Category: The South

State Sen. Brent Taylor Responds to ‘Misinformation’ Claims over Push to Oust D.A. Steve Mulroy, Publishes Full Transcript of Interview

Tom Pappert
Steve Mulroy and Brent Taylor

Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) on Wednesday published his public response to the MLK50 article, which accused him of using misinformation about Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy and Memphis crime in his effort to oust the district attorney from office.

In addition to rebutting or providing context to the five alleged points of misinformation MLK50 reporter Katherine Burgess included in the publication’s report, Taylor also provided the full transcript of the email interview he completed at Burgess’ request.

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Reps. Ogles, Burchett, Labeled ‘Far-Right Obstructionists’ by FiveThirtyEight

Peter D'Abrosca
Andy Ogles and Tim Burchett

Poll aggregation website FiveThirtyEight said that U.S. Reps Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) and Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) are “Far-Right Obstructionists.”

“In a Congress largely defined by Republicans’ struggle to govern in harmony with their far-right flank, it’s no surprise that a cluster of hardline, obstructionist conservatives emerged as a cohesive voting cluster,” FiveThirtyEight said.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Labeled Trump a ‘Threat to Democracy,’ Joked About Securing Area During Bitcoin Conference

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell and Donald Trump

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell condemned former President Donald Trump on Saturday as a “threat to democracy,” then humorously asserted the Bitcoin 2024 conference, where the former president spoke, was “secured” and the “threat” gone.

O’Connell made the remarks at the annual Three Star Fundraiser held by the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP), which the party titled, “For Our Democracy, For Our Freedom.”

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Florida Governor Praises Hope Florida Program Participants

The Center Square
Ron DeSantis HOPE Scholarship

Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis held a news conference Monday to recognize 13 top-performing Hope Florida CarePortal Churches.

Hope Florida’s mission is to create pathways to prosperity for communities and individuals, to help them become more economically self-sufficient and to instill hope. Casey DeSantis spearheaded the project, which is implemented through the Florida Department of Children and Families.

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Virginia County Supervisor Calls for End of Sanctuary Policies In Wake of Illegal Migrant Arrests for Murder

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Pat Herrity

A county supervisor in Virginia on Monday called for an end to sanctuary laws for illegal migrants after two murder suspects were confirmed to be living in the U.S. illegally, 7News reported.

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, the one-and-only Republican supervisor in the deep blue jurisdiction, is demanding county officials put an end to laws that protect illegal migrant criminals in the county, according to 7News. Herrity’s public comments follow a brutal murder earlier this month along a popular hiking trail in Oakton, Virginia, with accusations that at least one of the illegal migrant suspects benefited from sanctuary laws before the murder.

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Millions Announced for South Carolina Airport Projects

The Center Square
Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport

The federal government is sending more than $6.1 million in taxpayer money to four South Carolina airports as part of grants for rehabilitation and construction projects.

The latest in federal tax money is from the 2024 Airport Improvement Program’s third round of grants. The latest tranche of funding includes more than $374 million the Federal Aviation Administration announced for airfield and safety projects at 299 airports in 46 states and American Samoa.

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Georgia Planning $1 Million in Grants for Military Mental Health Services

The Center Square
Military support group

Georgia officials are awarding $1 million in grants to increase mental health access for military members, veterans and their families.

Last year, state lawmakers passed House Bill 414 to create the Veterans Mental Health Services Program under the Georgia Department of Veterans Service. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed the measure into law on April 25, 2023.

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Sen. Marsha Blackburn Celebrates After Senate Passes Kids Online Safety Act with Bipartisan Support

Tom Pappert
Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) celebrated on Tuesday after the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act with bipartisan support.

Blackburn wrote in a post to the social media platform X that the legislation passing the Senate is “a big step to protect” minor children from online harms, and noted Congress last passed legislation with that goal in 1998, when it passed the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.

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Davidson County Chancery Court Rules Law Shrinking Size of Metro Nashville Council Is Unconstitutional

Kaitlin Housler
Metropolitan Council Office

he Davidson County Chancery Court ruled 2-1 on Monday that Tennessee’s law capping the number of elected officials in the Metro Nashville-Davidson County City Council to 20 is unconstitutional.

Governor Bill Lee signed SB87/HB48 into law on March 9, 2023, which requires that the governing body of a municipality or Metropolitan government must “dissolve, combine, or reapportion districts or wards, as necessary, so that the number of members elected to the governing body does not exceed 20 voting members.”

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Judge Previously Dropped Burglary, Theft Charges for Illegal Immigrant Accused of Killing Nashville Restaurant Owner

Tom Pappert
Ulises Martinez and Judge Jim Todd in a courtroom (composite image)

The illegal immigrant accused of killing Nashville restaurant owner Matthew Carney on June 19 previously saw unrelated charges for burglary and theft dropped by a Davidson County judge who was apparently unaware of the alleged criminal’s immigration status.

Ulises Raigoz-Martinez was charged by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Homicide Unit after the fatal hit-and-run crash of the Smokin Thighs restaurant owner, with MNPD stating Martinez “admitted that he and an associate” were attempting to steal tools from Carney’s truck when he discovered them.

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Virginia Police Clear Anti-Israel Encampment Outside Antony Blinken’s House After Six Months

Tom Pappert
Anti-Israel protesters outside of Anthony Blinken's home

Virginia State Police cleared the anti-Israel encampment constructed near the home of Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday after it subsisted for over six months.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) worked with the Virginia State Police to clear the encampment previously constructed on the shoulder of Chain Bridge Road near Blinken’s home on Saturday, with VDOT stating to WTOP the encampment was “unsafe for motorists, bikers and pedestrians and blocks access to emergency vehicles and personnel.”

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Miyares Supports Local School Policy Segregating Sports by Biological Sex

The Center Square
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares filed an amicus brief Thursday on behalf of the Hanover County School Board, which barred a middle school male student identifying as a transgender girl from playing on the girls’ tennis team.

“Neither the federal Constitution nor any federal statute require Virginia school boards to allow biological males to play on a girls sports team,” Miyares said in a statement. “Rather, civil rights law is meant to protect female equity in athletics. I urge the court to ensure that women’s rights and opportunities remain protected in Virginia.”

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FBI, Secret Service Silent After Nashville Woman Threatened to Assassinate President Trump

Peter D'Abrosca
IreYanna Thomas

Neither the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) nor the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) was willing to confirm whether they are investigating a Nashville woman who threatened to kill former President Trump at while he gave a keynote speech at Bitcoin 2024, the largest Bitcoin conference in the world. 

The conference was held over the weekend in Nashville. 

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Fisk University Professor Decries Increase in White Population in Nashville

Peter D'Abrosca
Shirley Rainey-Brown, PhD

A Fisk University professor decried the fact that Nashville’s population oof “whites” increased last year.

“Yes, the Nashville demographics are changing,” Shirley Rainey-Brown, the dean of Fisk University’s School of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences, told The Tennessean. “We are seeing an influx of whites over other minorities, and I think it has to do with the type of jobs and industries that are coming here.”

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Former Tarpley Shop Utility District General Manager Charged with Theft, Official Misconduct

The Center Square
Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower

The Tarpley Shop Utility District general manager was charged with theft and official misconduct after an investigation from the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office found he made nearly $8,000 of personal purchases with district funds, nearly $10,000 in questionable purchases and more than $25,000 in questionable fuel purchases were made with the funds.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Vote to Condemn Vice President Kamala Harris’ Failed Duty as Border Czar

Kaitlin Housler
Kamala Harris

All eight Republican members of Tennessee’s congressional delegation serving in the U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday to condemn the failure of the Biden administration and “border czar” Vice President Kamala Harris to secure the United States border.

The resolution, H.Res.1371, passed the House by a 220-196 vote. Six Democrats joined the majority vote.

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Super PAC Behind Controversial Pro-Johnston Mailers Purchases $256,000 Ad Buy Ahead of TN-5 Primary

Tom Pappert
Andy Ogles and Courtney Johnston

The Conservatives with Character super PAC supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her campaign to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Republican primary on August 1 on Wednesday spent more than $256,000 in advertisement in the final days before the election.

A reported filed with the Federal Election Commission by Conservatives with Character treasurer Randy Stamps confirmed the organization spent $200,000 with the New Mexico-based Ad Placement Results LLC, an additional $30,000 to the Nashville-based VOR Media advertising firm, and $26,820 with HTTV Direct LLC, a Virginia-based political mailing firm.

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Reckoning at Hampton VA Hospital After ‘Widespread Failures and Deficiencies’

The Center Square

The executive director, chief of staff and chief of surgery at the Hampton VA Medical Center are all leaving after investigations revealed substandard care and potentially willful negligence.

Their exodus stems from congressional investigations and a Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General report. The OIG began its latest probe into the hospital (there have been others) after learning of six instances of substandard care by the hospital’s assistant chief of surgery and spotting implications of a lack of internal reporting, oversight and accountability.

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With Rising Property Taxes, Georgians Can Vote to Freeze Values for Assessments

The Center Square
Home Owner

While property taxes continue to rise in many jurisdictions across Georgia, voters will have a chance to cap how much home values can rise for property tax purposes.

“Monthly costs for Georgians, from the north Georgia mountains to the coast, continue to rise,” Lt. Governor Burt Jones said in a statement last month. “During record high inflation, skyrocketing debt and expenses rising every day, local governments should be focused on bringing costs down – not letting them increase.”

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Use of Cell Phones and Headphones Restricted in Florida County Schools

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Cell Phones in Class

The Broward County School Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to restrict students’ use of cellphones in an effort to keep them focused and off social media during school hours.

Although the school district said restrictions on cell phone use were already part of the Student Code of Conduct, there will now be some changes that will go into effect when classes start on August 12.

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America First Legal Files Amicus Curiae Brief Opposing Recommendation to Discipline Jeffrey Clark Based on New SCOTUS Immunity Ruling

Rachel Alexander

America First Legal (AFL) filed an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Donald Trump’s former DOJ official Jeffrey Clark this month, objecting to a recommendation from the three-person panel of the D.C. Board of Professional Responsibility to discipline him over his concerns about illegalities in the 2020 election. The brief points to the Supreme Court’s new ruling in Trump v. United States, which held that presidents have broad immunity for their official acts. The D.C. Bar filed charges against Clark for drafting a letter that was never sent to Georgia officials advising them of their options in dealing with the irregularities.

Authored by Gene Hamilton, AFL’s executive director and chief counsel, the brief summarized, “This proceeding should be discontinued because of its threat to our constitutional system’s separation of powers. … This proceeding appears to target Mr. Clark inappropriately for his political beliefs, partisan affiliation, and connection to former President Donald Trump. Such abuse of Bar oversight chills zealous advocacy in politically sensitive matters and should never be permitted.” 

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Tennessee School Resource Officers to Receive $800 Bonuses From State Grant Program

Peter D'Abrosca
SRO Class

Thanks to a state grant program, eligible school resource offers will receive an $800 retention bonus payment this summer, according a release from the The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) and the Tennessee Peace Officers Standards Training (POST) Commission.

“This summer, each eligible law enforcement officer will receive an $800 retention bonus payment if they have completed their 2023 in-service hours and are still employed as a law enforcement officer at the time of the application,” th release said. “An additional $800 will also be awarded to all SROs who have completed the 2023-24 academic year, as well as all applicable training. Eligible officers already receive an $800 salary supplement payment from the POST Commission for completion of annual training requirements.”

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Trump Leads Harris in Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan but Ties in Wisconsin, Poll Claims

Tom Pappert
Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

A poll released Thursday and conducted after President Joe Biden dropped his bid for reelection shows former President Donald Trump leading Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground states Arizona, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Michigan, while the former president is tied with the vice president in Wisconsin.

The New Emerson College pollsters found Trump enjoys his greatest lead in Arizona, where they determined 49 percent of voters support him while just 44 percent back Harris.

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Tennessee State Employee Jim Tracy Backs Left Wing PAC That Supports Courtney Johnston in TN-5 Primary Against Rep. Andy Ogles

Tom Pappert
Jim Tracy

Jim Tracy, who is employed as a senior advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance, is a board member of the political organization that recently sent $140,000 to a super PAC attacking Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in the Republican primary in the 5th Congressional District scheduled for August 1.

Tracy was named as a board member of The Best of Tennessee in a June 6 article by Tennessee Lookout, which reported he was then, “a Senior Advisor to the Department of Commerce and Insurance.”

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Tennessee Approves Two $1 Million Incentives; Lee on UK Economic Development Trip

The Center Square
Walmart Fulfillment Center

Tennessee’s State Funding Board approved a nearly $1 million FastTrack Job Training Grant each for Wal-Mart Associates e-commerce fulfillment center in Lebanon and Hyla Mobile in Mount Juliet at its Monday meeting.

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development grant approval came the same day as Gov. Bill Lee and TNECD Commissioner Stuart McWhorter were in the United Kingdom on what Lee’s staff called a “strategic economic development trip” that was the third international trip Lee has taken with the economic development department.

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Rep. Burchett Responds to Criticism After Calling Kamala Harris ‘DEI Vice President’

Peter D'Abrosca
Tim Burchett and Kamala Harris

Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) has drawn the ire of the left-wing media this week, first for calling former U.S. Secret Service (USSS) Director Kimberly Cheatle a “DEI horror story,” and now for calling Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, a “DEI Vice President.”

Wednesday, Burchett responded to the criticism he has faced from the left-wing media, which has labeled him as a “racist” among other typical tropes.

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Never Trumper Tom Ingram Helped Start Group That Sent $140,000 to Super PAC Behind Pro-Johnston, Anti-Ogles Ads

Tom Pappert
Tom Ingram

Never Trumper political consultant and lobbyist Tom Ingram is one of the founders of The Best of Tennessee, which last month sent $140,000 to the Conservatives with Character super PAC that recently began a $140,000 ad campaign supporting Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston in her effort to unseat Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the Tennessee Republican primary on August 1.

Ingram was listed as one of three founders of The Best of Tennessee in April by Tennessee Lookout, which reported the group’s founders also include pro-abortion attorney Chloe Akers and seasoned political fundraiser Kim Kaegi, who is also the treasurer for the Johnston campaign.

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Tennessee Congressional Delegation Members React to U.S. Secret Service Director’s Resignation

Kaitlin Housler
Kimberly Cheatle

Eight members of the Tennessee congressional delegation reacted to U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle’s resignation on Tuesday, agreeing that her decision to step down was in the agency’s best interest.

Cheatle’s resignation came 10 days after former President Donald Trump was grazed by a single bullet in his upper right ear in what is formally being investigated as a failed assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

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Blackburn’s ‘Kids Online Safety Act’ Heading for Vote on Senate Floor

Peter D'Abrosca
Kids on Phone

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Tuesday announced that a bipartisan bill she cosponsored with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called the “Kids Online Safety Act” is headed to the Senate floor for a vote.

“It’s official: the Kids Online Safety Act is getting a vote on the Senate Floor. This progress is a testament to the incredible work of parents and young people whose personal experiences are the heart of this bill,” Blackburn said in a press release. “They came to DC over and over again, told their stories to lawmakers, wrote letters, and never gave up on demanding change. We are grateful to be in this fight with such brave and tenacious friends and allies.”

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Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti Leads Push Against Federal Housing Finance Agency Pilot Program

Kaitlin Housler
Jonathan Skrmetti

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti led a coalition of 13 other state attorneys general in pushing back against a new pilot program launched by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) that would remove title insurance requirements from certain loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In March, the FHFA launched the pilot program, which “waives the requirement for lender’s title insurance or a legal opinion on certain low-risk refinance transactions where there is confidence that the property is free and clear of any prior lien or encumbrance.”

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Suspect in Tennessee Highway Patrol Shooting Had Violent Criminal History

Peter D'Abrosca
Braze Rucker

A man accused in taking part in the shooting of a Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) officer in Putnam County had a history of violent crime, according to court records. 

Braze Rucker was charged with a litany of crimes committed during a robbery attempt in Nashville in 2013. The charges stemmed from a robbery in which Rucker shot one person, leaving her paralyzed. 

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