INSIDER
US law entitles immigrant children to an education. Some conservatives say that should change
Read full article: US law entitles immigrant children to an education. Some conservatives say that should changeConservative politicians in states such as Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee have been questioning whether immigrants without legal residency should have the right to a public education.
Southerners stay in touch the old-fashioned way after Helene cuts roads, power, phones
Read full article: Southerners stay in touch the old-fashioned way after Helene cuts roads, power, phonesHurricane Helene has left millions without electricity, water and phone service across the Southeast in the six days since making landfall.
Search crews with cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities ‘wiped off the map’ by Helene
Read full article: Search crews with cadaver dogs wade through muck of communities ‘wiped off the map’ by HeleneRescuers are scouring the mountains of western North Carolina for anyone still unaccounted for since Hurricane Helene’s remnants caused catastrophic damage across the Southeast.
Tennessee will remove HIV-positive people convicted of sex work from violent sex offender list
Read full article: Tennessee will remove HIV-positive people convicted of sex work from violent sex offender listHIV-positive people who were convicted in Tennessee of sex work under a decades-old aggravated prostitution law will no longer be required to face a lifetime registration as a “violent sex offender” under a lawsuit settlement finalized this week.
Tennessee governor OKs penalizing adults who help minors receive abortions, gender-affirming care
Read full article: Tennessee governor OKs penalizing adults who help minors receive abortions, gender-affirming careTennessee's governor has approved legislation designed to block adults from helping minors get an abortion or receive gender-affirming care without parental consent.
Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid families
Read full article: Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid familiesTennessee will soon become the first state in the country to offer free diapers to families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program after receiving federal approval, state officials have confirmed.
Storm-battered South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Read full article: Storm-battered South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his lifeA 10-year-old boy is in grave condition in Tennessee after being swept into a storm drain in a community southeast of Nashville.
Tennessee lawmakers OK bill penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care
Read full article: Tennessee lawmakers OK bill penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming careTennessee’s GOP-controlled Statehouse has given their final approval on legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent.
U.S. labor secretary says UAW win at Tennessee Volkswagen plant shows southern workers back unions
Read full article: U.S. labor secretary says UAW win at Tennessee Volkswagen plant shows southern workers back unionsActing U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su says workers at southern auto plants should be free to unionize without employer or political interference, even as some southern states pass new laws meant to inhibit organized labor.
Tennessee House kills bill that would have banned local officials from studying, funding reparations
Read full article: Tennessee House kills bill that would have banned local officials from studying, funding reparationsTennessee’s Republican-dominant House has spiked legislation that would have banned local governments from paying to study or dispense money for reparations for slavery.
Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow armed teachers, a year after deadly Nashville shooting
Read full article: Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow armed teachers, a year after deadly Nashville shootingTennessee Republican lawmakers have passed a bill that would let some teachers and staff carry concealed handguns on public school grounds.
Tennessee's GOP governor says Volkswagen plant workers made a mistake in union vote
Read full article: Tennessee's GOP governor says Volkswagen plant workers made a mistake in union voteTennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee says he thinks workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga made a mistake by voting to unionize under the United Auto Workers in a landslide election.
Southern governors tell autoworkers that voting for a union will put their jobs in jeopardy
Read full article: Southern governors tell autoworkers that voting for a union will put their jobs in jeopardyOn the eve of a vote on union representation at Volkswagen’s Tennessee factory, Gov. Bill Lee and five other southern governors are telling workers that voting for a union will put jobs in jeopardy.
Tennessee lawmakers send bill to ban first-cousin marriages to governor
Read full article: Tennessee lawmakers send bill to ban first-cousin marriages to governorThe Republican-led Tennessee Legislature has overwhelmingly voted to send Gov. Bill Lee a proposal that would ban marriage between first cousins.
Tennessee governor signs bill to undo Memphis traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols death
Read full article: Tennessee governor signs bill to undo Memphis traffic stop reforms after Tyre Nichols deathTennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on the repeal of Memphis police traffic stop reforms set in place after the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols by officers just over a year ago.
Tennessee just became the first state to protect musicians and other artists against AI
Read full article: Tennessee just became the first state to protect musicians and other artists against AITennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on legislation designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
Bill would revise Tennessee's decades-old law targeting HIV-positive people convicted of sex work
Read full article: Bill would revise Tennessee's decades-old law targeting HIV-positive people convicted of sex workA proposal advancing in the Tennessee legislature would stop requiring lifetime registration as a violent sex offender for anyone convicted of engaging in sex work while living with HIV.
Tennessee governor, music leaders launch push to protect songwriters and other artists against AI
Read full article: Tennessee governor, music leaders launch push to protect songwriters and other artists against AITennessee Gov. Bill Lee has unveiled new legislation designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.
Nashville police chief confirms authenticity of leaked Covenant school shooter's writings
Read full article: Nashville police chief confirms authenticity of leaked Covenant school shooter's writingsNashville Police Chief John Drake says he’s “disturbed” over the unauthorized release of writings from the shooter who killed six people, including three children, at The Covenant School in March.
Investigation shows armed officer was hostage at home of Grammy winner who was killed by police
Read full article: Investigation shows armed officer was hostage at home of Grammy winner who was killed by policeNewly released investigative files in the police shooting death of a Grammy-winning sound engineer revealed there was an armed Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officer in the home when Mark Capps began threatening his family with guns on Jan. 5.
As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for help
Read full article: As research grows into how to stop gun violence, one city looks to science for helpGun violence prevention research has experienced a small boom in the wake of mounting shooting deaths, expanded funding and burgeoning advocacy.
Signs return to Tennessee statehouse grounds after judge blocks new House GOP rule
Read full article: Signs return to Tennessee statehouse grounds after judge blocks new House GOP ruleSigns have returned to the Tennessee Capitol complex after a judge agreed to temporarily block a new rule advanced by House Republicans that had largely banned them.
Mass shootings spur divergent laws as states split between gun rights and control
Read full article: Mass shootings spur divergent laws as states split between gun rights and controlTennessee lawmakers are convening a special session this week that highlights the divergent response states are taking to a spate of mass shootings.
Families form nonprofits to address gun, school safety after Nashville school shooting
Read full article: Families form nonprofits to address gun, school safety after Nashville school shootingFamilies connected to a Nashville school that experienced a fatal shooting earlier this year have created nonprofits to not only promote school safety and mental health resources, but also to form an action fund to push legislative policy changes.
Six months. 28 mass killings in the US. That's the worst yet, and all but one case involved guns
Read full article: Six months. 28 mass killings in the US. That's the worst yet, and all but one case involved gunsUnrelenting bloodshed across the U.S. this year has led to the grimmest of milestones: The deadliest six months of mass killings recorded since at least 2006.
Tennessee attorney general says seeking clinic's transgender patient records part of fraud probe
Read full article: Tennessee attorney general says seeking clinic's transgender patient records part of fraud probeTennessee’s top legal chief says that Vanderbilt University Medical Center turning over medical records for transgender patients is part of a “run-of-the-mill fraud investigation.”.
Ruling on Tennessee's anti-drag law leaves questions about enforcement, next steps
Read full article: Ruling on Tennessee's anti-drag law leaves questions about enforcement, next stepsQuestions remain over how a law designed to limit drag shows in Tennessee will be enforced after a federal judge declared it unconstitutional while saying the decision only applied to the state’s most populated county.
Trump-appointed judge rejects Tennessee's anti-drag law as too broad, too vague
Read full article: Trump-appointed judge rejects Tennessee's anti-drag law as too broad, too vagueA federal judge says Tennessee’s first-in-the-nation law designed to place strict limits on drag shows is unconstitutional.
In gun law push, Tennessee governor's office memo says NRA prefers to 'round up mentally ill people'
Read full article: In gun law push, Tennessee governor's office memo says NRA prefers to 'round up mentally ill people'Documents obtained by The Associated Press show Tennessee Gov_ Bill Lee’s administration accused the National Rifle Association of wanting to use involuntary commitment laws “to round up mentally ill people and deprive them of other liberties."
Bill Lee, jazz musician who worked with Bob Dylan and on son Spike Lee's early movies, dies at 94
Read full article: Bill Lee, jazz musician who worked with Bob Dylan and on son Spike Lee's early movies, dies at 94Bill Lee, a well-regarded jazz musician who accompanied such artists as Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and Harry Belafonte and scored four of his son Spike’s early films, has died.
Uvalde families dig in for new test of gun industry protections
Read full article: Uvalde families dig in for new test of gun industry protectionsFamilies in Uvalde, Texas, are digging in for a new test of legal protections for the gun industry as they mark one year since the Robb Elementary School shooting.
After school shooting, Tennessee governor signs bill to shield gun firms further against lawsuits
Read full article: After school shooting, Tennessee governor signs bill to shield gun firms further against lawsuitsTennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed off on additional protections for gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits within a bill that lawmakers passed after a deadly school shooting.
Democrats in Minnesota Senate hold firm to pass contentious gun control measures
Read full article: Democrats in Minnesota Senate hold firm to pass contentious gun control measuresDemocratic Minnesota senators held firm despite only a one-vote majority to pass gun control legislation strongly supported by the governor.
Despite cracks in Republican gun-rights wall, differences between states widen
Read full article: Despite cracks in Republican gun-rights wall, differences between states widenThere have been a few cracks in the predictable pattern of Republican-controlled states loosening gun laws while Democratic states tighten them in recent weeks.
Tennessee Gov. Lee says session on guns likely after July 4
Read full article: Tennessee Gov. Lee says session on guns likely after July 4Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says a special lawmaking session dedicated to possible changes to the state’s gun laws in the wake of a deadly school shooting last month would likely have to take place after July 4.
Lizzo brings drag queens on stage, protesting Tennessee law
Read full article: Lizzo brings drag queens on stage, protesting Tennessee lawLizzo filled her stage with drag queens in a concert Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, in a glittery protest against the state’s legislation against public drag performances.
Tennessee moves to shield gun firms after school shooting
Read full article: Tennessee moves to shield gun firms after school shootingIn the wake of a deadly school shooting last month, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee are sending to Republican Gov. Bill Lee a proposal that further protects gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers and sellers against lawsuits.
Restored Tennessee Rep. Pearson charts progressive path
Read full article: Restored Tennessee Rep. Pearson charts progressive pathTennessee Rep. Justin Pearson never guessed he’d be expelled for leading a gun control protest on the House floor after a school shooting left three children and three adults dead.
GOP candidates tread cautiously on gun issues in Kentucky
Read full article: GOP candidates tread cautiously on gun issues in KentuckyIn the days after a bank employee used an assault-style rifle to kill five coworkers, Republicans running for governor this year in Kentucky have been deflecting questions about gun legislation.
As shootings hit close to home, govs wrestle with next steps
Read full article: As shootings hit close to home, govs wrestle with next stepsTwo weeks after one of his wife’s closest friends was killed in a Nashville school shooting, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday called for legislation that would keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others.
Nashville police: School shooter planned attack for months
Read full article: Nashville police: School shooter planned attack for monthsAs students across Nashville were walking out of class to protest gun violence following a school shooting last week, police released new information into the investigation.
32 dead as tornadoes torment from Arkansas to Delaware
Read full article: 32 dead as tornadoes torment from Arkansas to DelawareResidents across a wide swath of the U.S. are racing to assess the destruction from fierce storms that spawned possibly dozens of tornadoes from the South and the Midwest into the Northeast.
After school shooting, Tenn. gun laws likely to remain lax
Read full article: After school shooting, Tenn. gun laws likely to remain laxA federal judge quietly cleared the way to drop the minimum age to 18 for Tennesseans to carry handguns in public without a permit the same day Nashville residents were reeling from a fatal grade school shooting that left six dead, including three children.
Tennessee eyes 18+ gun-carry age with court or Capitol deal
Read full article: Tennessee eyes 18+ gun-carry age with court or Capitol dealTwo years after Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee led the charge to allow residents 21 and older to carry handguns in public without a permit, younger adults could soon have the same privilege.
Tenn. governor vows to sign anti-drag bill as photo surfaces
Read full article: Tenn. governor vows to sign anti-drag bill as photo surfacesRepublican Gov. Bill Lee says it would be “ridiculous” to conflate a recently surfaced yearbook photo of him wearing women’s clothing in high school to drag show performances currently under attack in Tennessee and other GOP-led states.
Tennessee House speaker mulls rejecting US education money
Read full article: Tennessee House speaker mulls rejecting US education moneyA top Tennessee Republican lawmaker says the state should stop accepting the nearly $1.8 billion of federal K-12 education dollars that help provide support for low-income students, English learners and students with disabilities.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee sworn in for 2nd term
Read full article: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee sworn in for 2nd termTennessee Gov. Bill Lee has kicked off his second term, promising to focus over the next four years on improving aging transportation systems, advocating for better conservation efforts and protecting the state’s most vulnerable children.
Tennessee cuts HIV program with Planned Parenthood ties
Read full article: Tennessee cuts HIV program with Planned Parenthood tiesDocuments show that top Tennessee health officials attempted to oust Planned Parenthood from a program designed to prevent and treat HIV before deciding to forgo federal funding for it.
2 Tenn. officials fired after lethal injection errors noted
Read full article: 2 Tenn. officials fired after lethal injection errors notedThe Tennessee Department of Correction has fired its top attorney and another employee following a scathing independent report on failures within the state’s lethal injection system.
Report shines new light on execution secrecy in Tennessee
Read full article: Report shines new light on execution secrecy in TennesseeA blistering independent report on Tennessee’s lethal injection system has turned up years of communications showing a state determined to push forward with executing death row inmates despite major issues.
Tennessee roads plan mulls toll lanes, electric car fee hike
Read full article: Tennessee roads plan mulls toll lanes, electric car fee hikeTennessee Gov. Bill Lee is considering introducing express toll lanes on highways and tripling a fee for electric car owners as he looks for ways to pay for tens of billions of dollars in roadway projects.
Savannah Bananas leaving college league for full-time antics on the road
Read full article: Savannah Bananas leaving college league for full-time antics on the roadThe Savannah Bananas, who became a national sensation with their irreverent style of baseball, are leaving the Coastal Plain League to focus full attention on their professional barnstorming team.
Ex-MLBer Bill Lee 'wasn't breathing' after collapse, revived
Read full article: Ex-MLBer Bill Lee 'wasn't breathing' after collapse, revivedFormer major leaguer Bill Lee had stopped breathing after collapsing in the bullpen during an exhibition game this weekend, but paramedics and two shocks with a defibrillator helped resuscitate the 75-year-old pitcher.
Tennessee's embrace of conservative Michigan college sours
Read full article: Tennessee's embrace of conservative Michigan college soursAfter riding high on a promise to bring 50 charter schools to Tennessee, the relationship between the president of Michigan's Hillsdale College and Gov. Bill Lee has cooled over the past several months.
Records: 2 people in execution knew drugs hadn’t been tested
Read full article: Records: 2 people in execution knew drugs hadn’t been testedNewly released records show at two least two people connected to a planned Tennessee execution that was abruptly put on hold April 21 knew the night before that the lethal injection drugs the state planned to use hadn’t undergone certain required testing.
Ford, battery maker face job requirement for Tennessee plant
Read full article: Ford, battery maker face job requirement for Tennessee plantA lease agreement says Ford Motor Co. and a South Korean company would have to create more than 5,000 full-time jobs at a planned electric pickup truck factory and battery manufacturing plant in Tennessee or pay back at least part of a $500 million state grant for the project.
Tennessee gov backs signing bill aide said violates US law
Read full article: Tennessee gov backs signing bill aide said violates US lawTennessee Gov. Bill Lee is defending a new law assigning sprawling limits on COVID-19 restrictions, despite his office’s warning that it would violate federal disability law.
Tennessee governor's aide warned new COVID law was illegal
Read full article: Tennessee governor's aide warned new COVID law was illegalEmails obtained by The Associated Press show that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s office warned top legislative staffers that a bill limiting public health measures during the COVID pandemic would violate federal law.
Green energy takes hold in unlikely places with Ford project
Read full article: Green energy takes hold in unlikely places with Ford projectWhen Ford revealed plans to ramp up its commitment to the electric vehicle sector, the automaker chose two states where Republican leaders have vilified the push for green energy and defended fossil fuels.
Tennessee sued over 'bathroom bill' for public schools
Read full article: Tennessee sued over 'bathroom bill' for public schoolsTennessee is being sued over a law that puts public schools and their districts at risk of legal consequences if they let transgender students or employees use multi-person bathrooms or locker rooms that do not reflect their gender at birth.
Ex-Tennessee health official: State backed off vaccine push
Read full article: Ex-Tennessee health official: State backed off vaccine pushEmails show that Tennessee’s health officials will not acknowledge that August is National Immunization Awareness Month per an order from the state’s health commissioner.
Governor: Transgender athletes will 'destroy women's sports'
Read full article: Governor: Transgender athletes will 'destroy women's sports'Bill Lee delivers his State of the State Address in War Memorial Auditorium, Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Wednesday that transgender girls should be banned from playing on middle and high school sports teams or they will “destroy women's sports.”“I do believe that transgenders participating in women’s sports will destroy women’s sports,” Lee, who is up for reelection next year, told reporters. It's unclear how many transgender students are participating in public school sports in Tennessee. “I will say, that particular executive order is a tremendous overreach of the federal government into the states,” Lee said Wednesday. Currently, a similar 2020 Idaho law has been blocked by a federal judge as a lawsuit makes it way in court.