plane was forced to crash land late Wednesday night at the Chattanooga Regional Airport after its landing gear failed.
According to the Chattanooga Fire Department, the Boeing 757 with three crew on board dramatically skidded from off the runway before coming to a stop.
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In a heated segment on Fox News, host Brian Kilmeade appeared to mock Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) for praying about his vote to remove former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20).
The following is a transcript of the interaction:
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Nashville’s new mayor said he is committed to implementing the new City Review Board despite controversy surrounding the body.
“Civilian oversight is important, and I am committed to getting our Civilian Review Board up and running as quickly as possible, Mayor Freddie O’Connell said Tuesday. “I have also confirmed that our human resources department will work with current employees who are in the unfortunate state-mandated position of having uncertainty surrounding how they are employed.”
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A Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) deputy who was shot in the line of duty Sunday night has died, according to the office.
“Officer Blakely is a hero. He lived as a hero, he died as a hero,” Knox County Sheriff Tom Spangler said late Monday night. “Keep Tucker’s family in your thoughts.”
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A Democrat member of the Tennessee House of Representatives has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in the District of Tennessee Nashville Division claiming that House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) violated his constitutional rights when he was expelled from the General Assembly earlier this year.
“Today my attorneys filed a federal lawsuit to hold Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton responsible for his unconstitutional and discriminatory actions. The people of District 52 deserve to have their voices heard without the threat of undemocratic silencing and retaliation,” said State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on X, formerly known as Twitter, attaching a photo of the lawsuit.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating after a fatal officer-involved shooting in Knox County Sunday night that left a deputy “seriously wounded.”
“TBI special agents are investigating the circumstances surrounding a Sunday night fatal officer-involved shooting in Knox County, which also left a deputy seriously wounded,” TBI said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) and the Nashville Fire Department (NFD) are teaming up with the city’s Office of Family Safety (OFS) for a food drive that began Monday.
“Metro Nashville Police Department and Metro Nashville Fire Department partner with the Office of Family Safety to provide food for Davidson County residents experiencing interpersonal violence,” says an announcement on OFS’ website.
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Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced The Ending Chemical Abortion Act on Thursday, seeking to end chemical abortions using the abortion pill.
“Chemical abortions not only end a human life but pose a serious risk to the lives of the mothers. The FDA has failed to protect women and unborn children for over 20 years. In 2021, it went even further and eliminated the in-person dispensing requirement. This decision has led to an overwhelming increase in chemical abortion-related ER visits, health complications, and even deaths,” Ogles reportedly said while flanked by pro-life students and legislators at a press conference near the U.S. Capitol. “It’s a tragedy that the Biden Administration and the FDA would put their radical pro-choice agenda ahead of the health and safety of women and girls across the country.”
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Tennessee’s elected Republicans took to X, formerly known as Twitter, Friday and offered somber reactions to the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), sending their condolences despite political differences with the late senator.
“Senator Dianne Feinstein was a trailblazer for women in politics. Despite our differences, I enjoyed our work together to protect songwriters and take on Big Tech. My prayers are with her family,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).
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A district attorney from Shelby County has been suspended from practicing law after being arrested for allegedly driving under the influence.
“On September 27, 2023, the Supreme Court of Tennessee temporarily suspended Monica Aislynn Timmerman from the practice of law upon finding that Ms. Timmerman is substantially non-compliant with a Tennessee Lawyer Assistance Program and poses a threat of substantial harm to the public,” says a document issued by the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee.
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The Hendersonville Police Department (HPD) said in a Monday press release that a man posing as a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) agent bilked an elderly Tennessee resident out of nearly $60,000.
According to the release:
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In a move that drew criticism from Tennessee’s governor, the federal government plans to bypass the state’s health department and directly fund Planned Parenthood.
After the Human Life Protection Act took effect in August of 2022, ending the practice of abortion in Tennessee, Tennessee was denied Title X funding from the federal government.
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According to a maritime news outlet, the United States Coast Guard in Memphis saved a drowning man’s life last week after the crane he was operating fell into McKellar Lake.
“The U.S. Coast Guard helped resuscitated an unresponsive crane operator Tuesday near Memphis, Tennessee, after the crane he was operating fell into the water,” according to a Coast Guard release.
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An advocacy group for illegal aliens is suing the Tennessee Department of Child Services (DCS), alleging that DCS is not doing enough to help illegal alien children in foster care gain citizenship in the United States.
“For children in DCS custody without legal immigration status, DCS’s care must include addressing and safeguarding their immigration-related needs, which impact their health, welfare, and safety,” says a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Immigrant Rights in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee. “This care entails determining whether a child is in need of immigration related services, ensuring that DCS considers immigration-related needs when helping the child plan for their future, and helping a child access needed services.”
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The federal government is allocating nearly $24 million to improve Tennessee’s railways, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT).
“In Tennessee, the Tennessee Short Line Railroads Bridge Bundle Project will put more than $23.7 million to work upgrading approximately 42 bridges along 10 different short line railroads in need of immediate, extensive repair or replacement,” a Monday USDOT press release said. “The impacted bridges are located throughout the state, and their upgrades will strengthen the short line rail network and improve operational efficiency.”
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A group led by a major anti-Trump figure is responsible for bashing some of Tennessee’s elected Republicans for their perceived lack of support for Ukraine.
Republicans for Ukraine, reportedly a project of Defending Democracy Together, has issued “report cards” for Tennessee’s Republicans on the issue of Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.
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