Football is back—and Godzilla is planting his flag in Nashville.
My best bet of the week: Tennessee Titans −1.5 over the New York Jets.
Read the full storyTitans 1.5: This Is Tennessee’s Signature Game
Category: The South
Tennessee Democrat, Shelby County Commissioner Maintains Innocence After Arrest on Felony Tax Charges
The vice chair of the Shelby County Democratic Party, who was recently sworn in as a member of the Shelby County Commission, is claiming his innocence after being arrested for felony tax charges earlier this week.
Officially named the First Vice Chair for the Shelby County Democrats last year, Shelby County Commissioner Will Richardson (District 8) joined the commission earlier this month after winning his election in August. Despite his rise in Democratic politics, Richardson was reportedly indicted on August 25, then arrested after a warrant was issued Tuesday, reportedly for felony sales tax fraud charges related to his Fat Charlie’s Speakeasy restaurant and bar.
Read the full storyFederal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit by Colombian-Born Journalist Detained in Tennessee After Missing Multiple ICE Meetings
U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson on Wednesday dismissed the federal habeas corpus lawsuit brought by Estefany Rodriguez Flores, the Colombian journalist who was briefly detained by immigration authorities earlier this year in Nashville.
At the time the lawsuit was filed, Rodriguez Flores was in federal custody after missing two meetings with ICE, first because of Winter Storm Fern, then because her attorney was unable to confirm the appointment date during a visit to ICE’s office in Nashville.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Airport Authority Votes to Rename BNA to Honor Dolly Parton
The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) voted unanimously to begin the process of renaming Nashville International Airport (BNA) in honor of the late Tennessee music legend Dolly Parton.
Read the full storySEC Does Not Discipline LSU, School Remains in Conference
The SEC announced Louisiana State University (LSU) did not receive any discipline for their actions regarding player eligibility after the conference held a meeting with its members.
“The presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference met Thursday by videoconference to discuss the recent matters involving conference expectations and responsibilities. Those discussions will continue as the conference and its member universities work toward an appropriate resolution,” the SEC said.
Read the full storyBrent Hamachek Reflects on Charlie Kirk’s Intellectual Legacy, New Book One Year After Assassination
Brent Hamachek, a New York Times bestselling author, reflected on his 12-year relationship with Charlie Kirk and the development of his new book, The Intellect of Charlie Kirk, during an exclusive interview Thursday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, one year after Kirk was assassinated in Utah.
Read the full storyUkrainian Lawyer Sentenced for Role in Conti Hacking Network Behind Ransomware Attacks on Tennessee Businesses, Law Enforcement
The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday announced that a four year sentence was issued to Oleksii Oleksiyovych Lytvynenko, a Ukrainian lawyer who pleaded guilty to participating in the Russia-based Conti ransomware group, which has been blamed for attacks against more than 1,000 victims globally, including Tennessee businesses and law enforcement agency.
The original indictment against Lytvynenko states that “Conti conspirators” claimed credit for attacks on a Middle Tennessee sheriff’s department, another Middle Tennessee government entity, and gaining access to systems of another local law enforcement agency in Tennessee, while the plea agreement states that Lytvynenko admitted his email address connected him to stolen material from eight American victims and four from other countries.
Read the full storyPlaintiff in Lawsuit Claiming Harassment by Memphis Safe Task Force is Co-Founder of Pro-Illegal Alien Vecindarios 901 Network
Two of the four plaintiffs suing the Trump administration and Tennessee Highway Patrol over the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), claiming illegal retaliation and unconstitutional enforcement of Tennessee’s Halo Law, are affiliated with Vecindarios 901, the pro-illegal alien activist group that describes itself as a “grassroots rapid response network” based in Memphis. They are represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The first plaintiff listed in the original complaint is Hunter Demster, who has been repeatedly described or identified as the co-founder of Vecindarios 901. A profile in Memphis Magazine said that Demster “uses videos shot on a phone and social media to document law enforcement.”
Read the full storyO’Charley’s Restaurant Abruptly Closes Tennessee Locations, All Others to Follow
The Nashville-based dining chain O’Charley’s Restaurant & Bar is closing its remaining corporate-owned locations nationwide, including all eight of its Middle Tennessee restaurants, according to multiple reports.
Read the full storyWhite House Announces $500 Refund Checks for Americans Who Paid Full Obamacare Premiums
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the federal government will issue $500 refunds to nearly 1 million Americans in 30 states who the White House says were overcharged through Obamacare exchange fees during the Biden administration.
Read the full storyGeoff Shepard: Watergate Prosecutors Operated in ‘Clear Violation’ of Separation of Powers
Former Nixon White House attorney and longtime Watergate researcher Geoff Shepard said the Watergate prosecutions involved a series of secret communications and coordination between members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, arguing that the conduct violated the separation of powers guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Read the full storyTrump Pledges $5,000 ‘Trump Dividends’ for Every Adult American if GOP Maintains Majorities in U.S. House, Senate
President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday night to issue a $5,000 “Trump Dividend” to every adult American if Republicans maintain control of both chambers of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.
Read the full storyNashville Zoo Cancels Zoolumination for 2026 Due to Visa Issues
Nashville Zoo announced Wednesday it has canceled its annual Zoolumination lantern festival for 2026 after visa applications for artisans from China who help construct the event’s displays were denied.
Read the full storyIllegal Bug Eggs from Tanzania Seized by CBP in Memphis in Second Bust Involving Praying Mantis Materials Since 2021
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on Monday reported seizing a shipment from Tanzania containing “mantis egg masses.” The CBP Office of Field Operations in Memphis made the discovery, and it is the second seizure involving praying mantis parts in the Tennessee city since 2021.
In a social media post, the CBP Office of Field Operations confirmed that agriculture specialists in Tennessee were brought in to investigate the illicit shipment, in which bug eggs had apparently been disguised within a photo frame.
Read the full storyAxios Claims Glenn Jacobs Viewed as Likely Successor to Marsha Blackburn in U.S. Senate After Flock Cameras Fight
Former Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs is reportedly viewed as the most likely candidate available to U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for selection to finish her term in the Senate if Tennessee voters make her the state’s next governor in November, according to Axios, which noted that President Donald Trump recently praised the former professional wrestler.
Should Blackburn win her campaign to become Tennessee’s next governor, Tennessee Code Annotated 2-16-101(a) states that her successor would be elected at the next regular November election. Tennessee’s governor is charged with appointing a temporary successor to fill the seat until the election occurs, landing Blackburn in the rare position of selecting the person to succeed her.
Read the full storyU.S. Reps Announce New Congressional Caucus to Combat College Campus Antisemitism During Visit to Vanderbilt University
U.S. Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) announced the launch of a bipartisan congressional caucus focused on combating antisemitism on college campuses during a visit to Vanderbilt University in Nashville on Tuesday.
Read the full storyReport: LSU Backs Off from Adding Former NFL Players to Roster
Louisiana State University (LSU) filled out its 105-man roster for the 2026 college football season without including two players with professional experience.
According to ESPN, LSU used the last two open roster spots on cornerback Aidan Anding and defensive end Gabriel Reliford. Both of these players played for the Tigers last year.
Read the full storyPulliam: SEC’s Legal Argument to Expel LSU Likely to Be ‘Laughed Out of Court’
Legal analyst and retired attorney Mark Pulliam criticized the Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) legal strategy in its escalating dispute with Louisiana State University (LSU), arguing the conference is relying on a weak First Amendment theory to prevent LSU from challenging its possible expulsion.
Read the full storyOne of Three Illegal Aliens Arrested in Tennessee Identity Theft Probe Booked into Knox County Jail as U.S. Marshals Inmate
The name of one of the three alleged fraudsters, identified last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a suspect in an identity theft probe, appears on a list of inmates at the Knox County Sheriff’s Office, suggesting the crimes may have occurred in East Tennessee.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) first told Border Hawk last week that Magdalena Gomez-Garcia, Elias Gomez-Garcia, and Eulalia Ordonez-Carmelo were arrested on August 4, with the outlet reporting ICE described all three suspects as illegal aliens from Guatemala who were already subject to final orders of removal.
Read the full storyTN Democrat Governor Nominee’s Pledge to End ICE Cooperation Earns Endorsement from PAC Affiliated with $735,000 Nashville Grant Recipient
Jerri Green, the Democratic nominee for Governor of Tennessee, last month received the endorsement of a political action committee (PAC) associated with one of the pro-illegal alien nonprofits which received grants totaling nearly $1.5 million from Metro Nashville.
The Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC) Votes political action committee (PAC) on August 11 endorsed Green, the Memphis City Council member and Georgetown University School of Law graduate who secured the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nominee last month.
Read the full storyBallot Language Released Ahead of November Vote on Three Proposed Tennessee Constitutional Amendments
The Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office released the language for three proposed constitutional amendments that will appear on the November 3rd ballot, giving voters an opportunity to review the measures ahead of Election Day.
The three amendments address pretrial bail, state property taxation, and constitutional rights for crime victims.
Read the full storyLSU Faces Expulsion from SEC
The SEC has scheduled a meeting to decide whether to expel Louisiana State University (LSU).
The meeting between the conference’s presidents and chancellors will occur on Thursday to decide the fate of one of its biggest brands, ESPN reports.
Read the full story‘Foreign Truck Driver’ with Non-Domiciled CDL Issued in New York Dead in Fiery Multi-Vehicle Crash on I-40: Report
A truck driver who was reportedly issued a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license (CDL) in New York was killed in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on I-40 near Brownsville last week, according to a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) crash report obtained by Action News 5.
Read the full storyICE Highlights Knoxville Role in Investigation of ‘High-Ranking’ Cartel Members
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) highlighted the role of its Knoxville office in a multinational investigation that resulted in July federal indictments against two alleged high-ranking members of the United Cartels, a major methamphetamine trafficking organization based in Michoacán, Mexico.
Read the full storyTennessee Appellate Court Data Compromised in Cyberattack Affecting Court Systems Nationwide
The Tennessee Appellate Court Clerk’s Office confirmed last week that it was impacted by a “cybersecurity incident” disclosed by Thomson Reuters, the parent company of West Publishing, which owns the C-Track case management system used by appellate courts in the Volunteer State.
In an article published to the Reuters website, Thomson Reuters acknowledged “an unauthorized third party obtained” access to certain files in its C-Track case management platform in 11 states, including Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Wyoming, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Read the full storyICE Facility Headed to Nashville Described as ‘National Coordination Center’ for 287(g) Law Enforcement Partners in New Federal Document
A new draft document released last week by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers more information about the federal government’s plans for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) National Coordination Center being built in Nashville, revealing the facility could support nationwide audits of local law enforcement agencies participating in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program.
In a Request for Information (RFI) released publicly on September 1, ICE – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) asked public contractors to submit details about how they could perform compliance assessments of local law enforcement agencies who participate in the 287(g) program, which allows local authorities to perform certain federal immigration enforcement tasks.
Read the full storyTennessee Politicians Celebrate Labor Day
Tennessee politicians showed their respect for American workers on Labor Day.
America has celebrated Labor Day in some form since 1882, which is an “annual celebration of the economic and social achievements of American workers,” according to GovInfo.
Read the full storyLeahy Unveils Expanded Vision for The Star News Network: ‘Politics, Law, and Sports’
Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Tennessee Star, has announced an expansion of The Star News Network, outlining plans to expand the network’s coverage to include sports alongside its existing focus on politics and law.
Read the full storyMemphis Safe Task Force Made About 28 Arrests Each Day in August, U.S. Marshals Reveal
The Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) averaged about 28 arrests per day throughout August, according to the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), which said more than 850 alleged criminals were taken off the streets by task force members.
A USMS press release sent Monday said task force members made 853 arrests last month, averaging about 27.5 per day. As a result of the arrests, the MSTF also seized 118 illegal firearms, or about 3.8 per day.
Read the full storyGeoff Shepard: Leahy’s Watergate Book ‘Extracted the Essence’ of What Was Wrong with Trials
Former Nixon White House attorney and longtime Watergate researcher Geoff Shepard said the Watergate defendants were denied the fair trials guaranteed to them under the U.S. Constitution, arguing documents he uncovered show prosecutors and federal judges engaged in improper conduct during the proceedings.
Shepard detailed his research during an appearance Wednesday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show about Leahy’s new eBook and documentary, How the Deep State Took Down Richard Nixon.
Read the full storyIllegal Alien Charged with Vehicular Homicide by Intoxication After Fatal Motorcycle Crash in Tennessee Entered U.S. Under Biden in 2023
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has revealed that the unlicensed driver arrested in July, and charged with Vehicular Homicide by intoxication for his alleged role in a fatal motorcycle accident, entered the United States illegally under President Joe Biden.
In a Wednesday press release, ICE said that Alfonso Vasquez-Morales is a Mexican national who illegally crossed the border into the United States sometime in 2023. The agency said Vasquez-Morales “entered the United States without authorization through Arizona and has resided in the country illegally for approximately three years.”
Read the full storyMemphis City Council Passes Data Center Moratorium on Second Reading
Memphis City Council unanimously passed an ordinance on second reading that would temporarily ban new data center development for 12 months.
If the ordinance becomes law, the City of Memphis will develop regulations for data centers and stop approving new data center applications during that time. The ordinance would not apply to data centers already lawfully operating in Memphis, except if they seek to expand their operations.
Read the full storyPappert: Memphis ICE Raid Could ‘Expose a Whole Lot More’
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said a recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement operation at a Memphis nightclub could ultimately “expose a whole lot more,” raising questions about the establishment’s ownership, permits, and roughly $70,000 in federal Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans.
Read the full storyPoll: Burchett, Jacobs Among Favorites for Potential Blackburn Senate Appointment
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) leads a field of potential appointees to replace U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) if she wins the 2026 gubernatorial election, according to a new statewide poll of likely Republican voters.
Read the full storyHoltzman Vogel Adds Another Tennessee AG Veteran as Kevin Kreutz Joins Brandon Smith
Kevin Kreutz, who recently left his position as Deputy Attorney General of Tennessee, will be the latest attorney to pass from that office to Holtzman Vogel, the company announced on Tuesday.
Prior to leaving his position for the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, Kreutz was the lead counsel in a major challenge to Tennessee’s pharmacy benefit manger (PBM) laws, the counsel of record for Tennessee in a legal action that resulted in $25.6 million in restitution and $25.6 million in penalties against a precious metals company, and participated in Tennessee’s lawsuit over the Biden administration’s attempt to shield certain patient records from Medicaid fraud investigations.
Read the full storyDHS Confirms Arrest of Previously Deported Illegal Alien Who Sought Beer Permit for Memphis Nightclub Raided by ICE
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Thursday told The Tennessee Star that Marco Sabillon-Urbina, who was among the more than 120 arrests made on Sunday at the Memphis nightclub El Corralón, is a previously deported illegal alien who previously pleaded guilty to using a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.
The confirmation from DHS came one day after the Memphis Permits Office told The Star that El Corralón, which also uses the name Marisqueria El Corral, had obtained neither a beer permit nor a dance permit from the City of Memphis.
Read the full storyCentral Magnet School in Murfreesboro Named Best High School in the U.S.
Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro has been named the best high school in the nation in the 2026-2027 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
Read the full storyCommentary: Tennessee’s Veterans Have Found Community and Connection in an Unexpected Place
I spent 21 years in the Army before I spent years representing Montgomery County, a district shaped by Fort Campbell. In that overlap, I sat with more veterans than I can count who told me some version of the same thing. The hardest part of coming home wasn’t the transition itself. It was learning to live without the people who understood them.
Read the full storyMarsha Blackburn Holds 21-Point Lead over Democrat Jerri Green in Race to Become Tennessee’s Next Governor
Polling released Thursday morning shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) holds a 21-point lead over the Democrats’ nominee, Jerri Brown, in the race to become Tennessee’s next governor.
Beacon Center of Tennessee’s analysis of its poll, conducted by Targoz Market Research from August 15 through August 26, found that 55 percent of likely voters prefer Blackburn, while just 34 percent would vote for Green.
Read the full storyRecords Show Memphis Nightclub Where ICE Arrested over 120 Illegal Aliens Received Two PPP Loans in Apparent Contradiction of SBA Policy
The Memphis nightclub where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made more than 120 arrests on Sunday previously received two Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an online database containing more than 11 million PPP loan records.
Though U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and pro-illegal alien activists in Memphis have described the establishment as a nightclub named El Corralón, the building where Operation Corral Light was conducted indicates it has been named Marisqueria El Corral since at least 2019.
Read the full storyIn Final Act as Mayor, Glenn Jacobs Bans Flock Cameras
In his final act as Knox County Mayor, Glenn Jacobs signed an ordinance banning county government agencies from using Flock cameras and other automatic license plate readers.
The ordinance defines an ALPR as a “camera or imaging system capable of automatically capturing, photographing, scanning, reading, converting, or analyzing license plate information.”
Read the full storyFederal Judge Upholds Tennessee Law Banning ‘Restorative Justice’ Bail Practices Once Used in Memphis
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Tuesday announced that U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker last week upheld the Tennessee law prohibiting courts from considering a defendant’s ability to pay when setting their bond.
Among other complaints, the litigation alleged that the law was unconstitutionally vague. Tennessee still allows its judges and magistrates to consider a defendant’s employment history, overall financial circumstances, and other statutory factors, but specifically prohibits considering a defendant’s “ability to pay” when setting a bond amount.
Read the full storyDeSantis Takes Action Against Flock Cameras
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., notified local law enforcement that automated license plate recognition systems, such as Flock cameras, can no longer be used on the State Highway System.
On Monday, DeSantis’ Florida Department of Transportation ordered all cameras to be removed within 30 days, according to a memo obtained by the Daily Signal.
Read the full storyTennessee Approves First-Ever License for Commercial Fusion Project
Tennessee issued its first-ever fusion-specific byproduct material license to Type One Energy, clearing the way for the company’s planned fusion facility in Clinton.
Type One Energy intends to break ground on the new facility at the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)’s Bull Run Energy Complex, which the company expects to be operating by 2034, according to a state press release.
Read the full storyEXCLUSIVE: ICE Confirms over 120 Illegal Aliens Arrested During ‘Operation Corral Light’ at Memphis Nightclub
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) The Tennessee Star on Tuesday that more than 120 illegal aliens were arrested on August 30 at the Memphis nightclub, El Corralón, during a multi-agency operation led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE).
DHS told The Star that Operation Corral Light resulted in arrests of illegal aliens with prior criminal history, including arrests or convictions for “larceny, drug possession, domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, assault, child endangerment, and prostitution.”
Read the full storyTennessee Prepares to Execute Only Woman on Death Row, First in More than 200 Years
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) on Monday announced it would take applications from news outlets seeking to serve as witnesses for the execution of Christa Pike, who is scheduled to be executed on September 30.
Pike was convicted in March 1996 of premeditated murder and conspiracy to kill Colleen Slemmer. Both students at the Knoxville Job Corps Center in January 1995, the killer lured her victim to a steam plant, where court documents state Pike beat Slemmer, repeatedly pelted her with loose asphalt, and cut her with a box cutter, in an attack that lasted between 30 minutes and one hour.
Read the full storyActivists Claim over 100 Detained During Weekend ICE Raid in Memphis
Activists with Vecindarios 901 claim that more than 100 people were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during an enforcement operation in Memphis on Saturday, while a spokesperson for the federal agency only told The Tennessee Star that a “multi-agency targeted enforcement operation” was ongoing in the area.
According to a social media post by Vecindarios 901, the enforcement operation took place at the Memphis bar El Corralón. Authorities at the scene reportedly included ICE, the Memphis Police Department, and members of the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF), according to the activists.
Read the full storyCongressional Bill Seeks to Abolish Federal Insurance Office, Return Insurance Regulation to States
A congressional bill is attempting to change how the insurance industry is regulated in America.
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), along with Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT), reintroduced the Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act, which would eliminate the U.S. Treasury Department’s Federal Insurance Office (FIO), removing the federal office responsible for monitoring and coordinating federal insurance policy.
Read the full storyTennessee Moves to Require Proof of Legal Status for Vehicle Registration in 2027
The Tennessee Department of Revenue issued guidance Wednesday regarding an upcoming change requiring Tennesseans to provide proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence when applying for the initial registration of motor vehicles beginning January 1, 2027.
Read the full storySixth Circuit Revives NetChoice Challenge to Tennessee Social Media Law
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has vacated a lower court’s decision denying NetChoice’s request for a preliminary injunction against Tennessee’s law requiring age verification and parental consent for minors to create social media accounts.
Read the full story