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 storyCategory: The South
Journal Recovered by Police Reveals How Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Spent Final Months Before Attack
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained the journal recovered by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) from the vehicle of Audrey Elizabeth Hale after her devastating attack on the Covenant School claimed the lives of three 9-year-old children and three adults.
Apparently started by Hale in January 2023, the journal reveals how the killer spent her final months before she was slain by heroic police officers responding to the Covenant School on March 27, 2023.
Read the full storyYoungkin: America’s Foundations Crumbling Under Biden, Progressives
The Founders built America on a rock, but today, because of the Left, the rock is crumbling, and the country must assert moral clarity on several fronts to fix it, said Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who fired up the crowd at the Road to Majority Conference Saturday.
“They built it on rock. They unleashed a wave of freedom across the world with the prosperity of seeing a shining sea, the greatest nation ever built,” Youngkin said. “Yet today, we can feel the great American house shaking. Across our college campuses, echoes of extermination speech, while chaos roars across our borders.”
Read the full storyVirginia Expands Online Permitting Efficiencies
Virginia’s permit-tracking website has expanded from including permits from three state government departments to six.
Virginia residents and businesses can now follow online in real time the permits they’ve submitted to the Virginia Department of Health, Department of Transportation, and Department of Conservation and Recreation, as well as permits from the state Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Department of Energy.
Read the full storyCovenant Killer Audrey Hale Bought Accessories for Stuffed Animals After Detailing Gender Fantasies in ‘My Imaginary Penis’ Journal Entry
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale purchased a pair of “boots” for her one of her stuffed animals after she used them to simulate heterosexual intercourse, according to an entry titled “My Imaginary Penis” from the journal police recovered from the vehicle she drove to the Covenant School, where she committed her devastating March 27, 2023 attack that claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adults.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source close to the Covenant investigation, and on June 6, published details about one entry Hale titled “My Imaginary Penis.”
Read the full storyGeorgia Group Talks Rate Increase for Direct Care Workers
The fiscal 2025 budget, which Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp recently signed, includes $9.2 million for the Child and Parent Services Program and pay increases for direct care workers.
According to a national organization of family caregivers, the rate increases lawmakers passed are $6 per hour for direct care workers helping people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and $3 per hour for direct care workers supporting older adults.
Read the full storyCommentary: Congress, Don’t Let Big Government and Big Pharma Win
I have previously written about the disastrous consequences of government mandates in our health care system, specifically pertaining to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Unfortunately, since my piece, there seems to still be a continued push by some lawmakers in Congress to bring misguided policies to fruition. Let’s hope our representatives don’t buy into it.
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy on SCOTUS Decision to Take Up Case Challenging Tennessee Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors: ‘Transgender Youth is a Creation of the Left’
Michael Patrick Leahy, Editor-in-Chief and CEO of The Tennessee Star, reacted to Monday’s announcement by the U.S. Supreme Court that it would hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyCovenant School Killer Audrey Hale Revealed Alleged Autism Diagnosis, ‘Bi-Polar’ Accusations, Struggles with Eating in Recovered Journal
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote in the journal police recovered from her vehicle about her purported autism diagnosis, but also wrote that she was accused of being “bi-polar,” and divulged she struggled with eating and sleeping regularly.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source close to the Covenant investigation, and has now published more than 40 articles that provide new details regarding the case and insight into Hale’s writings.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Announces New Vice President of Psychiatric Hospital amid Covenant Killer Revelations
Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) announced on Monday a new vice president to lead the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, where The Tennessee Star reported earlier this month that Covenant School shooter was a 22-year mental health patient, having begun receiving treatment as a six-year-old in 2001.
A March 14 news release by VUMC announced current Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital president Mary Pawlikowski planned to “retire at the end of the fiscal year,” placing her retirement date on September 30.
Read the full storyReport: xAI Won’t Seek Local, State Tax Incentives for Memphis Supercomputer
When Elon Musk’s xAI supercomputer plan was announced in Memphis, there was not a press release from Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development, meaning there is not a state FastTrack grant associated with the project.
Read the full storyTennessee AG Skrmetti ‘Looks Forward’ to Defending State Law Banning Transgender Surgery for Minors in the Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court announced it will hear arguments and rule on whether a Tennessee law that bans “gender-affirming care” on minors – including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and sex-change surgeries – violates the Constitution.
Read the full storyMore Trans Patients Join Lawsuit Against Vanderbilt University Medical Center over Data Given to Tennessee Attorney General
More transgender patients have reportedly joined the class action suit against Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) after it alerted patients their medical records were given to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti as part of an investigation into inflated billing practices.
According to attorney Tricia Herzfeld, who revealed new details about the legal action to WKRN on Thursday, there are now two class action lawsuits against VUMC.
Read the full storyTennCare Completes Year-Long Case Review, More Than a Half-Million Members Deemed Ineligible So Far
More than 63,000 eligibility checks are still pending but more than 967,000 individuals are renewed and nearly 508,000 are ineligible following the full year review of TennCare cases.
The analysis of more than 1.5 million members comes after the federal COVID-19 pandemic eligibility check pause between March 2020 to March 31, 2023.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Doctor Published Article Pushing Sports for Trans Kids Six Months After Covenant School Killing
A medical doctor working for Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) published an article in September 2023 that claimed children who identify as transgender benefit when competing in sports with competitors of their preferred gender.
The September 18, 2023 article was published less than six months after Audrey Elizabeth Hale, a biological female who identified as a transgender male, committed her devastating March 27 attack on the Covenant School which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old children and three adult staff members.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Vanderbilt University Medical Center Appears to an Incubator for Teens with Mental Health Problems to Turn into Adults with Gender Identity Issues
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said it “makes sense” how Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) appears to have some sort of role in introducing teenagers and children with mental health problems to transgenderism for further treatment.
Read the full storyChristian Music Artist Gary Chapman on Decades-Long Career: ‘I Think I’m Supposed to Be Me Wherever I Go’
Christian music artist Gary Chapman sat down for an exclusive interview with The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy on Friday to reminisce on his career in the entertainment industry.
Read the full storySen. Blackburn Leads Push for Pro-Life Protections in 2025 Budget
Protections for the unborn belong at the forefront of the federal budget, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., wrote in a letter sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday.
“As the Senate Appropriations Committee continues to work on legislation for fiscal year 2025, we urge the committee to ensure that long-standing, bipartisan pro-life provisions are included as bill text,” says Blackburn’s letter, co-signed by Republicans Sens. Steve Daines of Montana, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Roger Marshall of Kansas, and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, and shared with The Daily Signal.
Read the full storyFive Tennessee Law Enforcement Officers Graduate from FBI National Academy’s 290th Class
Five law enforcement officers from police departments and sheriff’s offices across the state of Tennessee graduated from the FBI National Academy’s 290th class this month.
Read the full storyTennessee Tax Collections Remain More than $500 Million Below Original Fiscal Estimates
Tennessee remains $523.7 million short of the original budget for tax and fee collections through the first 10 months of the fiscal year.
The May numbers were $29.5 million short of the budgeted amount but $52.4 million head of May 2023.
Read the full storyIncumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Trounces TN-5 Challenger Courtney Johnston in Straw Poll at Davidson County Republican Party’s Annual Picnic Event
Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) was the resounding victor among attendees at the Davidson County Republican Party’s annual picnic event on Saturday who participated in a straw poll weighing candidates running in the August 1 Republican primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
Read the full storyTrump’s Former DOJ Official Jeffrey Clark Files Post-Hearing Brief Poking Holes in the D.C. Bar’s Disciplinary Panel Findings
Donald Trump’s former DOJ official, Jeffrey Clark, is fighting a recommendation from the D.C. Bar’s disciplinary panel to discipline him over his concerns about illegalities in the 2020 election. Last month, he filed a Post-Hearing Brief challenging a nonbinding preliminary finding of culpability for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials advising them of their options in dealing with the irregularities.
The hearing panel found that Clark engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation and conduct that seriously interferes with the administration of justice, Rules 8.4(c) and (d) of the Rules of Professional Conduct. Those ethics rules have been accused of being broad, vague, and unconstitutional. State bars frequently use them to target conservative attorneys.
Read the full storyDemocrat State Rep ‘Disappointed’ That Trump will Be on Tennessee Ballot
A Democrat State Representative told The Tennessee Lookout that he is disappointed that former President Donald Trump will remain on the ballot in the state after being convicted of 34 felonies in the state of New York.
Rep. Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville) reportedly wrote a letter to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti claiming that Trump should be barred from appearing on the state’s ballot, and asking for a legal opinion on the matter.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles Receives Perfect Score on Immigration Watchdog’s Legislative Scorecard
Tennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) was one of four members of the U.S. House of Representatives to receive a perfect score on NumberUSA’s Immigration Congressional Grade Card.
Read the full storyVirginia Congressional Primary Race Could Take ‘Weeks’ to ‘Complete’
Tuesday’s Republican primary race for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District between state Sen. John McGuire and incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good is still too close to call.
McGuire holds a razor-thin lead of 313 votes, according to the latest numbers from the Virginia Department of Elections. Good, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, is holding on to hope that lingering votes will save his seat.
Read the full storySouth Carolina Agency Changes Name and Doubles Down on Mission
A partially federally funded South Carolina Agency is changing its name as it doubles down on its enforcement of crimes targeting the state’s vulnerable adult population.
South Carolina’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit is changing its name to the Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud Unit. State officials said the agency experienced a 30% increase in reports from law enforcement thanks to an outreach effort targeting local agencies over the past two years.
Read the full storyGeorgia Sees Slight Unemployment Rate Increase in May
Georgia’s unemployment rate increased slightly in May, hitting 3.2%, up from a revised 3.1% in April, and a leading Georgia business group said inflation is still challenging many businesses.
However, the Peach State’s unemployment rate was lower than the national unemployment rate of 4%, Georgia officials touted.
Read the full storyFlorida Governor Signs into Law Two Bills Intended to Help Veterans
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed two bills on Thursday intended to support Florida veterans and their spouses.
House Bill 725 expands the eligibility for admissions to a long-term care facility for veterans to include spouses and surviving spouses of qualifying veterans.
Read the full storyReporter Peter D’Abrosca: TN-05 GOP Candidate Courtney Johnston’s Reluctance Talking to the Press Fuels Assumptions She Is a Left-of-Center Candidate
Peter D’Abrosca, reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Metro Nashville Council Member Courtney Johnston’s reluctance to speak with the press on various issues only leaves voters to assume that she is a left-of-center candidate running in the August 1 GOP primary race for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
Johnston is running in the August 1 primary against incumbent U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), who boasts a 100 percent rating on the Heritage Action Scorecard, the nation’s leading conservative scorecard.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Doctor Called Transgender Surgery ‘Big Money’ Year Before Covenant Killer Audrey Hale was Referred for Commitment
Born a biological female, Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale began identifying as a transgender man and using the name Aiden prior to her devastating attack which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adults on March 27, 2023.
Police documents published by The Tennessee Star determined Hale was a 22-year mental health patient of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), the home of a controversial transgender program that is reportedly considered “big money” for the hospital.
Read the full storyDonor to Far-Left State Rep Aftyn Behn Says He Cancelled Planned Hosting of Fundraiser for TN-05 Republican Challenger Courtney Johnston Despite Invitation Obtained by The Star
A donor to far-left State Representative Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) said that he canceled hosting a planned fundraiser for Courtney Johnston, a Republican challenger to Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), despite a flyer invitation for the event obtained by The Tennessee Star.
According to the flyer, Margaret and George Uribe were scheduled to host a fundraiser for Johnston on Wednesday.
Read the full storyNashville Mayor’s Office Said It Has No Role in City’s New Pride Crosswalk
According to a spokesperson for Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the mayor’s office has no official role in the implementation of a gay pride crosswalk in the city.
The Tennessee Star reported Wednesday that a group of volunteers will paint a rainbow-colored crosswalk at the intersection of 14th St and Woodland St on June 29.
Read the full storyFather Says His Teenage Daughter ‘Began Mentioning a Trans Lifestyle and Adopted a Male Name’ While Being Treated at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital
The distraught father of a teenage daughter contacted The Tennessee Star on Thursday and expressed his concern about the treatment his daughter has been receiving at Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, part of Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC).
The Star received the email after it published the notes taken by a Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) investigator the department obtained at least 75 pages of documents from VUMC following a June 1, 2023 search warrant.
Read the full storyNashville Assistance Program Providing Free Fans, Air Conditioning Units to Eligible Residents
Eligible Davidson County residents are able to receive free fans or air conditioning units this summer by applying for the Metro Action Commission’s Fan and Air Conditioner Program.
Read the full storyBody Cam Footage Released from Shootout That Left Two Blount County Deputies Injured
Body camera footage released by the Blount County Sheriff’s Office shows a harrowing 20-minute gun battle during which two of its deputies were shot after responding to a welfare check call.
“I am releasing the following video synopsis of the assault on Deputy Corbin Smith and Deputy Edward Walker on June 11, 2024 on Jacob Springs Boulevard in Rockford,” said Blount County Sheriff Sheriff James Lee Berrong on Facebook, attaching the video.
Read the full storyCovenant Killer Audrey Hale Wrote ‘Everything Hurts’ in Journal While Prescribed Anxiety Drug Capable of Causing Musculoskeletal Pain
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote repeatedly about experiencing pain, using the phrase “everything hurts” in at least 10 entries in the journal recovered from her vehicle after her devastating attack claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three staff members.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source close to the Covenant investigation, which reveal she repeatedly wrote about pain, and police photographs obtained by The Star reveal Hale was prescribed an anti-anxiety medication that can cause musculoskeletal pain.
Read the full storyACLU Tennessee Silent on Judge’s Contempt of Court Threat Over Covenant Shooter Reporting
The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee (ACLU-TN) has remained silent during the past week as The Tennessee Star Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy was ordered to appear before a judge for a show cause hearing called on the heels of a false allegation by WSMV reporter Stacey Cameron that Leahy violated a court order by publishing journals left behind Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale.
Leahy could face a contempt of court charge, which comes with a possible jail sentence of 10 days.
Read the full storyPolice Arrest Trans Person in Utah for Allegedly Killing Parents
In another instance of transgender violence, a biological male who was “transitioning” to become a female was arrested Wednesday for allegedly killing his parents.
According to the Washington City, Utah police, Collin Troy Bailey, 28, who goes by the name Mia, is the suspect in the slaying of his parents, Gail Bailey and Joseph Bailey, who were found dead in their home after police responded to a shots fired call.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Connection to Covenant Killer Is the Most Significant Revelation of Entire Case
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said he believes Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) connection to Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, is the “biggest part” of the unraveling story.
On June 7, The Star was the first to report that Hale was a 22-year patient of VUMC from 2001 until the time of the horrific school shooting on March 27, 2023.
Read the full storyVanderbilt University Medical Center Responds Following Revelation Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Expressed Fantasies of Killing Father, Shooting School
The Tennessee Star received a response from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) regarding its apparent treatment of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale, which was revealed in a number of Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) documents obtained by The Star.
After The Star obtained a police summary describing 75 pages of notes retrieved from VUMC following a June 1, 2023 search warrant for information related to Hale’s treatment, and asked VUMC president and CEO Jeff Balser for comment, a spokesman said he was unable to confirm Hale’s treatment due to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPAA) Act of 1996.
Read the full storyMetro Nashville Council Passes Mayor’s Multi-Billion Dollar Transit Plan on First Reading Despite Community Backlash, Safety Concerns
The Metro Nashville Council passed Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s multi billion-dollar transit plan on its first reading during Tuesday’s meeting.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Reps. Andy Ogles and Diana Harshbarger Sponsor Resolution to Rescind Subpoenas for Former Trump Aides
Tennessee U.S. Representatives Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and Diana Harshbarger (R-TN-01) sponsored a resolution introduced on Tuesday that would rescind subpoenas that the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack sent to multiple aides of former President Donald Trump.
Read the full storyMNPD Notes About Treatment Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Received at Vanderbilt University Medical Center Tied by Metadata to Police Investigator Who Secured Search Warrant
The Tennessee Star retrieved metadata from the Microsoft Word document titled “Vandy Psych,” which contains notes summarizing 75 pages of documents retrieved from Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) following a June 1, 2023 search warrant for materials related to its treatment of Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale.
The Star reported it obtained the document from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation on Wednesday, when its contents were published alongside the revelation a source claimed Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake acknowledged VUMC failed its duty to warn Hale’s intended victims after she expressed fantasies of killing her father and enacting a school shooting.
Read the full storyNew Law Results in Tennessee National Guard Troops Receiving Compensation Faster
A bill signed into law by Governor Bill Lee last year has reportedly resulted in dozens of Tennessee National Guard troops on state active duty receiving weekly compensation as opposed to waiting a month or longer to receive wages.
The bill, HB 0562, strengthened Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 58-1-109 by adding the following language to ensure active duty troops receive compensation on a weekly basis:
Read the full storyJournal May Support Claim Covenant Killer Audrey Hale Engaged in ‘Stalkerish’ Behavior with Former Middle School Basketball Team
Multiple entries within the journal police recovered from the vehicle driven by Audrey Elizabeth Hale to the Covenant School on March 27, 2023, when she claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members, appear to corroborate previous reporting that the killer became “obsessed” with her former middle school basketball teammates.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source familiar with the Covenant investigation, and has since reported extensively about entries which refer to two of Hale’s former teammates on the Isaiah T. Creswell Middle School basketball team.
Read the full storyCovenant School Killer Audrey Hale Wrote About Her Therapist in Journal, Revealed Concerns over Anxiety, Autism, and Bipolar Disorder
Covenant School killer Audrey Elizabeth Hale wrote several entries in the journal police recovered from her vehicle that referenced her mental health, including an entry about her therapist, multiple references to autism, anxiety, and one entry that mentions bipolar disorder.
The Tennessee Star confirmed on June 5 it obtained about 80 pages of Hale’s writings from a source familiar with the police investigation into her March 27, 2023 attack which claimed the lives of three 9-year-old students and three adult staff members at the Covenant School.
Read the full storyState Senator Brent Taylor Says ‘Not a Single Person Pushed Back’ on His Idea to Remove Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy from Office
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said “not a single person” he’s talked to in Memphis has pushed back on his intent to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
Read the full storyPermanent Rainbow Crosswalk Coming to East Nashville
Nashville’s first rainbow crosswalk will be painted at the intersection of 14th St and Woodland St at the end of this month, the Metro Nashville LGBTQ Caucus announced on Tuesday.
The permanent crosswalk will be painted by a group of volunteers on June 29 at 9:00 a.m. The Caucus said approximately 100 volunteers will be needed.
Read the full storyShelby County District Attorney Drops Diversion Plan for Felons in Possession of Firearms When Threatened to Be Removed from Office
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy announced his office would not pursue a previous diversion plan for felons in possession of firearms after Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said that he intends to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Mulroy.
Last week, Mulroy announced that his office was considering an “alternative approach” for felons charged with unlawful possession of a weapon by offering diversion to such defendants.
Read the full storyTennessee Star Publisher First Amendment Rights at Risk over Mass Shooter’s Writings, But Establishment Media, Press Advocates Eschew Story
Tennessee Star editor-in-chief Michael Patrick Leahy unveiled the Nashville Covenant School mass shooter’s personal writings earlier this month, but no mainstream news outlets appear to have reported about the revelations, and only one has reported on the subsequent legal battle that Leahy faces for uncovering the documents.
Additionally, while journalists’ rights organizations traditionally would have provided counsel to a reporter like Leahy in court, few are willing to comment on the case, and Leahy is being represented by America First Legal and Daniel Horwitz, a Nashville-based attorney who focuses on the First Amendment.
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