The Anti-Defamation League got a lump of coal in its stocking from a Texas judge known for frustrating a wide range of progressive priorities, from redefining sex to include gender identity in Title IX and Obamacare coverage requirements to “ghost gun” rules and vaccine mandates.
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A Tennessee judge reportedly said Friday that those behind a lawsuit claiming the Nashville Choose How You Move transit referendum illegally uses money raised under the 2017 IMPROVE Act for items unrelated to transit will not be able to challenge the spending in court, stating that such objections should have been brought to Mayor Freddie O’Connell and public officials during the city’s public comment period.
O’Connell, the Metro Nashville government, and Davidson County Election Commission were sued in November by Emily Evans and her organization, the Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax, who argued in their lawsuit that O’Connell’s referendum was illegal, noting the 2017 IMPROVE Act used under the referendum specifies that cities may levy additional taxes specifically to pay for transit improvements.
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Country singer and songwriter Keith Urban is set to host next week’s live New Year’s Eve five-hour event in Nashville airing on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.
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Tennessee State Representative Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville) introduced a bill that would require all local educational agencies and public charter schools to provide free feminine hygiene products at each public senior high school for female student use.
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The Department of Justice issued a Letter of Findings to the Tennessee Supreme Court determining that two attorney regulatory agencies in Tennessee discriminated against lawyers applying to be admitted to the practice of law for undergoing treatment for opioid addiction. The DOJ found that the Tennessee Board of Law Examiners (TBLE) and the Tennessee Lawyers Assistance Program (TLAP) violated Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
The DOJ conducted the investigation in response to complaints from two attorney applicants, known as D.S. and C.B. D.S. has since identified himself to the press as Derek Scott, who passed the Tennessee State Bar exam in 2021. The DOJ concluded that two aspects of the agencies’ conduct violated the ADA: “(1) subjecting bar applicants to burdensome supplemental investigations triggered by their status or treatment for a substance use disorder; and (2) excluding them or implementing burdensome, intrusive, and unnecessary conditions on admission that are improperly based on individuals’ diagnosis of or treatment for a substance use or mental health disorder.”
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Tennessee State Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) filed the Veterans Assistance for Livelihood, Opportunity, and Relief (VALOR) Act on Monday.
Otherwise known as HB 52, the legislation would exempt U.S. veterans determined by Veterans Affairs (VA) to be 100 percent disabled from a service-related injury from vehicle taxes, refund them for property taxes, and allow them to apply for lifetime licenses to hunt and fish in Tennessee.
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Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. is celebrating five years since the company relocated its headquarters operations from Cypress, California to Franklin, Tennessee in 2019.
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Tennessee’s population grew from 7.1 million in 2023 to 7.2 million this year, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The state’s population has continued to grow over the past five years. The state reached 7 million in population for the first time in 2022, according to the data.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti celebrated on Monday after the Biden-Harris administration withdrew its proposed changes to Title IX, which would have prohibited school and athletic organizations from prohibiting transgender athletes from playing on teams reserved for biological females.
The White House quietly withdrew the proposed change on Friday, according to National Review, which reported the Department of Education (DOE) received more than 150,000 public comments on the proposal before it was shelved.
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President-elect Donald Trump unveiled a 10-part plan to refocus schools on preparing children for careers rather than pushing “inappropriate racial, sexual, and political material.”
In a video published by his presidential campaign in September 2023, Trump laid out his plan to revolutionize U.S. education to help students “succeed in the world of work and life” and “grow up to be happy, prosperous, and independent citizens.”
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Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is continuing his advocacy for school choice in a new television advertisement for the American Federation for Children.
The ad is airing across the state, the governor’s office said Monday.
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A near-record number of Tennesseans are expected to travel for Christmas this year, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA).
AAA forecasts that more than 2.7 million Tennesseans will travel 50 miles or more for the year-end holiday from Saturday, December 21 to Wednesday, January 1 , which is 62,000 more travelers than last year and 62,000 travelers shy of the record high set in 2019.
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With the national debt at its worst level in U.S. history, both Donald Trump and far-left Democrats like Ilhan Omar are pushing to eliminate the debt limit.
This would reduce transparency and responsibility for politicians who run up debt and make it easier for them to pass the buck to future officeholders and younger generations of Americans.
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti slammed President Joe Biden for commuting the sentence of federal death row inmate Rejon Taylor, who was convicted in the eastern district of Tennessee’s first federal death penalty case.
Taylor was charged in the August 6, 2003 abduction and killing of Atlanta restaurant owner Guy Luck, who was found shot to death on a rural roadside in Collegedale after being abducted in his van from his home in Georgia.
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Tennessee’s State Funding Board approved a tax growth rate of 1.25 to 2.15 percent for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. However, this estimation did not consider that the Trump administration will assume control of the federal government in 2025, and Tennessee stands poised to reap significant economic benefits from the anticipated policy shifts. The state’s diverse economy — encompassing manufacturing, agriculture, and a burgeoning tech sector — is well-positioned to thrive under the incoming administration’s pro-freedom agenda.
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Tennessee State Representative Jake McCalmon (R-Franklin) introduced a bill last week that would increase the criminal penalty for abusing a child aged 9-17.
McCalmon’s bill, filed as HB 0045, would “increase the penalty from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony for a person who commits child abuse by knowingly treating a child between the ages of nine and 17 in such a manner as to inflict injury.”
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A new investigation by the organization Parents Defending Education reviewing grants awarded under the Biden-Harris administration shows that the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has funded more than $1 billion worth of DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives in U.S. schools, universities, and nonprofits.
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On Christmas Day, U.S. Navy recruits from the Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois, will be able to connect with their families, thanks to a new partnership between Patriot Mobile and Cell Phones for Soldiers. The two organizations are working together to provide cell phone service for recruits participating in the Adopt-A-Sailor program, a nationwide initiative designed to support sailors who are away from home during the holiday season.
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Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) on Sunday praised Elon Musk, the incoming co-leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, for buying Twitter, rebranding it as X, and spearheading Republican opposition to the 1,547-page Continuing Resolution (CR) that was replaced with slimmed-down legislation.
Hagerty made the remarks to CNN’s “State of the Union,” praising the influence of citizens on X over public policy.
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National political reporter Neil W. McCabe said President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency will have the “energy of the first term” with the “wisdom of a second term,” which may end up helping Republicans pick up seats in the 2026 midterm elections.
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Lieutenant Josh Combs of the Nolensville Police Department (NPD) confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Friday that South American Theft Groups (SATGs) remain active in Williamson County and other parts Tennessee as local law enforcement continues to pursue open cases related to thefts in the area.
According to U.S. Department of Homeland Security, such groups are “sophisticated criminal organizations that profit from illegally obtaining goods,” either by targeting wealthy homes or businesses, with frequently targeted goods including pharmaceuticals, electronics, and high-end clothing. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement indicates some SATG members enter the country illegally, while prosecutors have stated that others entered on a legal tourism visa.
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A new report written by Crime Prevention Research Center President Dr. John R. Lott based on data provided by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) suggests that not only have the crimes committed by illegal migrants cost U.S. taxpayers at least $166.5 billion, but the severity of those crimes is much higher than American norms.
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U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) were among the 38 Republicans who voted against the Continuing Resolution (CR) negotiated by President-elect Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Vice President-elect JD Vance, with both noting the short notice given to representatives.
After the American Relief Act of 2025 spending bill failed on Thursday, both Burchett and Ogles highlighted the short period of time given for lawmakers to review the 116-page document, which was released only hours after a 1,547-page CR was tossed following opposition from Trump and Musk.
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The House of Representatives’ spending bill, the American Relief Act 2025, failed on Thursday to get a two-thirds majority vote.
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Audio recorded by retired U.S. Army Sergeant Donald Belzer, and provided to The Tennessee Star, confirmed through the White House VA Hotline that the Amarillo Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System was made aware of the complaint the veteran filed in 2022, when Belzer said he captured video depicting two VA staff members engaged in a sex act inside a clean supplies closet.
Belzer recorded the audio after The Star published the video, recorded by the veteran on August 17, 2022, as the veteran called the White House hotline to obtain copies of the complaints he filed with the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center and the White House hotline in August 2022 and April 2023.
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President-elect Donald Trump endorsed an agreement by House Republican leaders to fund the government through March 2025 and lift the debt ceiling until 2027.
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Dr. Carol M. Swain, a retired university professor who was tenured at Vanderbilt and Princeton Universities, has published her latest book titled, The Gay Affair.
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The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Williamson County Sheriff’s Office, and four judges on Tennessee’s 21st Judicial District either did not respond, or did not confirm, to inquiries by The Tennessee Star seeking more information about the claim by Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) that one-third of criminal cases in Williamson County now involve an illegal immigrant.
The silence comes after Warner appeared on “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday, telling the hosts, “I recently met with the Williamson County delegation, and judges from Williamson County, here in southern Middle Tennessee, and a judge last week told a group of about five of us… either build more jails, build more prisons, or remove the immigrants from this state.”
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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said he believes that if the U.S. Supreme Court rules to uphold Tennessee’s state that bans irreversible gender transitioning treatments for minors in the case United States v. Skrmetti, the demand for such treatments across the nation will also see a halt.
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Matt Kittle, a senior elections correspondent for The Federalist, said he believes President-elect Donald Trump’s lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register will have more of an effect than experts believe.
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The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in a 2-1 decision on Thursday to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from prosecuting the election interference case involving former President Donald Trump.
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Tennessee political commentator and filmmaker Robby Starbuck announced Wednesday that automobile manufacturer Nissan would be dropping its “woke” policies and other practices in response to Starbuck and his team’s investigation into the company.
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News emerged Wednesday that Alexander Paffendorf, of Carlsbad, California, was served with a restraining order under California’s red flags law on Tuesday after being questioned by the FBI after investigators learned he allegedly he communicated with Natalie Rupnow, the 15-year-old who police say killed one student and one teacher at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin before ending her life, to plan an attack on a government building.
According to CBS8, Paffendorf admitted to the FBI that he and Rupnow discussed plans to “arm himself with explosives and a gun” in order to “target a government building,” with the outlet reporting the restraining order granted by a California judge stated that federal agents were able to view the messages the southern California man allegedly exchanged with the killer.
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A Tennessee state lawmaker told “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday that one-third of the criminal court cases in Williamson County are now related to illegal immigrants, claiming a county judge warned state lawmakers must consider increasing the number of jails and prisons due to an uptick in crime.
State Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) divulged the purported number of criminal cases related to illegal immigrants after he was asked about his legislation that would require law enforcement agencies to detain anyone found to be in the country illegally for the maximum amount of time legally allowed, and then transport the illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities for release if they are not retrieved for deportation by federal agencies.
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The Madison Police Department (MPD) on Tuesday night declined to confirm to The Tennessee Star the public reporting that 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who police say fatally shot a student and a teacher before ending her own life at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, was enrolled in therapy prior to the attack.
Following reporting by The Washington Post which revealed Rupnow was “enrolled in therapy” during her parents’ divorce, The Star asked MPD to confirm the mental health treatment. The Star also asked whether she was seeing a psychologist, if these therapy sessions resulted in a diagnosis of a mental health condition, and whether Rupnow was understood to be prescribed any medications for mental health conditions.
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Liberty University’s School of Business Dean Dave Brat recently returned from a trip to Kiev, Ukraine, with religious leaders and academics to survey the country amid its ongoing war with Russia.
Brat said Ukrainian officials were attempting to woo his group of conservative Christians on board with funding the country’s fight against Russia during the week-long trip; however, he noted that his stance on funding the war “hasn’t changed.”
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Tennessee’s two largest cities are among the most unsafe U.S. cities during the holiday season, a recent study conducted by the smart-home security company Vivint shows.
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Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough requesting information regarding the department’s investigation into sexual misconduct allegations at the Mountain Home Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Johnson City, Tennessee.
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A prescription drug company says a federal appeals judge should have recused herself from a case because her husband and two of her children are attorneys at a law firm representing some of the plaintiffs.
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Madison Police Department (MPD) Chief Shon Barnes on Tuesday said his department is not yet able to authenticate the documents shared online by Reduxx founder Anna Slatz, who claims to have obtained the manifesto left by but nonetheless urged members of the media from disseminating the purported manifesto left by Natalie Rupnow, who police say killed two and injured seven in an attack on the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday.
“We know a document has been widely shared on social media. At this time, we cannot verify its authenticity,” said Barnes in a Tuesday press briefing.
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Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, stressed the importance that the Madison Police Department (MPD) in Wisconsin confirms or denies the existence of a six-page manifesto reportedly written by the 15-year-old Abundant Life Christian School shooter that is being shared by online personalities.
On Monday, MPD identified the shooter who killed two and injured seven at the Abundant Life Christian School as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow.
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Governor Bill Lee of Tennessee was among the 26 governors who signed a letter confirming their support for the immigration proposals advanced by President-elect Donald Trump, including the mass deportation of illegal immigrants.
Lee confirmed his support in a post to the social media platform X, where he shared a joint letter issued by the Republican Governors Association (RGA), which Lee continues to lead through the end of this year.
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A spokesman for the Amarillo Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that it is now investigating following the publication by The Star of video that purportedly shows two staff members engaged in a sex act at the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center in Amarillo, Texas on August 17, 2022.
Emily Bell, the Public Affairs Officer for the Amarillo VA, told The Star on Tuesday that the agency “has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, and we take any allegation extremely seriously. We are investigating this matter thoroughly, and we will take any appropriate action at the conclusion of our investigation.”
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The Nashville-based Beacon Center of Tennessee narrowed down three finalists to be considered for its 2024 Pork of the Year title.
Each year, the Beacon Center publishes its annual Pork Report highlighting the wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars across the Volunteer State, with the biggest waste of taxpayer money being crowned as Pork of the Year.
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Alex Bruesewitz, an advisor to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, thanked Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) for staying by his side after fainting on stage during a New York Young Republican Club gala on Sunday night.
Video shared on social media of the event shows Bruesewitz fainting and toppling over the lectern while he was on stage introducing incoming White House senior aide Dan Scavino.
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Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) said the new universal school choice bill filed last month in the Tennessee General Assembly is a “win-win” for “everybody” on the issue, specifically for those in favor of a school choice program and those in favor of allocating more funding for public schools.
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Tennessee could be one of the next states to address fluoride levels in drinking water as some question its benefits versus possible risks.
The debate over fluoridation reignited after statements from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination for secretary of Health and Human Services.
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President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Tennessee Supreme Court Justice Sarah Keeton Campbell to a seat on the Federal Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals that opened up with the retirement of Justice Jane Branstetter Stranch.
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The Madison Police Department (MPD) on Monday identified the shooter who killed two and injured seven at the Abundant Life Christian School as 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who was known by Samantha.
Police have said that Rupnow took her own life after committing the shooting, and on Monday night reported she was pronounced dead while being transported to the hospital.
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Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the director of the Thomas E. Creek VA Medical Center in Amarillo, Texas has yet to respond after The Star inquired about allegations made by a veteran who received health care from the facility in 2022 and claims to have documented two employees at the VA facility having sexual relations just feet away from where he was being treated.
Last week, The Star obtained a video from retired U.S. Army Sergeant Donald Belzer, who claimed that the footage shows two staff members at the Amarillo VA Health Care System engaged in sexual activity inside a closet marked “Clean Supplies,” just feet away where he was being treated for a hand injury.
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