Tennessee saw an increase of 207,000 people in domestic migration over a three-year span, ranking it sixth in the country over that time according to new numbers from the U.S. Census.
Only Florida (818,762), Texas (656,220), North Carolina (310,189), South Carolina (248,055) and Arizona (218,247) saw a larger net domestic migration between April 1, 2020, and July 1, 2023.
Read the full story
U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Wednesday to enshrine the ability for banks and financial institutions to consider the immigration status of individuals seeking credit or accounts. The legislation follows a joint press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) which warned financial institutions that considering immigration status could “run afoul” of federal civil rights laws and regulations.
Ogles’ office said in a press release that his bill “would ensure financial institutions are able to consider immigration status when opening credit lines and accounts” in direct response to the CFPB and DOJ press release.
Read the full story
A former Tennessee official and her husbanded pleaded guilty on Thursday to illegally producing “hundreds” Tennessee driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
Cheryl Huff and husband Mario Paz-Mejia, both of Knoxville, pleaded guilty to one “count of conspiracy to produce, without lawful authority, identification documents or false identification documents,” according to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which revealed in a press release that Huff abused her position at the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDSHS) to create the illicit documents.
Read the full story
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August in 2024, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants before they are interviewed for the position in January.
Judge Mary L. Wagner, a Circuit Court Judge for the Thirtieth Judicial District in Memphis, has applied to fill Page’s seat on the state’s highest court.
Read the full story
Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) and State Representative Susan Lynn (R-Mount Juliet) filed legislation this week that would make new school-specific security technology eligible for the school safety grants approved by the General Assembly earlier this year.
Read the full story
The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) released letter grades for every school in the state for the first time on Thursday, fulfilling the department’s obligations under a bill passed in 2016.
Letter grades are available for every school covering the last school year, the TDOE confirmed on Thursday. Commissioner of Education Lizzette Reynolds said the letter grades “will provide Tennessee families with a clear rating system” to understand how a given school performs over years. She urged parents and other community members to “play a role in supporting the success of our students” regardless of a school’s letter grade.
Read the full story
Former President Trump released a statement on Thursday in remembrance of Dr. Clarence Sexton, who passed away on December 12.
Read the full story
Facebook has reportedly experienced nearly a 200 percent increase in antisemitic posts since the October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel, and a U.S. Senator recently wrote to the social media platform’s parent company, Meta, about reports it is censoring pro-Israel content.
Antisemitism monitoring technology company Cyberwell recently warned of a dramatic increase in antisemitic posts and posts that call for violence against Jewish people across all social media websites, claiming social media companies were unprepared to confront “national security issues” posed by the Hamas attacks.
Read the full story
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants before they are interviewed for the position in January.
Judge Camille R. McMullen is the Presiding Judge of the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals, a position to which she was elected in June, and is perhaps most high-profile candidate to fill the State Supreme Court role.
Read the full story
The Memphis City Council voted on Tuesday to pass a resolution to formally transfer the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to the University of Memphis, but the vote was only held after Memphis City Councilor JB Smiley withdrew a second resolution that would have established city oversight over the stadium under the university’s ownership.
Additionally, Memphis will direct $120 million of funds granted by the Tennessee General Assembly to the university to improve the stadium’s facilities.
The Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium hosts the University of Memphis Tigers, Southern Heritage Classic, and AutoZone Liberty Bowl.
Read the full story
Stewart Parks, a former congressional candidate from Tennessee’s 5th District, finds himself in the crosshairs of a harrowing legal battle following his participation in the January 6 events at the Capitol. Convicted in a bench trial by Judge Amit Mehta, Parks disputes charges of misdemeanor trespassing, disorderly conduct, and theft and is in the early stages of pursuing an appeal.
Parks updated listeners on Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on the latest developments in his plight and he details his concerns about potential prejudice against those with conservative ideologies and the need for a fair legal defense.
Read the full story
Amid mounting concerns over foreign land purchases within the United States, a report from the United States Department of Agriculture’s (DAG) Farm Service Agency has highlighted the alarming pace at which external entities have been gobbling up American forest and farm land.
Read the full story
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants before they are interviewed for the position in January.
Van Douglas McMahan is a McNairy County General Sessions Judge and McNairy County Juvenile Court Judge.
Read the full story
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), a Lewis County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) deputy has been arrested for theft and money laundering related to the purchase of a police K9.
“On September 13th, at the request of 32nd Judicial District Attorney General Hans Schwendimann, TBI special agents began investigating a complaint of theft against Lewis County Deputy Brandon Grady,” TBI said in a release.
Read the full story
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of colleagues in sending a letter to United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urging he open an independent investigation into the UN’s lack of action in response to the sexual violence against Israeli committed by the terrorist group Hamas on October 7.
The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), which, according to its website, is “dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women,” failed to immediately condemn the rape and mutilation of Israeli women committed by Hamas.
Read the full story
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti revealed on Wednesday that a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general announced a $700 million agreement with Google to settle their lawsuit alleging the technology company engaged in anticompetitive practices to stifle competitors to its Google Play Store.
Skrmetti stated that “Google will no longer profit from the inflated app costs it forced through its abuse of market power,” and said the settlement “will reduce app prices and increase consumer choices on the Android platform. Our office is proud to protect consumers, secure $700 million in financial relief, and be a part of this bipartisan effort to ensure one of the most powerful companies in the world follows the law.”
Read the full story
Breitbart News Editor-at-Large Joel Pollak joined the newsmaker line on Wednesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to share insights into the troubling state of his alma mater, Harvard University.
The veteran journalist and Harvard Law School graduate highlighted the rise of antisemitism on campus and traced the university’s decline, noting that it was former President Drew Faust who emphasized a thin record of slavery over Harvard’s significant contributions to the abolitionist cause and civil rights movement.
The 387-year-old institution’s rapid shift to prioritize social justice and the erosion of free speech, Pollak suggested, has indelibly marred Harvard’s reputation as a symbol of excellence.
Read the full story
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy gave details about a an “aggressive prosecution” strategy to Memphis media on Tuesday, promising to target violent offenses with a new strategy beginning in 2024.
Mulroy said he will modify his office’s practices regarding bail, court deadlines, and investigations for those accused of committing a number of violent and property crimes beginning on January 1, according to News Channel 3.
Read the full story
Nashville Electric Service (NES) released a statement on Monday updating the public about its work in restoring power for approximately 48,000 customers affected by severe storms.
Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes ripped through Middle Tennessee on December 9, causing six fatalities – three in Montgomery County and three in Davidson County – and dozens of injuries. The storms produced significant damage to nearly 1,900 homes and destroyed over 500 homes, according to initial reports.
Read the full story
A bill introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly in November would prevent teachers from allow teachers only to hang the Tennessee and United States flags in their classrooms.
HB 1605 “prohibits [Local Education Associations] and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag,” according to the summary of the bill’s text.
Read the full story
A 206-page audit of public and private prisons in Tennessee was released last week, revealing both state and private facilities in the state remain understaffed and face high employee attrition rates while struggling to offer sufficient beds and services for inmates.
The audit, conducted by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office, found that the Tennessee Department of Corrections (TDOC) “has taken action to address critical staffing shortages,” but warned both TDOC and CoreCivic, which manages private prisons in Tennessee, “are facing an ongoing and deeply rooted challenge of attrition within their ranks.”
Read the full story
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a construction permit to Kairos Power for its Hermes low-power demonstration reactor to be built at the Heritage Center Industrial Park site in Oak Ridge.
Kairos Power, according to its website, is a “nuclear technology, engineering and manufacturing company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy with the ultimate goal of dramatically improving people’s quality of life while protecting the environment.”
Read the full story
Esteemed former Vanderbilt professor, renowned scholar, and all-star panelist Dr. Carol Swain joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Tuesday to discuss the growing scandal involving Harvard’s Claudine Gay and increasingly difficult-to-defend allegations of plagiarism by the Ivy League school’s president.
Swain contends that Gay failed to credit her for sections of the book Black Faces, Black Interests, accusing her of derivative work since her dissertation, which Swain claims builds upon her own groundbreaking research.
Read the full story
Aaron Spradlin, who is the Chairman of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition and CEO of the Mission America Foundation, told The Star in a phone call that he’s known of suspected human trafficking activities happening at hotels where De Caldera operated since at least 2015.
Executive director Aaron Gulbransen, a former reporter for The Star, explained the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition previously informed state officials of suspected criminal activity at the hotels, and said the organization has been able to “amplify” Spradlin’s work by regularly sharing tips and insight with Tennessee lawmakers and law enforcement.
Read the full story
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti appeared in-studio on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, to discuss the first-of-its-kind lawsuit his office filed Monday against financial services giant BlackRock over alleged violations of consumer protection laws.
Read the full story
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti appeared in-studio on Tuesday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, where he laid out the reasons why BlackRock’s alleged double standards that they are pushing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives that effectively force companies to shift their priorities are not just afoul consumer protection laws.
If left unchecked, Skrmetti argues, the opaque and unaccountable nature of corporate policymaking threatens the foundational principles of self-governance.
Read the full story
Small businesses impacted by the deadly tornadoes that killed six people in Middle Tennessee are eligible for federal government and private grant assistance, as relief continues to pour in.
“Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to businesses and residents in Tennessee following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration due to severe storms and tornadoes on Dec. 9, 2023,” said the SBA on its website.
Read the full story
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy (D) responded on Thursday to calls by State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) for Mulroy to provide agreements between his office and three restorative justice organizations that seek to lower Shelby County’s number of prosecutions or eliminate bail, and face investigation for his role in arranging the “illegal” release of a prisoner who was sentenced to more than 100 years behind bars.
Taylor issued a formal request with the Tennessee District Attorneys Conference (TDAC) seeking the agreements between
Read the full story
Dr. Robert Epstein, founder and director emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies joined Monday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy and revealed the shocking truth about how Google manipulates search engines to change voting behavior. Dr. Epstein, an expert in psychology, shares his extensive research on the subject and exposes the impact of Google’s control over” ephemeral content.” With the ability to shift millions of votes, Google poses a significant threat to the integrity of elections. However, Dr. Epstein offers a solution to stop their manipulations and reveals how his pioneering system, AmericasDigitalShield.com, is poised to protect the 2024 election. Join us as we delve into this eye-opening conversation and uncover the truth behind Google’s influence on our democracy. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 12:20 PM; broadcasting live from our studios in downtown Nashville. Original All Star panelist Crom Carmichael in-studio with us; on the newspaper line right now. Dr. Robert Epstein, Ph.D. in psychology; also an expert on how Google manipulates search engines to change voting outcome. Welcome Dr. Epstein. Thanks for joining us today. Robert Epstein: Sure. It’s my pleasure. Michael Patrick Leahy: Now, you’re the founder and director emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies…
Read the full story
Education expert Corey DeAngelis joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Monday to discuss a little-known detail about the Tennessee Education Freedom Act that makes the proposal a win-win for teachers, parents, students, and even teacher unions.
DeAngelis goes on to highlight the success of school choice programs in Arizona and Florida, where thousands of families have opted for alternatives to traditional public schools.
Read the full story
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., says he is “absolutely” going to bring articles of impeachment against Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his response to the southern border crisis.
Read the full story
Republican Tennessee Attorney General (AG) Jonathan Skrmetti filed a consumer protection lawsuit Monday against BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager and a leading proponent of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) investing.
The consumer protection suit alleges that BlackRock has misled Tennessean consumers about the scale and impacts of its ESG initiatives for several years. The suit further alleges that BlackRock’s own policies and corporate voting records demonstrate that its ESG push bleeds into financial products that are marketed as non-ESG funds, despite the company’s statements that it allocates capital where its clients request as a fiduciary.
Read the full story
A Trump-appointed federal judge has temporarily halted removal proceedings for the Confederate memorial at Arlington National Cemetery that began Monday, the Associated Press reported.
Read the full story
Metro Nashville and Davidson County Property Assessor Vivian M. Wilhoite announced residents whose properties were impacted by the December 9 severe storms may be eligible to seek property appraisal adjustments.
Read the full story
A paroled felon found himself back behind bars for the second time this year after he was picked up for a litany of crimes early Thursday morning, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
An MNPD release says that 43-year-old Chance Mongeon was behaving strangely after wrecking his Audi Q5 on I-40 east.
Read the full story
The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) is investigating after reports of shots fired at the LEAD Brick Church Middle School during a basketball game on Friday night.
Police were called to the middle school due to a fight that began inside, where students were competing in a basketball game, before the participants eventually left the building and continued the altercation outside, according to WKRN. Quoting law enforcement present at the scene, the outlet reported “one person shot at the victim,” who was not struck by the bullet.
Read the full story
Custom Foods of America (CFA) plans to expand its manufacturing and distribution operations in a move that is expected to bring 249 new jobs to Knox County.
“CFA will create 249 new jobs at its Pleasant Ridge location in Knox County, which will bring its total headcount in the region to approximately 500 people,” according to a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNDECD). “The expansion will increase CFA’s production and distribution capabilities by adding nearly 200,000 square feet of new space for manufacturing, storage, staging and shipping.”
Read the full story
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reported Friday the arrest of Yilibeth “Yibi” Rivero De Caldera in Murfreesboro, who they claim trafficked at least a dozen women from Central and South America to Tennessee, where she then forced them to perform “commercial sex acts” to repay their debt.
A press release reveals authorities allege “De Caldera provided financial assistance” for her “female Hispanic immigrants,” but after they arrived in Tennessee, they claim she “levied the victims with a large debt and forced them to engage in commercial sex acts at local hostels to pay back the debt.”
Read the full story
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee granted executive clemency to 22 Tennesseans on Friday, and also expedited probation for a woman who is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Theology while incarcerated for murder.
In his third round of clemency since taking office, Lee said in a Friday appearance before local media he “decided to grant 23 individuals executive clemency,” and thanked the Tennessee Board of Parole “for their thoughtful recommendations throughout this process.”
Read the full story
Another pro-Palestine rally is scheduled to be held this weekend in downtown Nashville, the organization Nashville Youth for Palestine announced on social media.
Read the full story
Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Melissa Boyd was criminally indicted and taken into Memphis Police Department (MPD) custody on Wednesday, after she allegedly harassed and attempted to coerce her former campaign manager. The former employee previously went to the Tennessee Board of Judicial Conduct (TBJC) with claims Boyd was under the influence of drugs while hearing cases.
Boyd was indicted in Shelby County with one count of coercion of a witness and one count of harassment, according to The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Bond was set at $5,000, and Boyd was able to secure her release. She has since been suspended from the bench by the TBJC.
Read the full story
Country music connoisseur TheBenjiChord will host a benefit concert on Sunday in support of those impacted by the deadly tornadoes that ripped across Tennessee last weekend.
The country music stars that are scheduled to perform at the Unplugged For Tennessee: A Tornado Relief Benefit Concert on Sunday at Exit/In in Nashville include HARDY, Nate Smith, Alana Springsteen, Dylan Marlowe, Chayce Beckham, Abby Anderson, Trey Lewis, Graham Barham, Payton Smith, Kylie Morgan, and Jay Allen.
Read the full story
Political commentator Megyn Kelly slammed pop star Taylor Swift on The Megyn Kelly Show after Swift attended a show by comedian Ramy Youssef, the proceeds of which were given to a pro-Palestinian nonprofit.
The proceeds from Youssef’s show will be sent to the American Near East Refugee Aid (ANERA), which Kelly said is “a group that NGO Monitor has described as ‘highly political, presenting a highly biased view of the Israel/Palestine war [and] ignoring any Palestinian responsibility for hardship and contributing to the demonization of Israel.'”
Read the full story
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants before they are interviewed for the position in January.
Jeffrey C. Smith is a partner at Holland & Knight LLP, a law firm based in Tampa, Florida with a large presence in Nashville and Memphis. He specializes in defending corporations against civil lawsuits.
Read the full story
Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is considering making changes to Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School (MLKAMS), one of Nashville’s highest-performing high schools.
At Tuesday’s school board meeting, district Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle unveiled plans to move seventh-grade and eighth-grade students to Head Middle School and rebrand that school as Head Middle School at MLK. If MNPS goes forward with its plans, MLKAMS will become a traditional high school serving ninth-grade to 12th-grade. MLKAMS currently teaches students from seventh-grade to 12th-grade.
Read the full story
A new poll published by Vanderbilt University shows President Joe Biden with the lowest approval rating of any U.S. president among Tennesseans in the nearly 13-year history of the university’s poll.
Read the full story
State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday to discuss the General Assembly’s legislative agenda for major educational reform, including triggers in kindergarten, first, and second grade designed to identify struggling students and provide them with tailored interventions to bridge the educational gap and accelerate academic success – particularly foundational reading and math skills.
Read the full story
The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee has revealed federal pandemic funds meant for schools to “support students’ social-emotional well-being and academic achievement” were misused this year throughout the Volunteer State.
Read the full story
Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday to detail his discoveries into the precipitous drop in law enforcement and its effect on the state of public safety downtown on the heels of the city announcing the Hermitage homeless encampment will be taken down in January.
Read the full story
As Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Roger A. Page plans to retire at the end of August, six judges from around the state are vying to replace him. In the coming days, The Tennessee Star plans to profile each of the applicants.
The first judge in the biography series is Judge J. Ross Dyer of the Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals Western Section.
Read the full story