Category: The South

ICE Deports Previously Removed Child Rapist After Release from Tennessee Prison

Tom Pappert
Alberto Ramirez-Diaz

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deported Alberto Ramirez-Diaz, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala who records show was sentenced to eight years in a Tennessee prison. According to ICE, Ramirez-Diaz was convicted of second-degree child rape following his 2019 arrest.

Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) records show Ramirez-Diaz began an eight-year sentence on November 12, 2019, aligning with the date ICE said the Guatemalan national was arrested in Florida.

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Real America’s Voice Launches Free Presidential Pool Platform, Opening White House Feed to Public

Kaitlin Housler
Trump speaking

Real America’s Voice (RAV) launched RAVPool.org on Monday, a free platform that gives the public and news organizations access to the presidential pool camera feed, real-time pool notes, the President’s daily schedule, and White House guidance.

Parker Sigg, vice president of RAV, announced the launch, describing it as the latest expansion of the network’s White House coverage.

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Federal Panel of Judges Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Tennessee’s Congressional Redistricting Ahead of 2026 Midterms

Tom Pappert
Pamela Moses

A federal panel of district judges on Friday dismissed a lawsuit by independent congressional candidate Pamela Moses, challenging Tennessee’s congressional map, which was redrawn earlier this year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Louisiana v. Callais that race cannot be used as a predominant factor when during redistricting. 

In granting the defendants’ motions to dismiss the lawsuit, the judges notably cited the Supreme Court’s decision when dismissing Moses’ claim that Tennessee’s new congressional map disenfranchised minority voters, ruling she failed to establish racial bias under the new ruling. 

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Brian Gaffney’s ‘School of Hard Knucks’ Book Chronicles Three Sons’ Quest to Master Baseball’s Wildest Pitch

Kaitlin Housler
pitcher

Brian Gaffney, author of School of Hard Knucks: My Three Sons and Baseball’s Wildest Pitch, joined The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy for an exclusive interview to discuss his family’s years-long journey to master one of baseball’s rarest pitches.

Gaffney said the idea for the book began in 2012 after he returned home during R.A. Dickey’s “spectacular” season with the New York Mets and discovered his young sons throwing knuckleballs in the backyard.

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Arbitrus Unveils AI ‘Judge’ Designed to Resolve Legal Disputes

Kaitlin Housler
Jack Kieffaber

Artificial intelligence (AI) could eventually serve as a decision-maker in legal disputes under a contract-based arbitration system being developed by Arbitrus, a company founded by recent Harvard Law School graduates

Jack Kieffaber, Harvard Law School Class of 2023, who serves as general counsel for the company, discussed the technology during a Friday appearance on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, where he described a product from Arbitrus Corporation designed to use AI to interpret contracts and potentially resolve disputes.

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Outgoing U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen Files Impeachment Articles Against President Trump

Kaitlin Housler
steve cohen

Retiring U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN-09) introduced 26 articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump this week.

Cohen announced the resolution on Thursday, citing alleged abuses involving elections, military actions, immigration enforcement, federal spending, executive power, the pardon authority, free speech, and the emoluments clause.

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New Opioid 10 Times Stronger than Fentanyl Detected in 18 States, Linked to 63 East Tennessee Deaths

Tom Pappert

A leading forensic toxicology company based in Nashville said on Monday that it has now identified samples of a new synthetic opioid, cychlorphine, in 18 states, only weeks after the Knox County Regional Medical Center said it is associated with around deaths in East Tennessee. 

Since July 7, 2025, the Aegis Sciences Corporation said on Monday it has detected cychlorphine in Arkansas, California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia.

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Mayor Freddie O’Connell to Join Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for Nashville Book Event

Kaitlin Housler
Andy Beshear

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is set to join Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear for a discussion of Beshear’s new book, Go And Do Likewise: How We Heal A Broken Country, at Vanderbilt University next weekend.

Parnassus Books, Vanderbilt University Libraries, and Dialogue Vanderbilt will host the event Saturday, October 3, at 1:00 p.m. at Benton Chapel on Vanderbilt’s campus. Doors are scheduled to open at noon. The event is sold out, according to Eventbrite.

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Tennessee AG Skrmetti Joins 20-State Warning over Chinese Weight-Loss Drug Suppliers Linked to Fentanyl Precursors

Tom Pappert
needle in stomach

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced this week that his office joined 19 other state attorneys general in a letter expressing concern over potential national security risks posed by Chinese suppliers of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs, warning of reported ties to fentanyl precursor manufacturers, as well as injections being imported to the United States under false labels. 

“Only legitimate medicines from accountable sources should be allowed into our country,” stated Skrmetti. “Foreign suppliers who exploit weaknesses in our supply chain to import relabeled or adulterated products pose risks to both our public health and our national security.”

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Exclusive: DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Blames ‘Sanctuary Politicians,’ ‘Mainstream Media’ After Knoxville Man Accused of Anti-ICE Death Threat on Bluesky

Tom Pappert
David Kerr arrested by HSI

In a statement provided to The Tennessee Star, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin on Friday said “sanctuary politicians” and their allies in the media were responsible for inspiring the threats targeting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that recently led to criminal charges against a 68-year-old Knoxville, who is accused of threatening to harm and kill ICE agents in statements posted to the far left social media platform Bluesky.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the two-count indictment against David Kerr on Monday, stemming from posts he allegedly made to Bluesky in June 2025 and October 2025.

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Filmmaker Michael Pack Discusses Biden’s Afghanistan Withdrawal in New Documentary ‘The Path to Zero’

Kaitlin Housler
The Path to Zero

Michael Pack, documentary filmmaker and former CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), joined The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy for an exclusive interview Thursday to discuss his new documentary, The Path to Zero, and the decisions surrounding the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan under the Biden administration.

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Jeff Roe Discussed Geofencing Judge’s Home After Illegal Alien Ponzi Schemer Hired His Firm, Federal Filing Shows

Tom Pappert
Jeff Roe, Siddharth Jawahar

Prosecutors earlier this month submitted court filings that appear to show Republican political consultant Jeff Roe, through his company Axiom Strategies, agreed to provide illegal alien Ponzi schemer Siddharth Jawahar with public-relations and advocacy services related to his sentencing, including efforts to secure favorable media coverage and support letters, under a $10,000 agreement.

The filings also include a transcript of a jailhouse phone call in which Roe proposed spending money to geofence the home address of the judge overseeing Jawahar’s sentencing in a bid to ensure he would see a favorable news article about Jawahar.

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Brent Taylor Calls on TN-9 Opponent Justin Pearson to Renounce Hasan Piker over Calls for ‘Cultural Revolution,’ ‘Chinese Style Communism’

Tom Pappert
Hasan Piker and Justin Pearson

State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) on Thursday called for his opponent in the Tennessee 9th Congressional District race, State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), to “renounce” Hasan Piker, the influential outside campaigner for Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) candidates who has called for a “cultural revolution” in the United States, followed by “Chinese style communism,” in order to imprison his political opponents within the Democratic Party.

“I am asking my opponent, Democratic Socialist Justin Pearson, to renounce his association with Hasan Piker,” said Taylor in a Thursday post to X, noting that Pearson appeared with Piker for a 90-minute podcast in June. 

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Commentary: Proposed mRNA Ban Would Destroy Decades of Scientific Discovery, Patient Choice, and Years of Economic Development

Star News Contributor
medical science laboratory

As a physician, my top priority has been and will always be achieving the best outcomes for my patients. Many existing medicines and treatments are tried and true. Likewise, scientific research and development as well as innovative new technologies should not be overlooked or even rejected outright. After all, we know many advancements in medicine today were at one time revolutionary ideas.

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President Trump to Attend Tennessee-Texas Football Game at Neyland Stadium

Kaitlin Housler
Trump and football

President Donald Trump will be in Knoxville this Saturday to attend the Tennessee Volunteers’ SEC opener against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns at Neyland Stadium, according to multiple reports confirmed by the White House Press Office.

The Vols will face Texas at noon ET on Saturday, and the game will air on ABC. Trump’s attendance will coincide with ESPN’s College GameDay broadcast from the University of Tennessee campus.

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Federal Judge Denies Nonprofit’s Bid to Block Tennessee Highway Patrol from Cooperating with ICE

Tom Pappert

U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger on Wednesday denied the request by the pro-illegal alien nonprofit, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), to issue an injunction blocking the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

In a request filed the same day as its May lawsuit, which alleges a series of ongoing constitutional violations during traffic stops involving THP and ICE, and the risk that TIRRC would be subjected to similar stops in the future,  the nonprofit asked Trauger to file an injunction forbidding troopers from working with federal immigration agents to detain motorists for immigration investigations, using traffic stops to enforce immigration law, or using race or ethnicity when determining which motorists to stop.

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Former Tennessee Titan Kevin Dyson Files Appeal After Metro Nashville Rejects Plans for Tuition-Free Charter School

Tom Pappert
Students in classroom

The Tennessee Public Charter School Commission will hear Dr. Kevin Dyson’s appeal on Thursday; the former Tennessee Titans wide receiver and Tennessee educator’s application to launch a tuition-free charter school was denied by the Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Board of Education in April.

In its spring decision, the Metro Nashville board determined that Dyson’s proposed school, the Music City Academy, only partially met its academic and program design standards.

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Exclusive: Transgender Covenant School Shooter’s Writings Reveal Years-Long Attack Plan Unseen by Family, Doctors Despite Warning Signs

Tom Pappert
Audrey Hale

More than three years have passed since The Tennessee Star began lawsuits against the FBI and Metro Nashville to obtain the manifestos left by the transgender school shooter Audrey Hale, who killed three 9-year-old students and three staff members at the Covenant School in Nashville on March 27, 2023.

Last year, the FBI under Director Kash Patel agreed to release the killer’s handwritten journals in order to settle this federal litigation, which has since resulted in the release of about 1,830 pages of the killer’s writings.

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Knoxville Man Indicted for Allegedly Posting Threats to Kill ICE Agents on Left-Wing Bluesky Platform

Tom Pappert
ICE agents

The U.S. Department of Justice on Monday announced that a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against David Kerr, a 68-year-old Knoxville man accused of threatening to injure and kill agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in posts made to the left-wing social media platform Bluesky.

Kerr pleaded not guilty during his appearance before a federal court on Monday, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, which said that Kerr was detained pending a November 2026 trial.

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U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps Kicks Off ‘Matt on Main’ Tour in Cheatham County Ahead of November Election

Kaitlin Housler
Matt Van Epps

U.S. Representative Matt Van Epps (R-TN-07) is kicking off his “Matt on Main” tour Tuesday in Cheatham County as he campaigns for reelection ahead of the November 3 general election.

The tour is scheduled to take Van Epps through communities across Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District, with stops planned in Davidson County on October 5, Dickson and Robertson counties on October 7, Montgomery County on October 14, Sumner County on October 15, and Trousdale and Macon counties on October 22.

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Leahy, Pappert Weigh Potential Probate Action as Covenant Shooter’s Purported Will Remains Withheld

Kaitlin Housler
Audrey Hale

Michael Patrick Leahy, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Tennessee Star, and The Star’s lead reporter Tom Pappert discussed a potential probate court action to obtain the purported will of Covenant School shooter Audrey Elizabeth Hale, which the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has identified as a will but has continued to withhold.

During Monday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, Leahy explained how The Star has sought records related to Hale under the Tennessee Public Records Act for approximately three and a half years.

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Tennessee Ranks Seventh in USA for Education Freedom After Expanding School Choice to 35,000 Students

Tom Pappert
students learning

Tennessee is the seventh-ranked state in the United States for education freedom, according to the Education Freedom Report Card released on Monday by the conservative Heritage Foundation, with the high ranking driven by Tennessee’s transparency and return on investment (ROI) for state education spending.

Tennessee ranked second in the nation for ROI on education spending, with the Heritage report card noting that Tennessee spends the 44th-most, or eighth least, at just $13,027 per student. Despite the comparatively low spending commitment, Heritage noted, “Tennessee ranks 16th in its combined fourth-grade and eighth-grade math and reading average NAEP score.”

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U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Files Two Bills Aimed at Lowering Diesel Fuel Prices

Kaitlin Housler
Tim Burchett

U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) introduced two bills aimed at restricting diesel fuel exports as diesel prices continue to climb.

Burchett filed H.R. 10423, which would suspend diesel exports through January 2027, and H.R. 10422, which would trigger an export restriction if the national average diesel price reaches $5 per gallon. The restriction under H.R. 10422 would remain in place until the national average falls to $4.50 per gallon or less for 30 consecutive days.

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Nissan Considers Third Shift at Tennessee Plant it Planned to Scale Back Before Trump Auto Tariffs

Tom Pappert
Nissan worker

Nissan Motor is reportedly considering a third shift for Nissan Rogue production at its Smyrna, Tennessee manufacturing plant. Prior to the tariffs instituted by President Donald Trump, the company was planning to reduce its Tennessee production while shifting its workforce to Mexico.

Nissan Americas chairman Christian Meunier told CNBC on Monday that the company was “maxing out the production capacity” of its American plants, including in Smyrna, where the outlet reported Nissan is expected to manufacture its 2027 Nissan Rogue using internal combustion engines that act as generators for electric motors that move the vehicle. 

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College GameDay Coming to Knoxville Saturday for Tennessee-Texas Football Game

Kaitlin Housler
UT football

ESPN College GameDay will return to Knoxville this Saturday as the Tennessee Volunteers host the top-ranked Texas Longhorns in the teams’ Southeastern Conference opener at Neyland Stadium.

The pregame show will originate from the lawn of Ayres Hall from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. ET, followed by the final hour inside Neyland Stadium from 11 a.m. to noon. The game is scheduled to kick off at noon ET on ABC.

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Federal Judge Denies Injunction Sought by Two Illegal Aliens Suing Tennessee over State Law Criminalizing Illegal Immigration

Tom Pappert
CBP arrest

U.S. District Judge Eli Richardson on Wednesday denied the request by two illegal aliens to issue an injunction blocking HB 1704, the new Tennessee law that makes it a Class A misdemeanor for illegal aliens to remain in the Volunteer State more than 60 days after a final deportation order is issued. 

The plaintiffs, two pseudonymous individuals who purport to be illegal aliens and are identified within the filings as Lucy and Benjamin, asked Richardson to authorize a class-certification for all illegal aliens, as well as an injunction blocking Tennessee state and local law enforcement from enforcing the law while the case was decided.

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As Gov. Bill Lee Courts Paramount and Company Scouts Nashville-Area Offices, Mayor Freddie O’Connell Says Metro Has No Direct Contact

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell on Friday said his office has had no direct contact with Paramount Skydance Corporation, which is reportedly leaving California amid a breakdown in negotiations between Paramount and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

TMZ reported Tuesday that Paramount officially told California officials it planned to leave, with earlier reporting that it would exit the state if a deal to complete its merger was not in place by October 1. The outlet later reported that negotiations between Paramount and Bonta had resumed.

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‘Dolly Day’ Set to Take over Nashville on Friday, September 25

Kaitlin Housler
Dolly Parton

Nashville will hold a citywide celebration honoring the late Tennessee country music legend Dolly Parton on Friday, September 25, with businesses, music venues, and other organizations participating in events and charitable efforts.

The date references Parton’s “9 to 5” song and 1980 film. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Music Community Foundation, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office, and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce announced the celebration.

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Paramount Employees Eyeing Leiper’s Fork, Franklin Areas Amid Company Move Reports

Kaitlin Housler
paramount

Paramount Skydance employees are reportedly looking at properties in the Leiper’s Fork and Franklin areas as the Hollywood company considers moving some operations from California to Tennessee.

Spencer Pratt, an actor and television personality who ran for Los Angeles mayor earlier this year, said Thursday that his director, who lives in Nashville, has personally referred two real estate agents to Paramount employees shopping for properties in the area.

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120 Tennessee Law Enforcement Agencies Partner with ICE to Arrest 1,300 Illegal Aliens Since January 2025

Tom Pappert
Police ICE

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on Wednesday that it had partnered with 120 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee as of September 9, suggesting the Volunteer State could represent about about 5 percent of the 2,466 total 287(g) agreements signed nationwide.

Following the agency’s announcement it was “strengthening cooperation” with 120 local partners in Tennessee as part of the expansion of its 287(g) program,  The Tennessee Star reviewed the latest information regarding by ICE, revealing a total of 139 law enforcement agencies in Tennessee had entered one of the three models.

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Federal Prosecutors in Tennessee Join Trump DOJ in $245 Million COVID Loan Fraud Crackdown

Tom Pappert
DOJ - Operation No Doze

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee participated in a nationwide operation targeting fraud committed in Small Business Administration (SBA) programs created during the COVID-19 pandemic, and revealed on Monday that federal prosecutors had identified around $245 million in fraud. It was described as the single largest action against alleged perpetrators of SBA fraud in its history.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Operation No Doze included officials from 20 different state and federal agencies, as well as 44 different U.S. Attorneys Offices, and took place in a “summer surge” between June 12 and September 1.

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Exclusive: ICE Arrests Illegal Alien from Kenya Involved in East Tennessee Tractor-Trailer Crash

Tom Pappert
Eric Maloba

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told The Tennessee Star on Wednesday that federal immigration authorities have arrested Eric Maloba, who the agency described as an illegal alien from Kenya that was involved in a tractor-trailer crash in East Tennessee last month. 

ICE revealed that Maloba was arrested on August 28 in Hamblen County, which is located about 45 minutes northwest of Knoxville, after the tractor-trailer accident. According to federal immigration authorities, Maloba was issued a commercial driver’s license (CDL) in Texas, and reportedly was “instructing a commercial driver’s license trainee” at the time of the crash. 

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Complaint Against Dark Money Group Targeting Blackburn Referred to TN AG Following Tennessee Star Reports

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn

A state complaint against a dark money group targeting U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) was reportedly referred to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti on Tuesday following earlier reports about the American Exceptionalism Institute (AEI), a Virginia-based 501(c)(4) that reportedly spent or reserved $1.4 million to oppose Blackburn.

After the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance included the complaint, submitted by Blackburn campaign attorney Brandon Smith, The Tennessee Journal reported the registry officially voted to refer the matter to Skrmetti for consideration during its Tuesday meeting.

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Lincoln Memorial University Settles with Trump DOJ, Agrees to Modify Policy That Excluded Jewish Students in Tennessee

Tom Pappert
LMU

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Civil Rights Division, on Tuesday announced that Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine (LMU-DCOM) agreed to a voluntary settlement after an investigation found that Jewish students faced discrimination last year.

According to a DOJ press release sent to The Tennessee Star, the Civil Rights Division investigation began after LMU-DCOM denied requests by Jewish students to reschedule classes during religious holidays during the 2025-26 school year, despite granting similar requests from “non-Jewish students who sought the same accommodations.”

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Tennessee Maintains Top Ranking in Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard

Kaitlin Housler
person voting

Tennessee has maintained its top ranking in the Heritage Foundation’s 2026 Election Integrity Scorecard, marking the fifth consecutive year the Volunteer State has ranked first in the nation.

This year’s scorecard, updated on September 8, showed Tennessee ranking first with a score of 87 out of 100, followed by Arkansas at 84, Alabama at 83, Louisiana at 81, and Florida at 78.

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