Category: The South

Trump Cabinet Member Says Tennessee to Part of ‘Manhattan Project 2’ to Create Nuclear Energy, Power AI

Tom Pappert
Energy Sec Chris Wright

Trump administration Energy Secretary Chris Wright during a visit to Tennessee that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) would become part of a successor to the Manhattan Project of World War 2, which led American scientists to split the atom ahead of Germany, allowing the creation of both nuclear weapons and nuclear power plants.

Joined by U.S. Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in Oak Ridge Tennessee last Friday, Wright first noted ORNL and Tennessee’s history supporting the American war effort during the 1940s, calling Tennessee “a leader” in the field that developed the innovative materials and processes necessary for scientists to split the atom.

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Tennessee Bill May See Taxpayers Bankroll DEI-Driven Communities in Schools Group

Tom Pappert
State Rep. Kirk Haston, State Sen. Richard Briggs

Tennessee lawmakers are considering legislation that could allow local education agencies (LEAs) to apply for grants that help “community partner” organizations develop a presence on school campuses in order to provide key services to students and their families, including healthcare, on school campuses.

House Bill (HB) 225 by Representative Kirk Haston (R-Lobelville) and Senate Bill (SB) 364 by Senator Richard Higgs (R-Knoxville), the Tennessee Full Service Schools Act, would establish a “full service community schools grant program,” funded by taxpayers through the General Assembly, that would be administered by the University of Tennessee (UT).

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Nashville Police Arrest Man for Alleged Plot to Bomb Federal Courthouse

Tom Pappert
Alexander Thompson

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of a Brentwood man over an alleged plot to bomb a federal courthouse.

MNPD announced in a Tuesday press release that Alexander Thompson, 35, was arrested after he alleged made “numerous electronic threats involving plans to firebomb the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building.” 

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Man Who Allegedly Fled Nashville Police Twice During Street Race Is Illegal Immigrant Currently Detained by ICE

Tom Pappert
arrest

Public records maintained by the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) confirmed on Monday that the man who allegedly fled from police twice while driving recklessly through Nashville is an illegal immigrant.

Jail records from DCSO reveal 25-year-old Frank Eduardo Jose Reyes-Borrayo was arrested and booked into jail early on Sunday, when he was charged with reckless endangerment with a vehicle, evading arrest, illegally carrying a firearm, and driving without a valid driver’s license.

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Trump, Treasury Department Declare End of ‘Beneficial Ownership Report’ Mandate Threatening Business Owners with Fines, Prison

Tom Pappert
Small Business Owner

President Donald Trump and the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Sunday announced the end of the federal requirement under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) for millions of small business owners to provide “Beneficial Ownership Information Reports,” surrendering their personal information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network under penalty of $250,000 fines and up to five years in prison.

The Treasury Department shared the news in a Sunday post to the social media platform X, writing that it “will not enforce any penalties or fines associated with the beneficial ownership information reporting rule under the existing regulatory deadlines,” and will “further not enforce any penalties or fines against U.S. citizens or domestic companies or their beneficial owners” in the future.

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Transgender Cyberstalker McKenzie McClure Convicted on 24 Counts for Targeting Christian School

Tom Pappert
McKenzie McClure

McKenzie McClure, a biological woman who identifies as a transgender man named Kalvin, was found guilty by a Middle Tennessee jury last week of 24 felony counts of cyberstalking officials and employees at Christ Presbyterian Academy (CPA), the Nashville elementary school she once attended, and was alleged to have made vague threats to Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Governor Bill Lee.

McClure was arrested last May after she filmed herself making obscene gestures at the CPA campus. During that time, security cameras captured her as she attempted to gain access to the school. McClure also called the school, leaving a “disconcerting” message for staff members.

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Nashville Man Claiming Cartel Ties Arrested After Allegedly Chasing Woman, Shooting at Her Vehicle

Tom Pappert
Joel Caspedes

An Alabama sheriff’s office confirmed the arrest of Joel Caspedes, who it described as a Nashville man who apparently claimed he was a member of the Sinaloa Cartel after he allegedly chased a woman and began shooting at her vehicle near the Tennessee-Alabama state line.

The Limestone County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) on Friday said the arrest followed a “terrifying shooting incident” on I-65 the previous day, when a woman called police to report that Cespedes called her and was “threatening to kill her if she did not stop her vehicle.”

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Tennessee Bill Would Impose Criminal Penalties for School Shooting Threats, Doxxing

Tom Pappert
Tennessee State Sen Jack Johnson and Majority Leader William Lamberth

Legislation under consideration in the Tennessee General Assembly would impose criminal penalties to those responsible for threatening to shoot schools, as well as those who publish personal contact information about a private individual with the intent of causing them harm. 

House Bill (HB) 1314 by House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) and Senate Bill (SB) 1296 by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) would amend Tennessee law to create a new offense, making it a felony to make threats that a reasonable person would expect will result in the serious injury of four or more people.

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Voter Suppression Concerns Mount Ahead of Williamson County Republican Party Reorganization

Tom Pappert
Williamson County Board Meeting

Voters and candidates have expressed concerns over potential voter suppression tactics ahead of the March 4, 2025 Williamson County Republican Party Reorganization Convention, with reports suggesting such tactics are targeting the Williamson County Conservatives slate of candidates. 

The candidates and voters in Williamson County have cited concerns about emails inaccurately informing voters they are not bona fide Republicans that were sent from the Williamson County Republican Party “Contests and Credentialing Committee,” which would make them ineligible to vote on Tuesday, with the Williamson County Conservatives slate noting their opponents appointed the committee. 

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Memphis Democrat Surrenders to FBI over Indictment Claiming He Profited from Federal Grant Money

Tom Pappert
Shelby County Board of Commissioners member Edmund Ford, Jr.

Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. on Friday voluntarily surrendered to the FBI after he was indicted with bribery and tax evasion over a 2019 scheme that allegedly involved the Democratic politician being paid to consult for three nonprofits that sought access to federal grant money distributed by Shelby County. 

Three instances of Ford engaging in such behavior are detailed in the federal indictment, the result of a grand jury which was made public Friday, claim that nonprofit organizations either paid Ford directly or through his businesses, E&J Computer Services and Repair and Precise Solutions and Consulting, to obtain access to federal money.

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‘Legacy Tokens’ Memo Suppressing Covenant Killer Manifesto Not DOJ Policy, but Guidance from Obscure Behavioral Analysis Unit

Tom Pappert
Nashville Police Chief John Drake

A review by The Tennessee Star of the original FBI materials containing the term “legacy tokens,” which the agency defined in 2018 as any item left by a mass killer to explain their actions, suggests the suppression of such materials is not a policy of the federal government, but instead is the informal guidance of one Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), one of a collection of groups nestled within the agency’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), which itself is part of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG). 

So-called “legacy tokens” were the subject of the May 11, 2023 memo sent by the FBI’s CIRG to Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake, “strongly” advising against the release of the writings left by Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the biological female who identified as a transgender man when she killed six at the Christian school she once attended on March 27, 2023. 

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Commentary: Expanding Medicare Coverage for Anti-Obesity Medication Is a Smart Investment

Star News Contributor
Overweight people

Rising healthcare costs are a major concern for Tennesseans, and one of the biggest drivers of those costs is obesity. Tennessee ranks among the most obese states in the country, with nearly 70 percent of adults and over a third of children classified as overweight or obese. This isn’t just a personal issue—it’s a public health challenge that affects families, businesses, and taxpayers.

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LaRock, Chase Join Virginia Gubernatorial Race as Youngkin Renews Support for Winsome Earle-Sears

Tom Pappert
Virginia Del. Dave LaRock

Two candidates joined Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in the race to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin on Wednesday, when both former State Senator Amanda Chase and former Delegate Dave LaRock made moves to enter the race.

Framing herself as the candidate most closely aligned with President Donald Trump, Chase announced her candidacy on Wednesday morning, claiming she determined to run for office after hearing rumors about the Earle-Sears campaign that would purportedly lead to a loss against former Representative Abigail Spanberger, who is likely to become the Democratic nominee.

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Tennessee Star Presses FBI for Answers on Agency’s ‘Legacy Tokens’ Memo Suppressing Trans Covenant Killer’s Manifesto

Tom Pappert
FBI Files with "Legacy Token" memo

The Tennessee Star on Thursday filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requesting the FBI provide all of its internal records regarding “legacy tokens,” including those related to the May 2023 memo that “strongly” advised the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) not to release documents like the manifesto left by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the biological woman who identified as a transgender man when she killed six at the Covenant School on March 27, 2023.

Obtained by The Star last June, the May 11, 2023 memo was addressed to MNPD Chief John Drake and sent from the FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit, part of the agency’s Critical Incident Response Group, from an address in Quantico, Virginia.

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White House Confirms WHCA No Longer Decides Which Reporters Access Trump After Question from John Fredericks

Tom Pappert
White House Press

On the heels of obtaining confirmation the Trump administration will cease to allow the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) to manage the White House press pool, The Virginia Star publisher John Fredericks said the decision would destroy a “monopolistic, power-hungry cartel” that effectively managed media coverage of the president for more than “ten decades.”

In response to a question from Fredericks, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the administration will be taking control over the rotating schedule for the White House press pool, giving new media outlets the opportunity to travel with the president on Air Force One, enter the East Room of the White House, and ask President Donald Trump questions during special events.

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Top DOGE Administrator Revealed by New York Times to be Nashville Woman

Tom Pappert
Amy Gleason

The top administrator at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was revealed on Tuesday by The New York Times to be Amy Gleason, a Nashville woman who seems to have previously worked as a Senior Advisor to the U.S. Digital Service (USDS), which was renamed DOGE after Elon Musk was made a special government employee.

According to The Times, a White House official confirmed Gleason’s identity as legacy media outlets sought answers about DOGE’s leadership in response to the Trump administration confirming Musk does not lead the government agency. The outlet described Gleason as “the temporary leader of what is formally known as the U.S. DOGE Service.”

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‘Laudable’: Public Policy Expert Applauds Tennessee Attorney General’s ‘Wildly Popular’ Wins for Tennesseans

Kaitlin Housler
Jonathan Skrmetti

Recovering journalist and Nashville-area public policy expert Clint Brewer thinks Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti would be a strong candidate if he were to run for governor in 2026.

“If this were a state where the attorney general was elected, we’d be talking about Skrmetti for governor right now,” Brewer said on Tuesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.

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ICE Arrests in Virginia Include Egyptian Man Who Entered U.S. Illegally Through Mexico, Was Released from Jail by Biden DOJ

Tom Pappert
ICE police

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced the arrest of an illegal immigrant who is citizens of both Turkey and Egypt, but nonetheless entered the United States illegally from Mexico, and is now alleged to have violated the terms of his release into the country by moving to Virginia without informing authorities.

A Friday press release from ICE stated that Noareleslam Abdelrahman was first arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol in June 2023, after he illegally crossed the southern border near Yuma, Arizona, when they served him with a notice to appear before a Department of Justice judge to determine whether he would be allowed in the United States.

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Rep. Tim Burchett Urges Congress to Pass ‘No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act’ and End Government Payments to Taliban

Tom Pappert
Rep Tim Burchett on The Shawn Ryan Show

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) on Tuesday urged the U.S. Congress to pass HR 260, the No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act, which the Tennessee Republican said would strip tax dollars currently being funneled to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Burchett said the legislation is the product of two years of efforts to magnify the issue, which he said was accomplished with the help of podcaster and veteran Shawn Ryan, who first discussed the payments to the Taliban with Burchett during a 2023 interview.

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Tennessee Man Allegedly Bought Supplies to Bomb xAI Data Center over Political Disagreements with Elon Musk, President Trump

Tom Pappert
Ethan Early, data center

The Ashland City Police Department (ACPD) confirmed to The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that it arrested Ethan Paul Early, who is reportedly accused of plotting to bomb the Elon Musk’s xAI facility in Memphis over political disagreements with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

An ACPD spokesman told The Star on Tuesday that Early remained in the Cheatham County Jail after his February 19 arrest, which WKRN reported occurred after the law enforcement apparently received tips of “concerning statements” made by the suspect, citing the ACPD affidavit that led to the arrest.

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Commentary: The Future of A.I. in Tennessee Exemplified in Healthcare

Star News Contributor
Hospitalist uses AI to diagnose a patient

Tennessee has one of the robust healthcare sectors in the nation, driven by companies and innovators across our state that are shaping the future of medicine. However, Tennessee’s medical community is not immune to the widespread problems that plague the healthcare field. Burnout is rampant, costs are increasing, and access to care is becoming in many cases more limited. Artificial intelligence, however, is offering a revolutionary opportunity for healthcare and fortunately our state is leading the way.

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Virginia U.S. Rep. John McGuire Says House Republicans Working in ‘Record Time’ to Pass ‘One Beautiful Bill’ with Trump’s Priorities

Tom Pappert
Rep. John McGuire, John Fredericks

U.S. Representative John McGuire (R-VA-05) on Monday said that House Republicans are close to presenting one piece of legislation that would accomplish much of the agenda outlined by President Donald Trump on the campaign trail.

McGuire said Monday during an appearance on “The John Fredericks Show” that Republicans in the House could have their bill ready as early as Tuesday, which he told The Virginia Star publisher John Fredericks would be an historic pace.

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Tennessee Supreme Court Sides with A.G. Jonathan Skrmetti over Death Row Inmate, Shelby County D.A. Steve Mulroy on Capital Punishment

Tom Pappert
DA Steve Mulroy, AG Jonathon Skrmetti

The Tennessee Supreme Court on Friday ruled the state law mandating only the Tennessee Attorney General can handle post-conviction death row cases is constitutional, dealing a blow to Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy, who joined a legal effort by a death row inmate that sought to disqualify Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti from his case.

Mulroy became involved in the legal effort after Larry McKay, who was convicted of murder in 1982, asked for a new trial in 2023, when lawmakers changed Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) 40-30-114(c) to mandate that Skrmetti’s would office “has exclusive control” over the case, as well as all other death row appeals. 

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Rep. Mark Green Says CCP ‘Waiting in the Wings’ to Buy U.S. Land as Bill Would Ban Biden-Era Scheme for Foreigners

Tom Pappert
Rep. Mark Green

U.S. Representative Mark Green on Monday said his legislation seeking to permanently prohibit a Biden-era scheme between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to create a new class of company that would allow foreigners to buy American land for the sole purpose of discontinuing all economic activity.

Green earlier this month introduced the Protect America’s Lands Act, which would specifically prohibit the establishment of Natural Asset Companies (NACs). The concept, under the Biden administration policy proposed between the SEC and NYSE, would have allowed the foreign purchase of American land for the purpose of returning it to its natural state.

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Resolution to Amend Tennessee Constitution Allowing Judges to Refuse Bail to Violent Defendants Would Not Lead to Overcrowded Jails, Reporter Says

Kaitlin Housler
Inside prison

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said a resolution in the Tennessee General Assembly that would amend the state’s constitution to allow judges the discretion to refuse bail to defendants facing certain charges would not lead to overcrowding in jails across the state.

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Constitutional Change to Tennessee Bail Could Keep Thousands of Criminals Off Streets Before Trial

Tom Pappert
Tennessee Speaker Cam Sexton, Police arrest

The Tennessee State Senate on Tuesday will consider a resolution that would begin the process of amending the Tennessee Constitution to allow judges the discretion to refuse bail to defendants facing a greater variety of charges, potentially resulting in thousands of additional criminals kept off the street while awaiting trial.

Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 25 would modify Article 1, Section 15 of the Constitution of Tennessee to allow judges to refuse bail to defendants accused of capital offenses, acts of terrorism, second degree murder, aggravated rape of a child, aggravated, rape, and grave torture, as well as those who face charges for which the defendant, “could not be released prior to the expiration of at least eighty-five percent of the entire sentence imposed.”

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Commentary: The GRACIE Act Is a Crucial Step in Protecting Children from Traffickers in Tennessee and Beyond

Star News Contributor
Migrant children at border

Across our country, a child is sold for sex every two minutes.

Although shocking, this fact reflects a troubling reality: Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world—generating $150 billion in profits— and afflicts every community in our country, including in Tennessee.

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Tennessee Lawmakers Consider Bill That ‘Deletes All References’ to World Health Organization in State Law

Tom Pappert
Tennessee Representative Justin Lafferty and State Senator Brent Taylor

Lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly this week will consider legislation that “deletes all references” to the World Health Organization (WHO) from the Volunteer State’s laws, especially those governing how a pandemic is declared.

According to the summary submitted for the legislation, House Bill (HB) 1226 by State Representative Justin Lafferty (R-Knoxville) and Senate Bill (SB) 669 by State Representative Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) completely “delets all references to the World Health Organization,” and would instead require the declaration of a pandemic to be made “by the federal Centers for Disease and Prevention Control (CDC), rather than the World Health Organization.”

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Tennessee Senate Resolution Urges Teachers to Use ‘Gulf of America,’ ‘Mount McKinley’ After Trump Renamed Them

Tom Pappert

Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson (R-Hixson) on Thursday filed a resolution in the General Assembly that would encourage teachers in the Volunteer State to educate pupils about the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley, which were renamed by President Donald Trump through an executive order late last month.

Formerly the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali, the names were changed to Gulf of Mexico and Mount McKinley through Trump’s “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” executive order on January 28. Google, the major GPS mapping provider, quickly updated its services to reflect Trump’s changes. 

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Trump Mocks ‘Broken Down Loser’ James Carville After Ex-Clinton Strategist Claims Democrats Likely to Win Virginia in 2025

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump and James Carville

President Donald Trump derided longtime Democratic political strategist James Carville after the former Clinton campaign strategist suggested Democrats should “play opossum” while the inevitable “collapse” of the Trump administration unfolds, fueled in part by a potential loss by Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin this November.

“I’m telling the Democrats, just sit there, play possum. Let them go, let them go, let them go,” said Carville during a Thursday appearance on Fox News. Claiming without evidence that the administration’s poll numbers are declining, he advised Democrats, “Just let the ball come to you. We don’t need to be aggressive now.”

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JC Bowman: ‘Accurate’ to Say Penny Schwinn Appointment Would ‘Enhance’ Failure at the U.S. Department of Education

Kaitlin Housler
JC Bowman, Michael Patrick Leahy

JC Bowman, founder and president of Professional Educators of Tennessee, said it is “accurate” to say that President Donald Trump’s appointment of Penny Schwinn to serve as his administration’s Deputy Secretary of Education will essentially “enhance” the failure of the U.S. Department of Education.

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Tennessee Star Urges New FBI Director Kash Patel to Order Release of Entire Covenant Killer Manifesto

Tom Pappert
FBI Diri. Kash Patel, Covenant Killer 'Manifesto'

The Tennessee Star on Friday sent a letter urging newly-confirmed FBI Director Kash Patel drop the agency’s opposition to the release of the full manifesto left by Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the biological woman who identified as a transgender man when she killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

Both Star News Digital Media Inc. (SNDM), which owns and operates The Star, and Michael Patrick Leahy, the editor-in-chief of The Star, are plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit that seeks to compel the FBI to release Hale’s full writings. Hale reportedly left about 1,000 pages in journals that police recovered from the residence where the 28-year-old lived with her parents.

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Trump Endorses Rep. Byron Donalds for Florida Governor, Promising ‘Total Support’

Christina Botteri
Rep. Byron Donalds

President Donald Trump threw his weight behind a potential gubernatorial run by Florida U.S. Representative  Byron Donalds (R-FL-19) Thursday, signaling strong support for the Republican rising star in what could shape up to be a high-profile 2026 race. In a fairly lengthy statement posted on TruthSocial, Trump praised Donalds as a “TOTAL WINNER” and offered his “Complete and Total Endorsement” should the congressman decide to vie for the governor’s mansion in Tallahassee.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Says Trump Admin, Kash Patel Will End ‘Two Tiers of Justice,’ ‘Political Weaponization’ of FBI

Tom Pappert
Kash Patel and Senator Marsha Blackburn

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) predicted on Thursday that President Donald Trump and Kash Patel, who was confirmed the same day as the new FBI Director, will end the “two tiers of justice” and “political weaponization” of the FBI.

Hours before she would vote to confirm Patel, the senator told Newsmax TV’s “Wake Up America” that the public is “thrilled” to see the Senate confirming those nominated to cabinet positions by President Donald Trump.

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