Category: Tennessee

Commentary: Tennessee Broadband Program Shows Promise – if Government-Owned Networks Can Be Kept Out

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Broadband infrastructre

As a Capitol Hill staffer in 2021, I had the opportunity to work on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s broadband title, which resulted in the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. Since then, I have advised states on how to best use the program’s block grants to ensure fiscally responsible broadband expansion. With $813 million coming its way for broadband buildout and adoption, Tennessee has positioned itself for success – if government-owned networks, or GONs, can be kept out.

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Department of Justice Reports ‘Division-Wide System Outage’ as Tennessee Star Requests Release of Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert
FBI HQ at dusk

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) this week acknowledged a “division-wide system outage” impacted the DOJ’s Civil Division last weekend through a Monday court filing.

Both Star News Digital Media, Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Tennessee Star, and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy are currently waiting for a response from the DOJ after inviting the FBI to drop its opposition to the release of the complete written works left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale before the transition of government to President-elect Donald Trump.

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Tennessee Firearms Association, Gun Owners of America Sue City of Memphis over Gun Ordinances Violating State Law

Tom Pappert
Downtown Memphis

The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) and Gun Owners of America (GOA) on Monday announced their lawsuit against the City of Memphis after voters approved Ordinance 5908, a gun ordinance that requires permits to carry handguns, bans a series of guns determined “assault rifles,” and establishes extreme risk protection orders, or red flag laws, within the city limits.

In their November 13 lawsuit against Memphis, which requests immediate intervention to block the city’s ability to enforce the ordinance, the Second Amendment groups note the Memphis ordinance appears to violate Tennessee Code 39-17-1314(a), which specifically prohibits any Tennessee legislative body other than the General Assembly to regulate firearms or ammunition.

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Obama-Biden-Clinton Nuclear Giveaway to Russia a Decade Ago Comes Back to Bite America

Just the News
Sec State Hillary Clinton

by John Solomon and Steve Richards   The U.S. nuclear energy sector’s dependence on Russian uranium created during a failed Obama-era reset with Moscow is coming back to bite Americans as the Kremlin moves to block future exports of the vital fuel. Vladimir Putin’s new restrictions on uranium exports to the U.S., announced last week, come as the country’s war in Ukraine continues to heighten tensions with the United States and the West. His announcement created an immediate impact, as uranium prices soared and worries grew that American utilities might have trouble meeting electric demand next year. It’s the latest fallout from a series of foreign policy decisions crafted by Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton that inexplicably strengthened Putin’s ability to wage economic warfare with energy supplies such as natural gas and uranium. “Everything the Democrats have done has emboldened Russia and their ability to actually leverage their dirty gas production,” Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., told the Just the News, No Noise television show on Monday night. Tenney’s House district is home to New York’s remaining nuclear power reactors. Enriched uranium is a vital component of nuclear power plants in the United States, which account for a fifth of electricity production…

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Tennessee Senator Sends Letter to FEMA Director Demanding Accountability for Political Discrimination After Hurricane Helene

Kaitlin Housler
Deanne Criswell

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Deanne Criswell on Monday demanding accountability within the federal agency after it was reported that FEMA workers were advised to discriminate against Trump supporters who needed assistance after Hurricane Helene.

Earlier this month, The Daily Wire reported that a FEMA supervisor ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed the damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida.

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Sen. Blackburn Slams Department of Education for Funding Professor Who Called October 7 ‘Stunning Victory’

Tom Pappert
Blackburn and Lummis

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) sent a letter criticizing the U.S. Department of Education after a watchdog report revealed the federal government is using taxpayer money to fund the salaries of multiple professors who hold anti-Israel or antisemitic views, including one educator who described the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians as a “stunning victory” for Palestine.

The letter came in response to an October report by Open the Books, a nonprofit whose mission is to “capture and post all disclosed spending at all levels of government,” which revealed the Department of Education funded professors with antisemitic, anti-Israel, or pro-Hamas views at Columbia University, Indiana University, and Georgetown University, as part of two federal grant programs.

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Metro Nashville Police to Hold ‘Safe Surrender’ Next Month for Non-Violent Offenders

Kaitlin Housler

The Nashville Metro Police Department (MNPD) will hold a “Safe Surrender” event in December, a one-time opportunity for non-violent offenders with outstanding warrants to turn themselves in.

Men and women in Davidson County wanted on warrants for non-violent crimes, including failure to appear in court, are invited to turn themselves in at Galilee Missionary Baptist Church on December 6 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and December 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

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Immigration Expert Todd Bensman: Trump’s Strong Border Security Message Being Heard ‘Loud and Clear’ by Aspiring Illegal Aliens

Kaitlin Housler
Migrant caravan

Todd Bensman, senior national security fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, said president-elect Donald Trump’s strong border security message is being heard around the world and is already having an impact when it comes to deterring migrants from illegally making their way to the U.S. southern border.

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Judicial Panel Recommends Suspending Law License of Montana Attorney General over Support for Appointments of Conservative Judges

Rachel Alexander
Attorney General Austin Knudsen

A Montana state judicial panel recommended suspending Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s license to practice law for 90 days over his actions related to the appointment of conservative judges. Knudsen defended a law allowing Montana’s Republican Governor Greg Gianforte to fill judicial vacancies without the input of the state’s judicial commission, which had been passed due to concerns about the commission’s bias. 

The charges arose out of Knudsen’s tangling with the Montana Supreme Court over the matter; Knudsen believed that the state supreme court was overstepping its constitutional power and usurping the authority of his client, the state legislature. 

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Tennessee U.S. Senators Hagerty, Blackburn Support Trump’s Nomination of Matt Gaetz for Attorney General

Tom Pappert
Senators Hagerty and Blackburn

Both U.S. Senators representing Tennessee have confirmed they will support the nomination by President-elect Donald Trump of Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) to serve as the U.S. Attorney General.

Senators Marsh Blackburn (R-TN) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) released statements expressing support for Gaetz last week ahead of reports the Florida Republican was calling senators to arrange meetings and seek their support during the nomination process.

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As Matt Gaetz Faces Opposition, Trump’s Other DOJ Picks Could Anchor His Confirmation

Just the News
Matt Gaetz, Emil Bove and Todd Blanche

Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., faces considerable opposition for the post of attorney general, but some of President-elect Donald Trump’s other picks for top Department of Justice officials could serve to assuage concerned senators. A conservative firebrand, Gaetz’s appointment has ruffled feathers among the Senate GOP and sent Democrats into a frenzy.

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Trump’s Likely FCC Chair Demands Answers from Big Tech over Alleged ‘Censorship Cartel’

Tom Pappert
Brendan Carr

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Commissioner who activist groups claim could be selected to chair the FCC by President-elect Donald Trump sent a letter to Big Tech industry leaders demanding details about their censorship practices, and seeking specific information about their relationship with the controversial, for-profit fact checker NewsGuard.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr on Friday posted to the social media platform X a letter he sent to Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram; Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, as well as Tim Cook of Apple and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, warning their businesses “played significant roles” in “an unprecedented surge in censorship,” which he called “improper conduct.”

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Tennessee Star Invites the FBI and DOJ to Release Covenant Manifesto, Settle Lawsuit Ahead of Trump Transition

Tom Pappert
Michael Patrick Leahy

The Tennessee Star on Friday extended a settlement offer to the Biden-Harris FBI through attorneys at the Department of Justice (DOJ) representing the FBI that would see the federal government drop its opposition to the release of the writings obtained by the FBI that were left by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the 28-year-old woman who self-identified as a man, and killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

Through their attorneys at the Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty, Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy and Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, offered the FBI, through its DOJ attorney, the opportunity to withdraw their objection to the release of Hale’s writings before President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential transition is complete.

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Family of Woman Shot Near Belmont Campus Sues University, Nashville, and Tennessee for ‘Negligence and Recklessness’

Tom Pappert
Jillian Ludwig

The parents of Jillian Ludwig filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Belmont University, the State of Tennessee, and Metro Nashville after the 18-year-old student was fatally shot near the university’s Nashville campus last year.

Ludwig was allegedly shot by Shaquille Taylor, who police say fired a weapon at public housing near Belmont after he was previously released from jail on unrelated firearm charges. Authorities deemed Taylor mentally incompetent, with doctors claiming he has the mental capacity of a small child. Taylor’s former coworker disputed this claim.

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Blue-Collar Titans Fans Getting Priced Out of Seats at New Nissan Stadium

The Center Square
New Nissan Stadium

Frank Stiner was excited when he received the invitation to Titans House in late October along with his cousin as they prepared to buy seats at the new Nissan Stadium.

They are original seat holders from the first hour tickets in Nashville went on sale, in the fifth row of the end zone, and were excited to continue that family tradition by expanding their ticket base from two to four.

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Tennessee State Sen. Brent Taylor Asks D.A. Appeal After Judge Releases Man Accused of Shooting FexEx Worker

Tom Pappert
Bill Anderson

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) on Wednesday sent a letter to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy requesting his office file an appeal of the recent decision by General Session Court Judge Bill Anderson to release a man accused of shooting a FedEx worker from jail without bail.

Despite 18-year-old Tyreese Earnest reportedly waiving his Miranda rights and admitting to his role in the shooting of a FedEx worker, Anderson released him on his own recognizance without any bail with the opposition of District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who NewsChannel 3 reported said he disagreed with the judge’s decision but would respect it.

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TBI Confirms Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua Present All ‘Major Cities’ in Tennessee

Tom Pappert
TBI Director

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) told Governor Bill Lee on Tuesday the expanding Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is now present in all of Tennessee’s “major cities,” and warned the group is engaged in human trafficking, organized retail theft, and drug trafficking nationwide.

On Wednesday, TBI communications director Josh DeVine confirmed to The Tennessee Star the bureau “has increased concerns about the potential for crime connected to Tren de Aragua (TdA), a prominent, violent Venezuelan transnational gang.”

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Tennessee Star’s Michael Patrick Leahy to Urge DOJ to End Opposition to Release of Covenant Killer’s Manifesto amid Presidential Transition

Tom Pappert
MPL DOJ

Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy announced on Wednesday he and Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, will ask the Department of Justice (DOJ) to drop its opposition to the release of the written documents left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale prior to her March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of six.

Leahy announced the decision during the Wednesday broadcast of the Michael Patrick Leahy Show, when he explained The Star has “decided to turn our attention back to freedom of information act, transparency requests that we’ve had going some time related to the Covenant killer manifesto,” in the wake of the 2024 elections.

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Senator Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill to Prevent Migrants Tied to Hamas from Entering the U.S.

Kaitlin Housler
Blackburn and Rosen

U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) are introducing a bill this week that would prevent migrants tied to the terrorist group Hamas from entering the U.S. and receiving immigration benefits.

Blackburn and Rosen’s ‘No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act’ would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny immigration benefits to aliens who “carried out, participated in, planned, financed, supported, or otherwise facilitated” the recent attacks against Israel beginning on October 7, 2023.

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Steve Baker Explains ‘Only Reason’ Why He Pleaded Guilty in January 6 Case

Kaitlin Housler
Steve Baker

Steve Baker, an opinion contributor for Blaze News and independent investigative journalist, said he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges stemming from his presence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, to avoid a “shaming exercise” of a trial by a liberal jury in a D.C. courtroom.

Baker, who is among a small group of journalists being prosecuted for being present at the Capitol on January 6, entered an Alfred plea to avoid a trial by jury in a Washington D.C. courtroom in front of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Tuesday.

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President-Elect Trump Brings Deportation Chiefs into White House, Away from Entrenched Agencies

Just the News
Illegal Immigrant arrested

President-elect Donald Trump’s nods for immigration and border-related posts appear to suggest he plans to keep the major-decision making on those issues within the White House rather than in offices of executive branch agencies filled with career government employees. Trump has vowed to pursue the mass deportation of illegal aliens from the country, beginning on his first day. He has cited President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Operation Wetback” as precedent for such an undertaking. 

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Nashville Police Claim Covenant Killer Investigation Still Underway, ‘Some Work’ Still Needed to Document March 2023 Attack

Tom Pappert
Covenant School shooting scene

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) told The Tennessee Star earlier this month that its investigation of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale remains ongoing, with “some work” still needed to document the March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three school staff members.

MNPD Public Affairs director Don Aaron told The Star the investigation is still underway and remains in a documentation phase in a November 1 email. The MNPD official wrote, “Considerable progress has been made, though there is still some work to complete,” and said there is not a specific date for completion.

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Reporter Steve Baker Enters Guilty Plea in January 6 Case to ‘Avoid Shaming Exercise of a Trial’

Tom Pappert
Journalist Steve Baker

Reporter and January 6 defendant Steve Baker entered an Alford plea on Tuesday, acknowledging the state has enough evidence to convict him without admitting guilt, in what he later called a move to avoid the “shaming exercise of a trial.”

Then working as an independent journalist, Baker was inside restricted parts of the U.S. Capitol complex on January 6, 2021. Three years after the protest, he was charged by the Biden-Harris Department of Justice for attempting to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s victory with his presence.

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