Category: Tennessee

Sen. Bill Hagerty: Trump Will Set Policy for ‘Loyal’ Cabinet Members to Follow

Tom Pappert
CNN's Jake Tapper interviews Sen. Bill Hagerty

U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on Monday told CNN that those nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve in his cabinet will be enacting policies set by the White House after host Jake Tapper asked about potential policy disagreements between Trump and Tulsi Gabbard, who the president-elect nominated to serve as the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Hagerty told Tapper that Gabbard was selected by Trump “for a very specific job,” and referenced “questions” raised by Gabbard about the intelligence community that “need to be delivered upon.”

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NYPD, FBI, Altoona PD Silent on Alleged Leak of ‘Manifesto’ Written by Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare CEO Murder Case

Tom Pappert
Luigi Mangione

The New York Police Department (NYPD) and Altoona Police Department (APD) did not immediately respond to press inquiries from The Pennsylvania Daily Star seeking answers regarding the authenticity of the alleged leak of the handwritten “manifesto” reportedly found in the backpack of Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The FBI referred The Daily Star to the NYPD.

Independent reporter Ken Klippenstein on Tuesday reported he “obtained a copy of suspected killer Luigi Mangione’s manifesto,” stating, “Major media outlets are also in possession of the document but have refused to publish it and not even articulated a reason why.”

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Shock Admission: ActBlue Tells Congress It Didn’t Block Foreign Gift Card Donations to Democrats until Fall

Just the News
Act Blue donation platform

ActBlue, the massive online fund-raising platform for liberal causes, has informed Congress it did not automatically block donations made with foreign-bought gift cards until recently, a potentially significant revelation in an ongoing investigation into whether China, Russia, Iran or Venezuela routed illicit money to Democrat candidates.

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Time Wellness Tennessee Launches Residential Treatment Facility in Taft, Now Accepting Clients

Sponsored
A bright room with large windows and a circle of modern chairs arranged along the walls

by Allie Hinchman   Taft, TENNESSEE – Time Wellness Tennessee has officially opened its state-of-the-art residential treatment facility in Taft. Designed to offer a structured and supportive environment, the center provides comprehensive care for individuals seeking recovery and personal growth. Since its launch earlier this year, the facility has begun accepting clients, marking a significant step forward in providing innovative, client-focused treatment solutions in the region. Time Wellness Tennessee’s Comprehensive Approach to Recovery Time Wellness Tennessee’s residential treatment facility offers a unique approach to recovery by combining compassionate care, structured support, and innovative therapies. Designed to provide a safe and personalized environment, the center focuses on helping clients achieve lasting recovery through evidence-based methods and holistic practices. 24/7 Medical Care and Support Around-the-clock medical care forms the backbone of recovery at Time Wellness Tennessee. Clients benefit from constant access to skilled professionals who address their physical and emotional needs. The medical team works closely with each individual to guide them through every stage of recovery, helping them stay on track and build confidence in their progress. Having medical support available day and night gives clients peace of mind. It also allows them to focus fully on their recovery journey without…

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Bombshell Memo from 2021 Warned Unprepared DHS About Surge of Unaccompanied Migrant Children

Just the News
Migrant caravan

Long before Congress became alarmed over as many as 320,000 unaccompanied minor children from the border crisis, the Department of Homeland Security prepared a briefing memo in summer 2021 starkly warning Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that federal authorities were ill-equipped to deal with a surge of young immigrants or reunite them with their parents, according to a copy of the memo reviewed by Just the News.

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California Doctor Sued for Having Minor’s Breasts Removed, Could Change State’s Radical Reputation for Transitioning Children

Rachel Alexander
Johanna Olson Kennedy

A woman who had her breasts removed at age 14 as part of medical gender transitioning sued the California doctor and others involved in the transition.

Kaya Clementine Breen, who is now 20, sued Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy last week for medical negligence for putting her on puberty blockers, male hormones, and having a surgeon perform a double mastectomy. Breen has since “detransitioned and no longer identifies as a male.”

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Cheatham Middle School Adopts ‘Musketeers’ Mascot Used by University of Cincinnati Rival After Cease and Desist

Tom Pappert
Cheatham Middle School PTO

Cheatham Middle School in Ashland City, Tennessee on Monday announced its students are now “The Musketeers” following a survey conducted after the University of Cincinnati (UC) ordered the school to drop its previous “Bearcats” mascot the Ohio university claimed too closely resembled its own.

Cheatham County Schools Athletic Director Jeff Hobbs confirmed the mascot change to The Tennessee Star on Monday, when he explained the rivalry between the Xavier University Musketeers and the UC Bearcats prompted serious consideration after it was suggested on the social media platform X.

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President-Elect Trump Vows to Work with Congress to Pass Reciprocal Trade Act

Kaitlin Housler
Donald Trump

President-elect Donald Trump vowed to work with Congress to pass a bill implementing reciprocal trade protections with other nations as part of his economic plan.

The bill called the Trump Reciprocal Trade Act would empower the president to impose reciprocal tariffs on goods from foreign countries if those countries’ tariffs on American-made goods are higher than the tariff imposed by the U.S.

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Tennessee U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn Thanks Elon Musk, X CEO for Help Updating Kids Online Safety Act

Tom Pappert
Sen Marsha Blackburn, Elon Musk

A new version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), created by Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), was announced on Saturday by Linda Yaccarino, the CEO of X, who said she collaborated with the senators to create legislation that would prioritize youth safety while preserving the First Amendment.

Revealing the new legislation in a post to X, Yaccarino noted the company, which was formerly known as Twitter, vowed it would help Congress establish new laws to protect children during a January appearance in Congress alongside Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and TikTok CEO Shou Chew.

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Federal Judge Allows Enforcement of Tennessee Ban on ‘Restorative Justice’ Bail Policy, Prompts Celebration from State Senator

Tom Pappert
Gavel court judge order

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) confirmed on Friday that enforcement of his legislation prohibiting Tennessee judges from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting their bail was allowed by a federal judge.

The judge made the decision despite determining the lawsuit brought by restorative justice organization Just City against Tennessee over the law will proceed.

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Tennessee Republicans File Legislation to End Grocery Tax in 2025

Tom Pappert
Grocery Shopper

Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly filed legislation this week that would abolish the sales tax on groceries in the state, and in a press release explain their legislation would maintain current funding for schools while avoiding tax increases for business owners. 

House Bill 21, submitted by State Representative Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville) on Thursday, would prohibit sales taxes from being levied on food and food ingredients in Tennessee, while simultaneously requiring the General Assembly to allocate “an amount substantially equal to the amount that would have been allocated” based on the 0.5 percent of revenue from taxing groceries that is earmarked for schools. Groceries are currently taxed at 4 percent in Tennessee.

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Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Worries ‘Congress Doesn’t Have the Guts’ to Enact DOGE Government Reforms

Tom Pappert
Tim Burchett

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) on Thursday expressed doubt that Congress would have “the guts” to enact the cuts and reforms recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a commission announced by President-elect Donald Trump that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy will helm.

Burchett voiced concern about his colleagues in a video posted to the social media platform X on Thursday, which the Tennessee Republican said he recorded after leaving the first meeting between Musk, Ramaswamy, and Congress.

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AG Jonathan Skrmetti ‘Absolutely Confident’ in How Tennessee Defended Law Banning ‘Gender Transition’ Puberty Blockers for Minors Before Supreme Court

Kaitlin Housler
Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he believes that Tennessee Solicitor General Matt Rice strongly defended Senate Bill 1 (SB1) in front of the Supreme Court. SB1 is Tennessee’s state law that bans irreversible gender transition-inducing puberty blockers and hormones for minors.

Governor Bill Lee signed SB1 into law last year, which forbids healthcare providers from performing or administering to underage children “gender-affirming” medical procedures or treatments – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – for the purpose of enabling the child to identify with the opposite gender.

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Both Tennessee U.S. Senators Endorse Hegseth for Defense Secretary as Hagerty Says ‘Momentum is with Pete’

Tom Pappert
Pete Hegseth

Both Tennessee U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty have confirmed they will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth, who President-elect Donald Trump nominated to serve as his Secretary of Defense.

Blackburn and Hagerty both said they will vote to confirm Hegseth, with Hagerty declaring Trump’s nominee has the “momentum” to be confirmed when interviewed by CNN on Wednesday.

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Tennessee A.G. Says SCOTUS Could Pave Way to Ending Child Sex Changes and Saving Women’s Sports with Just One Ruling

Daily Caller News Foundation
Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti at SCOTUS

The Supreme Court’s forthcoming ruling on state child sex change bans could impact a range of issues related to gender identity, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The justices heard oral arguments Wednesday on Tennessee’s law banning medical procedures intended to help a child live as an identity “inconsistent” with their sex, which the Biden administration argues violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.

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Trump Attorneys Cite Hunter Biden Pardon in Move to Clear Cases

The Center Square
Donald Trump

by Brett Rowland   Attorneys for President-elect Donald Trump are working to clear out pending criminal cases before he takes office in January. Federal prosecutors have already moved to end two criminal cases against Trump – the election interference case in Washington D.C. and the classified documents case in Florida. That leaves the hush money case in New York and the election interference charges in Georgia. This week, Trump’s defense team asked New York Judge Juan Merchan to dismiss his conviction. In an 80-page dismissal motion, Trump’s team said prosecutors should never have filed charges. The motion cited President Joe Biden’s pardon of his son, Hunter, in which the president said his son was unfairly targeted for political reasons. Trump has repeatedly said the criminal cases against him were coordinated by his political opponents. His attorneys have continued those assertions in court motions. “This case should never have been brought, particularly during a period when DA Bragg’s failure to protect this City from pervasive violent crime frightens, threatens, and harms New Yorkers on a daily basis,” Trump’s defense attorneys wrote. “And this case would never have been brought were it not for President Trump’s political views, the transformative national movement…

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Rep. Jim Jordan Demands Documents Related to DOJ Investigation of Jack Smith Amid Misconduct Allegations

Just the News
Rep. Jim Jordan

by Misty Severi   House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan on Wednesday sent a letter to the Justice Department (DOJ) requesting information about the department’s alleged misconduct investigation into special counsel Jack Smith. Justice Department officials briefed lawmakers on the investigation last month, which was opened after an employee under Smith “self-reported” possible misconduct by his office, according to the Washington Examiner. Jordan told Jeffrey Ragsdale, the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility official who conducted the briefing, that he was not satisfied with the investigation, and that the letter should serve as a “preservation notice” of his records of the inquiry. Ragsdale told lawmakers that the inquiry was opened in June 2023, but he was unable to investigate further because of Smith’s prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump. The investigation would have allegedly interfered with the cases. Details about the nature of the alleged misconduct was not immediately clear. “While we appreciate you confirming an open investigation into Jack Smith’s prosecutors, we are concerned that your refusal to take prompt investigative steps will allow these attorneys to evade internal accountability by leaving the Department,” Jordan wrote. The chairman said the briefing did not alleviate the committee’s concerns and asked the office to produce all relevant…

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Conservatives Question Constitutionality of KOSA Legislation

Tennessee Star Staff
Student with Cell Phone

Federal legislation designed to curb harmful online content exposure for minors is facing mounting criticism from conservatives for empowering government bureaucrats to infringe on free speech. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), introduced in 2022, aims to impose sweeping responsibilities on digital platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X when it comes to content minor children can consume. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate in July, has faced significant opposition in the House, where Republicans have expressed concerns over its constitutionality regarding free speech, and its potential to expand the power of the federal government. Supporters of KOSA argue that the bill is crucial for protecting children from online dangers such as explicit content and harmful influences. However, critics such as House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Speaker Mike Johnson, argue that the bill’s vague language could lead to significant overreach by the federal government, infringing on Americans’ First Amendment rights and personal control over their children’s online access. One of the primary criticisms of KOSA is that it imposes broad restrictions on speech. While intended to protect minors, the bill’s vague language could lead to censorship of a wide range of online content. The bill’s provisions require platforms…

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Reporter Tom Pappert: Release of Full Covenant Killer Manifesto Will Allow a Glimpse into ‘What Went Wrong’ with Mental Healthcare Over the Last Decade

Kaitlin Housler
Reporter Top Pappert

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the full release of the Covenant school shooter manifesto would allow a glimpse into how treatments for mental health diagnoses, specifically when it comes to transgender individuals, have dramatically changed over the last decade.

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NewsBreak, Americans’ Most Downloaded News App, Poses Likely Chinese Communist Threat

Restoration News
Newsbreak App

by Jacob Grandstaff   Chinese-owned NewsBreak provides the Chinese Communist Party the ability to highlight chaos and amplify conspiracies and discord among Americans through its news content and comment sections. The app boasts 50 million monthly users and became the top-ranked app in the News category on Google Play in 2021. NewsBreak claims to fill the gap created by the loss of tens of thousands of newsroom jobs and the closing of most countywide newspapers, but this overnight success comes with shoddy and subversive tactics to gain unfair market advantages and influence in the U.S. The real goal of the CCP-owned app is more subversive. Users can click on a “local” tab in the app that aggregates local news from over 10,000 sources, including national media outlets, local TV stations, local blogs, and independent contributors. Jeff Zheng, former head of Yahoo Labs in Beijing, founded NewsBreak in Mountain View, California in 2015. Zheng is a Chinese citizen with permanent residency in the U.S. He started the company as a subsidiary of the popular Chinese news aggregation app Yidian Zixun, which he co-founded with a former Baidu executive. Yidian accustomed hundreds of millions of Chinese news consumers to follow machine-recommended articles rather than human-curated content, success Zheng sought to replicate in the U.S.…

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Lawsuit Claims TSU Fired Financial Aid Director over Refusal to Request Federal Aid for Students Lacking Proof of High School Degree

Tom Pappert
Tanaka Vercher

The former Director of Financial Aid at Tennessee State University (TSU) filed a lawsuit against the institution on Tuesday, claiming she was fired in August after she refused to request federal financial aid for students who had yet to provide proof they were eligible to enroll at the university.

According to the lawsuit, Tanaka Vercher was a 21-year employee at TSU in 2024, when Tennessee auditors informed her the state was unable to provide evidence that up to 20 percent of first-year students enrolled at the university graduated high school or obtained an equivalent degree.

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Tennessee Firearms Association Joins Amicus Brief in Support of Smith and Wesson in U.S. Supreme Court Case

Kaitlin Housler
SCOTUS

The Tennessee Firearms Association and Tennessee Firearms Foundation joined an amicus brief on Tuesday filed in the U.S. Supreme Court in the appeal by Smith and Wesson in the case Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos.

The case stems from a lawsuit brought by the Mexican government in 2021, in which the government alleged U.S. gun manufacturers should be liable for “aiding and abetting” gun violence carried out by Mexican drug cartels.

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Police May Not Finish Covenant School Shooting Investigation by January 1 Goal as MNPD Spokesman Says ‘No Hard Date’

Tom Pappert
John Drake

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) may not meet its “goal” of completing the Covenant School shooting investigation by January 1, 2025, according to spokesman Don Aaron, who told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday he was unable to offer a firm date or time for the lead detective to finish documenting the case.

Aaron previously told The Star in November that “some work” was necessary to complete the documentation phase of the investigation early last month, then on November 12 confirmed it was “the goal” of the department to finish the investigation before the end of this year.

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EJ Haust Applauds Trump’s ‘Power Move’ While Meeting with Canada Prime Minister at Mar-a-Lago

Kaitlin Housler
Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump

EJ Haust, a digital marketing expert and former journalist who lived in Minnesota for 12 years before relocating to Tennessee, said President-elect Donald Trump’s meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago was a “power move” that signals how America is back as a “superpower” nation under a second Trump administration.

Trudeau met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Friday, days after the president-elect threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on all goods coming into the U.S. from Canada and Mexico until the two bordering countries work to stop the flow of drugs and illegal immigration into the U.S. via executive order.

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Tennessee Lawmaker Files Legislation to Block State from Destroying, Relocating Historic Buildings and Monuments

Tom Pappert
Sam Davis Statue, Tennessee Capitol

Tennessee State Senator Adam Lowe (R-Calhoun) introduced a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would block the Tennessee Historical Commission (THC) from recommending the removal or destruction of any property deemed to be of historical, architectural, or cultural significance to Tennesseans.

Senate Bill 7 (SB 7) would limit the authority of the THC to the approval or recommendation of “certain renovations or alterations” to property deemed significant, according to its summary. It would also prohibit the commission “from taking adverse action,” such as fines, against properties boasting statues or monuments the THC wants removed.

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Bar Complaint Filed Against Liz Cheney for Communicating with J6 Witness Represented by an Attorney

Rachel Alexander
Former Rep. Liz Cheney

Representing Donald Trump’s former head ethics deputy counsel Stefan Passantino, America First Legal (AFL) filed a bar complaint recently against former Rep. Liz Cheney for secretly communicating with a key J6 witness. Passantino represented Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide who Cheney held secret discussions with over the encrypted messaging app Signal, despite the fact she was represented by Passantino in J6 matters. 

House Administration Oversight Subcommittee Chairman Barry Loudermilk released a report on October 15 that prompted the complaint. He said, “[A]ccording to text messages between Hutchinson and Farah Griffin obtained by the Subcommittee, Cheney agreed to communicate with Hutchinson through Farah Griffin. However, it appears that Cheney knew communicating with Hutchinson while Hutchinson was represented by an attorney and a subject of the Select Committee’s investigation without going through Hutchinson’s attorney would be unethical. This is evident by Farah Griffin’s test of Hutchinson that Cheney’s ‘one concern was so long ad [sic] you have counsel, she can’t really ethically talk to you without him.’” 

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Reporter Tom Pappert: Democrats ‘Upset’ with Kash Patel’s Nomination to Serve as FBI Director Due to His Intent to Release Full Covenant Killer Manifesto, Epstein Client List

Kaitlin Housler
Kash Patel

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Democratic lawmakers and members of the FBI “deep state” are in a panic mode over President-elect Donald Trump nominating Kash Patel to serve as Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) due to Patel’s past callings for the full release of major classified documents.

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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Warns of AI Scams Ahead of Holiday Season

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is warning seniors of artificial intelligence (AI) scams and cyber-attacks ahead of this year’s holiday season.

Blackburn, a ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, discussed the increased threats of AI scams and cyber-attacks during a hearing last month titled “Protecting Consumers from Artificial Intelligence Enabled Fraud and Scams.”

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