Category: Tennessee

Exclusive: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Calls the Biden Administration’s Overhaul of Title IX ‘Extreme’

Kaitlin Housler
Skrmetti MPL Show

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said the Biden administration’s finalized rule to rewrite Title IX is “extreme,” noting how the administration’s determination to rewrite anti-discrimination rules to encompass gender identity issues appears to be one of its “highest priorities.”

On Tuesday, Skrmetti led six states in suing the Biden administration’s Department of Education on Tuesday over its finalized rule to rewrite Title IX to encompass gender identity and sexual orientation.

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Tennessee A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti Announces New Title IX Lawsuit Against Biden Administration in Press Conference with Riley Gaines

Tom Pappert
Jonathan Skrmetti

Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced on Tuesday that Tennessee, West Virginia and Kentucky are leading a coalition of states in a new lawsuit seeking to stop the Biden administration’s revisions to Title IX that critics argue endanger women and girls.

“The U.S. Department of Education has no authority to let boys into girls’ locker rooms,” Skrmetti stated. He charged, “Under this radical and illegal attempt to rewrite [Title IX], if a man enters a woman’s locker room and a woman complains that makes her uncomfortable, the woman will be subject to investigation and penalties for violating the man’s civil rights.”

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Tennessee Celebrates Small Business Appreciation Week

Peter D'Abrosca

Gov. Bill Lee (R) has officially proclaimed April 28 to May 4 as Small Business Appreciation Week in Tennessee. 

Noting that small businesses are “the backbone of Tennessee’s economy, comprising a significant portion of the State’s employment including nearly half of private-sector workforce,” and that “supporting small business owners in Tennessee strengthens the State’s resilience against economic downturns and promotes sustainable economic development,” Lee released the official proclamation on the state’s website. 

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Sen. Blackburn Demands Answers from Food Delivery Apps on Illegal Alien Delivery Drivers

Peter D'Abrosca
Sen. Marsha Blackburn

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee is demanding answers from food delivery applications like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub, who have allegedly allowed illegal alien drivers to use their platforms. 

“The danger to Americans—and specifically consumers using your services—is real. These illegal immigrants are delivering food directly to consumers’ doors without ever having undergone a background check and often without even using their real names,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) wrote in a letter to GrubHub CEO Howard Migdal last week. “Deliveries routinely occur late into the night, compounding the dangerous situation, and—if the unimaginable happened—there would be little to no way to track the immigrant or bring them to justice.”

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Tennessee Bill Enabling Adult Sentences for Teenage Criminals Awaits Signature from Gov. Bill Lee

Tom Pappert

Tennessee lawmakers on Thursday approved legislation that will allow for “blended sentences” of minors who were aged at least 16 when committing a crime, meaning some juvenile offenders will receive adult sentences for their crimes.

The Tennessee Senate on Thursday passed SB 624, sponsored by Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), after the Senate version of the bill was adopted in the Tennessee State House. It now awaits a signature from Governor Bill Lee.

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Concealed Carry Now Allowed for Approved Tennessee School Staff

The Center Square

Tennessee school staff are now eligible to concealed carry firearms at school if they have met the criteria and gained proper approval.

The law went into effect after it was signed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. Several school districts have already said they will not take part in the concealed carry option, which requires the approval of the school principal, superintendent and local law enforcement department.

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James Carville Viciously Mocks Young People Who Don’t Just Roll Over and Vote for Democrats

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James Carville

Democratic strategist James Carville on Sunday mocked young voters who are struggling with whether they will vote for the Democratic Party.

President Joe Biden’s support among young voters has been declining since even before the Israel-Hamas war commenced in October. Carville on an episode of “James Carville Explains” chided young voters for not committing to vote for Democrats, asserting that Republican and conservative control of the country will lead to them not having any rights for the remainder of their lives.

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Shelby County Commissioner Demands Resignation of Judge Bill Anderson, Who Detests ‘Bail Bond System in Tennessee’

Tom Pappert
Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright, Judge Bob Anderson

Shelby County Commissioner Mick Wright on Friday called for the resignation of General Sessions Court Judge Bill Anderson, who leads the county magistrates that determine possible bail assignments after suspected criminals are arrested.

Wright said he is calling for Anderson’s resignation in remarks to WREG, pointing to soft bail policies from Anderson’s office as a source of Memphis’ crime.

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Economist Uses Big Mac Price Index to Analyze Inflation, Impact of Food Costs

The Center Square
Big Mac Burger

In addition to measuring foreign exchange rates, an economist is using the price of a hamburger to examine inflation.

The Economist magazine developed the Big Mac index in 1986 as an informal way to determine the “purchasing power parity” of different countries and currencies. B. Ravikumar, senior vice president and deputy director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, recently used the Big Mac index to analyze the U.S. consumer price index, which is widely used as the authoritative inflation measurement.

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Tennessee Bill Allows Lawsuits for Damages from Illegally Blocking Roadway

The Center Square
Seattle Traffic Shut-Down

A bill aimed at preventing people from blocking Tennessee roadways was amended and passed by both chambers of the Tennessee Legislature before it next heads to the desk of Gov. Bill Lee along with a glut of late-session bills.

Rather than creating an increased felony charge, Senate Bill 2570 was amended to allow for lawsuits to be filed if a person or company suffers a loss because a “defendant intentionally obstructed a highway, street, or other place used for the passage of vehicles or conveyances.”

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Vice President Kamala Harris Condemns Tennessee State Lawmakers for Passing Bill to Arm Trained Teachers

Kaitlin Housler
Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris called lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly “extremists” for voting to pass a bill that would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.

“Arming teachers is not the solution,” Harris said in an X post on Wednesday. “We know what actually works: universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage, and an assault weapons ban.”

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U.S. Marshals Offer Reward Money for Arrest of Killers in Mass Shooting at Memphis Park

Peter D'Abrosca
Memphis Block Party

The U.S. Marshals Service in Memphis is now offering a reward for information leading to the arrests of suspects involved in a deadly mass shooting at a Memphis park last weekend. 

“The U.S. Marshals Service is currently offering a reward of up to $10,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the individuals responsible for the deadly shooting in Orange Mound,” the law enforcement entity said in a press release. 

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TBI Teams Up with Knox County Forensic Center to Identify John Doe Killed in Decades Old Hit-and-Run Case

Peter D'Abrosca
TBI Building

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) in conjunction with the Knox County Forensic Center, have identified a man who was killed in a hit-and-run crash more than three decades ago. 

“On May 24, 1993, the Knox County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a pedestrian being struck by a vehicle along Cedar Bluff Road in Knoxville,” TBI said in a press release. “The adult male, who had no identification on him, was pronounced deceased at the scene, and his body was sent for an autopsy.”

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Coalition in Lawsuit Challenging the EEOC’s Abortion Rule

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti pursued legal action against the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Thursday over its new rule regarding workplace abortion accommodations.

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) into law, which protects pregnant workers and their babies by directing that women receive workplace accommodations for “pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.”

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Bill to Fine Parents for Crimes of Delinquent Children Passes Tennessee General Assembly

Tom Pappert
HB 1930

Legislation that would fine the parents of delinquent children who commit additional crimes has the support of the Tennessee General Assembly after the State House passed it on Monday. The legislation will go to Governor Bill Lee for final approval before becoming law.

The bill, titled the Parental Accountability Act, will require juvenile courts to levy a $1,000 fine against children who are “found to be delinquent for a second or subsequent delinquent act” after already being found guilty of delinquency. Those unable to pay the fine may be granted community service.

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NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Responds with Deceptive Distractions When Confronted Over His Journalistic Failures to Get Justin Jones on the Record Over 2020 Claim

Kaitlin Housler
Phil Williams Justin Jones

NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams continues to be criticized for his “journalistic failures” as he dodged an opportunity to confront State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on his alleged coverup of a 2020 assault of two protesters by a homeless man.

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Senators Blackburn and Hagerty Among Few to Vote Against Ukraine Funding Bill

Peter D'Abrosca
Marsha Blackburn Bill Hagerty

Tennessee’s two U.S. senators were among only a handful who voted against a bill that will send nearly $100 billion to foreign nations.

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) both voted against the Senate’s version of H.R. 815, a bill that was initially meant to help veterans receive more healthcare reimbursements but quickly ballooned into a funding package mainly for the country of Ukraine.

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Shelby County Sheriff Makes Plea to Parents as Youth Justice and Education Center Nears Capacity

Kaitlin Housler
Floyd Bonner

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. is pleading with parents to provide their children with guidance and involvement as the Youth Justice and Education Center nears capacity.

The Youth Justice and Education Center is a 146-bed, single-occupancy secure detention center designed for youth “identified to be a danger to themselves, a danger to the community, or a flight risk.”

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Biden to Commute Sentences of Tennessee Drug Dealers

Peter D'Abrosca
Joe Biden

The White House Wednesday announced commutations for five major drug dealers, three of whom are Tennessee residents.

Daequon Charles Davis of Johnson City was convicted of conspiracy to distribute or to possess with intent to distribute 280 grams or more of cocaine and was serving an almost 22-year sentence with a subsequent 10 years of supervised release, which began in 2017. Biden commuted for a period of 10 years, leaving intact 10 years of supervised release.

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Nashville Police Confirm: Suspect in Death of Rapper Chris King ‘Wore Ankle Monitor at the Time of the Fatal Shooting’

Tom Pappert
Adrian Cameron

Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed on Monday that suspected murderer Adrian Cameron Jr., the 19-year-old accused of killing rapper Chris King, wore an ankle monitor while out on a $100,000 bond at the time of the King’s death.

A Monday post to the social media platform X by MNPD confirmed Cameron Jr. “was out on bond for the 2021 murder of Josh Evans” and was “on an ankle monitor at the time of the fatal shooting” of the rapper, whose given name was Christopher Cheeks.

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Roger Simon on Pro-Hamas, Anti-Israel Protests on College Campuses: ‘What Happened in Germany in 1937’ Is ‘What We’re Undergoing Now’

Kaitlin Housler

Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, said the pro-Hamas protests unfolding on Ivy League college campuses across the nation are comparable to the scene in Germany in 1937.

Simon made the comments on Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show after listening to audio of a clip taken from Columbia University where pro-Palestine protesters formed a human chain to keep Jewish students out of an encampment on the university’s campus.

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Six Election Integrity Bills Signed Into Law or Awaiting Signature from Gov. Lee

Peter D'Abrosca
Tim Rudd

One member of the Tennessee General Assembly has been fighting for election integrity during the current legislative session, passing six bills that have either been signed into law or are ready for a signature from Gov. Bill Lee (R).

State Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) has successfully passed a half a dozen laws aimed at securing Tennessee’s election process. 

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Joins Coalition of Governors in Demanding the Biden Administration Lift Pause on Liquified Natural Gas Exports

Kaitlin Housler
Bill Lee DC

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined a coalition of 24 other governors in issuing a joint statement demanding that the Biden administration lift its pause on new liquified natural gas (LNG) export approvals.

In January, the Biden administration temporarily paused pending decisions on LNG exports to “non-FTA countries until the Department of Energy can update the underlying analyses for authorizations” in the name of “climate change.”

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South Carolina Officials Plotting Next Steps for $1.8 Billion Balance

The Center Square
South Carolina Politics

South Carolina state officials are determining how to proceed with a $1.8 billion balance discovered in a state account and Republican Gov. Henry McMaster has given leaders a July 1 deadline to chart a course forward.

On Oct. 31, 2023, South Carolina Comptroller General Brian Gaines sent a letter to South Carolina Treasurer Curtis Loftis, directing Loftis to research the account’s origins. It marked the start of a months-long Senate investigation that exposed what a Senate Finance Committee Constitutional Subcommittee report dubbed “financial irregularities” in the state treasurer’s office.

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NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Refuses to Explain His Failure to Get Justin Jones on the Record about Allegations He Covered Up Report of 2020 Sexual Assault, Tries to Distract with False Claims About Tennessee Star Reporter

Kaitlin Housler
Phil Williams

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, addressed personal attacks from NewsChannel 5’s chief investigative reporter Phil Williams over the weekend, saying such attacks are “absolute silliness” and a common tactic used by Williams when pressed on his “journalistic failings.”

On Sunday, Pappert reported on an interview between Williams and Dan Mandis, host of Nashville’s Morning News with Dan Mandis on SuperTalk 99.7 WTN, where Williams said that he once asked Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) to respond to claims made by his former close colleague Jeneisha Harris on June 18, 2020 that the state lawmaker had covered up the sexual assault of two protesters by a homeless man.

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Ben Cunningham Calls Nashville Mayor’s $3.1 Billion Transit Referendum ‘Absurd’

Kaitlin Housler
Freddie O'Connell

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, said not only does Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s transit referendum appear to be illegal under the IMPROVE Act, but the transit plan’s overall vision of commuters suddenly switching over to public transport is “absurd.”

O’Connell unveiled his $3.1 billion transit plan, called “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” last week, which would be funded through a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax.

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Alleged Murderer in Killing of Rapper in Nashville Was Out on Bond in Another Murder Case

Peter D'Abrosca
Adrian Cameron

The man who allegedly shot and killed rapper Christopher Cheeks, who went by the stage name Chris King, in Nashville early Saturday morning was out on bond for another alleged murder that took place in September of 2021. 

Cheeks was shot and killed after an altercation with a group of men who attempted to rob him, according to a press release from the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD). 

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Tennessee House Passes Bill to Arm Trained Teachers amid Protests and Performative ‘Die-In’ for Media Starring Rep. Justin Jones

Tom Pappert
Justin Jones

The Tennessee House of Representatives on Tuesday approved HB 1202, which would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.

Protests threatened to interrupt the legislative body’s proceedings multiple times, with Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and his staffers at times joining protesters in performative acts of opposition to the bill.

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Military Could Hit Troops with Court-Martials for Refusing to Use Preferred Pronouns, Experts Say

Admin
National Guard troops

The military could seek to formally punish service members for refusing to use another service member’s preferred pronouns under existing policy, according to military experts.

A 2020 Equal Opportunity law opened the door for commanders to subject someone who refuses to affirm a transgender servicemember’s so-called gender identity to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for charges related to harassment, Capt. Thomas Wheatley, an assistant professor at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. Such a move would likely infringe on a servicemember’s constitutional rights to uphold their conscience, but it might not prevent leaders from employing more subtle ways of disciplining service members.

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Tennessee State Judge Orders Police to Provide Redacted Copy of Covenant Killer Manifesto Ahead of Possible Release

Tom Pappert
Judge I'Ashea L. Myles

Tennessee Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles on Monday afternoon ordered the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to provide a redacted copy of the manifesto written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale for the judge to review.

Myles made the order after Metro Nashville attorney Lora Fox previously confirmed MNPD holds no objections to releasing a redacted version of the manifesto, and would now make less redactions to the manifesto than were previously proposed in 2023.

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Memphis Police Chief Urges Unity, Posts Reward After Two Killed During Illegal Block Party that Attracted Hundreds

Tom Pappert
Memphis PD Chief CJ Davis

Memphis interim Police Chief C.J. Davis urged unity and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to arrests of those behind the Saturday shootings at an illegal block party that resulted in two deaths and at least six injured in a Sunday statement.

Davis described the events at the illegal block party as “senseless acts of violence,” then asked Memphis citizens for help finding the culprits.

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Exclusive: Texas DPS Spokesperson Joins Senator Marsha Blackburn’s Podcast, Reveals How President Biden’s Refusal to Enforce Existing Immigration Laws Deprives Americans of Much-Needed Resources

Kaitlin Housler
Senator Marsha Blackburn

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Spokesperson Lt. Chris Olivarez said the Biden Administration’s refusal to enforce existing immigration laws directly impacts small communities along the southern border as local resources are constantly diverted to assist with cases involving illegal aliens.

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Columbia University Shifts Classes Online After Pro-Palestinian, Anti-Israel Protest Takes Over Campus

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Pro-Palestine, Anti-Israel protesters demonstrating on campus of Columbia University

Columbia University President Nemat “Minouche” Shafik ordered classes to be held virtually on Monday following an unauthorized pro-Palestinian encampment on campus late last week, calling for a “reset.”

New York Police Department (NYPD) officers arrested, at the direction of Shafik, over 100 protestors on Thursday who camped in tents across the Ivy League’s South Lawn of Morningside campus. The president announced in a statement early Monday that classes would be held online to “deescalate the rancor and give us all a chance to consider next steps” as the pro-Palestinian protest enters its sixth day.

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