Search Results for: tennessee star report

Middle Tennessee State University Earns ‘Green Light’ FIRE Rating for Respecting Free Speech

Tom Pappert

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) last week earned a “green light” rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Freedom (FIRE), a nonprofit organization that gained fame by defending freedom of speech on college campuses.

A FIRE press release confirms MTSU became the latest university to receive the rating, with the organization noting just 68 other institutions throughout the country have qualified for the “green light” rating it explains” is reserved for institutions with no written policies that seriously imperil student free speech rights.”

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee to Speak at Republican National Convention on Tuesday

Kaitlin Housler
Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee will speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday.

Lee posted a photo of him and his wife, First Lady Maria Lee, at the convention on social media, saying, “Great to be in Milwaukee for the 2024 [Republican National Convention].”

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Elon Musk Reportedly Says He’ll Unleash Around $45 Million a Month Toward Pro-Trump Super PAC

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump (composite image)

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly said he plans to commit around $45 million a month to a super political action committee (PAC) helping to elect former President Donald Trump into office come this November.

Sources familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal about the billionaire’s plans to further his support for the American PAC, the outlet reported. Other figures who are additionally involved in backing the group includes Palantir Technologies co-founder Joe Lonsdale, cryptocurrency billionaires Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, former U.S. ambassador to Canada Kelly Craft and her husband Chief Executive of Alliance Resource Partners, Joe Craft.

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Report Finds One Of Biden’s Favorite Green Industries to Miss 2030 Target by Years Despite Billions In Subsidies

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Offshore Wind Farm

Offshore wind is likely to miss the Biden administration’s 2030 target for the industry despite receiving billions of dollars of subsidies, according to a Tuesday American Clean Power Association (ACP) report.

The administration has a stated goal of having the offshore wind industry provide 30 gigawatts (GW) of power by 2030, but the ACP report projects that capacity will only reach about 14 GW by then. The Biden administration has subsidized the industry to the tune of billions of dollars since assuming office in 2021, but those efforts appear unlikely to put the 2030 target in reach until at least 2033, per ACP’s analysis.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Presents Party Platform at the Republican National Convention

Kaitlin Housler
US Senator Marsha Blackburn at RNC 2024

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) presented the 2024 Republican Party Platform at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on Monday.

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34 Percent of Tennessee Voters More Likely to Vote for Trump After Guilty Verdict in New York Case

Peter D'Abrosca
Donald Trump

According to a poll from the Tennessee-based Beacon Center shows that support for former President Donald Trump has risen for his 2024 reelection bid after he was convicted of 34 felonies for falsifying documents in New York. 

Trump was convicted on May 30. 

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Trump’s Would Be Assassin Was a National Math and Science Initiative Student, Parents Both Worked in Mental Health Field: Report

Christy Kelly
Thomas Matthew Crooks

A campaign rally for former President Donald Trump faced a violent interruption due to an assassination attempt. The FBI identified the shooter as Thomas Matthew Crooks, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. The attack, which occurred just as Trump began his speech, killed former fire chief Corey Comperatore and critically injured two others before U.S. Secret Service agents neutralized Crooks. Crooks had no social media presence, and very little is known about his life and possible motive.

According to state records, Crooks is a registered Republican but reportedly made a $15 donation to ActBlue as a 17-year-old after President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Despite this, the FBI has not identified any ideology that may have influenced his actions, as officials explained on a call with reporters.

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Entire Tennessee Delegation Supports Former President Donald Trump after Assassination Attempt

Kaitlin Housler
Rep Mark Green, Sen. Bill Hagerty

All 11 members of the Tennessee congressional delegation have publicly issued statements following Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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Tennessee Democrats Mock Former President Trump, Wonder if Apparent Assassination Attempt was ‘Staged’

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee State Reps London Lamar, Antonio Parkinson

Multiple Democratic candidates and elected officials in Tennessee are being denounced on social media for their reactions to former President Donald Trump surviving what appeared to be an attempted assassination at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.

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Elon Musk Reportedly Makes ‘Sizable’ Donation to Pro-Trump Super PAC

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Donald Trump and Elon Musk

Billionaire Elon Musk reportedly made a “sizable” donation to a super political action committee (PAC) helping to elect former President Donald Trump for the 2024 race, according to sources speaking on anonymity to Bloomberg.

The alleged super PAC donation from Musk was to a low-profile group known as America PAC, sources familiar with the matter told the outlet. While it is not confirmed how much the reported donation was for, the PAC is expected to reveal its list of donors on July 15.

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Federal Court Upholds Tennessee Policy Preventing Transgender Individuals from Changing Sex on Birth Certificate

Kaitlin Housler

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled 2-1 to uphold a decades-long Tennessee policy that prohibits changes to a person’s sex on their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity instead of their biological sex at birth.

The policy treats the sex listed on a birth certificate as a historical fact unchangeable by an individual’s transition to a different gender identity.

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Tennessee Taxpayers Don’t Want to Pay for New MLB Stadium, Poll Shows

Peter D'Abrosca
MLB

According to a Beacon Center poll received by The Tennessee Star, Tennesseans are not keen on the state spending their tax dollars on a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium in Nashville.

According to the poll, 58 percent oppose using state tax dollars for a new MLB stadium, while only 27 support it.

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Reporter Tom Pappert: Vanderbilt University Medical Center May Have Made Financial Arrangements to Avoid Revelations About Its Connection to Audrey Hale

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes attorneys for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) may have reached a financial arrangement with multiple entities involved in the Covenant School killer case in order to “protect” the medical institution’s reputation amid shocking revelations connecting VUMC to the killer, Audrey Elizabeth Hale.

On June 7, The Star was the first to report that Hale was a 22-year patient of VUMC from 2001 until the time of the horrific school shooting on March 27, 2023.

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Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Won’t Appeal Court Loss in ‘Open Fields’ Doctrine Case

Peter D'Abrosca
Hunter Hollingsworth

After losing an appeal in May, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has decided it will not take its case on the “open fields” doctrine to the Tennessee Supreme Court. 

The case began when Terry Rainwaters and Hunter Hollingsworth found hidden cameras on their property, placed there by TWRA, according to the Institute of Justice, which took on the case. 

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Interested in Leading House Freedom Caucus: Report

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) is reportedly interested in becoming chair of the House Freedom Caucus if the group’s current chair, Congressman Bob Good (R-VA-05), steps down from his post.

Good lost his primary race last month to Virginia State Senator John McGuire (R-District 10), who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

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Robby Starbuck Exposes John Deere’s Corporate DEI Policies: ‘You Need a Massive Overhaul There’

Kaitlin Housler
John Deere

Tennessee political commentator and documentary filmmaker Robby Starbuck shared an update into his work exposing John Deere, the American manufacturing company of agricultural machinery and other heavy equipment, for its woke policies, saying how “hundreds” of upset employees have come forward about the drastic changes under the company’s new leadership.

Starbuck said John Deere essentially turned into a “trojan horse for leftism” once its CEO, John May, was named head of the company in 2019 and implemented “drastic” changes to the company’s policies.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2024

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill this week to protect surrogate mothers from being forced to have abortions as part of terms set in surrogacy contracts.

Ogles’ Preventing Forced Abortions Act of 2024 would prohibit federal courts from enforcing any part of a surrogacy contract that requires a surrogate mother to get an abortion.

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Far-Left Nonprofit That Inspired Shooting at Family Research Council Claims ‘Hate Groups’ are Growing in Number in Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca
Tennessee Welcome Sign

A far-left Alabama nonprofit best known for inspiring a shooting at the conservative Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., claims that “Hate Groups” are on the rise in Tennessee. 

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which inspires violence itself by labeling conservative nonprofits as “Hate Groups,” claimed in its 2023 annual report that the number of “Hate Groups” in Tennessee increased from 33 in 2022 to 37 in 2023. 

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Cook Political Report Moves Six States Towards Trump After Presidential Debate

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Trump Biden Race

The Cook Political Report on Tuesday updated its projections for key swing states in the 2024 presidential race following June’s debate, and the changes signal that President Joe Biden may be in trouble.

One of America’s leading nonpartisan election and campaign watchers, Cook Political Report’s updates show that key jurisdictions — including crucial swing states like Georgia, Arizona and Nevada — are currently breaking for former President Donald Trump with about four months to go until Election Day. Cook’s updates reflect that some voters are leaving Biden behind in the wake of the president’s lackluster and disjointed performance at the June 27 debate against Trump, which has spurred significant questions about Biden’s mental acuity and ability to serve as president.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Proposes Amendment to Prevent D.C. Statehood

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) reportedly proposed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act on Tuesday that would squash efforts to grant Washington, D.C., statehood.

Ogles’ proposal, according to a report by The Hill, “called for the prohibition of funds for the New Columbia Statehood Commission — which coordinates the district’s efforts to become the 51st state — and to prohibit funds being used to conduct an election for a senator for the District of Columbia.”

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Treasurer for Group Behind Attacks on Rep. Andy Ogles Is Former Tennessee Republican Party Director Who Endorsed Democrat in 2022

Tom Pappert
Randy Stamps

Federal Election Commission (FEC) documents confirm Randy Stamps is the treasurer for the Conservatives with Character super PAC, which so far has reportedly spent at least $140,000 on ads targeting Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05).

Stamps’ involvement in an effort which could benefit the only Republican to challenge Ogles, Metro Nashville Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, comes after he backed Ogles’ previous political opponent, former Tennessee House Representative Beth Harwell, in 2022.

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Early Voting for the August 1 Elections Begins Friday in Tennessee

Kaitlin Housler

Friday is the first day of early voting for Tennessee’s primary and general elections. The Volunteer State will hold these elections on August 1.

The primary elections being held are for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, even-numbered districts for the Tennessee Senate, and Tennessee House of Representatives.

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Illegal Alien Who Killed Tennessee Man While Drunk Driving Sentenced to Only Two Years in Prison

Peter D'Abrosca
Israel Martin-Alonzo

An illegal alien from Guatemala who killed a Tennessee man while drunk driving has been sentenced to prison for causing the man’s death.

Israel Martin-Alonzo who was 18 at the time and was driving drunk, struck and killed Hixson man Donald Rackley on July 30, 2018. He was sentenced Tuesday to only two years in prison after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident, failure to maintain lane, and DUI.

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User Says ZenSports, Conditionally Approved in Tennessee, Yields Uncertainty

The Center Square
ZenSports Eddie Ponce

Tennessee has some of the biggest names in online sportsbooks, from FanDuel to DraftKings to ESPN BET and Caesars.

But the state’s stable of sportsbooks also includes outliers, like ZenSports, whose only license exists in Tennessee.

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Reporter Tom Pappert: There are ‘Layers of Reversal Error’ in Judge’s Decision to Not Release Covenant School Shooter Writings

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said there are “layers of reversal error” in Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles’ ruling last Thursday that not one page of the materials written by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale will be released to the public.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Applauds Passing of 2024 Republican Party Platform

Kaitlin Housler
Senator Marsha Blackburn

Republican Party Platform Committee Chair Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) applauded the Republican National Committee (RNC) passing of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 Republican Party Platform on Monday.

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TN-05 Candidate Courtney Johnston Raises Over $700,000 Since Launching Campaign: Report

Kaitlin Housler
Courtney Johnston

Metro Nashville Councilmember Courtney Johnston announced Monday she has raised over $700,000 since launching her campaign for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

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Tennessee Courts Will Look to Put Filings Online

The Center Square

Tennessee’s Advisory Commission on Rules of Practice and Procedure decided to start a committee looking into rules to make court briefs available online moving forward.

Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Dwight Tarwater will chair the committee, which will include commission Chairman Gino Bulso, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Tom Greenholtz, former Solicitor General Andree Blumstein and attorney Tim Mickel.

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Primary Residence of Memphis Police Department’s Assistant Chief Nearly 400 Miles Away from City: Report

Kaitlin Housler
Assistant Chief of Police Shawn Jones

The assistant police chief of the Memphis Police Department (MPD) is reportedly still registered to vote and resides in Atlanta, Georgia after nearly three years since accepting the position in Memphis, according to a report by ABC 24.

Atlanta is approximately 400 miles away from Memphis, which is a nearly six-hour drive.

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Tennessee Star to ‘Absolutely Appeal’ Judge’s Decision Not to Release One Single Page of Covenant School Killer Writings

Tom Pappert
Judge I'Ashea Myles, Michael Patrick Leahy

The Thursday ruling by Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles, when she decided not one single page of the writings of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale would be released, will “absolutely” be appealed, stated Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star and the CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM), on Friday.

Leahy declared in his Friday statement, “The judge has erroneously accepted a dubious copyright claim made by intervenors who should not have been allowed to intervene in this case in the first place.”

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Tennessee Judge Rules Not One Page of Covenant Killer Writings Shall be Released, Cites Dubious Copyright Claims of Intervenors

Tom Pappert

Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles ruled in a decision released at 11:58 pm on Thursday that none of the writings left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale shall be released to the multiple parties who sued Metro Nashville to secure their release, citing the copyright claims of the parents she earlier allowed to intervene in the lawsuit.

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Virginia Democrat Reportedly Compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ in Fundraising Pitch

Tom Pappert
Don Beyer

U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) reportedly compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ during a Tuesday fundraising event in McLean, Virginia, drawing similarities between the suffering Jesus experienced when crucified to the various political and personal tragedies of the president’s life.

Beyer apparently “invoked the crucifixion of Jesus” during the fundraising event, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

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U.S. District Court Hands Down Victory in Tennessee-Led Case Challenging HHS Rule on Gender Identity Under the Affordable Care Act

Kaitlin Housler

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi has halted the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing its final rule which redefines the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition against discrimination based on “sex” to include “gender identity” at the request of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti.

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Exclusive: U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Receives Endorsements from Eight Tennessee State Legislators

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Ogles

Five Tennessee state representatives and three Tennessee state senators endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for reelection to Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.

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Gadfly GOP Primary Challenger to Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Says He Wants Pathway to Citizenship for Illegal Aliens

Peter D'Abrosca
Trey Wittum

According to a candidate survey in The Tennessean, the only Republican primary challenger to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) says he wants a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens. 

Tres Wittum, 37, an aide to Tennessee Senate leadership, says he wants to “update the [immigration] system.”

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Tennessee Woman Awarded Settlement from Blue Cross Blue Shield After Refusal to Take COVID-19 Vaccine

Peter D'Abrosca
Vaccine COVID

A Tennessee woman who was fired from her job at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine was awarded nearly $700,000 by a jury.

“The jury found that Plaintiff, TANJA BENTON, proved by a preponderance of the evidence that her refusal to receive the Covid vaccination was based upon a sincerely held religious belief,” said a Judgement Order written by Judge Charles Atchley of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

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Tennessee State Representative Celebrates New Law Enhancing Penalties for Assaulting Police Officers

Peter D'Abrosca
Kip Capley

A Tennessee State Representative is celebrating this week as a bill that he sponsored enacting harsher penalties for violence against police officers took effect Monday. 

The law, called The Back the Blue Act, which was sponsored by State Representative Kip Capley (R-Summertown) makes assault on a police officer a Class E felony. Previously, it was a Class A misdemeanor.

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China Expands Its Surveillance Capabilities in America’s Backyard, Report Finds

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Xi Jinping

China’s surveillance efforts off the coast of America’s shores are expanding, according to a new report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Monday.

China has been closely collaborating with Cuba — located just about 200 miles off the coast of Florida — to expand its military and intelligence presence on the island since at least 2019. Satellite imagery reviewed by CSIS appears to show that Cuba is building on its existing infrastructure in the region and now has multiple signal intelligence (SIGINT) facilities on the island, furthering concerns that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is attempting surveillance efforts inside the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal.

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Reporter Tom Pappert Points Out Panic Among Democrats amid President Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert and MPL

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Pennsylvania Daily Star, suggested that there is a sense of panic among Democratic candidates across the country, including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), as the Democratic Party scrambles to explain President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week against former President Trump.

Last Thursday, during a 90-minute televised debate hosted by CNN, Biden appeared absent-minded and confused, stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought multiple times.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members React to Supreme Court’s Ruling on Presidential Immunity: ‘Huge Blow to Lawfare’

Kaitlin Housler
Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members

Members of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling on Monday in Trump v. United States that former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office.

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Tennessee GOP Chairman Scott Golden: Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance ‘Puts Pressure’ on NY Judge Merchan to Jail Trump

Kaitlin Housler
TN Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said President Joe Biden’s performance during Thursday’s CNN debate against former President Donald Trump “puts pressure” on New York Judge Juan Merchan to sentence Trump to prison on July 11.

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FBI Gives Vague Response to The Tennessee Star’s FOIA Request over ‘Legacy Tokens’

Peter D'Abrosca

In response to The Tennessee Star’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the agency’s policy regarding “legacy tokens” left behind by mass killers, the FBI offered a vague response to an original comment request by The Star.

“While our standard practice is not to comment on specific products, which includes addressing their veracity, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve,” the FBI said by email. “The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”

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Tennessee AG Sends Letter to Major Credit Card Companies Warning of Legal Action Upon Noncompliance with New State Law

Kaitlin Housler
AG Skrmetti Credit Cards

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to the CEOs of American Express, Visa, and Mastercard inquiring about the companies’ plans to comply with a state law set to take effect in the Volunteer State on Monday, July 1 concerning financial transaction data associated with firearm and ammunition purchases.

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Tennessee Democratic Party Silent on Whether to Stick With Biden as Nominee

Peter D'Abrosca
Joe Biden

The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) remained silent when The Tennessee Star questioned on Saturday whether it would stand behind Joe Biden despite Biden’s Thursday night debate performance, which reportedly has top Democrats in a panic.

At press time, the party hasn’t made any public statement about the debate on either Facebook or X.

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10 New Laws Aimed at Improving School Safety in Tennessee Set to Take Effect July 1

Kaitlin Housler
Students in School

Ten bills passed during the most recent legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Governor Bill Lee concerning school safety will take effect on Monday, July 1.

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Tennessee’s Elected Officials React to Thursday’s Presidential Debate

Peter D'Abrosca
Biden and Trump

Tennessee’s elected officials reacted positively to former President Donald Trump’s debate performance against President Joe Biden on Thursday night. 

“There is no debate about it: President Trump was the clear winner tonight and the person we need to save our country,” said a statement from Sen. Marsha Blackburn. “Under President Biden, hardworking families can’t afford basic necessities, illegal immigrants are treated better than our nation’s veterans and criminals get off scot-free while the Justice Department unfairly targets conservatives.”

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Tractor Supply Issues Statement Pledging to ‘Eliminate DEI’ and Return to Conservative Tennessee Roots

Tom Pappert
Tractor Supply

The Tractor Supply company on Thursday issued a statement announcing it will “eliminate DEI roles” and take a series of other actions in response to the backlash which followed recent reporting about the company’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

The Tractor Supply statement, posted to social media, explained, “We work hard to live up to our Mission and Values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve.”

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn ‘Disappointed’ in Supreme Court’s Ruling in Government Speech Suppression Case

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn and Supreme Court

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined many elected officials and conservative leaders who expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Murthy v. Missouri on Wednesday.

The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and five individual plaintiffs brought this court case.

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