Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Labeled Trump a ‘Threat to Democracy,’ Joked About Securing Area During Bitcoin Conference

Freddie O'Connell and Donald Trump

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned former President Donald Trump on Saturday as a “threat to democracy,” then humorously asserted the Bitcoin 2024 conference, where the former president spoke, was “secured” and the “threat” gone.

O’Connell made the remarks at the annual Three Star Fundraiser held by the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP), which the party titled, “For Our Democracy, For Our Freedom.”

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Celebrates After Senate Passes Kids Online Safety Act with Bipartisan Support

Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) celebrated on Tuesday after the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act with bipartisan support.

Blackburn wrote in a post to the social media platform X that the legislation passing the Senate is “a big step to protect” minor children from online harms, and noted Congress last passed legislation with that goal in 1998, when it passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

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Davidson County Chancery Court Rules Law Shrinking Size of Metro Nashville Council Is Unconstitutional

Metropolitan Council Office

he Davidson County Chancery Court ruled 2-1 on Monday that Tennessee’s law capping the number of elected officials in the Metro Nashville-Davidson County City Council to 20 is unconstitutional.

Governor Bill Lee signed SB87/HB48 into law on March 9, 2023, which requires that the governing body of a municipality or Metropolitan government must “dissolve, combine, or reapportion districts or wards, as necessary, so that the number of members elected to the governing body does not exceed 20 voting members.”

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Judge Previously Dropped Burglary, Theft Charges for Illegal Immigrant Accused of Killing Nashville Restaurant Owner

Ulises Martinez and Judge Jim Todd in a courtroom (composite image)

The illegal immigrant accused of killing Nashville restaurant owner Matthew Carney on June 19 previously saw unrelated charges for burglary and theft dropped by a Davidson County judge who was apparently unaware of the alleged criminal’s immigration status.

Ulises Raigoz-Martinez was charged by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Homicide Unit after the fatal hit-and-run crash of the Smokin Thighs restaurant owner, with MNPD stating Martinez “admitted that he and an associate” were attempting to steal tools from Carney’s truck when he discovered them.

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FBI, Secret Service Silent After Nashville Woman Threatened to Assassinate President Trump

IreYanna Thomas

Neither the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nor the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) was willing to confirm whether they are investigating a Nashville woman who threatened to kill former President Trump at while he gave a keynote speech at Bitcoin 2024, the largest Bitcoin conference in the world. 

The conference was held over the weekend in Nashville. 

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Fisk University Professor Decries Increase in White Population in Nashville

Shirley Rainey-Brown, PhD

A Fisk University professor decried the fact that Nashville’s population oof “whites” increased last year.

“Yes, the Nashville demographics are changing,” Shirley Rainey-Brown, the dean of Fisk University’s School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, told The Tennessean. “We are seeing an influx of whites over other minorities, and I think it has to do with the type of jobs and industries that are coming here.”

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ABC’s ‘This Week’ Interviews SWAT Sharpshooters: Group Had ‘No Communication’ with Secret Service Prior to Trump Assassination Attempt

Local SWAT Sharpshooters

The lead sharpshooter of the SWAT Team working alongside the U.S. Secret Service during the attempted assassination against former President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the group had “no communication” with the agency until after the shooting.

In an interview with ABC News reporter Aaron Katersky, the local SWAT team from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, appeared on the outlet to discuss security concerns from the day around the assassination attempt against Trump. On the day of the rally, the SWAT group was positioned within the second floor of the building that shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks later used throughout the day to shoot from, with the lead sharp shooter noting that the SWAT team was supposed to receive a “face-to-face briefing” with the Secret Service agents when they had arrived on site; however, it never happened.

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Biden Proposes Sweeping Changes to the Supreme Court, Constitutional Amendment

Joe Biden

An op-ed under President Joe Biden’s byline in the Washington Post on Monday outlined his proposal to make major changes to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling for a Constitutional amendment to “ensure no president is above the law.”

“[T]he Supreme Courts decision on July 1 to grant presidents broad immunity from prosecution for crimes they commit in office means there are virtually no limits on what a president can do,” Biden wrote. “The only limits will be those that are self-imposed by the person occupying the Oval Office.”

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Former Tarpley Shop Utility District General Manager Charged with Theft, Official Misconduct

Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower

The Tarpley Shop Utility District general manager was charged with theft and official misconduct after an investigation from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office found he made nearly $8,000 of personal purchases with district funds, nearly $10,000 in questionable purchases and more than $25,000 in questionable fuel purchases were made with the funds.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Vote to Condemn Vice President Kamala Harris’ Failed Duty as Border Czar

Kamala Harris

All eight Republican members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation serving in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to condemn the failure of the Biden administration and “border czar” Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the United States border.

The resolution, H.Res.1371, passed the House by a 220-196 vote. Six Democrats joined the majority vote.

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Super PAC Behind Controversial Pro-Johnston Mailers Purchases $256,000 Ad Buy Ahead of TN-5 Primary

Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston

The Conservatives with Character super PAC supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her campaign to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Republican primary on August 1 on Wednesday spent more than $256,000 in advertisement in the final days before the election.

A reported filed with the Federal Election Commission by Conservatives with Character treasurer Randy Stamps confirmed the organization spent $200,000 with the New Mexico-based Ad Placement Results LLC, an additional $30,000 to the Nashville-based VOR Media advertising firm, and $26,820 with HTTV Direct LLC, a Virginia-based political mailing firm.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Transportation Improvement Plan Approved by Metro Council May Face Legal Challenges

Freddie O'Connell

Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s ambitious $3.1 billion “Choose How You Move” transportation improvement program, was unanimously approved by the Metro Council this week, is facing scrutiny from anti-tax activist Ben Cunningham. The opposition raises serious legal questions that could significantly impact the plan’s implementation.  With the passage this week from the Council, the initiative will be on the November ballot.

Cunningham, known for his staunch opposition to tax increases, is challenging the legality of the plan, which aims to enhance Nashville’s transportation infrastructure. His argument centers on whether the proposed spending aligns with the provisions of the 2017 state law known as the Improve Act. This law permits local governments to establish dedicated funding sources for mass transit but has specific stipulations on allowable expenditures.

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America First Legal Files Amicus Curiae Brief Opposing Recommendation to Discipline Jeffrey Clark Based on New SCOTUS Immunity Ruling

America First Legal (AFL) filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark this month, objecting to a recommendation from the three-person panel of the D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility to discipline him over his concerns about illegalities in the 2020 election. The brief points to the Supreme Court’s new ruling in Trump v. United States, which held that presidents have broad immunity for their official acts. The D.C. Bar filed charges against Clark for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials advising them of their options in dealing with the irregularities.

Authored by Gene Hamilton, AFL’s executive director and chief counsel, the brief summarized, “This proceeding should be discontinued because of its threat to our constitutional system’s separation of powers. … This proceeding appears to target Mr. Clark inappropriately for his political beliefs, partisan affiliation, and connection to former President Donald Trump. Such abuse of Bar oversight chills zealous advocacy in politically sensitive matters and should never be permitted.” 

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Tennessee School Resource Officers to Receive $800 Bonuses From State Grant Program

SRO Class

Thanks to a state grant program, eligible school resource offers will receive an $800 retention bonus payment this summer, according a release from the The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards Training (POST) Commission.

“This summer, each eligible law enforcement officer will receive an $800 retention bonus payment if they have completed their 2023 in-service hours and are still employed as a law enforcement officer at the time of the application,” th release said. “An additional $800 will also be awarded to all SROs who have completed the 2023-24 academic year, as well as all applicable training. Eligible officers already receive an $800 salary supplement payment from the POST Commission for completion of annual training requirements.”

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Tennessee State Employee Jim Tracy Backs Left Wing PAC That Supports Courtney Johnston in TN-5 Primary Against Rep. Andy Ogles

Jim Tracy

Jim Tracy, who is employed as a senior advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, is a board member of the political organization that recently sent $140,000 to a super PAC attacking Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in the Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District scheduled for August 1.

Tracy was named as a board member of The Best of Tennessee in a June 6 article by Tennessee Lookout, which reported he was then, “a Senior Advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance.”

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Tennessee Approves Two $1 Million Incentives; Lee on UK Economic Development Trip

Walmart Fulfillment Center

Tennessee’s State Funding Board approved a nearly $1 million FastTrack Job Training Grant each for Wal-Mart Associates e-commerce fulfillment center in Lebanon and Hyla Mobile in Mount Juliet at its Monday meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development grant approval came the same day as Gov. Bill Lee and TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter were in the United Kingdom on what Lee’s staff called a “strategic economic development trip” that was the third international trip Lee has taken with the economic development department.

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Rep. Burchett Responds to Criticism After Calling Kamala Harris ‘DEI Vice President’

Tim Burchett and Kamala Harris

Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) has drawn the ire of the left-wing media this week, first for calling former U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Director Kimberly Cheatle a “DEI horror story,” and now for calling Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a “DEI Vice President.”

Wednesday, Burchett responded to the criticism he has faced from the left-wing media, which has labeled him as a “racist” among other typical tropes.

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Never Trumper Tom Ingram Helped Start Group That Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Pro-Johnston, Anti-Ogles Ads

Tom Ingram

Never Trumper political consultant and lobbyist Tom Ingram is one of the founders of The Best of Tennessee, which last month sent $140,000 to the Conservatives with Character super PAC that recently began a $140,000 ad campaign supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary on August 1.

Ingram was listed as one of three founders of The Best of Tennessee in April by Tennessee Lookout, which reported the group’s founders also include pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, who is also the treasurer for the Johnston campaign.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members React to U.S. Secret Service Director’s Resignation

Kimberly Cheatle

Eight members of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation on Tuesday, agreeing that her decision to step down was in the agency’s best interest.

Cheatle’s resignation came 10 days after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a single bullet in his upper right ear in what is formally being investigated as a failed assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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Blackburn’s ‘Kids Online Safety Act’ Heading for Vote on Senate Floor

Kids on Phone

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Tuesday announced that a bipartisan bill she cosponsored with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called the “Kids Online Safety Act” is headed to the Senate floor for a vote.

“It’s official: the Kids Online Safety Act is getting a vote on the Senate Floor. This progress is a testament to the incredible work of parents and young people whose personal experiences are the heart of this bill,” Blackburn said in a press release. “They came to DC over and over again, told their stories to lawmakers, wrote letters, and never gave up on demanding change. We are grateful to be in this fight with such brave and tenacious friends and allies.”

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Push Against Federal Housing Finance Agency Pilot Program

Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 13 other state attorneys general in pushing back against a new pilot program launched by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that would remove title insurance requirements from certain loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In March, the FHFA launched the pilot program, which “waives the requirement for lender’s title insurance or a legal opinion on certain low-risk refinance transactions where there is confidence that the property is free and clear of any prior lien or encumbrance.”

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Suspect in Tennessee Highway Patrol Shooting Had Violent Criminal History

Braze Rucker

A man accused in taking part in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) officer in Putnam County had a history of violent crime, according to court records. 

Braze Rucker was charged with a litany of crimes committed during a robbery attempt in Nashville in 2013. The charges stemmed from a robbery in which Rucker shot one person, leaving her paralyzed. 

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Ben Cunningham: Nashville Mayor’s Transit Referendum ‘Purely Illegal’ Under 2017 IMPROVE Act Despite Unanimous Metro Council Support

Freddie O'Connell

Ben Cunningham, founder of the Nashville Tea Party, is warning Nashvillians about Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s multi-billion dollar transit plan, which will be presented to voters this November via ballot referendum.

O’Connell’s transit plan, “Choose How You Move: An All-Access Pass to Sidewalks, Signals, Service, and Safety,” would be funded by a half-cent increase in the city’s sales tax to construct miles of new sidewalks, bus stops, transit centers, parking facilities, and upgraded traffic signals throughout Nashville.

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GOP Rep. Ogles Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Kamala Harris

Andy Ogles and Kamala Harris

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles on Tuesday introduced articles of impeachment against Vice President Kamala Harris, according to Politico’s Olivia Beavers.

The articles accused Harris of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” saying that she “has willfully and systemically refused to uphold Federal immigration laws, in that: In her conduct of the Office of Vice President of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris… has willfully prevented, obstructed, and impeded the administration of justice.”

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Treasurer for Super PAC Behind Mailers Featuring Johnston, Trump Warns Former President Could ‘Dominate’ GOP with Help of Rep. Ogles

Randy Stamps and Courtney Johnston

Randy Stamps, who is the treasurer for the Conservatives with Character super PAC which sent mailers juxtaposing images of Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston and former President Donald Trump, told The Tennessee Star on Tuesday he is among the Republicans who do not want the former president to “dominate” the Republican Party.

Stamps also confirmed Conservatives with Character sent the mailers as part of the $140,000 advertising campaign reported last month, and said it is part of the same advertising campaign that followed a $140,000 cash injection from The Best of Tennessee, whose co-founder is Kim Kaegi, a seasoned political fundraiser who also serves as Johnston’s campaign treasurer.

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Reporter Tom Pappert Wonders If President Joe Biden Had Willingly Agreed to End 2024 Reelection Campaign Ahead of Sunday’s Announcement

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, speculated about the possible scene in which President Joe Biden eventually agreed to end his reelection bid while also wondering if the incumbent president had a say in the decision at all.

On Sunday afternoon, a letter without a letterhead was posted to Biden’s social media accounts announcing the end to his 2024 reelection bid.

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Rep. Burchett Blasts Secret Service Director as ‘DEI Horror Story’

Tim Burchett

In a testy hearing before of the House Oversight Committee on Monday, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) slammed U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Director Kimberly Cheatle after the near assassination of former President Donald Trump on her watch. 

On July 14, Trump was hosting a campaign rally in Butler, PA, when shots rang out from a nearby rooftop, with only bullet grazing Trump’s ear and narrowly missing his head. 

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Group Tied to Courtney Johnston Campaign Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Ads Targeting Rep. Andy Ogles

TN5 Candidate Courtney Johnson

The Tennessee super PAC supporting the challenge by Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnson to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-07) in the Republican primary contest for the state’s  7th Congressional district recently received $140,000 from a group connected to Johnston’s campaign.

Federal Election Commission (FEC) records confirm the group Conservatives with Character received $140,000 on June 7, 2024 from The Best of Tennessee Action Fund, one of the strategically interlinked organizations co-founded by pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and political fundraiser Kim Kaegi in April.

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Kamala Harris Receives Endorsements from Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, Disgraced Ex-Mayor Megan Barry

Freddy O'Connell, Megan Berry, Kamala Harris (composite image)

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday received the endorsement of both Nashville’s current mayor, Freddie O’Connell, as well as former Mayor Megan Barry, who resigned in 2018 after it was revealed she used public funds and resources to facilitate an affair with her bodyguard.

The endorsements came after President Joe Biden on Sunday confirmed he will no longer see the Democratic Party’s nomination, then later endorsed Harris to lead the Democrats against former President Donald Trump in November.

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