Category: Tennessee

Treasurer of Tennessee Dark Money Super PAC Founded by Pro-Abortion Democrat Is Never Trumper Who Donated to Nikki Haley Presidential Campaign

Tom Pappert
James Seabury

The treasurer for The Best of Tennessee Action Fund, part of the “Lincoln Project of Tennessee” announced on Wednesday, recently made two $1,000 donations to the presidential campaign of Nikki Haley, the former Ambassador to the United Nations who reportedly courted Democrats in her ill-fated primary campaign against former President Donald Trump.

Federal Elections Commission (FEC) records indicate James Seabury III is the treasurer for The Best of Tennessee’s super PAC, which it calls the Action Fund.

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Biden DOJ Convicts ‘J6 Praying Grandma’ Rebecca Lavrenz, 71, Who Faces Year in Prison

Tom Pappert
Rebecca Lavrenz

The Biden Department of Justice successfully convicted 71-year-old January 6 defendant Rebecca Lavrenz on Thursday. Known as the “J6 Praying Grandma,” the great grandmother now faces up to a year in prison and a serious fine.

Lavrenz, who owns and operates a Colorado bed and breakfast, was convicted by a Washington, D.C. jury after almost 26 hours of deliberation, The Gazette reported.

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Metro Councilman Jeff Eslick: Some Council Members Try to Shame Opponents of Far Left Resolutions

Kaitlin Housler
Jeff Eslick

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick detailed how the council has recently taken up resolutions surrounding statewide issues and how some members request that a hand vote be recorded as a “shaming move” against members who oppose the resolutions.

In addition to activists taking advantage of the public comment period during Metro Council meetings to speak on the current situation in the Middle East between Israeli and Hamas forces, Eslick said the council has taken up three different types of resolutions that “condemn or express disappointment with the state” in recent weeks.

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Ford Delays Production of New Electric Truck to Be Manufactured at BlueOval City

Kaitlin Housler

Ford announced Thursday that it is delaying the rollout of two new all-electric vehicle models. Once the facility is operational, one of them will be manufactured at BlueOval City at the Memphis Regional Megasite in West Tennessee.

The company said it plans to begin customer deliveries of its new all-electric pickup truck model made at BlueOval City in 2026 – one year after the original anticipated delivery date.

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Bureau of Prisons Denies Transfer of Unjustly Imprisoned J6 Defendant Stewart Parks to Minimum Security Camp

Tom Pappert
Stewart Parks Memphis

Unjustly convicted and imprisoned January 6 defendant Stewart Parks told The Tennessee Star on Monday that his request to transfer to the minimum security satellite camp at FCI Memphis was denied despite intervention by Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and his congressional colleagues.

Parks called Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Star, and were able to share a brief conversation Thursday morning before the phone system at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Memphis automatically disconnected the call after just five minutes.

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Teachers Could Carry Firearms Under Proposed Legislation Set for Tennessee Senate Vote

Tom Pappert
Teacher Gun

Tennessee teachers could soon be allowed to carry firearms while on school property. The State Senate is poised to vote on legislation allowing faculty and staff to carry concealed weapons if they are licensed, trained, and undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Tuesday to advance SB 1325, which would authorize school faculty or staff members “to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds subject to certain conditions, including obtaining an enhanced handgun carry permit and completing annual training.”

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Domestic Violence Offender Registry Bill Moving Through Tennessee House

Peter D'Abrosca
Sabi Kumar Talking

A bill that would create a domestic violence offender registry is moving through the Tennessee House of Representatives. 

“This bill creates within the Tennessee bureau of Investigation (TBI) a registry of persons who have been convicted of the offense of domestic assault. The TBI must maintain this registry based upon information supplied to TBI by the court clerks pursuant to this bill, and information available to the TBI from the department of correction and local law enforcement agencies. The TBI must make the registry available for public inquiry on the internet,” according to the summary of HB 2898.

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Vanderbilt Confirms It is Considering Building New Campus in Florida

Peter D'Abrosca
Stephen Ross Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt University confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that it is considering building a new campus in Florida.

“We are assessing an opportunity to expand Vanderbilt graduate programs in business and computing in South Florida,” Vanderbilt’s Senior Media Relations Specialist Julia Jordan told The Star. “We will share details as they become available.”

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Democrat Maryam Abolfazli Launches Bid for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District

Kaitlin Housler
Maryam Abolfazli

Maryam Abolfazli, founder of the nonprofit group Rise and Shine Tennessee, launched a bid for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District on Wednesday.

“I refuse to sit back while our fundamental values and freedoms are under threat. That’s why I’m stepping up to put an end to the extremism that’s harming our state and country,” Abolfazli, a Democrat, wrote in a social media post announcing her campaign.

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Steve Bannon Calls Out Leftist Author Jim Wallis for Infusing the New Testament with Social Justice Politics by Pointedly Ignoring the Gospel of Mark

Kaitlin Housler
Jesus Two Dads Poster

Matt Giffin, a reporter at The Tennessee Star, and Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Star, discussed a recent segment from Steve Bannon’s War Room where host Bannon explained how leftist Christians deceptively cherry-pick elements from the Gospel to push a socialist agenda.

Bannon specifically used Jim Wallis, founder of the non-profit, faith-based organization Sojourners and author of The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Re-founding Democracy, as an example of those using selective elements from the Gospel to paint Jesus as a social justice warrior.

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Democrat Pro-Abortion Lawyer and Fundraiser Kim Kaegi Form ‘Lincoln Project of Tennessee’ Style Super PAC Ahead of ‘Moderate’ Courtney Johnston’s GOP Primary Challenge to MAGA Rep. Andy Ogles in TN-5

Tom Pappert
Courtney Johnston, Chloe Akers

A pro-abortion lawyer based in Knoxville has joined forces with Tennessee political fundraiser Kim Kaegi to form three strategically intertwined organizations – a 501 (c) (4) nonprofit, a political action committee (PAC), and a super PAC, a Wednesday report reveals.

The PACs and nonprofit will be called The Best of Tennessee, and the political wing of the operation will focus on “pro-choice” messaging to elect moderate candidates, according to The Tennessean.

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Nashville Restaurant Where Shooter Killed One, Injured Several on Easter Closed Until Further Notice

Kaitlin Housler
Roasted Store

Roasted, the restaurant in the Salemtown neighborhood of Nashville where a gunman opened fire on Easter Sunday, killing one and injuring multiple others, announced Tuesday it is closed until further notice in the wake of the incident.

“As our team continues to process and heal we will be closed until further notice. We appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers for everyone involved in this tragic incident,” the restaurant wrote in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

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Tennessee Pornographic Website Age-Verification Bill Shifts Enforcement to AG

The Center Square
Kid on Phone

A bill that would require adult pornographic websites to verify the age of those viewing the website in Tennessee advanced in the Senate on Tuesday after a change to lower the costs of its implementation.

Senate Bill 1792 initially had a fiscal note saying it would cost the state more than $4 million in the first year and then $2 million each year after that.

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Man Who Killed Blount County Deputy, Wounded Another, Indicted on First Degree Murder Charges

Peter D'Abrosca
Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr.

The man accused of killing a Blount County Sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on first-degree murder charges, according to Tuesday reports.

Kenneth Wayne DeHart Jr., who allegedly killed 43-year-old Deputy Greg McGowan and injured 22-year-old Deputy Shelby Eggers during a traffic stop in February, led authorities on a days-long manhunt before he was captured on February 13.

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Tennessee Judge will Resign After Being Suspended over Criminal Complaint, Jailed for Alleged Cocaine Use

Tom Pappert
Melissa Boyd

A criminally indicted Shelby County judge, who last week was jailed for her alleged cocaine use, has reportedly asked to resign from her public position.

Shelby County Judge Melissa Boyd asked to resign from her judgeship in a letter dated March 29, according to Fox 13, which reported that Boyd’s letter bears the signature of one of her criminal defense attorneys.

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Tennessee Bill Identifying Food Products with Vaccine Technology as Drugs Awaits Signature from Gov. Bill Lee

Tom Pappert
HB 1984

The Tennessee General Assembly approved legislation on Thursday to label any food product with vaccine technology as a pharmaceutical drug. The bill is currently awaiting a signature from Governor Bill Lee.

HB 1894 was passed by the Tennessee House on Thursday and subsequently adopted by the Senate. It aims to define “food that contains a vaccine or vaccine material as a drug for purposes of the Tennessee Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act.”

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Mike Benz Reveals How NewsGuard Plans to ‘Warp’ the Minds of ‘Tens of Millions of School Children’

Kaitlin Housler
Mike Benz

Mike Benz, a former Trump State Department official and current executive director of the Foundation for Freedom Online, revealed how NewsGuard is making its way into K-12 public schools and “warping” the minds of tens of millions of schoolchildren.

NewsGuard is a for-profit entity dedicated to countering what it calls “misinformation” founded by journalist Steven Brill and former Wall Street Journal publisher Gordon Crovitz.

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Man Wanted for Nashville Restaurant Shooting Had Extensive Criminal Record, Out on $50,000 Combined Bond

Matthew Giffin
Anton Rucker

The man wanted by police for a shooting in a Nashville restaurant on Easter Sunday was out of jail on a combined $50,000 bond and has an extensive criminal past, according to court records.

Anton Rucker, 46, is suspected of injuring five and killing one person—Allen Beachem, 33—in a shooting at Roasted, a restaurant in the Salemtown neighborhood of Nashville. Rucker is now one of Tennessee’s most wanted, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in a post to X.

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Former Fulton County Elections Official Explains Why He Voted Against Certification Twice During Jeffrey Clark’s Disbarment Trial

Rachel Alexander

The second week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark, resumed its second week on Monday. Clark, who is also a defendant in Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ RICO prosecution, is being disciplined for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials after the 2020 election advising them of their options for dealing with the election illegalities.

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General Counsel to Trump Campaign Cautions TN GOP Against Removing Duly Elected Delegates to Convention

Kaitlin Housler
Donald Trump

Since the March 5 primary results were announced, the GOP rumor mill has been filled with claims that several members of the Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee (SEC) intend to challenge the “Republican bona fides” of some of the elected Trump delegates at an April 6 meeting of the SEC. Such a challenge would be unprecedented and fraught with legal and political complications.

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Biden Admin Allows Illegal Immigrants to Fly Directly to Florida, Texas as Congress Questions Using Airports to House Them

Tom Pappert
ICE flights

The recent revelation that the Biden administration has arranged for more than 380,000 illegal immigrants to fly into the United States, primarily to Florida and Texas, comes as Republicans in Congress demand answers about American airports being used to house them.

A Monday analysis of illegal immigrant flights by the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) found 386,000 have been allowed to enter the country illegally through airports by the Biden administration. CIS found the majority of illegal immigrants chose Florida airports as their destination. 

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Tennessee Bill Would Add Fetal Development Video to Public School Curriculum

Peter D'Abrosca
Screenshot "My Name is Olivia"

A bill in the Tennessee General Assembly that already passed the Senate would, in part, require students to view a fetal development video as part of their sex education or human development curriculum.

SB 2767 requires the state’s education commissioner to submit a report of the disposition of each complaint filed by a parent or legal guardian against any school district to the General Assembly. The General Assembly’s goal is to ensure that school boards are held accountable for investigating complaints made by parents. 

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TBI Honors Legendary Special Agent Who Was ‘Addicted to Danger’ After He Passed Away Last Week

Peter D'Abrosca
TBI Special Agent Maxey Gilleland

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Monday honored a special agent who was once described as being “addicted to danger,” after he passed away last week.

Special Agent Maxey Gilleland served the agency and the people of Tennessee for 31 years, until he retired in 2004. At age 19, before joining TBI, he entered the Marine Corps and was sent to fight in the Vietnam War. There, according to TBI, he earned several Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and the Navy Cross.

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Reporter Tom Pappert: NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams ‘Ought to be Embarrassed’ for Illegitimate Responses to Questions Surrounding Legality of Recorded Phone Call in Anti-School Choice Hit Piece

Kaitlin Housler
NewsChannel 5's Phil Williams

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said News Channel 5’s Phil Williams “ought to be embarrassed” as the investigative journalist continues to provide illegitimate responses to inquiries surrounding the legality of a recorded phone call the network aired during last Monday’s 8-minute anti-school choice hit piece.

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Tennessee Immigration Bills Would Help A.G. Efforts to Sue Federal Government

Admin
Tennessee State Senator Ferrell Haile

A pair of Tennessee bills are intended to allow Tennessee to fight illegal immigration in the state.

Senate Bill 2158 will require agencies and law enforcement departments across the state to collect data on the financial effects of illegal immigration in the state. Senate Bill 757 would require local law enforcement to verify the citizenship of a detainee and report the individual to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security if found to be illegally in the country.

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Analysis: Data Shows Most Migrant Flights Landing in Gov. DeSantis’ Sunshine State

Admin
Illegal Immigrant Flights

President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) refuses to publicly identify the dozens of U.S. international airports for which it has approved direct flights from abroad for certain inadmissible aliens. At least 386,000 migrants through February have been allowed to fly to interior U.S. airports as part of a legally dubious admissions program the administration launched in October 2022. The rationale for the program is to “reduce the number of individuals crossing unlawfully” over the southern border — by flying them over it directly into the interior and then releasing them on parole.

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Tennessee Bill Would Change State NIL Law to Match AG’s NCAA Lawsuit

The Center Square
UT Football

The Tennessee Senate approved a bill that would put state law on college athletics name, image and likeness rules in line with a lawsuit brought against the National Collegiate Athletic Association by the Tennessee Attorney General.

The bill would change Tennessee law to allow prospective students to hire an agent and would eliminate fair market value limitations on athlete pay.

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NewsChannel 5’s Phil Williams Claims Elite Progressives’ Meddling in Tennessee Unworthy of Reporting, Fails to Mention Bloomberg Funding in Nashville and Memphis

Tom Pappert
Newscaster Phil Williams

Phil Williams, the NewsChannel 5 reporter known for his criticism of the effort by Governor Bill Lee to expand school choice in Tennessee, claimed on Friday that meddling by rich progressives in state politics is unworthy of his reporting because Republicans have a majority in the General Assembly.

Williams failed to acknowledge the recent funding of Nashville and Memphis by Bloomberg American Sustainable Cities, a climate change initiative backed by former New York mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg.

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Commentary: Rethinking Tennessee Justice to Put Us on a Path to Public Safety and Fiscal Responsibility

Admin
Police Officer

At its core, conservativism holds that America is at its best when families are strong, communities are safe, and the economy is booming. But in recent years, in certain parts of Tennessee, violent crime has risen even though the state has increased spending to keep more of its citizens incarcerated for longer. It’s only prudent to ask whether the current approach is working.

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Family of Riley Strain Requests Second Autopsy Be Performed

Kaitlin Housler
Riley Strain

The family of Riley Strain, the 22-year-old University of Missouri-Columbia student whose body was pulled from the Cumberland River in West Nashville last week, requested that a second autopsy be performed on Strain’s body.

Strain went missing after being asked to leave Luke Bryan’s bar on the night of March 8 before being recovered in the Cumberland River in West Nashville, approximately eight miles from downtown, two weeks later on March 22.

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Michael Patrick Leahy: New Covenant Killer Investigation Revelation That ‘There Was a Failure to Report’ and ‘Massive Failure of the Mental Health System’ of ‘Epic Proportions’ Highlights Public Interest in Release of Documents

Kaitlin Housler

Michael Patrick Leahy, editor-in-chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, dissected a critical revelation in the case of The Covenant School shooter, 28-year-old Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who took six lives last year at the Nashville school.

Hale, who identified as transgender, shot and killed three adults and three students at The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

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Phil Williams and NewsChannel 5 Refuse to Answer Questions About Legality of Recorded Phone Call Broadcast in Anti-School Choice Report

Matthew Giffin
NewsChannel5 news Director Sandy Boonstra and reporter Phil Williams

NewsChannel 5 and investigative journalist Phil Williams have so far refused to answer questions about the suspicious origin of a phone call recording Williams obtained and broadcast in a Monday report attacking a school choice advocacy group.

The recording captured a phone conversation between Executive Director Tori Venable of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee and State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), who currently opposes Governor Bill Lee’s pending school choice legislation.

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Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones Posts, Deletes Claim Democrat Colleagues Sold Out to Republicans

Tom Pappert
State Rep Justin Jones

Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) claimed on Thursday that his Democratic colleagues are “bought and paid for” by House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) in a now-deleted post to social media.

Jones wrote in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that “Speaker Sexton has bought and paid for Dem leadership in the Tennessee House.” He accused Sexton of directing Democratic “silence and performance based on what’s best for him.”

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Claims Transit Referendum Will Include Plans for 600 New Traffic Signals

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell claimed on Thursday that his transit referendum will include plans for approximately 600 new traffic signals, and that new technology will be used to streamline the flow of vehicle traffic in the Music City.

O’Connell addressed Nashville drivers in a series of posts to the social media platform X, writing, “one of the most important elements” to his “transportation improvement program” involves “how it improves how everyone moves, including people driving.”

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Chattanooga Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Dealing a Fentanyl Analogue That Killed a 19-Year Old Girl

Kaitlin Housler
Jonathan Bash

A Chattanooga man received 21 years in prison on Wednesday after pleading guilty to distributing para-fluorofentanyl, a fentanyl analogue, that resulted in the overdose death of 19-year-old Charlotte Gallant.

Jonathan Bash, 25, sold a fentanyl analogue to the boyfriend of Gallant, misrepresenting the drug as ketamine, according to Bash’s plea agreement cited by the Eastern District of Tennessee U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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Tennessee Judge Melissa Boyd Jailed After Reportedly Testing Positive for Cocaine, Alcohol

Tom Pappert
Melissa Boyd

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd was remanded to jail by Tennessee Circuit Judge Roy Morgan on Wednesday after prosecutors provided evidence she tested positive for cocaine twice and failed to appear for a third drug test, violating the terms of her bond.

Boyd was previously granted a low, $5,000 bond after she was criminally indicted in December for alleged harassment and coercion of a former campaign employee. That employee stated Boyd abused drugs and alcohol while serving as a judge, including while she made decisions on the bench.

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