The Tennessee Titans recently announced an outreach event for individuals and businesses interested in becoming part of the team’s new stadium project is set to take place on Thursday, October 19.
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The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) is urging Tennesseans to report and destroy any encountered spotted lanternfly and their eggs after the insect was confirmed to be detected in Davidson County.
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Six of Tennessee’s nine member delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted “no” on Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-minute 45 day Continuing Resolution Saturday afternoon. Late Saturday, the U.S. Senate passed the bill in an 88 to 9 vote, just a few hours before the midnight deadline when the current fiscal year ends.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced this week that he named three key judicial appointments for newly created state courts.
He appointed Shawn Fry to the 13th Judicial District Criminal Court, Ashleigh Travis to the 19th Judicial District Circuit Court, and Julie Heffington to the 22nd Judicial District Circuit Court.
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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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The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a request from the plaintiffs in L.W. v. Skrmetti on Thursday to block a Tennessee law banning “gender-affirming care” on minors, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed another public comment opposing the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) latest rule to set new efficiency standards for consumer water heaters.
The DOE’s rule, proposed in July, would “prescribe energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including consumer water heaters,” according to the department.
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The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition (TNFFC) released a statement Wednesday condemning the Biden Administration’s redirection of Title X funding from the Volunteer State to Planned Parenthood.
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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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The creation of a new joint working group by Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) to study the impact federal funds have on education in the Volunteer State is eliciting a mixed response.
State Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) and State Representative Debra Moody (R-Covington) will lead the new group. The state senator welcomes the opportunity to discuss using federal money in education.
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The disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s attorney and constitutional legal scholar John Eastman began its sixth week on Tuesday, featuring more testimony from Berkeley constitutional law professor John Woo. The trial moved into the second half a couple of weeks ago, where Eastman’s team presents his side of the case. His attorney Randy Miller brought Woo back to contradict the testimony of the State Bar of California’s star witness, Matthew Seligman.
California Disciplinary Court Judge Yvette Roland, who donated to Democrats while serving on the bench, appeared to be a bit lost shortly after beginning Tuesday’s proceedings, asking Miller, “We’re in the midst of your case in chief right?” Shortly after that, the California bar’s attorney Duncan Carling told Roland that Yoo never claimed that there were dueling sets of electors in the 2020 election, which she did not remember.
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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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Tennessee U.S. Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01), John Rose (R-TN-06), and Mark Green (R-TN-07) joined 39 other congressional lawmakers in relaunching the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus.
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On Monday, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) announced the creation of a new Joint Working Group to study the impact federal funds have on education in the Volunteer State.
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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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The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee filed a new lawsuit against the State of Tennessee in a challenge to Public Chapter No. 471 – a law that requires online auctioneers to be licensed.
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U.S. Senator and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Bill Hagerty (R-TN) is leading the effort to prohibit U.S. asylum for members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Hagerty along with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) along with six other Senate Republican colleagues have introduced the No Asylum for CCP Spies Act which aims to deny members of communist or totalitarian parties, like the CCP from being granted asylum in the U.S. and ensures under federal law that members of these parties are ineligible for immigration benefits.
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Six schools in Tennessee were recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2023.
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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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Three Tennessee cities have ranked among the Top 50 Best Job Markets in SmartAsset’s 2023 study of the 340 largest U.S. cities.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) along with Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) President Sidney McPhee announced on Thursday that MTSU’s growing aerospace department will be moving from its current location at Murfreesboro Airport to a new state-of-the-art campus in Shelbyville.
Due to the rapidly expanding Aerospace industry, preparations for the new MTSU Aerospace-Shelbyville campus has been in the works since April. The press release says that the institution and the state have contributed a total of $62.2 million for the move.
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According to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD), the Volunteer State’s unemployment level remains historically low.
In August, the state hit an all-time low seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.1 percent, according to a release from the department.
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One of the key figures in the center of the budget debate – Tennessee’s own Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) – took a break from ongoing talks to join The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy Friday to fill in listeners on where the House is on the budget, and what he sees coming in the days ahead. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 7:33 a.m. – in-studio, original All-Star panelist Crom Carmichael; on the newsmaker line right now, the man at the center of the controversies going on in Washington D.C. this very moment, our good friend, Congressman Andy Ogles, who represents the 5th District here in Tennessee. Good morning, Congressman Ogles. Andy Ogles: Good morning. How are you guys? Michael Patrick Leahy: Well, my question to you, Andy, is this: two years ago, when you would be getting up at four o’clock in the morning and leaving your house in Columbia to come in here and spend the morning in-studio with us to talk about issues of the day, did you think that two years later, you would be the man at the center of the national budget controversy going on in Washington, D.C. today? Andy Ogles: I don’t know…
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday his office reached a $44.5 million settlement with Food City over the grocery store chain’s opioid-related misconduct.
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Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) joined 44 Republican colleagues in sending a letter to Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) regarding his recent change to Senate rules, including loosening the dress code to no longer require business attire for members on the Senate floor.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) recently introduced the Hot Showers Act to nullify a proposed Department of Energy (DOE) rule that would significantly limit the availability of water heaters in the country.
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Amazon will hire 250,000 seasonal workers this year to meet holiday demand, including 7,600 in Tennessee, according to several reports.
According to WVLT, 1,000 employees will be hired to work in Knoxville and Blount County.
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House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) named Tennessee U.S. Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) to serve as a conferee on the House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve “bicameral differences” in the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The NDAA is the primary authorization for funding the U.S. Armed Forces and Department of Defense (DoD).
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) released a statement on Wednesday vowing to not accept a salary in the event of a government shutdown.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) recently sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel demanding answers on whether or not any Biden family members paid taxes on money received from foreign entities.
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A famous country singer who has been a driving force behind the gun control movement in Tennessee says that fleeing New York and Los Angeles and moving to the Volunteer State saved her life.
“I completely relate to Nashville because I have a lot of friends there who are also in the music business,” Sheryl Crow told Rolling Stone in 2003. “But not only that, I just relate to the people. I relate to the friendliness and down-homeness. I feel a relaxation that comes over my body that I usually don’t feel when I’m in New York or L.A.”
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On Monday, U.S. Congressman David Kustoff (R-TN-08) joined alongside U.S. Congressmen Burgess Owens (R-UT-04) and Josh Harder (D-CA-10) in reintroducing legislation known as the NCAA Accountability Act, to establish due process protections for universities and individuals under investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for rule infractions.
The NCAA is the largest collegiate athletic association in the U.S. with almost 1,100 member universities and 460,000 student athletes. The Association governs the athletic programs of and competition between member universities.
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Long time national political reporter Neil W. McCabe connects the strategic dots he sees the candidates following into the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee tonight on Wednesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.
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Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) is calling on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) to re-establish the Byrd Committee for the purpose of examining all federal government spending and identifying non-essential funding.
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Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett recently announced the theme for his office’s 2023 Civics Essay Contest for Tennessee students from pre-K to 12th-grade.
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The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) has announced that five lenders in LendTN, a program developed for small business owners in the Volunteer State earlier this year.
According to a release, the following lenders are participating in the program:
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Tennessee U.S. Congresswoman and co-chair of the Congressional Family Caucus Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) is advocating for greater resources available to those who are experiencing an unexpected pregnancy, as well as expectant mothers and families.
Harshbarger, along with 16 additional Republican Congressmen, has introduced the Life.Gov Act which aims to support the creation of a first-of-its-kind website that would provide information on local resources available to expectant families.
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According to a report from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, 141 million visitors to the Volunteer State drove a record breaking $29 billion in tourism revenue in 2022.
A slew of fact sheets provide detail into where and how Tennessee’s visitors traveled from, and how and where they spent their money in Tennessee.
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A Tennessee man has been arrested on federal charges stemming from the breach of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, according to the District of Columbia U.S. Attorney’s Office.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed a motion to compel the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok to comply with an earlier court order requiring it to produce relevant evidence in response to a multi-state investigation.
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) opened applications this week for the Tennessee Strong Families Grant Program to support expecting mothers and families.
According to the press release, the $20 million program aims to increase resources for moms, kids, and families while improving maternity healthcare access. It aids local nonprofit organizations across the state, including pregnancy centers.
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U.S. Congressman Andy Ogels (R-TN-05) joined U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) in introducing legislation on Thursday to fight back against the Biden Administration’s attempt to keep hunting and archery programs out of schools.
This follows the Biden Administration recently announcing their plan to withhold funding from schools that provide these programs claiming that under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) passed last year, school hunting and archery classes are precluded from receiving federal funding.
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Sources told The Tennessee Star that Tennessee Republican National Committeeman Oscar Brock is helping Geoffrey Stokes Nielson in his campaign to challenge incumbent Republican Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the 2024 GOP primary election.
Ogles has served as the U.S. Representative for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District since 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. Before his election to Congress, he served as the mayor of Maury County, Tennessee, from 2018 until 2022.
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As some entities begin to bring back COVID-19 mask mandates, and while the federal government is pushing a new version of the COVID-19 vaccine, Tennessee’s governor said there will be no further mandates in the Volunteer State.
“We learned in the last one the government does not need to tell people how to live their lives with regard to their personal health,” Gov. Bill Lee (R) said Wednesday. “Those are decisions they need to make, and that’s the way it will be going forward.”
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Long time national political reporter Neil W. McCabe connects the strategic dots he sees the candidates following into the first Republican presidential debate in Milwaukee tonight on Wednesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy.
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Tennessee lawmakers voiced their opinions following U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-20) announcing a decision to launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.
On Tuesday, McCarthy directed House committees to open the inquiry based on House Republicans uncovering evidence that suggests Biden may have been involved in his son, Hunter Biden’s, potentially illegal business dealings.
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Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti warned Tenessee residents on Wednesday of a scam business that utilizes Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Carter Lawrence’s forged signature through a Facebook Marketplace listing.
As part of the scam, according to Skrmetii’s office, a listing is placed on Facebook Marketplace for a nonexistent tractor for sale.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Tuesday that the Volunteer State was included in the 41 states and the District of Columbia which reached a $35 million settlement with leasing company Tempoe, LLC.
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On Monday, Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador (R) joined a coalition of 18 states in support of a Tennessee law protecting minors from lewd and obscene behavior.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) signed the Tennessee Adult Entertainment Act (AEA) into law in March of this year which bans “adult cabaret performance” in public or in front of children in the state of Tennessee.
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Tennessee State Representative Ron Gant (R-Piperton) announced that he has successfully helped secure $1 million dollars in state funds to expand the Fayette County Airport and support future economic growth in the area.
The Fayette County Airport, in operation since 1975, is a county-owned, public-use airport located approximately two miles southwest of the central business district of Somerville, in Fayette County, Tennessee.
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