Far-Left State Rep. Aftyn Behn Sues Tennessee over Abortion Trafficking Law

Aftyn Behn

Far-left member of the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this week filed a lawsuit against 11 district attorneys general over a soon-to-be enacted abortion trafficking law signed by Governor Bill Lee (R).

State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and Nashville abortion activist and attorney Rachel Welty are listed as the plaintiffs in the case.

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ISIS Smuggling Network Confirmed Weeks After Tennessee Congressman Warned of ISIS Crossings

Two weeks after a U.S. Tennessee representative sent out a warning about members of the terrorist group ISIS crossing the open southern border, news has emerged that an ISIS smuggling network has brought more than 400 illegal migrants into the country.

Three Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told NBC News that “over 400 immigrants from Central Asia and elsewhere who crossed into the U.S. in the past three years as ‘subjects of concern’ because they were brought by an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network.”

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U.S. House Passes Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett’s ‘No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act’

Tim Burchett

The U.S. House of Representatives passed Tennessee congressman Tim Burchett’s (R-TN-02) bill that would discourage countries that receive U.S. foreign aid from sending money to the Taliban.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Launches Bipartisan Inquiry into DHS Amid Reports of Dangerous Conditions for Children in CBP Custody

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) launched a bipartisan inquiry with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about reports of children being abused, neglected, and even cases of death while in custody awaiting processing at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Leads Push to Improve Access to Diagnostic Scans for Medicare Patients

PET Scan

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of 14 other senators in sending a letter to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting that the agency work to increase patient access to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scans.

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Vanderbilt University Medical Center Started Center to Assist with Mental Health ‘Intervention’ One Day After Covenant School Attack

Therapist

Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital announced the creation of its Behavioral Health Clinical Services Center (CSC) on March 28, 2023, just one day after Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale committed her attack that claimed the lives of six, including three children.

The Tennessee Star confirmed it obtained a portion of police documents from the Covenant case earlier this month, including documents that show Hale was a 22-year mental health patient at VUMC who began receiving treatment in 2001 when she was just six years old.

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State Representative Scott Cepicky: Tennessee’s Public Education Has Opportunity to Be Improved Through Both Universal School Choice Program and Reform Measures

MPL and Cepicky Interview

Tennessee State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) said the Tennessee House version of the universal school choice bill that failed to pass the General Assembly earlier this year is “eerily similar” to the Wisconsin school choice bill that passed the state’s legislature nearly 14 years ago.

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Exclusive: Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Says SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging State Law Banning Transgender Treatment for Minors Will Be a ‘Major Step Toward Clarity’

Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show for an exclusive interview where he discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments and rule on whether Tennessee’s law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.

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Michael Patrick Leahy on SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging Tennessee Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors: ‘Transgender Youth is a Creation of the Left’

Michael Patrick Leahy

Michael Patrick Leahy, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, reacted to Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti ‘Looks Forward’ to Defending State Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors in the Supreme Court

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti

The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – violates the Constitution.

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More Trans Patients Join Lawsuit Against Vanderbilt University Medical Center over Data Given to Tennessee Attorney General

Tricia Herzfeld

More transgender patients have reportedly joined the class action suit against Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) after it alerted patients their medical records were given to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti as part of an investigation into inflated billing practices.

According to attorney Tricia Herzfeld, who revealed new details about the legal action to WKRN on Thursday, there are now two class action lawsuits against VUMC.

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Five Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Graduate from FBI National Academy’s 290th Class

TN Law Enforcement FBI

Five law enforcement officers from police departments and sheriff’s offices across the state of Tennessee graduated from the FBI National Academy’s 290th class this month.

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Democrat State Rep ‘Disappointed’ That Trump will Be on Tennessee Ballot

Vincent Dixie

A Democrat State Representative told The Tennessee Lookout that he is disappointed that former President Donald Trump will remain on the ballot in the state after being convicted of 34 felonies in the state of New York.

Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville) reportedly wrote a letter to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti claiming that Trump should be barred from appearing on the state’s ballot, and asking for a legal opinion on the matter. 

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Receives Perfect Score on Immigration Watchdog’s Legislative Scorecard

Andy Ogles

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) was one of four members of the U.S. House of Representatives to receive a perfect score on NumberUSA’s Immigration Congressional Grade Card.

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Donor to Far-Left State Rep Aftyn Behn Says He Cancelled Planned Hosting of Fundraiser for TN-05 Republican Challenger Courtney Johnston Despite Invitation Obtained by The Star

A donor to far-left State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said that he canceled hosting a planned fundraiser for Courtney Johnston, a Republican challenger to Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), despite a flyer invitation for the event obtained by The Tennessee Star.

According to the flyer, Margaret and George Uribe were scheduled to host a fundraiser for Johnston on Wednesday.

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ACLU Tennessee Silent on Judge’s Contempt of Court Threat Over Covenant Shooter Reporting

MPL Courtroom

The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) has remained silent during the past week as The Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy was ordered to appear before a judge for a show cause hearing called on the heels of a false allegation by WSMV reporter Stacey Cameron that Leahy violated a court order by publishing journals left behind Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

Leahy could face a contempt of court charge, which comes with a possible jail sentence of 10 days.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles and Diana Harshbarger Sponsor Resolution to Rescind Subpoenas for Former Trump Aides

Andy Ogles and Diana Harshbarger

Tennessee U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) sponsored a resolution introduced on Tuesday that would rescind subpoenas that the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack sent to multiple aides of former President Donald Trump.

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New Law Results in Tennessee National Guard Troops Receiving Compensation Faster

Tennessee National Guard

A bill signed into law by Governor Bill Lee last year has reportedly resulted in dozens of Tennessee National Guard troops on state active duty receiving weekly compensation as opposed to waiting a month or longer to receive wages.

The bill, HB 0562, strengthened Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-1-109 by adding the following language to ensure active duty troops receive compensation on a weekly basis:

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New Tennessee College of Applied Technology Campus Opens at BlueOval City

TCAT Opening

The new Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) at Stanton campus is officially open and will welcome its first class of students later this summer.

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Local Power Companies, AAA Offer Tips for Extreme Heat Period Across Tennessee

The American Automobile Association (AAA) and local power companies across Tennessee have shared tips on how to stay safe and conserve energy usage to avoid high electric bills during periods of extreme heat.

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EV Start-Up Files for Bankruptcy One Year After Rolling Out Its First Model

Fisker Vehicle

An electric vehicle (EV) producer that was once a splashy start-up company has filed for bankruptcy.

Fisker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday after trying and failing to secure more investment to stay afloat, the company announced. The company once attracted robust interest and hype, marketing itself as the Apple of vehicles, but it struggled to run as a public company and was stuck with thousands of EVs that it did not sell, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Americans for Prosperity Action Endorses Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for Reelection

Tennessee U.S. Rep Andy Ogles

Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for reelection to Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on Monday.

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Federal Judge Grants Tennessee AG’s Request to Block the Education Department’s Title IX Rule from Taking Effect

Tennessee Atty General Jonathan Skrmetti

A federal judge with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky granted Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman’s preliminary injunction request to block the Biden Administration’s new Title IX rule from taking effect on Monday.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Tells CNN Host Point-Blank He Knows ‘Good And Well’ Border Bill Would’ve Been ‘Disaster’

Rep. Tim Burchett and Jim Acosta (composite image)

Republican Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett told CNN’s Jim Acosta on Friday that the host knows “good and well” that a February Senate border bill would have been disastrous if enacted.

The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act included additional funds for hiring more immigration judges as well as handling foreign nationals illegally in the United States, but Republicans argued it would not meaningfully reduce illegal immigration. Acosta on “CNN Newsroom With Jim Acosta” characterized the bill as a “bipartisan effort to crack down on the border,” but Burchett said it was “a bad deal” and that the host understands it would not have been effective.

WATCH:

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Country Music Star Chris Young to Headline July 4 Event in Nashville

Chris Young

Nashville’s Independence Day celebration will be headlined this year by country music artist Chris Young, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp announced.

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Tennessee’s Ninth Safe Haven Baby Box Opens in Springfield

Safe Box

The ninth Safe Haven Baby Box in the state of Tennessee opened in Springfield on Thursday.

Located at Springfield Fire Station #2 on Bradley Drive, the Safe Haven Baby Box is a resource for mothers in crisis to “safely, securely, and anonymously surrender if they are unable to care for their newborn.”

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Supreme Court Sides with Memphis Starbucks in Union Case

Starbucks

The U.S. Supreme Court sided with Starbucks on Thursday in the company’s challenge to a judicial order that would have required them to rehire seven Memphis employees that were fired while they participated in union efforts.

The “Memphis Seven” publicly released a letter addressed to the Starbucks CEO and agreed to sit down in a store with a TV news crew to discuss the union efforts.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Urges President Biden to Approve Governor Lee’s Disaster Declaration

Tennessee Tornado Damage

All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation sent a letter to President Joe Biden requesting the “swift approval” of Governor Bill Lee’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration due to severe storms that devastated communities across the Volunteer State last month.

On May 8 and May 9, several rounds of significant severe weather impacted 13 Tennessee counties, causing three fatalities and damage to 459 homes in Tennessee.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the ‘No Juicing Joe Act’ Ahead of Trump v. Biden Debate

Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Thursday that would require the White House to notify Congress of each instance the president takes certain drugs relating to cognitive function.

Ogles’ “No Juicing Joe Act” would specifically require the White House to alert Congress when the president takes a drug that could alter his alertness, judgment, or mood.

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Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Urges Congress to Pass Child Safety Act

Kid on Computer

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is among the bipartisan coalition of 44 state and territory attorneys general endorsing the Child Exploitation and Artificial Intelligence Expert Commission Act of 2024.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Signs Letter Pushing Back on New Energy Mandates on Home Construction

Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) signed a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), opposing the agencies’ recently adopted mandates for new home construction.

On May 28, the HUD and USDA’s “Adoption of Energy Efficiency Standards for New Construction of HUD- and USDA-Financed Housing” mandate went into effect, requiring all HUD and USDA-financed single-family homes to be constructed under the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC).

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Daughter Points Gun at Father in Tennessee Department of Safety Gun Lock Campaign Video

Safe Storage of Firearm :30 Second Commercial

In a promotional video for a gun cable lock giveaway by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security (TDSHS), a girl is depicted pointing a rifle at her father. 

The 30 second spot shows a father teaching his son how to shoot a rifle. 

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Star News CEO Michael Patrick Leahy Files Emergency Motion to Set Aside Show Cause Hearing Order in Covenant Killer Documents Case

MPL Courtroom

An emergency motion filed on Wednesday requests Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles set aside her June 10 court order which established a show cause hearing on Monday after dozens of articles including writings from a journal recovered from Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale were published by The Tennessee Star.

Michael Patrick Leahy, who is the CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc. and the editor-in-chief of The Star, was ordered by Myles to appear in court on Monday after WSMV 4 reporter Stacey Cameron claimed he called the court to ask Myles “if she was considering holding the Star or anyone else in contempt” due to its reporting.

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Three Tennessee U.S. Representatives to Play in Congressional Baseball Game on Wednesday

TN Reps Congressional Baseball Game

Tennessee U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03), and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) are set to play in the 2024 Congressional Baseball Game for Charity on Wednesday at Nationals Park.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Urges Federal Court to Block the Education Department’s Title IX Rule

AGs Sue Biden Administration Title IX

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman urged a federal judge in Kentucky to block the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE) finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Endorses Aron Maberry in House District 68 Primary Race

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, Aron Maberry

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee endorsed Aron Maberry, a Montgomery County school board member, in the August 1 Republican primary election for Tennessee State House District 68.

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Tennessee Officials React to Hunter Biden’s Guilty Verdict

Hunter Biden

Some of Tennessee’s federal lawmakers Tuesday reacted to the news that Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, was convicted on felony gun charges.

The younger Biden was found guilty of making a false statement in the purchase of a gun, making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federally licensed gun dealer, and possession of a gun by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance in a federal court in Wilmington, Delaware. 

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FBI Asking for Help Identifying More Victims of Alleged Tennessee Child Exploiter

James C. Thompson

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says it needs help locating other potential victims of a serial child exploiter from east Tennessee. 

Last week, a federal grand jury in Knoxville returned a three-count indictment against James Thompson, 71, of Lookout Mountain. The indictment alleges that Thompson transported minors across state lines with the intent of engaging in sexual activity back in 2000. 

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Tennessee Governor Endorses Jason Emert in House District 20 Primary Race

Jason Emert and Gov. Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee endorsed Jason Emert, a reserve officer with the U.S. Air Force and member of the Tennessee Air National Guard, in the August 1 Republican primary election for Tennessee State House District 20.

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Latinos for Tennessee Endorses New Trump Campaign Coalition

Tommy Vallejos / Latinos for Tennessee

The organization Latinos for Tennessee endorsed the new “Latino Americans for Trump” coalition organized by former President Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign over the weekend.

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Colorado Discriminated Against Catholic Preschools by Starving Them of Funding, Court Rules

Catholic School

A federal court ruled Wednesday that Colorado discriminated against Catholic preschools by refusing to allow them to participate in the state’s school voucher program over their faith.

St. Mary’s Catholic Parish and St. Bernadette’s Catholic Parish filed a lawsuit against the state in August 2023 after Colorado denied its application to the state’s universal preschool (UPK) program because the schools consider religious beliefs when deciding whether or not a student can attend the school. Judge John Kane Jr., a Jimmy Carter appointee, of the District Court of Colorado determined that the state had erred in allowing “faith-based providers” to receive exemptions in similar cases but not the preschool, according to the 101-page opinion.

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Libertarian Party of Tennessee Breaks Silence, Condemns ‘Clearly Politically Motivated’ Conviction of President Trump

The Libertarian Party of Tennessee released a statement Thursday, one week after former President Donald Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury on all 34 counts in the falsification of business records linked to the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal, condemning the “clearly politically motivated” conviction of the former president.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty Latest Republican to Join Pledge Against White House Priorities

Bill Hagerty

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined a group of 13 other Republican members of the U.S. Senate in signing a pledge vowing to not “aid and abet” the Biden administration in its “project to tear this country apart.”

The pledge was created last week on May 31 – just one day after former President Donald Trump was found guilty by a Manhattan jury on all 34 counts in the falsification of business records linked to the Stormy Daniels hush money scandal, marking the first time in history that a U.S. president has been convicted of a felony.

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Alleged Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure Ordered to ‘Open-Door’ Psychiatric Center in East Tennessee

McKenzie McClure, Pasaenda Villa

The mental health facility alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure was ordered to be released to on Monday to an “open-door” psychiatric treatment center in East Tennessee.

Pasadena Villa in Sevierville, Tennessee, houses patients who voluntarily stay there, according to testimony by Admissions Coordinator Sabina Shakoor. Personnel cannot force patients to stay, and patients have left the facility voluntarily in the past, she continued.

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Tennessee Governor Endorses Lee Reeves in House District 65 Primary Race

Lee Reeves and Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee endorsed real estate investor and attorney Lee Reeves in the August 1 Republican primary election for Tennessee State House District 65 on Thursday.

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Tennessee National Guard Troops Complete Training Exercise in Bulgaria

TN National Guard

Troops with the Tennessee National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment completed an international joint readiness exercise, named Thracian Warrior 24, this week at Novo Selo and Koren training areas of Bulgaria.

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Kari Lake Rallies Support at Sonny’s Boxing Gym with UFC Star Tito Ortiz

Kari Lake

Republican U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake held a rally at Sonny’s Boxing Gym in Goodyear, near the Avondale border in the heart of the Latino community there. Conservative UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz joined her at the event, which was hosted by Latinos for Lake.

The gym was packed with mostly Hispanic supporters from the West Valley, many of whom told The Sun Times they support Lake because they believe she will fight for them.

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Tennessee GOP Chairman Confirms Donald Trump Will be the GOP Nominee, Republican National Convention Will Not be Impacted by Sentencing Outcome

Donald Trump

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden confirmed in an interview Thursday that former President Donald Trump will be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee amid his upcoming July 11 sentencing date where a Manhattan judge could order him to prison immediately.

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Tennessee State Rep. Jason Zachary Details Importance of Bill that Tightened Duty to Report Law

Jason Zachary

Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) suggested his bill that strengthened the state’s duty to report law may have prevented the Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023 in Nashville if implemented before the shooting took place.

Over the weekend, The Tennessee Star reported it was provided the name of the psychologist who was reportedly part of the care team for Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Demanding the American Bar Association Stop Requiring Law Schools to Engage in Illegal Racial Discrimination

Tennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 20 other state attorneys general in sending a letter to the Council of the American Bar Association (ABA) on Monday demanding that it make changes to its accreditation process to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative in the case Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

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