Tennessee National Guard, State and Local Agencies Undergo Disaster Response Exercises in Severe Flooding Simulation

TN National Guard

Tennessee National Guard troops, local first responders, and personnel of other state entities participated in the Tennessee Maneuvers 2024 training exercises last week in 15 counties across the Volunteer State.

Tennessee Maneuvers is a series of disaster simulation training exercises that test the joint response capabilities of participating personnel. The exercises occurred in Bradley, Coffee, Davidson, Gibson, Hamilton, Hawkins, Knox, Loudon, Madison, Maury, McMinn, Rhea, Rutherford, Sullivan, and Wilson counties.

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Uvalde Victims’ Families Slap Meta with Lawsuit: Report

Family members of the victims of a mass shooting in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, filed a lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Instagram, Friday, according to multiple reports.

Two teachers and 19 children died in the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde before Border Patrol agents stormed the classroom and fatally shot the perpetrator. The lawsuit also targets Activision, the maker of the Call of Duty video game franchise, and Daniel Defense, which made the rifle used in the shooting, CBS News reported.

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Tennessee State Legislature Candidates Reveal Positions on Second Amendment

Gun Range

Tennessee State Legislature candidates revealed their positions on possible Second Amendment-related legislation in a survey of the candidates conducted by the Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA).

The TFA’s candidate survey consisted of 24 “yes” or “no” questions, asking candidates up for election whether they would vote for hypothetical legislation. Most of the hypothetical bills in question dealt with repealing restrictions on Tennesseans to own and carry firearms. The TFA posted the results on Monday.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Launches Probe into Attempted Foreclosure of Elvis Presley’s Iconic Graceland Home

Jonathan Skrmetti Graceland

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced Thursday that his office is “looking into” a private investment company’s attempt to foreclose on Elvis Presley’s iconic Graceland home in Memphis.

Graceland became the target of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending, LLC after the company claimed that the singer’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, who died in 2023, didn’t repay a loan that used the home as collateral.

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Senate Democrats Block Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Bill to Require Familial DNA Testing at Southern Border

Group of immigrants at border

Democrat members of the U.S. Senate unanimously moved to block Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) bill that would require a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal immigrants and any accompanying children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Blackburn introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act last year after the Biden administration ended all DNA familial testing at the border.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Holds Double-Digit Lead over ‘Tennessee Three’ Challenger Gloria Johnson in Vanderbilt Poll

Tennessee Senate Race

A poll released Wednesday shows Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) continuing to hold a double-digit lead over her likely Democratic challenger, State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), a member of the Tennessee Three.

The spring edition of the Vanderbilt University poll of Tennessee voters found Blackburn has the support of 51 percent of Tennesseans, placing her 11 points ahead of Johnson, who polled at 40 percent.

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Tennessee Senators Introduce Bill to Force Biden to Follow Immigration Law

Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty

Two U.S. Senators have filed a bill to require President Joe Biden’s administration to follow current immigration law. 

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) along with counterparts from other states introduced the Reshape Alternatives to Detention (ATD) Act, which is designed to monitor potentially dangerous of illegal aliens with a GPS ankle bracelet. 

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I-65 Interchange at Buckner Road Expects to Reopen Next Week: Report

I-65

The new I-65 Interchange at Buckner Road in Spring Hill is expected to open on May 31 after being under construction for more than two years, according to a report by Williamson Source.

On its website, Spring Hill called the new interchange a “game-changer” for the area, as there is currently only one I-65 access point to the city through the Saturn Parkway Exit.

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New Vanderbilt Poll Prioritizes Nashvillians, Paints Picture of Divided Tennessee

Downtown Nashville

The latest Vanderbilt Poll paints a picture of a politically divided Tennessee, but the poll’s methodology reveals its creators prioritized registered voters in the Nashville area.

The Vanderbilt Poll, launched by the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in an attempt to provide a nonpartisan reading of public opinion, portrayed Tennesseans as overall politically conservative but starkly divided over certain issues.

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Vanderbilt Poll: Tennessee’s ‘MAGA Republicans’ More Pro-Life than State’s Other Republicans

Trump Supporters

A Vanderbilt University poll that measured Tennesseans’ sentiments on abortion among other political issues found that Republicans who identify more closely with former President Donald Trump are more pro-life than Republicans who do not. 

Vanderbilt Poll Co-Director Josh Clinton explained the distinction between what the pollsters term “MAGA Republicans” and other Republicans. 

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University of Tennessee Launches Investigation After Complaint Filed by Man Arrested During Anti-Israel Protest

Yassin Terou

The University of Tennessee Police Department (UTPD) confirmed on Tuesday that it is investigating a complaint filed by one of the 11 pro-Palestine protestors arrested on the university’s campus on May 15 during an anti-Israel demonstration.

Yassin Terou confirmed he filed the complaint in a post to the social media platform X, where he appeared to claim his efforts are aimed at changing how UTPD treat protestors.

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School Bullies Could Be Punished with Misdemeanor Under New Tennessee Law

School Bully

A new law that will take effect on July 1 could put school bullies behind bars.

HB 2590, which was sponsored by State Representative Lowell Russell (R-Vonore), “makes bullying and cyber-bullying offenses subject to the same penalties as harassment; requires an officer to make a report of bullying and notify a parent or guardian when victim is a minor,” according to its summary. 

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Democrat Tennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Introduces Resolution to Censure Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito

Justice Sam Alito

Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday that would censure U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito and remove him from litigation related to the 2020 election or the January 6 Capitol riots.

Last week, The New York Times reported that an inverted U.S. flag was photographed flying from the front lawn of Alito’s residence on January 17, 2021.

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Far-Left Tennessee Group will Hold ‘Justice School’ to Teach Youth How to Organize Protests

Climate Change Protest

The Tennessee Student Solidarity Network will hold a “Justice School” in July to teach individuals as young as 15 how to organize protests and campaigns for “progressive movements.”

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Ukrainian Student in Tennessee Arrested over Alleged Identity Theft Scheme Involving North Korea

Carson-Newman University

The arrest of a Ukrainian national previously in Tennessee on a student visa to study at Carson-Newman University was announced Thursday, with federal authorities alleging the foreign national participated in an “illicit revenue generation” scheme to aid the government of North Korea.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) reported that Oleksandr Didenko, a 27-year-old university student originally from Kiev, Ukraine, was arrested in Poland on May 6 on charges including identity theft of U.S. citizens for use by North Koreans.

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Rep. Jasmine Crockett Claimed to be Victim of Hate Crimes in Tennessee During 2020 Interview, but Details Remain Scarce Years Later

Rep. Jasmine Crockett

Representative Jasmine Crockett (D-TX-30) claimed in a 2020 interview that she and other black students were the victim to multiple hate crimes in 2002, when she was attending Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.

Crockett told Darling Society in September 2020 that she was “the victim of a series of hate crimes” at Rhodes College that required the university to enlist the help of The Cochran Firm, a Memphis-based law firm made famous by its founder, Johnnie Cochran Jr., who secured a not guilty verdict in the O.J. Simpson murder trial often dubbed the “Trial of the Century.”

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Far-Left DEI Consultant Founds Anti-Gun Group in Tennessee

Heather Gee-Thomas

A far-left activist and DEI consultant ha launched an anti-gun political action committee (PAC).

Heather Gee-Thomas, whose LinkedIn profile describes her as an “Entrepreneur, DE&I Consultant [and] Activist/Advocate (Equality and Justice),” founded the Tennessee Mom PAC.

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Homeless from Encampment Moved to Side Streets After Philadelphia Cleared Kensington, Report Claims

While the City of Philadelphia cleared the homeless encampment from Kensington Avenue on May 6, a report published Friday indicates those who previously lived there have relocated to side streets.

A Philadelphia media notice posted to the social media platform X confirms the city cleared the encampment, however the city also discouraged media from covering the process in a bid to “protect the privacy” of those being relocated.

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Reporters Describe Findings from Sweeping Expose on Major Trans Health Organization

Megan Brock and Kate Anderson

Two reporters from the Daily Caller News Foundation outlined their findings from a series of reports on the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) Wednesday.

DCNF investigative reporter Megan Brock and DCNF culture reporter Kate Anderson obtained footage from WPATH’s September 2022 Global Education Institute (GEI) and over 100 pages of documents, which included some members of the group questioning the organization’s “Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8” (SOC 8). Brock and Anderson discussed the findings on “The Charlie Kirk Show” after guest host Andrew Kolvet played a clip from the footage obtained by the DCNF.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces the ‘Let Trump Speak Act’

Andy Ogles Donald Trump

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) led a group of Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives in introducing the Let Trump Speak Act on Thursday.

The bill, filed as H.R.8410, would prohibit judges from issuing gag orders to defendants in any criminal or civil proceeding.

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Forbes Ranks Tennessee 11th in Country for Porch Piracy

Packages

A new Forbes study ranks Tennessee the 11th worst state in the country when it comes to porch piracy, stealing packages delivered to homes before the homeowner receives them. 

“Porch piracy peaked during the pandemic when more people shopped online than ever before, according to Security.org’s annual package theft report,” according to Forbes. “Theft of parcels in general tends to increase during the holiday season as well. As online shopping continues to be on the rise, so do incidences of porch piracy.”

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McCormick Campaign Declares Sen. Casey ‘Lost Touch with Pennsylvanians’ Following Report Democrat Falsely Claimed to Visit Every County

Dave McCormick and Bob Casey

The political campaign of Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick on Thursday seized on a report indicating Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) misled voters about visiting every Pennsylvania county annually.

Casey claimed during a May 3 WCHE Morning Show appearance that he visits every county in Pennsylvania each year, with the Democrat reportedly declaring, “But the best way for me to deal with that is to stay engaged, to go to every county every year, basically, which is what I’ve done for years now.”

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles and Diana Harshbarger Travel to New York to Support Former President Trump in Hush Money Trial

House Reps Courtroom Trump

Tennessee U.S. Representatives Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) were among 11 Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives who traveled to New York on Thursday to support former President Donald Trump in his hush money trial.

While speaking to reporters outside of the Manhattan courthouse, Harshbarger called the trial involving Trump “the persecution of a patriot,” saying, “We’re watching in real time the Biden Administration’s Department of Justice interfere in a case that should have never been brought in the first place.”

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Aaron Gulbransen Says Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s Universal School Choice Bill Will Be First Order of Business in January

School Work

Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said he believes state lawmakers will craft a final bill for Governor Bill Lee’s universal school choice proposal before the General Assembly convenes in January.

Lee’s school choice bill, the Education Freedom Scholarship Act, failed to pass the General Assembly during its recent convened session.

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Tennessee National Guardsmen in Bulgaria Training with NATO Allies

TN National Guard

Several Tennessee National Guard members headed to Bulgaria this week for joint training with NATO allies.

“Nearly 20 Soldiers from Athens’ 117th Military Police Battalion and Murfreesboro’s 269th Military Police Company joined more than 140 military policemen from five different allied nations today for the opening ceremony of Beyond Horizon 2024, a multi-national training exercise held at Bulgaria’s Novo Selo Training Site, May 14-22,” according to the Tennessee Department of Military.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Extends Full Support of Israel Summit Set to Be Held at the Ramsey Event Center Next Week

Andy Ogles

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) sent a letter to the mayors of Williamson County and Franklin as well as the top law enforcement officials of the area to offer his office’s support for the upcoming Israel Summit set to be held at the Ramsey Event Center on May 20-22.

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Reporter Tom Pappert: Sonesta Hotel’s Decision to Back Out of Hosting Israel Summit Shows ‘Lack of Moral Leadership’

Sonesta Nashville Airport

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel’s decision to break its contractual obligation to host the 2024 Israel Summit not only appears to be antisemitic but also a “lack of moral leadership.”

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Signs Bill Allowing the Death Penalty to be Considered in Child Rape Cases

Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed a bill to authorize the death penalty in child rape cases into law last week. The law now goes into effect on July 1.

The bill, SB 1834/HB 1663, authorizes the death penalty as a punishment for rape of a child, aggravated rape of a child, or especially aggravated rape of a child.

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Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn Urges Lawmakers to ‘Defund Colleges That Peddle Antisemitism’ After Convicted Killer Arrested at Encampment

Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on Tuesday argued Syracuse University should lose its federal funding after a man convicted of manslaughter was arrested at an anti-Israel encampment constructed on the university campus.

Eural Warren was arrested by the Syracuse University of Public Safety on Friday, according to The National Desk, after the outlet previously confirmed the convicted killer was staying at the anti-Israel encampment constructed at the university despite officials declaring only students would be allowed access to the protest. 

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces Bill to Restrict China from Accessing American Financial Markets and Exchanges

Andy Ogles

Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced the companion legislation in the House of Representatives this week for Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance’s (R-OH) bill that would restrict the Chinese government’s access to American capital markets and exchanges.

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Reporter Tom Pappert Discusses Latest Developments in Case Involving Transgender Arrested on Stalking Charges

McKenzie McClure

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, pointed out that McKenzie McClure, the biological female and former Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) student arrested by federal authorities on cyberstalking charges, may have been subject to a 30-day mental hold as she awaits a detention hearing scheduled for June 3.

McClure, who identifies as a transgender man and prefers the name “Kalvin,” was arrested on cyberstalking charges on April 29 after making a public threat against Governor Bill Lee and leaving a concerning voicemail to CPA in March, which caused two schools to shut down the following day.

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Tennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Lawsuit Challenging the EEOC’s New Guidance on Gender Identity in the Workplace

Tennessee Atty Gen Jonathon Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 other states in filing a lawsuit challenging the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) final guidance on harassment in the workplace which went into effect on April 29.

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University of Tennessee Silent as Anti-Israel Protesters Demonstrate Past School’s Deadline

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) has apparently not made any statements or actions as anti-Israel protesters continued to demonstrate past the school’s given deadline of May 11.

UTK allowed the People’s School for Gaza, which is not an official student organization at the university, to demonstrate on campus for about two weeks after starting on May 1, despite UTK’s rules for using its outdoor spaces. The school went so far as to reserve the space the protesters had been using, the Student Union Cumberland Plaza, on the group’s behalf.

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Americans for Prosperity Action Announces Endorsements in Tennessee State House and Senate Races

Aron Maberry,State Senator Jon Lundberg, State Representative Scott Cepicky (l-r)

Americans for Prosperity Action (AFP Action) endorsed one Tennessee Senate candidate and six candidates for the Tennessee House of Representatives in the primary elections on August 1.

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Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, Local Law Enforcement Silent About McKenzie McClure Investigation

McKenzie McClure

The Tennessee Department of Homeland Security, a state-level law enforcement agency, conducted interviews of transgender alleged cyberstalker McKenzie McClure while Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) did not take action.

According to the criminal complaint against McClure, who left a voicemail of a “threatening nature” for her former school Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA) in Nashville, the Tennessee Department of Homeland Security became involved in the investigation of McClure. As of now, there are no publicly available details as to how the department became involved in the case.

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House Committee To Investigate Spike In Chinese Illegal Immigration Following DCNF Report

A House committee is scheduled to examine the historic surge in Chinese illegal immigration next week, the Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

The House Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability will hold a hearing on Thursday concerning the roughly 8,000 percent increase in Chinese illegal immigration the U.S. has experienced since March 2021, a committee spokesperson told the DCNF. The DCNF recently revealed an internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) email showing that the Biden administration dramatically simplified the vetting process for Chinese illegal immigrants in April 2023, which has increased the speed of Chinese illegal immigrants entering the country.

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Israel Summit Set to be Held in Nashville Forced to Change Venue Amid Threats by Pro-Palestine Group: Report

Palestine Hurra Collective Nashville

The 2024 Israel Summit originally set to be held at the Sonesta Hotel in Nashville will reportedly change venues amid threats by individuals encouraged by the local pro-Palestine group Palestine Hurra Collective Nashville.

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New Tennessee Law to Revoke Driving Privileges for Minors Behind Threats of ‘Mass Violence’ Against Schools

Teen Driver

A law set to take effect before the 2024-2025 school year will require juvenile courts to revoke driver’s licenses from juvenile offenders who are convicted of threatening schools or school property.

SB 1664 by State Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro) will mandate juvenile offenders who are found guilty of threatening mass violence on school property or during school activities must have their driving privileges suspended for one year.

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Tennessee Court of Appeals Rules That State Statute Allowing TWRA Game Wardens to Enter Private Property Without a Search Warrant Is Unconstitutional

TWRA Worker

The Tennessee Court of Appeals released a decision in Terry Rainwaters, et al. v. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, et al. on Thursday, holding a previous ruling that found a state statute that allows TWRA to patrol private properties without warrants or consent to be unconstitutional.

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House Report Finds Widespread Misconduct in Union Votes by Biden Labor Board

Mail in Ballot

The National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) expansion of mail ballot elections has led to widespread mismanagement, misconduct and procedural irregularities by the agency, according to a report released Thursday by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

The NLRB issued a decision in November 2020 expanding regional agency directors’ ability to order that union elections operate by mail rather than the traditional manual ballot due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the decision, voter turnout has decreased while both institutional issues, like employees interfering in elections, and integrity issues, like inappropriate voter solicitation and the number of lost or void ballots, have increased, according to the report.

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U.S. Fails to Counter Threat of Chinese Land Ownership, Report Finds

Tractor towing hay on a farm

The United States government is not appropriately addressing the threat posed by growing Chinese ownership of American land, according to a report released by the Heritage Foundation Thursday.

The federal government is woefully ill-equipped to track Chinese-owned real estate in the country, despite the serious threat these Chinese Communist Party-affiliated entities can pose to critical U.S. infrastructure, according to the report. The report calls on federal and state leaders to take action, such as increasing transparency and conducting more critical reviews of land purchases.

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Trump Civil Fraud Judge’s Talks with Attorney Under Investigation by Ethics Commission: Report

The New York State Commission on Judicial Conduct is investigating an alleged interaction between a New York real estate lawyer and the judge who issued a $454 million judgement against former President Donald Trump, according to NBC New York.

Real estate lawyer Adam Leitman Bailey said he had a conversation with Judge Arthur Engoron a few weeks before the judge’s decision was due, NBC New York reported. Democratic Attorney General Letitia James of New York sued Trump in September 2022, alleging he overstated the value of real estate holdings in order to obtain loans.

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University of Tennessee Reserves Campus Space for Anti-Israel Protesters After Noncompliant Behavior

Gaza protest UTK

After about one week of protests and refusal to comply with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s (UTK) rules and flouting warnings of violating state law, an anti-Israel protest group on campus has had the Student Union Cumberland Plaza designated for it by the school itself.

On Wednesday, May 1, a group of protesters called the “People’s School for Gaza,” which is not a student organization registered with UTK, began demonstrating on campus after an official event held by the school’s official chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, The Tennessee Star previously reported.

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Report: Late Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny’s Death Ruled Accidental, Caused by Drug Overdose

Judd Matheny

The late Coffee County Mayor Judd Matheny’s April 2 death was caused by drugs present in his system, compounded by heart conditions, according to an autopsy report conducted by the Center for Forensic Medicine in Nashville.

The report, first obtained by The Tullahoma News, concluded that Matheny’s death was accidental, with the cause of death “ascribed to mixed cocaine, ethanol, mitragynine toxicity with hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease as a significant contributing factor.”

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Tennessee Republican Delegation Members Vote to Advance Bill Requiring Citizenship Question on the U.S. Census

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

All eight Republicans representing Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with the majority of members to pass a bill requiring the U.S. Census to include a question asking if the person is a United States citizen.

The Census determines how many congressional districts and electoral college votes each state gets to help ensure American votes are equally represented in Congress.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Leads Coalition of States in Pushing Back on New Department of Energy Rule Targeting Household Refrigerators, Freezers

Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 17 state attorneys general in a comment letter opposing the Department of Energy’s direct final rule regulating consumer refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers.

The DOE’s rule, scheduled to be implemented on May 16, imposes new energy conservation standards for these consumer items.

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Tennessee GOP Chairman Confident in Security Measures Taken for Republican National Convention in Milwaukee

Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said he is confident in the security measures being taken for attendees of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.

Milwaukee will host the Republican National Convention from July 15-18, during which tens of thousands of delegates, guests, and press members will gather to officially nominate Donald Trump for president and his yet-to-be-announced running mate for vice president.

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Pope Francis Appoints Tennessee Native as Bishop of Knoxville

James Mark Beckman

Pope Francis has appointed a priest who is a native of Tennessee to become the next Bishop of Knoxville.

“Pope Francis has appointed Reverend James Mark Beckman, as Bishop of Knoxville,” according to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “Bishop-elect Beckman is a priest of the Diocese of Nashville, and currently serves as pastor of Saint Henry parish in Nashville, Tennessee. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on May 7, 2024, by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.”

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ELVIS Act Set to Take Effect in Tennessee on July 1

ELVIS Act

The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act, which passed the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Governor Bill Lee in March, is set to take effect on July 1.

As artificial intelligence (AI) has become more accessible to the general public, personalized generative AI cloning models and services have been used to enable human impersonation.

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Blended Sentencing Law Passed by Tennessee General Assembly Awaits Governor Lee’s Signature

Inmate

A law ensuring that Tennessee’s worst juvenile offenders do not walk free upon becoming adults is awaiting the signature of Gov. Bill Lee (R).

HB 043o, passed at the end of the most recent legislative session, “allows a juvenile court to impose a blended sentence on a child 16 years of age or older for a juvenile offense that would be a Class A, B, or C felony if committed by an adult.”

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