Category: The South

Mark Pulliam: ‘Imperial Judiciary’ Sees Itself as ‘Unconstrained by the Supreme Court’ in Temporary Protected Status Fight

Kaitlin Housler
Haitian Refugees

Legal analyst and retired attorney Mark Pulliam criticized several federal district judges for resisting or delaying implementation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling in the case Mullin v. Doe allowing the Trump administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for certain countries.

The TPS program, established by Congress in 1990, allows the Department of Homeland Security to designate countries whose nationals may remain and work in the United States when returning to those countries is deemed unsafe because of circumstances such as natural disasters, armed conflict, or other extraordinary conditions.

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Commentary: Warning Signs for Deep Red Williamson County, Tennessee

Star News Contributor
Judson Phillips

On August 6, Tennessee held primary elections for statewide offices and the general election for county offices. In Williamson County, Tennessee, the results were shocking, to put it mildly.  

To begin with, some background is in order.  I moved to Williamson County in 1997.  While Tennessee had been a blue state for over a century, things were changing, and Williamson County was already bright red. The county officials were almost all republicans. Democrats ran as independents because they would never be elected as democrats.  The Williamson County Republican Party was very dynamic. It had an office on Main Street in Franklin. It was staffed full time, and the location was a can’t-miss location. 

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Activists Opposing Virginia Data Centers Have Marxist Ties

Daily Caller News Foundation
PSL supporters

Some Virginia anti-data center activists and candidates are seemingly linked to a Marxist-Leninist party tied to the Chinese Communist Party, according to public records, social media and news reports.

Local Virginia political figures have appeared in connection with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), a Marxist-Leninist organization that seeks to replace US capitalism with socialism. Data center opposition has intensified across Virginia over concerns about rising electricity demand and costs, water use, noise pollution and facilities being built near homes, according to the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Those issues are especially pronounced in Northern Virginia, where the state’s data center industry is focused.

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EJ Haust Says DSA Platform Is ‘Not Compatible’ with U.S. Constitution, Questions Whether Members Can Truthfully Take Congressional Oath

Kaitlin Housler
EJ Haust

EJ Haust, official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, said Republicans should be prepared for an expected legal battle if House Republicans attempt to block Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-backed candidates from being seated in Congress over questions about whether they can truthfully take the congressional oath of office.

Haust made the remarks during Friday’s show while discussing comments made earlier this week by Newsmax host Tom Basile, who argued Republicans should examine whether lawmakers advocating policies that seek to fundamentally alter the U.S. constitutional system can legally take the oath required of congressional members.

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Justin Pearson Blasts ‘Elon Musk and His Toxic Data Centers’ After Winning Democrat Primary for TN-9

Tom Pappert
Justin Pearson

After securing the Democratic Party’s nomination for the 9th Congressional District on Thursday, State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) named SpaceXAI owner Elon Musk in his Thursday victory speech. In a post to social media, Pearson said the victory came despite “attacks” from Musk and his company. 

“Exactly 61 years from the signing of the Voting Rights Act, we won our primary despite a redistricting blow that cracked Memphis’s representation in Congress,” wrote Pearson in a post to X, including a portion of his victory speech.

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Trump Endorses Charlie Hatcher After Primary Victory Against Incumbent Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
Charlie Hatcher

President Donald Trump on Friday endorsed former Tennessee Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in the general election for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, and described Hatcher as “a Great ‘Trump’ candidate.”

Trump previously endorsed U.S. Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) last year, but in his endorsement of Hatcher, the president said that he “remained loyal” to Ogles despite the incumbent having “virtually no chance of winning” against Hatcher.

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Candace Owens Says Brian Harpole Claims Are Opinion or Hyperbole, Asks Court to Dismiss Lawsuit from Charlie Kirk’s Head of Security

Tom Pappert
Candace Owens

Candace Owens asked a federal court in Tennessee to dismiss portions of the defamation lawsuit filed against her by Brian Harpole, the former head of security for Charlie Kirk.

Owens’ Thursday filing said the lawsuit should be dismissed, in part, because her statements about Harpole are “inactionable opinions, rhetorical hyperbole, and questions incapable of defamatory meaning.”

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Three New Tennessee Republican Congressional Nominees Emerge From Thursday Primaries

Kaitlin Housler
Johnny Garrett, Charlie Hatcher, Brent Taylor

Three new Republican nominees for Tennessee’s congressional delegation emerged from Thursday’s primary elections after voters selected former Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher in the 5th Congressional District, State Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) in the 6th Congressional District, and State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) in the 9th Congressional District.

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Leahy, Brewer Highlight Timing of RFK Jr., Ogles Head Start Event on Election Day

Kaitlin Housler
Rep Andy Ogles with RFK Jr. in Nashville

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Tennessee Star, and public affairs specialist Clint Brewer discussed Thursday’s appearance by U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. alongside U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), describing the visit as a significant political development that occurred on Tennessee’s Republican primary election day.

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Second Consecutive Nashville Grand Jury Report Highlights Concerns over Lenient Bond Policies

Tom Pappert
Grand Jury presentation

The final report submitted by the Davidson County Grand Jury for the April term expressed concerns about bond practices in Tennessee, noting a “significant portion” of crimes involved “repeat offenders with documented criminal histories” who were free on bond for a criminal case when they were arrested for the a second time. 

According to the report, the crimes which landed defendants back before a grand jury were sometimes “directly related to their prior conduct.” 

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Metro Nashville Approves Mayor’s Plan to Seize Property Using Eminent Domain over Data Center Plans

Tom Pappert
Metro Council meeting

The Metro Nashville Council on Tuesday approved the plan announced in June by Mayor Freddie O’Connell to seize a property with eminent domain in order to keep it from being converted into a data center, citing its proximity to the Nashville Zoo. 

Noting the property was appraised at $37.4 million, and must be reappraised before the process is complete, the ordinance approved by the Metro Council authorizes Metro to acquire the building and about 23 acres of land through either negotiation or condemnation.

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More than 40 Stations in Development for Music City Loop Project, Boring Company Says

Kaitlin Housler
Music City Loop

More than 40 stations are now in various stages of planning and design for the Music City Loop as The Boring Company continues expanding the scope of its privately funded underground transportation network beneath Nashville, according to the company’s latest construction update.

In its sixth official Music City Loop blog post, The Boring Company said last week it is continuing to work with property owners to advance station development along the tunnel alignment while pursuing additional partnerships for future stations.

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Campaign, Tax and Corporate Filings Link Group Behind Anti-Blackburn Ads to Jeff Roe-Connected PAC Network

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

The American Exceptionalism Institute (AEI), the dark money group currently spending more than $1 million to defeat U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in the Republican gubernatorial primary, is connected through tax, business, and campaign paperwork to at least three other political action committees (PACs) that have operated in Tennessee since 2024, which seem to all share connection to Missouri-based political strategist Jeff Roe, or his company, Axiom Strategies.

For example, tax records from 2023 show AEI contributed $3.25 million to the American Policy Coalition (APC). That year, APC sent $95,000 to the East Tennessee Conservatives, which Tennessee campaign records show heavily supported the campaign of State Senator Bobby Harshbarger (R-Sullivan County).

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Two Illegal Aliens Sue Tennessee over Law Making It a State Crime to Immigrate Illegally

Tom Pappert
illegal immigrants

A lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s new law making it a state-level offense to be in the country illegally was refiled last week, after it was dismissed in June for lack of standing. In the new version of the lawsuit, both plaintiffs admit they are in the United States illegally, and have been violating final deportation orders for more than two decades. 

The lawsuit argues that Tennessee’s law violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, claiming that Tennessee created a state immigration-enforcement system for those ordered deported by the federal government, effectively allowing state officials to make arrests and impose punishment without federal approval or oversight. 

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‘Absolutely Brilliant’: EJ Haust Praises Clay Travis’ WNBA $10 Million ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Proposal

Kaitlin Housler
Caitlin Clark

EJ Haust, official guest host of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, praised OutKick founder Clay Travis’ $10 million challenge to the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, calling the proposal “absolutely brilliant” during Tuesday’s broadcast while arguing it would test claims about the competitiveness of women’s professional basketball.

On Monday, Travis announced on X that he was increasing his standing offer to stage a game between the Las Vegas Aces and a boys’ high school state championship basketball team.

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Pulliam: Big Law’s Pro Bono Work Has Become ’95 Percent Left Wing Activism’ Rather Than Serving the Public

Kaitlin Housler
lawyers

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam argued the modern concept of pro bono legal work at the nation’s largest law firms has shifted away from serving the public and has instead become a vehicle for advancing left-wing political causes.

During an appearance Monday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pulliam began by explaining the original meaning of the term “pro bono.”

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Exclusive: Trump-Endorsed Brent Taylor Makes Final Pitch to TN-09 Voters Before Election Day

Kaitlin Housler
Brent Taylor

With just two days remaining before Tennessee’s Thursday Republican primary, State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), the Trump-endorsed candidate in the race for the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District, sat down for an exclusive interview on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show to discuss his campaign’s priorities and the overall race ahead.

Citing the business experience he has frequently highlighted on the campaign trail—including building a funeral services company from a $60,000 home equity loan before selling it years later—Taylor said his private-sector background has given him skills he believes are lacking in Washington.

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Legal Analyst Calls Boston Judges’ Resistance to Trump’s TPS Orders a ‘Mutiny’ Against the Supreme Court

Kaitlin Housler

Legal commentator and retired attorney Mark Pulliam warns that a group of federal judges in Boston is openly defying both the U.S. Supreme Court and the First Circuit Court of Appeals by continuing to block the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for several countries despite what he described as a definitive ruling from the nation’s highest court.

During an appearance Monday on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Pulliam discussed the Supreme Court’s June decision in Mullin v. Doe, in which the justices ruled 6-3 that the Trump administration could end TPS protections for Haiti and Syria and that the statute generally bars judicial review of the Department of Homeland Security’s decisions to terminate TPS designations.

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Blackburn Supports Judiciary Committee Advancing Blanche’s Nomination

Zachery Schmidt
Todd Blanche

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said she supported the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing Todd Blanche to serve as the next attorney general.

On Tuesday, the committee voted 12-10 along party lines to have Blanche be the next attorney general. After passing the committee, all U.S. senators will vote on whether Blanche will become the attorney general. Senators will take the vote to confirm Blanche as early as Saturday.

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Robby Starbuck Backs Blackburn in Tennessee Governor’s Race

Kaitlin Housler
Robby Starbuck

Documentary filmmaker and conservative political pundit Robby Starbuck endorsed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) in Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial primary, calling her the candidate who would provide the conservative leadership the state needs ahead of Thursday’s election.

During an interview with Blackburn on The Robby Starbuck Show, Starbuck announced his endorsement, saying, “I want to endorse you. I think you’re going to be a great governor for the state of Tennessee. It’s a state I love immensely. This is where we’ve raised our kids, and I think Tennessee needs leadership that is even more conservative than we have had in the past that is going to have their eye on these issues. I think you’re going to do a great job.”

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Pappert: John Rose’s Financial Filings ‘Don’t Add Up’ as Campaign Declines to Respond

Kaitlin Housler
John Rose

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Monday that unanswered questions surrounding U.S. Representative John Rose’s (R-TN-06) congressional financial disclosures could be easily resolved, but remain unanswered because the congressman’s office has not responded to requests for clarification.

Pappert discussed his reporting during Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, where he said Rose’s financial disclosure filings appear to contain inconsistencies involving reported holdings and sales of Alphabet Inc. stock and a mutual fund.

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Tom Pappert Questions Media Coverage of Competing Tennessee Governor Polls After Blackburn Survey Shows 17-Point Lead

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the latest internal polling conducted by President Donald Trump’s 2024 chief pollster shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) maintaining a commanding lead in Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial primary, while questioning the credibility and media coverage of a competing survey.

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Justin Pearson Declares Elon Musk, AI Creators ‘Threat to Humanity’ in Magazine Profile

Tom Pappert
Justin Pearson

State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) said those who create and build artificial intelligence (AI) products and data centers are a “threat to humanity” during an interview with German-owned Politico Magazine published on Sunday.

Currently seeking the Democratic Party’s nomination to represent the Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, and a longtime opponent of Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI, formerly known as xAI, told the outlet, “AI is controlled by people.”

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Flock Offers to Work with Knox County, Tennessee Lawmakers on Privacy Safeguards for Controversial Cameras

Tom Pappert
Flock Camera

A spokesman for Flock Safety told The Tennessee Star on Saturday that it is ready to work with public officials in Knox County, where Mayor Glenn Jacobs recently called for the Flock cameras to be removed, as well as lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly, where State Representative Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) said legislation would be introduced in January 2027. 

Flock Safety public relations manager Paris Lewbel provided the statement to The Star in response to an inquiry about the bill recently submitted to Congress by U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02), which would prohibit federal agencies from purchasing or using the company’s license plate reader (LPR) technology. It would also block state and local governments from using federal funding to purchase Flock products. 

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John Rose Reported Holding Up to $500,000 in Google Parent Stock at End of 2024, then Selling $1 Million to $5 Million in June 2025

Tom Pappert
Rep. John Rose

Federal financial disclosure filings submitted by U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) appear inconsistent, with his 2024 annual report listing between $250,001 and $500,000 in Alphabet Class A stock on December 31, and a transaction report filed last year stating he sold between $1 million and $5 million of the same stock from the same brokerage account on June 3, 2025. Alphabet is the parent company of Google. 

Two more items on the June 2025 report appear to indicate Rose sold between $1 million and $2 million worth of shares of the American Funds SMALLCAP World Fund Class A mutual fund, while his 2024 annual disclosure showed he held between $500,001 and $1 million worth of shares in the fund.

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John Rose Supported 2017 Tennessee Gas Tax Increase That Failed to Generate Sufficient Revenue to Cover Road Projects

Tom Pappert
Road construction

When campaigning for his first term in Congress, U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) publicly supported former Governor Bill Haslam’s Improving Manufacturing, Public Roads, and Opportunities for a Vibrant Economy Act (IMPROVE) of 2017, which saw Tennessee gas taxes increase six cents over three years.

Rose stated his public position on the gas tax hike during a Smith County event in August 2017, when he told Haslam, “I just want to say I applaud you for making this proposal. I fully support it.”

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Marsha Blackburn Leads Republican Tennessee Gubernatorial Primary by 17 Points: New Poll

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn, John Rose, Monty Fritts

New polling released to The Tennessee Star on Friday shows U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) with a 17-point lead in the Republican Party gubernatorial primary in Tennessee with less than one week until voters head to the polls. 

The internal poll by Fabrizio, Lee and Associates found Blackburn polling at 42 percent, with U.S. Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) and State Representative Monty Fritts “distantly behind,” respectively polling at 25 percent and 22 percent.

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Exclusive: Blackburn Makes Case for SAVE America Act, Closed Tennessee Primaries

Kaitlin Housler
Marsha Blackburn

In an exclusive interview, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said she will continue pushing to keep the U.S. Senate in session through its August recess to advance the SAVE Act while also reaffirming her commitment to work with Tennessee lawmakers to close the state’s primary elections if elected governor.

During a Friday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Blackburn discussed efforts to pass the SAVE America Act in Congress and expanded on her recently announced support for requiring Tennessee voters to register with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary election.

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Flock Safety Says Bill by Congressman Tim Burchett Would Effectively Ban Controversial Cameras, Calls for Federal ‘Safeguards’

Tom Pappert
Flock Camera

Legislation submitted in the U.S. House by Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) would effectively ban the controversial license plate reader (LPR) cameras released by Flock Safety, the company reportedly said in a statement on Friday. 

Submitted last week, Burchett’s House Bill (HR) 9800 would prohibit federal agencies from purchasing, operating, accessing Flock cameras, or contracting with Flock Safety, for products including LPR cameras, facial recognition technology, or that which captures data for “persistent or mass surveillance.” 

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