Search Results for: the tennessee star

Biden DOJ Sues Tennessee over Enforcement of Law with Higher Penalties for Prostitutes with HIV

Tom Pappert
Kristen Clarke

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday launched a lawsuit against Tennessee over the enforcement of a 1991 law that increases prostitution penalties for individuals who knowingly engage in the illegal practice while testing positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

According to a press release by the DOJ, Tennessee’s law prohibiting aggravated prostitution violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by enforcing legislation “against people living with” HIV, citing their December letter that warned of forthcoming litigation unless Tennessee stopped enforcing its law.

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Tennessee GOP Chairman Scott Golden Assesses 7th Congressional District Race amid U.S. Rep. Mark Green’s Retirement

Kaitlin Housler
Scott Golden

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said he was surprised when Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced his retirement from Congress.

Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, announced his retirement on Wednesday, just one day after leading the House in a historic vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

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Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Sponsors Several Crime-Related Bills in Effort to ‘Make Memphis Matter’

Kaitlin Housler
State Senator Brent Taylor

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced he is sponsoring several crime-related bills this legislative session in an effort to fight crime and “Make Memphis Matter.”

In a letter to his colleagues in the Tennessee State Senate, Taylor detailed 13 pieces of legislation he is sponsoring and asked his colleagues to consider sponsoring the bills as well.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Mark Green Announces Retirement from Congress

Kaitlin Housler
Mark Green Retiring

U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) announced his retirement from Congress on Wednesday, just one day after leading the House in a historic vote to impeach Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Green, who served as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said he is “ready to return home” after delivering on his promise to “pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable” by leading the passage of H.R. 2 and two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas.

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Co-Founder of AbleChild Sheila Matthews Details Work on Tennessee Bill to Help Determine Link Between Psychotropic Drugs and Mass Shooters

Kaitlin Housler
Sheila Matthews

Sheila Matthews, co-founder of the national non-profit parent organization AbleChild, detailed her work on crafting an “outstanding” bill recently filed in the Tennessee General Assembly that is focused on reforming the process medical examiner’s offices must follow in terms of testing for psychotropic drugs when performing autopsies on the bodies of mass shooters.

HB 2933, if enacted, would require a medical examiner’s office or regional forensic center to determine and document current both psychotropic and prescription drug use from the past 10 years by a deceased individual who died under “suspicious, unusual, or unnatural circumstances.”

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Aaron Gulbransen Analyzes the Tennessee General Assembly’s Current Session

Kaitlin Housler
Aaron Gulbransen

Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the current session of the Tennessee General Assembly is “pretty normal” despite state lawmakers still reeling from last year’s events by the “Tennessee Three” Democrats and the special session.

“It’s kind of normal, to be honest with you. Now, I will say, I think everybody has a little bit of PTSD after last year with all the shenanigans that Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson pulled and then the contentiousness of the special session and the lead up to that and right after that. But it’s relatively normal,” Gulbransen explained on Tuesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.

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Corporate America is Starting to Shy Away from Woke Business as Backlash Mounts

Admin
Office Meeting

American companies are reversing the multiyear trend of hiring more employees in roles related to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) issues in an effort to increase profitability and address investor pushback, according to The Wall Street Journal.

U.S. companies shed 3,071 employees with positions related to ESG in December while only adding 2,897, continuing the trend that has been seen in half of the months in the last year of a net loss of ESG positions, according to the WSJ. The shift is in response to investors pulling their funds from companies heavily involved in ESG practices and placing their money in firms where they can get higher returns.

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Tennessee GOP U.S. Representatives Vote to Impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas

Kaitlin Housler
Mayorkas Impeachment

All eight Tennessee Republican U.S. Representatives were among the majority of members that voted ‘Yes’ on two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.

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Early Voting Begins Wednesday in Tennessee

Kaitlin Housler
People Waiting to Vote

Wednesday is the first day of early voting for the March 5 Presidential Preference Primary and County Primary Elections in Tennessee.

“Early voting begins on Valentine’s Day, and we want to remind voters our robust early voting period provides Tennesseans with a convenient way to make their voices heard,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said in a statement.

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Tennessee Reports $467 Million in Sports Wagers, $8.6 Million in Taxes for January

The Center Square

Tennessee saw $467 million in gross wagers and $8.6 million in privilege tax paid in January, making it the third highest amount of wagers the state has seen since betting began in November 2020.

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Jill Biden Commits Inadvertent ‘Umbrella Assault’ Against Nashville Mayor During Trip to Tennessee

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell Greets First Lady Jill Biden

First Lady Jill Biden committed an inadvertent “umbrella assault” against Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell during her visit to Tennessee, which was reportedly aimed at securing endorsements from the country music “influencer” community at an event held by country music artist Brad Paisley.

Video appears to show O’Connell being poked by the umbrella before deftly maneuvering around and underneath the umbrella as Biden raised it higher to avoid a second attack.

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Joins Letter Warning the Biden Administration About Its Liquified Natural Gas Export Pause

Kaitlin Housler
DOE Biden

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a 23-state coalition in sending a letter to President Joe Biden and United States Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm regarding the administration’s pause on the export of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the name of climate change.

Last month, the Biden administration announced a temporary pause on pending decisions on exports of LNG to “non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations.”

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Commentary: There Is Something Rotten in the State of Tennessee

Admin

Staffers of former Governor Bill Haslam have sold their souls to BlackRock, a giant global corporation hell-bent on controlling every penny on earth and using their power to force us all to obey their woke ESG decrees. This is an outrage that must be addressed. 

As Attorney General Skrmetti’s lawsuit against BlackRock progresses, BlackRock is fighting back. But other than making cringy ads starring a man in a cowboy hat in an absurd attempt to convince the people of Tennessee to trust them, BlackRock is also playing the swamp game. 

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Speaks Outside Supreme Court in Support of Former President Trump

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined Alabama U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in delivering remarks outside of the Supreme Court on Thursday as the court heard oral arguments on whether former President Donald Trump should be removed from Colorado’s primary ballot under the 14th Amendment.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the Send Them Back Act

Kaitlin Housler
Ogles Illegal Immigrants

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make all illegal aliens who have entered the U.S. since January 20, 2021 eligible for expedited removal from the country.

Ogles’ bill is titled the Sending Evading Non-Documented Threats Home Especially Migrants Biden Accepted Carelessly and Knowingly (SEND THEM BACK) Act.

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Rep. Ogles Blasts Biden Administration About Illegal Aliens Coming to Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca
Andy Ogles

A Tennessee congressman blasted the Biden administration after it was revealed last week that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) knew that nearly 600 illegal aliens planned to travel to Middle Tennessee after they were released from detainment.

“Joe Biden’s efforts to transport illegal aliens into Franklin, Davidson County, and Mt. Juliet are reprehensible,” said Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) on X. “Middle Tennessee deserves answers. That’s why I’ve sent a letter to [DHS Secretary] Mayorkas demanding responses to all my questions regarding this troubling incursion into our community.”

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TDOT’s ‘Nobody Trashes Tennessee’ Partnering With Local Girl Scouts

Peter D'Abrosca
Nobody Trashes Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Transportation’s Nobody Trashes Tennessee project is working with local Girl Scouts to give them patches for helping with the cause.

“Girl Scout Troops are highly committed to community service projects and environmental education, and we are thrilled to have participation from all three councils representing the entire state of Tennessee participating in our Nobody Trashes Tennessee patch program,” said Brittany Morris, TDOT’s transportation program supervisor in a release. “Within the first two months of launching the program in Middle Tennessee, we had approximately 1,000 Girl Scouts earn a Nobody Trashes Tennessee patch. We are excited to have even more participation from Girl Scouts this year and have numerous ways for them to get involved.”

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Corey DeAngelis Says Tennessee School Choice Bill Would Allow Students to Escape ‘One Size Fits All System’

Kaitlin Housler
Classroom Learning

School choice activist Corey A. DeAngelis joined Wednesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss a rally he, Robby Starbuck, and Americans for Prosperity (AFP) held in Nashville supporting Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice plan, known as the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.

On Tuesday, DeAngelis, Starbuck, AFP, and other school choice advocates held a Rally for School Choice & Parents’ Rights at the state Capitol in support of the governor’s school choice plan.

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Tennessee House Staffer Suspended over Alleged Heated Exchange with State Rep. Justin Jones

Tom Pappert
Justin Jones Torrey Harris

A Tennessee House staffer for Representative Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) was suspended from her position as an Executive Legislative Analyst until after the 2024 legislative session concludes.

The Tennessee General Assembly Director of Legislative Administration confirmed in a January 30 letter that the staffer “had an inappropriate confrontation with a Member of the House of Representatives” and “failed to maintain a satisfactory and harmonious working relationship” and disrupting work in the Tennessee House.

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Clint Brewer Says Tennessee’s Lawsuit Against the NCAA ‘Isn’t Just About College Sports’

Kaitlin Housler
UT Football

All-star panelist Clint Brewer joined Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy where he offered his thoughts on Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Skrmetti joined Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in filing the lawsuit against the NCAA last week, arguing the organization violates federal antitrust laws with its “anticompetitive restrictions on the ability of current and future student-athletes to benefit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL).”

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UAW Says Majority of Workers at Tennessee Volkswagen Plant Have Voted to Unionize

Peter D'Abrosca

According to a statement from United Auto Workers (UAW), more than half of the employees at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant have voted to unionize. 

“A majority of workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant have signed cards to join the UAW, less than sixty days after the workers announced their campaign to form a union at the German automaker’s only US assembly plant,” according to a UAW press release.

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Tennessee State Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Make Blocking a Highway a Class D Felony Offense

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) and State Representative Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) recently filed legislation to make blocking a highway a Class D felony.

Under current law, it is classified as a Class A misdemeanor when a defendant “intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly” obstructs a public highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle, or hallway.

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Tennessee Republican U.S. Representatives Vote in Favor of Impeaching DHS Secretary Mayorkas

Kaitlin Housler
Mayorkas Impeachment Vote

All eight Tennessee Republican U.S. Representatives voted ‘Yes’ on two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday.

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Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor Urges TBI to Investigate, Arrest Pro-Palestine Protesters Who Blocked Traffic on I-40 in Memphis

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss a letter he sent to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) regarding its response to a group of pro-Palestine protesters that blocked traffic in both directions on I-40 in Memphis over the weekend.

On Saturday, a group of pro-Palestine protesters commandeered the Mississippi River Bridge on I-40 in Memphis, shutting down traffic in both directions for nearly two hours and leaving motorists with no way to cross the Mississippi River as the I-55 river bridge was under construction.

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Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles Previews Upcoming Vote on Mayorkas Impeachment, Senate Border Deal Discussions

Kaitlin Housler
Rep. Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) joined Monday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss the Senate’s so-called “border deal” and the House of Representatives’ upcoming vote on two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

On the upcoming impeachment vote against Mayorkas, Ogles said the votes in the House “should be there” to impeach the secretary, adding, “We have an obligation to move forward and hold him accountable and put on the record that you can’t just ignore our laws in this country.”

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Tennessee State Sen. Raumesh Akbari Files Bill to Allow House Arrest for Prisoners After Age 60, Including Murderers

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State Senator Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) filed SB 2757 on Thursday, called the Restoration of Dignity for the Elderly Act, which would allow criminals who have served more than half of their sentence and are at least 60 to serve the remainder of their sentence under house arrest.

A summary for SB 2757 would require the Tennessee Department of Correction “to create a five-year pilot program for the release” of inmates who are defined as elderly, which the bill defines as over the age of 60, and have “served a minimum of 65 percent of the sentence imposed,” to be released under house arrest.

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Tennessee Lawmakers Blast Border Bill

Peter D'Abrosca

Tennessee’s elected Republicans are taking to the airwaves to oppose a 370 page spending bill that claims to address the crisis at the U.S. southern border with Mexico. 

“It is against the law for an individual to illegally cross into our country — it’s incredible that still needs to be said. We are a nation of law and order, yet the Biden administration has allowed over 8.8 million illegal immigrants to flood our border,” said Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on X. 

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‘Civility is a Strength’: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Delivers Sixth State of the State Address Amid Anti-School Choice Jeers

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee held his sixth State of the State Address on Monday, outlining his vision for Tennessee for the next year and the remainder of his administration. After highlighting the shared history and heritage of Tennesseans, and the strong economic position of Tennessee, the governor highlighted school choice, artificial intelligence (AI), and a streamlined regulatory framework among his goals for 2024. “As we enter our sixth year of working together, the State of our State is strong, and resilient, and ready for the future, and that is thanks to the hard work of the people in this room.” Lee began, “But there is more work to do, the world around us is changing every day, brings new challenges, unique challenges, Tennesseans are counting on us to face those challenges with wisdom and discernment.” “I’ve got three years left, there’s a lot to do, and we cannot, should not slow down, not for a second,” the governor declared. Throughout Lee’s address, he was repeatedly interrupted by hecklers, who first became vocal as the governor announced his plans to expand school choice and public education funding in Tennessee. As he attempted to turn to a different subject, a heckler appeared…

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Says NIL is an ‘Intellectual Property Right’ of Student Athletes

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Saturday’s edition of Fox & friends to discuss his antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

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Tennessee House Democrats Upset Over ‘Do Not Stand with Child Rapists’ Sign, Celebrate Refusal of State Rep. Jones to Lead Pledge of Allegiance

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State House Representative G.A. Hardaway (D-Knoxville) objected to signs urging lawmakers to stand against child rapists during a meeting of the House Criminal Justice Committee held just days prior to Haradaway’s defense of Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville), who refused to lead the legislative body in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition told The Tennessee Star that activists affiliated with the group were present at the Tennessee General Assembly last Monday, holding signs urging lawmakers, “Do not stand with child rapists,” following a subcommittee vote by Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) against HB 1663.

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Bullied, Targeted, and Harassed: A Turning Point USA Student Shares Her Story of Oppression at East Tennessee State University

Matthew Giffin
Lakie Derrick

Lakie Derrick, now 21, first traveled less than 30 miles to attend East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in the fall of 2020. She had always known her hometown of Kingsport, Tennessee, to be a relatively conservative city.

In 2016, the two counties that contain Kingsport overwhelmingly voted to elect Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States. Washington County, where ETSU is located, did the same that year and supported Trump again in 2020. Only two Tennessee counties held blue through the 2022 gubernatorial election.

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Convicted Georgia Sex Offender Dead After Kidnapping Tennessee Girl, Ramming Police

Peter D'Abrosca
Edward Aherns

A convicted sex offender from Georgia is dead after an encounter with Tennessee authorities during which he rammed several police cars, several sources have confirmed. 

Edward Ahrens was suspected of kidnapping an 11-year-old girl who was the subject of a Tennessee Endangered Child Alert, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). The missing child was identified as Aubriauna Mays. 

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Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn Opposes Senate Border Deal, Says ‘I Will Never Vote to Make Illegal Immigration Legal’

Kaitlin Housler
Senator Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement opposing a $118.3 billion emergency spending package that would fund U.S. national security efforts in Ukraine, Israel, and at the U.S.-Mexico border.

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Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell Exits Mid-Interview After Radio Host Matt Murphy Disputes Her Claims About Governor Lee’s School Choice Plan

Kaitlin Housler
State Sen. Heidi Campbell

Tennessee State Senator Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) joined Friday’s edition of The Matt Murphy Show on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN to discuss Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice plan, known as the Education Freedom Scholarship Act.

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‘We Are Under Attack’: Tennessee U.S. Reps. React to DHS Notice of Nearly 600 Illegal Aliens Being Transported to Tennessee

Kaitlin Housler
Mark Green Andy Ogles

A group of Tennessee lawmakers have spoken out denouncing a notice sent by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) last year to the City of Franklin advising the possible influx of nearly 600 migrants to Middle Tennessee.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Hagerty Endorses Kari Lake for Senate

Peter D'Abrosca
Sen Hagerty Kari Lake

A U.S. senator from Tennessee on Friday endorsed Kari Lake, who is running for U.S. Senate in Arizona.

“I’m honored to endorse my friend Kari Lake to be Arizona’s next U.S. Senator. Kari is a strong, principled conservative, who knows and loves the people of Arizona and will make them proud as their elected representative,” Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said in statement. “Kari is fearless, she doesn’t back down, and she will fight tirelessly to secure our border and make our country safe and prosperous. The stakes could not be higher and it is now more important than ever that we retake the Republican majority and get our country back on the right track for all working American families and citizens.”

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Tennessee to Receive More than $9 Million from Settlement with Publicis Health

Kaitlin Housler
TN AG Skrmetti Settlement

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday his office was apart of a $350 million multistate settlement with Publicis Health to resolve investigations into the marketing firm’s role in the prescription opioid crisis.

The Volunteer State will receive more than $9 million from the settlement, with a majority of the funds placed into the state’s Opioid Abatement Trust Fund to support local efforts addressing the opioid epidemic.

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Nearly 600 Illegal Aliens May Be Transported to Middle Tennessee, DHS Notice Says

Kaitlin Housler

A notice from last September by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that a total of 573 “noncitizens” from Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico intended on traveling to Franklin, Nashville, Davidson County, and Murfreesboro following their release from DHS custody.

The notice, dated as the week ending September 16, 2023, is titled “Intended Destination of Noncitizens Processed at the Southwest Border.”

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Governor Bill Lee Appoints Judge Mary L. Wagner to the Tennessee Supreme Court

Kaitlin Housler
Judge Mary Wagner

Governor Bill Lee announced the appointment of Judge Mary L. Wagner to the Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday.

Wagner is currently a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial District, which covers Shelby County.

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Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones Refuses to Lead Chamber in Pledge of Allegiance

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee House Floor - State Rep. Justin Jones refuses Pledge Allegiance to the US Flag

Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) refused to lead the House of Representatives in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during Thursday’s session of the General Assembly.

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Matthew Giffin Details Socialist Group’s Fight with East Tennessee State University over Upcoming Event Featuring Kyle Rittenhouse

Kaitlin Housler
Kyle Rittenhouse

Matthew Giffin, reporter at The Tennessee Star and student at Middle Tennessee State University, joined Wednesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss a socialist group’s response to an event scheduled at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) next week featuring Kyle Rittenhouse.

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Tennessee Universities Earn Bad Free Speech Code Ratings

Matthew Giffin

Many Tennessee universities maintain speech codes that suppress campus free speech, according to a recent report by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Of the six Tennessee schools included in the report, five reportedly have rules restricting free speech.

The Spotlight on Campus Speech Codes 2024 report rates U.S. colleges based on whether their written speech codes do not infringe on protected speech. According to the report, 85.4 percent of schools maintain policies that can or do infringe on free expression.

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Tennessee State Rep. Introduces ‘Bill of Rights’ for Victims of Gender Reassignment Surgeries

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee State Representative and House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would preserve “critical rights for victims of radical cosmetic gender reassignment surgeries.”

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Files Lawsuit Against the NCAA

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares in filing an antitrust lawsuit against the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) on Wednesday.

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Tennessee Attorney General Joins Letter Supporting Texas’ Border Defense Barriers

Kaitlin Housler
Skrmetti Border

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined a coalition of 26 other attorneys general in sending a letter to the Biden administration proclaiming support for the steps Texas has taken at its border with Mexico to prevent illegal immigrant crossings.

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the Biden administration to allow Border Patrol agents to cut through or move razor wire Texas installed on its border with Mexico to prevent illegal entries into the U.S.

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Tennessee’s Certificate of Need Law Has Denied $1.5 Billion in New Healthcare Industry Investments in the Last Two Decades, New Report Finds

Kaitlin Housler

The Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) recently released a report highlighting the amount of new investment in the healthcare industry which was denied due to the state’s Certificate of Needs (CON) law.

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NCAA Failed to Establish ‘Clear Guidance and Rules’ Prior to New Allegations Against University of Tennessee, Warns State Rep. Jason Zachary

Tom Pappert
UT Football

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reportedly plans to bring a slew of new Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) complaints against the University of Tennessee (UT), prompting a fiery response from Chancellor Donde Plowman in a Tuesday letter to the NCAA. Plowman received the support of Tennessee State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville), who argued the NCAA failed to create “clear guidance and rules” for institutions to follow.

Zachary wrote in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the Tennessee General Assembly “worked with institutions across our state to craft strong NIL institution that established the framework” in the state, but the NCAA’s “moving target” made work “very challenging” for lawmakers.

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Tennessee Ag Commissioner Charlie Hatcher Did Not Sign Letter by Officials in 12 States Accusing Banks of Pushing ESG on Farmers

Tom Pappert

The Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner, Dr. Charlie Hatcher, was not among the top agriculture officials from 12 different states who signed a letter on Monday that warned the heads of six elite banks that their “Net-Zero Banking Alliance” (NZBA) will force economically destructive Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) policies on American farmers.

The Tennessee Star contacted Hatcher’s office by phone and email to ask why he was not among the agriculture officials behind the letter, and to ascertain whether he is concerned by the claim that banks are foisting ESG policies on farmers, but did not receive an immediate response.

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Tennessee Representative Is Victim of Weekend ‘Swatting’

Peter D'Abrosca
Tim Burchett

A U.S. Congressman from Tennessee was the victim of a “swatting” over the weekend, a tactic that is more frequently being used to attack political foes in the United States. 

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) was the victim of the nefarious incident. 

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New Study Shows Tennessee Republican Voters Support Repealing State’s Certificate of Need Laws

Kaitlin Housler

A new study released by the Center for Individual Freedom (CFIF) shows a majority of Republican voters in Tennessee oppose Certificate of Need (CON) laws.

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