Category: Tennessee

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

Admin
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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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Joins Push to Strip Trump’s Secret Service Protection if Convicted

Tom Pappert
Congressman Steve Cohen

Tennessee U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) on Friday joined a number of congressional Democrats who seek to remove the Secret Service protection afforded to former President Donald Trump if he is convicted and sentenced to prison.

Cohen was named in a press release issued by Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS-02), who led the House January 6 committee, as a co-sponsor of the DISGRACED Former Protectees Act, which would amend Secret Service procedures “by automatically terminating Secret Service protection for those who have been sentenced to prison following conviction for a Federal or State felony.”

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Tennessee Treasurer Absent from Letter to Bank of America Demanding End to De-Banking Conservatives

Matthew Giffin
David H. Lillard, Jr.

Several state treasurers and other officials sent a letter to Bank of America warning the banking giant of apparently targeting customers with conservative politics by de-banking them—however, Tennessee State Treasurer David Lillard’s signature was absent.

The letter to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said its signatories are concerned that Bank of America has a “track record of discriminating against religious ministries,” a “systemic bias” against politically conservative views, and supporters of former President Donald Trump.

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Pro-Life Leaders Sound Alarm on Potential Abortion Ballot Initiatives: ‘Bunch of Mini Roe v. Wade’s‘ Nationwide

Zachery Schmidt
Abortion Supporters

Leaders in the pro-life community are warning Americans about the pro-abortion industry’s deceptive ways, as over 20 percent of states face the possibility of voting on an abortion-related ballot measure in November.

The states that may see these ballot measures are Florida, Maryland, New York, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, and South Dakota.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Announces $3.1 Billion Transit Plan

Tom Pappert
Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released the details of his transit referendum that is expected to go before voters in November, revealing his plans will cost $3.1 billion and be partially financed through a half-cent sales tax increase.

In a statement, O’Connell called his transit referendum “the best opportunity we’ve ever had to build out our priority sidewalks, to synchronize signals so you’re spending less time at red lights, and to connect neighborhoods via a better transit system that doesn’t have to come downtown just to go somewhere else.”

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Phil Williams Says He Asked Justin Jones to Respond to Allegations He Covered Up Knowledge of Sexual Assaults, But ‘He Chose Not to Comment’

Tom Pappert
Dan Mandis and Phil Williams, WTN

Phil Williams of NewsChannel 5 failed to report the response he received from Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) to the claim the lawmaker covered up the sexual assault of two protesters by a homeless man in 2020.

Williams revealed in a Friday interview with SuperTalk 99.7 WTN that Jones declined to comment on the claim in 2020. Williams additionally confirmed that other activists planned to confront the homeless man for his alleged sex crimes instead of involving police.

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Nashville’s East Bank Development Moving Forward

The Center Square

Development on Nashville’s East Bank is moving forward as the area prepares for a new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium, set to open in 2027, and development in the area surrounding it.

Both the House and Senate will soon discuss companion bills to create an East Bank Development Authority board after Nashville’s Metro Council approved a deal to have Fallon Co. develop the initial 30 acres of Nashville-owned land in the development area.

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Reporter Tom Pappert on Maryland Transgender Teen Arrested for Planning Mass Shooting: Police Were ‘Proactive,’ Took Threat Seriously

Kaitlin Housler
Andrea Ye

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, discussed the latest developments surrounding a story out of Maryland where police arrested a transgender high school student for a 129-page manifesto that included plans for at least two school shootings.

On Friday, Pappert reported that the student, Andrea Ye, was arrested this week as police say she wrote the 129-page manifesto and shared it with a friend, who then notified police of the document.

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Tennessee State Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson Joined Protesters Confronting Troopers at Capitol

Tom Pappert
Pearson and Jones Police

Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) joined protesters engaged in a sit-in at the Tennessee Capitol after being removed from the House gallery and urged troopers not to make arrests.

Jones and Pearson reportedly “intervened” by stepping between protesters and troopers, according to NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams, who was apparently feet away from the Democrats during what he described as a “sit-in.”

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Transgender Teen Arrested for Planning Mass Shooting at Maryland High School, Police Seize Manifesto

Tom Pappert
Alex Ye

Police in Maryland confirmed on Friday that a transgender high school student was arrested after they claim she wrote a 129-page manifesto that included plans for at least two school shootings.

The Rockville Police Department (RPD) confirmed the Thursday arrest of Andrea Ye, who identifies as a transgender man, after a friend went to police with concerns over Ye’s manifesto.

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Aaron Gulbransen: Tennessee House Should Have Introduced a ‘Clean School Choice Bill’

Kaitlin Housler
Classroom

Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the Tennessee House of Representatives should have introduced a “clean” universal school choice bill instead of attaching additional incentives not particularly related to school choice to the bill.

While the governor’s school choice bill in the House includes additional incentives, the Senate’s version solely focuses on the governor’s proposal.

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Fallen Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney Killed in Line of Duty by Friendly Fire, District Attorney’s Office Says

Kaitlin Housler
Joseph McKinney

Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney, who was fatally shot last week while responding to a suspicious vehicle call, is reported to have died by friendly fire, according to the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office.

On April 12, at approximately 2:00 a.m., the Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to a suspicious vehicle call at Horn Lake Road and Charter Avenue.

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Michael Patrick Leahy: As a Plaintiff in Covenant Manifesto Case, I Want All Documents Released, Not Just the Killer’s Writings Recovered from Vehicle

Kaitlin Housler

Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, said as a plaintiff in the case seeking to compel the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) to release the manifesto left behind by the Covenant School shooter, he believes the the full manifesto should be released – not just the “documents in the car” found on the day of the shooting which Metro Legal suggests would satisfy the plaintiffs in the case.

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Tennessee Lottery Raises over $113 Million for Education in Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024

Kaitlin Housler
Lottery Balls

The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation announced Tuesday it raised $113,820,000 for education in the Volunteer State during the third quarter of Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), which spanned from January 1 through March 31.

“The Lottery is proud to announce this quarter’s results, which reinforce our commitment to funding vital education programs for Tennesseans,” Tennessee Education Lottery President and CEO Rebecca Paul said in a statement.

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Memphis Mayor Paul Young Wants Property Tax Hike to Cover Budget Shortfall, Fight Crime

Tom Pappert
Paul Young

Memphis Mayor Paul Young confirmed he will ask for a property tax hike, explaining the money is needed to cover a budget shortfall and fund the city’s fight against crime.

Young announced his plans during a Tuesday event at Mount Vernon Church in Westwood that marked his first 100 days in office, revealing the city needs “at least $30 million” to fulfill obligations previously funded by expiring federal funding. The Commercial Appeal also reported Young also “vowed” a 10 percent “reduction in violent crime” each year he is in office.

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Founder of Tea Party Nation Judson Phillips: 15 Years Later, the Tea Party Movement Was an ‘Abject Failure’

Kaitlin Housler
Judson Phillips

Judson Phillips, founder of Tea Party Nation, said 15 years after the Tax Day Tea Party, the movement’s effect on fiscal responsibility, limited government, and free markets in federal politics has been “an abject failure.”

“The Tea Party movement was an abject failure. There’s just no other way to put it. Look at where we are today. When the Tea Party movement started, it was triggered by Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package. Today, that’s a rounding error. The deficit was $10 billion when Obama took over in January 2009. Today, it’s $34 trillion. It’s going up by a trillion dollars every hundred days, and that rate is accelerating,” Phillips explained on Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

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Eight Months Later, FBI Won’t Provide Details on Raid That Killed Tennessee Man Theodore Deschler

Peter D'Abrosca
Theodore Deschler

More than eight months after a raid that left a Henderson man dead, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) won’t disclose details about the case, while the local police department says they weren’t made aware of the raid until after it happened.

 FBI agents shot and killed Theodore Deschler at his mother’s home where he lived in August of last year.

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Founder of Tennessee Anti-MAGA PAC Raised Nearly $440,000 at Last Political Organization, Then Folded

Tom Pappert
Chloe Akers

Chloe Akers, who founded The Best of Tennessee with seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, previously raised nearly $440,000 for a political action committee that sought to elevate moderate voices in support of abortion and gun control.

Prior to founding The Best of Tennessee, Akers was the creator of The Liminal Plan, a political action committee where she reportedly raised $439,461, according to Tennessee Lookout.

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Rep. Burchett: ‘We Could Have Built the Wall’ Instead of Funding Ukraine

Peter D'Abrosca
Tim Burchett Border Wall

A Congressman from Tennessee took to NewsMax to ensure Americans that he won’t vote to continue sending taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, and noted that many domestic problems could have been solved with the money Congress has already allocated to the country. 

“Of course I’m not going to vote for any more funding for Ukraine,” Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said in a segment on the news station Monday. “$116 billion dollars? We could have built the wall, I believe six times. We could have fixed the Flint, Michigan lead situation a dozen times, probably. We could give every homeless veteran a million dollars in this country with the money we’ve spent on Ukraine.”

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Tennessee Bill Protects Property Owners from Squatters

Peter D'Abrosca
Tim Rudd

A new law passed by the General Assembly protects Tennessee property owners from squatters, which has become a hot topic of debate around the country as the practice becomes more prevalent.

“Home ownership is the American dream for many, the foundation for building wealth and raising a family,” State Representative Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro) said in a press release after the passage of HB 1259. “This is proactive legislation that protects property owners but also deters bad actors who have learned to exploit the law and terrorize homeowners. This creates a streamlined process for Tennesseans to quickly take back control over what is rightfully theirs.”

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‘Lives of Others Are at Stake Here’: Ben Cunningham, Roger Simon Discuss Legal Battle over Covenant Shooter Manifesto

Kaitlin Housler

Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, and Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, discussed the ongoing legal battle over the release of the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto, agreeing that the “lives of others” are at stake as long as the manifesto’s contents are kept under wraps.

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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee Joins Group of Governors in Opposing UAW’s Unionization Campaign

Kaitlin Housler
Bill Lee Volkswagen

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee joined the governors of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas in issuing a joint statement in opposition of the United Auto Workers’ (UAW) unionization campaign.

The coalition of governors said it is “highly concerned” about the unionization campaign, adding such efforts are “driven by misinformation and scare tactics.”

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Metro Nashville Police Admit Release of Parts of Covenant Killer Manifesto with Limited Redactions Would Not Hurt Investigation

Tom Pappert
Hearing about Manifesto

Metro Nashville attorney Lora Fox confirmed on Tuesday there is no objection to the release of the manifesto written by Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale with limited redactions.

Fox told Chancery Court Judge I’Ashea L. Myles the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) maintains the position previously articulated by Assistant Chief Mike Hagar in an affidavit which declared a redacted version of the manifesto could be released without harming MNPD investigations.

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Columnist Roger Simon: The U.S. Government Paying for Iran’s Attack on Israel Is the ‘Single Greatest Disgusting Thing in American History’

Kaitlin Housler
Roger Simon Israel

Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, said the U.S. government paid for Iran’s Saturday attack on Israel, which saw 300 drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles launched at the country.

Simon said the money trail could be traced back to the Obama administration when billions of dollars were sent to the Mullahs.

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Nashville Police Say Man Behind Nightclub Shooting Was Previously Released on $50,000 Bond

Tom Pappert
Erik Dewaun Williams

The man who allegedly shot six outside a Nashville nightclub on Sunday was previously released from jail on a $50,000 bond, the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) confirmed.

Williams is accused of injuring six in a shooting near the Soho Lounge in South Nashville, with MNPD reporting officers were initially responding to a call about “persons with guns fighting.”

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Courtney Johnston Sponsored Transgender Day of Remembrance Resolution Ahead of ‘Conservative’ Challenge to Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
Nashville Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston

Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who is challenging Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Republican primary for the 5th Congressional district, previously cosponsored a resolution in to set an official day for Nashville to recognize the Transgender Day of Remembrance in 2023.

Johnston is listed among the 29 sponsors of RS 2023-99, which was titled, “A Resolution recognizing November 20, 2023, as Transgender Day of Remembrance in Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee.”

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Author Geoff Shepard Explains His Role in the Nixon Administration During Watergate and How the Scandal Was ‘Misinterpreted’ for 40 Years

Kaitlin Housler
Author Geoff Shepard

Geoff Shepard, former staffer in the Nixon Administration and author of The Nixon Conspiracy: Watergate and the Plot to Remove the President, explained in an exclusive interview with The Michael Patrick Leahy Show how he came to the conclusion that the Watergate scandal had been misinterpreted for nearly 40 years.

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