Members of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling on Monday in Trump v. United States that former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office.
Read the full storyCategory: Tennessee
Trump Moves to Reverse Verdict in New York Case After Historic Supreme Court Ruling
Former President Donald Trump’s lawyers moved quickly Monday night to take advantage of the Supreme Court ruling that he enjoyed immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts, sending a letter notifying the judge in his New York hush money case that they intend to ask to set aside the verdict reached by a jury last month, according to multiple sources.
Read the full storyCovenant School Killer Audrey Hale Avoided Commitment Three Times During Mental Health Crises
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale avoided commitment on three separate occasions, her parents told Metro Nashville Police Department investigators in a June 12, 2023 interview, according to a transcript obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source familiar with the investigation.
The transcript reveals Ronald and Norma Hale told investigators doctors wanted to commit her daughter for inpatient treatment over an eating disorder, and that Audrey Hale was twice considered for inpatient commitment after she expressed suicidal ideation to mental health professionals.
Read the full storyCovenant School Killer Audrey Hale Diagnosed with Anxiety Disorder Around 2011, Parents Told Police
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder around 2011, her parents told Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) investigators in a June 12, 2023 interview, according to a transcript obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source familiar with the investigation.
The Star previously reported that police documents revealed Audrey Hale to be a 22-year mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and The Star reported on Sunday that Hale’s parents, Ronald and Norma Hale, first learned of their daughter’s purported autism diagnosis from a speech pathologist in the summer of 2001.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Defends Intent to File Ouster Resolution Against Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) is defending his intent to file a Senate Joint Resolution requiring the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy during next year’s legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly despite critics calling the move “an attempt to overturn an election.”
Read the full storyBannon Arrives at Federal Prison for Four Month Sentence: ‘I’m a Political Prisoner’
Former White House strategist Steve Bannon reported to a federal prison on Monday in Connecticut to start his four-month sentence on contempt of Congress charges, calling himself a “political prisoner” of Democrats.
Bannon ignored subpoenas from the House Jan. 6 Select Committee.
Read the full storyTennessee GOP Chairman Scott Golden: Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance ‘Puts Pressure’ on NY Judge Merchan to Jail Trump
Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Scott Golden said President Joe Biden’s performance during Thursday’s CNN debate against former President Donald Trump “puts pressure” on New York Judge Juan Merchan to sentence Trump to prison on July 11.
Read the full storyCommissioner with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Confirms States are Moving Towards Conducting Elections Via Paper Ballots
Don Palmer, a U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Commissioner who was nominated by then-President Donald Trump and confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate in 2019, said the U.S. is moving towards conducting its elections via paper ballots as opposed to paperless voting machines.
Read the full storySupreme Court Rules Trump Has Absolute Immunity for Some Official Acts, But Not Unofficial Ones
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that former President Donald Trump is immune from federal prosecution for official acts he took while in office in split 6-3 ruling. However, the court ruled that there is no immunity for unofficial acts.
Read the full storyTennessee to Receive Nearly $31.7 Million in New Defense Outlay
Tennessee could receive nearly $31.7 million to fund construction projects in the new defense appropriation that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The biggest outlays for the Volunteer State would be for Arnold Air Force Base near Tullahoma. The base is the home of the Arnold Engineering Complex, which has 58 wind tunnels and other test facilities. The base would receive $21.4 million for a new testing bay and $5.5 million for a new cooling system.
Read the full storyCovenant School Killer Audrey Hale Began ‘Going Through Testing’ for Mental Health in Summer of 2001, Parents Told Police
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale began receiving treatment from a speech pathologist in September 2001, which is when a mental health professional first indicated to the killer’s parents that Audrey Hale suffered from autism, according to a transcript of the July 12, 2023 police interview with Ronald and Norma Hale obtained by The Tennessee Star from a source close to the investigation.
The Star previously published police documents which established Hale was a 22-year mental health patient at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) prior to her March 27, 2023 attack on the Covenant School, when she claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members before she was heroically shot by two responding police officers.
Read the full storyJen Psaki Calls Steve Bannon ‘A Brain Bending Communicator’ Who Sounds ‘Almost Rational’ After Interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl
Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki said on ABC’s This Week on Sunday that Steve Bannon is “a brain bending communicator” who sounds “almost rational” after the program played ABC’s Jonathan Karl’s exclusive interview with the former Trump White House advisor and current WarRoom host.
Read the full storyFBI Gives Vague Response to The Tennessee Star’s FOIA Request over ‘Legacy Tokens’
In response to The Tennessee Star’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on the agency’s policy regarding “legacy tokens” left behind by mass killers, the FBI offered a vague response to an original comment request by The Star.
“While our standard practice is not to comment on specific products, which includes addressing their veracity, the FBI regularly shares information with our law enforcement partners to assist in protecting the communities they serve,” the FBI said by email. “The FBI always encourages members of the public to be vigilant and report anything they consider suspicious to law enforcement.”
Read the full storyTennessee Students Show TCAP Math Score Improvement
Tennessee students showed math test scored improvements since hitting a pandemic low point in 2021, just as occurred in English language arts, according to new data released by the Tennessee Department of Education.
The Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program places results into four categories – exceed, met, approaching and below – compared to student comprehension expectations.
Read the full storyTDOT will Halt Construction to Ease Traffic on July 4th
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will halt all construction on July 4th to ease traffic for travelers during Independence Day.
“With so many people traveling on and around the Fourth of July, we want to do all we can to ensure they reach their destinations safely and without necessary delays,” said Deputy Governor and TDOT Commissioner Butch Eley in a news release. “We are doing so by suspending lane closures during this busy holiday travel time. Be mindful that our HELP Trucks will be on patrol and drivers must obey the law by moving over and slowing down for all emergency vehicles on the side of the road.”
Read the full storyTennessee AG Sends Letter to Major Credit Card Companies Warning of Legal Action Upon Noncompliance with New State Law
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to the CEOs of American Express, Visa, and Mastercard inquiring about the companies’ plans to comply with a state law set to take effect in the Volunteer State on Monday, July 1 concerning financial transaction data associated with firearm and ammunition purchases.
Read the full storyTennessee Democratic Party Silent on Whether to Stick With Biden as Nominee
The Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) remained silent when The Tennessee Star questioned on Saturday whether it would stand behind Joe Biden despite Biden’s Thursday night debate performance, which reportedly has top Democrats in a panic.
At press time, the party hasn’t made any public statement about the debate on either Facebook or X.
Read the full storyAtlanta Journal Constitution in Battleground Georgia Second Major Newspaper to Call on Biden to Retire
Georgia’s largest newspaper on Saturday night published a front page editorial pleading with President Joe Biden to step aside and embrace “the shade of retirement.”
The Atlanta Constitution-Journal declared Biden’s debate performance in Atlanta on Thursday night was “excruciating” and failed to lay out a “competent and coherent vision for the future of America.”
Read the full storyEast Tennessee Tea Party Organizer Kay Carr White Passes Away
Kay Carr White, an early organizer of the 2009 Tea Party Movement in east Tennessee, passed away earlier this week at the age of 75 in Johnson City, Tennessee.
Read the full story10 New Laws Aimed at Improving School Safety in Tennessee Set to Take Effect July 1
Ten bills passed during the most recent legislative session of the Tennessee General Assembly and signed by Governor Bill Lee concerning school safety will take effect on Monday, July 1.
Read the full storyJudge in Trump’s Manhattan Trials Reviews Risk Assessment by Anti-Trump Psychiatrist
Five mental health professionals, some of whom already accused Donald Trump of being “dangerous,” prepared a risk assessment for New York state Judge Juan Merchan to consider in his July 11 sentencing decision on Trump, according to forensic psychiatrist Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a longtime critic of the former president.
Read the full storyPollster John McLaughlin: Biden’s Desperate Attempt to Change the Narrative Surrounding His Failed Presidency ‘Did Not Work’ During Thursday’s Debate
Long-time pollster John McLaughlin said President Joe Biden failed to change the narrative surrounding his presidency during Thursday night’s CNN debate against former President Donald Trump.
Read the full story‘Reckless Gamble’: New York Times Editorial Board Calls for Biden to Drop Out After Debate
The New York Times’s Editorial Board released a blithering op-ed on Friday night that called for President Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race after his disastrous debate performance on Thursday.
Read the full storyTennessee’s Elected Officials React to Thursday’s Presidential Debate
Tennessee’s elected officials reacted positively to former President Donald Trump’s debate performance against President Joe Biden on Thursday night.
“There is no debate about it: President Trump was the clear winner tonight and the person we need to save our country,” said a statement from Sen. Marsha Blackburn. “Under President Biden, hardworking families can’t afford basic necessities, illegal immigrants are treated better than our nation’s veterans and criminals get off scot-free while the Justice Department unfairly targets conservatives.”
Read the full storyJournal Lacks Evidence for Early Police Claim Audrey Hale Targeted Covenant over ‘Resentment’ for Time at School
The journal police recovered from the vehicle Audrey Elizabeth Hale drove to the Covenant School, where she claimed the lives of six on March 27, 2023, does not contain evidence Hale harbored “resentment” the five years she spent as a student at the school.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained approximately 80 pages of Hale’s writings, in the form of Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) photos, from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation.
Read the full storySupreme Court Makes It Harder to Charge Jan. 6 Rioters with Obstruction, Same Charge Trump Faces
A Supreme Court ruling on Friday limits the scope of obstruction charges against Jan. 6, 2021 rioters, which is the same charge former President Trump faces in his 2020 election interference case.
Read the full storySupreme Court Overturns Chevron Decision, Curtailing Federal Agencies’ Power
The Supreme Court on Friday overturned a landmark decision that gave federal agencies broad regulatory power.
Read the full storyTractor Supply Issues Statement Pledging to ‘Eliminate DEI’ and Return to Conservative Tennessee Roots
The Tractor Supply company on Thursday issued a statement announcing it will “eliminate DEI roles” and take a series of other actions in response to the backlash which followed recent reporting about the company’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
The Tractor Supply statement, posted to social media, explained, “We work hard to live up to our Mission and Values every day and represent the values of the communities and customers we serve.”
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn ‘Disappointed’ in Supreme Court’s Ruling in Government Speech Suppression Case
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) joined many elected officials and conservative leaders who expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Murthy v. Missouri on Wednesday.
The Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and five individual plaintiffs brought this court case.
Read the full storyTennessee Department of Children’s Services Sued for Alleged Abuse of Disabled Children
The Tennessee Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has been sued by an activism group that supports disabled people, claiming that DCS has neglected and mistreated vulnerable disabled children.
“When Youth enter Defendants’ facilities, they struggle to find the basic support that every child needs and deserves, such as education, mental healthcare, medical care, and physical safety,” a lawsuit filed by Disability Rights Tennessee says. “Defendants fail to provide evidence-based services designed to treat or rehabilitate Youth. Indeed, Defendants lack any coherent strategy for rehabilitating young people in their care or addressing behavioral issues, instead defaulting to incarceration. Youth therefore have no meaningful way to progress in their treatment and rehabilitation.”
Read the full storyTennessee Attorney General and Secretary of State’s Offices Warn of Scammers Using Celebrities Names and Likeness to Solicit Money
Tennessee’s secretary of state and attorney general’s offices warn Tennesseans of a “significant rise” of scammers attempting to use celebrities’ names and likenesses to solicit consumer money.
“Sadly, we’ve seen a significant rise in scammers attempting to utilize the name or likeness of celebrities to take advantage of consumers,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said in a statement. “We encourage all to remain vigilant and report any questionable communications to us or the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office so we can prevent Tennesseans from being victimized.”
Read the full storyU.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Introduces Bill to Reinstate Trump-Era Trade Sanctions Against China’s Institute of Forensic Science
U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced a bill on Wednesday that would re-list the Ministry of Public Security’s (MPS) Institute of Forensic Science of China onto the Entity List maintained by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce.
In 2020, the Trump administration slapped sanctions on the Chinese MPS Institute of Forensic Science for its role in the surveillance and abuse of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province.
Read the full storyFormer Chattanooga Police Chief Indicted on 17 Charges
Former Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy, who resigned from her post Wednesday, has been indicted by a Hamilton County grand jury for 17 alleged crimes, some misdemeanors and some felonies.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), which says it began investigating Murphy in April, first announced the news of her indictment Thursday morning.
Read the full storyBiden’s Bad Debate Night: Mumbles, Blank Stares and Major Bumbles Give Trump a Path to Finish Line
A nation hungry for solutions to its woes got a heavy dose Thursday night of prescriptions from a confident and concise Donald Trump in the first presidential debate of 2024 while the man who succeeded him in the White House alarmed his own Democrat ranks with a steady stream of mumbles, blank stares and major bumbles.
Read the full storyHeritage Foundation’s John Malcolm Breaks Down Supreme Court Decision Making It More Difficult to Challenge Government Collusion with Social Media Companies
John G. Malcolm, vice president at the Institute for Constitutional Government at the Heritage Foundation, said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Murthy v. Missouri on Wednesday will make it “more difficult for people to challenge a government’s collusion with social media companies” moving forward.
Murthy v. Missouri was brought by the Republican attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, along with five individual plaintiffs.
Read the full storyNashville Police Deny Chief Acknowledged Vanderbilt University Medical Center Staff Failed Duty to Warn Potential Victims of Covenant Killer Audrey Hale
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Wednesday denied Chief John Drake privately acknowledged staff at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) knew Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale told mental health professionals she fantasized about killing her father and committing a mass shooting at a school, but failed to warn potential victims in violation of Tennessee Code 33-3-206, as was alleged by a source familiar with the investigation to The Tennessee Star on June 19.
MNPD Public Affairs director Don Aaron contacted The Star on Wednesday via email to state, “Chief Drake confirms that he DID NOT acknowledge what” The Star first reported in its June 19 article.
Read the full storyFar-Left State Rep. Aftyn Behn Sues Tennessee over Abortion Trafficking Law
Far-left member of the Tennessee General Assembly earlier this week filed a lawsuit against 11 district attorneys general over a soon-to-be enacted abortion trafficking law signed by Governor Bill Lee (R).
State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and Nashville abortion activist and attorney Rachel Welty are listed as the plaintiffs in the case.
Read the full storyISIS Smuggling Network Confirmed Weeks After Tennessee Congressman Warned of ISIS Crossings
Two weeks after a U.S. Tennessee representative sent out a warning about members of the terrorist group ISIS crossing the open southern border, news has emerged that an ISIS smuggling network has brought more than 400 illegal migrants into the country.
Three Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials told NBC News that “over 400 immigrants from Central Asia and elsewhere who crossed into the U.S. in the past three years as ‘subjects of concern’ because they were brought by an ISIS-affiliated human smuggling network.”
Read the full storyU.S. House Passes Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett’s ‘No Tax Dollars for the Taliban Act’
The U.S. House of Representatives passed Tennessee congressman Tim Burchett’s (R-TN-02) bill that would discourage countries that receive U.S. foreign aid from sending money to the Taliban.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Launches Bipartisan Inquiry into DHS Amid Reports of Dangerous Conditions for Children in CBP Custody
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Georgia U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) launched a bipartisan inquiry with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) about reports of children being abused, neglected, and even cases of death while in custody awaiting processing at Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities.
Read the full storyOutgoing Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital President Created Psychiatric Crisis Evaluation Process Before Covenant Killer Audrey Hale was Referred for Commitment
The outgoing president of Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital (VPH), part of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), combined the hospital’s services to patients in psychiatric crisis in 2016, three years before the Covenant School killer was referred to VPH for commitment and instead enrolled in an Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP).
The Tennessee Star reported on June 7 that Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) investigators learned within hours of Hale’s March 27, 2023 attack on the Covenant School, which claimed the lives of six, that the killer was a 22-year mental health patient of VUMC.
Read the full storyMaricopa County Elections Worker Arrested for Stealing Tabulator Programming FOB/Key Also Allegedly Broke into AZ Senate
An Arizona State Capitol insider with knowledge of recent incidents there told The Arizona Sun Times that progressive activist Walter Ringfield, Jr. – the same man who was arrested for allegedly stealing an election machine tabulator key fob – was caught breaking and entering into the Arizona Senate recently. Video surveillance footage allegedly caught him stealing collectible coins from the security area and walking around on the third floor unauthorized. When apprehended by security, he was asked to leave. The insiders said that Ringfield told security he was there to deliver some documents to State Senator Juan Mendez (D-Tempe).
News reports about the election key fob theft broke a Monday. According to a police report obtained by The Sun Times, surveillance video shows Ringfield putting the set into his pocket.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Sets Up Crime Victim Hotline to Gather Complaints Against Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) announced Monday that his office has set up a hotline for crime victims and current or former staff members of the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office to gather complaints against District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
Last week, Taylor announced that he intends to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Mulroy.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn Leads Push to Improve Access to Diagnostic Scans for Medicare Patients
Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of 14 other senators in sending a letter to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requesting that the agency work to increase patient access to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) scans.
Read the full storyAudrey Hale Wrote Entry Titled ‘For Media’ in Journal Recovered by Police After Covenant School Attack
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote in the journal police recovered from her vehicle an entry that appears to include instructions for the media about how to refer to the killer.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation.
Read the full storyCovenant Killer Audrey Hale Wrote in Journal About Training with Firearm She Purchased with Pell Grant, Concealed in Family Home
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote in the journal police recovered from her vehicle about training at a Nashville gun range with one of the weapons she purchased using federal Pell Grant funds and concealed in her family home.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained Hale’s journal and a tranche of police documents from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation, and on June 6, including a journal entry in which Hale claimed to witness an accidental firearm injury while training at a Nashville gun range just two days prior to her devastating March 27, 2023 attack.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Started Center to Assist with Mental Health ‘Intervention’ One Day After Covenant School Attack
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital announced the creation of its Behavioral Health Clinical Services Center (CSC) on March 28, 2023, just one day after Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale committed her attack that claimed the lives of six, including three children.
The Tennessee Star confirmed it obtained a portion of police documents from the Covenant case earlier this month, including documents that show Hale was a 22-year mental health patient at VUMC who began receiving treatment in 2001 when she was just six years old.
Read the full storyState Representative Scott Cepicky: Tennessee’s Public Education Has Opportunity to Be Improved Through Both Universal School Choice Program and Reform Measures
Tennessee State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) said the Tennessee House version of the universal school choice bill that failed to pass the General Assembly earlier this year is “eerily similar” to the Wisconsin school choice bill that passed the state’s legislature nearly 14 years ago.
Read the full storyConfirmed: Steve Bannon to Report to Federal Prison in Connecticut to Serve Four Month Sentence
According to a report by CNN, Steve Bannon, former Chief of Staff to President Donald Trump, will be ordered by a judge to report to a Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, stemming from a 2022 conviction on contempt of Congress charges for ignoring a subpoena from the Jan. 6 committee.
Bannon has been ordered to report to prison on July 1 following a rejected appeal.
Read the full storyExclusive: Tennessee AG Jonathan Skrmetti Says SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging State Law Banning Transgender Treatment for Minors Will Be a ‘Major Step Toward Clarity’
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined Tuesday’s episode of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show for an exclusive interview where he discussed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to hear arguments and rule on whether Tennessee’s law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.
Read the full story