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Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling
WASHINGTON — A New York judge agreed Tuesday to delay the criminal sentencing of former President Donald Trump in the state hush money case after Trump claimed the U.S. Supreme Court’s presidential immunity decision absolves him. New York Justice Juan Merchan, who oversaw the case, ordered the delay until Sept. 18 so the court could […] The post Trump NY sentencing delayed after U.S. Supreme Court presidential immunity ruling appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
New laws puts responsibility on Tennessee kids for stopping their own abuse
I’m sitting in a virtual room with a few attorneys discussing how we can support young people’s access to health care without running afoul of the new law criminalizing adults supporting minors who access abortion,when someone says, “Well, the law doesn’t prevent kids from educating their peers on abortion. Why don’t we just train them?” […] The post New laws puts responsibility on Tennessee kids for stopping their own abuse appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Killing of Belmont University student spurs new Tennessee mental competency law
Reacting to the death of a Belmont University student killed by a stray bullet, Tennessee lawmakers passed a measure this year that would allow judges to commit offenders to a mental health facility if they’re deemed incompetent to stand trial. The law is one of several new measures that took effect Monday, July 1, designed […] The post Killing of Belmont University student spurs new Tennessee mental competency law appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Deaths of Tennessee children from suspected abuse or neglect rose nearly 30% in 2023
A three-year-old boy shot himself in the head after getting ahold of his father’s unsecured Ruger 9 mm semi-automatic handgun. A 4-year-old girl was discovered stuffed in a trash can, dead. And a 3-month-old infant was found blue, still and alone on his very first day in an unlicensed day care facility, where six infants […] The post Deaths of Tennessee children from suspected abuse or neglect rose nearly 30% in 2023 appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity
Monday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision granting the presumption of criminal immunity for official actions taken by a president fundamentally altered U.S. democracy, President Joe Biden said from the White House Monday evening. Speaking for less than five minutes, Biden said the 6-3 decision contradicted the spirit of the country’s founding — set to be celebrated […] The post ‘No kings in America’: Biden slams U.S. Supreme Court ruling granting Trump immunity appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
U.S. Appeals Court stops felon voter restoration change from going through
Tennessee won’t have to implement any changes to how people with felony convictions can register to vote ahead of this year’s state and federal elections after three judges on U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an injunction. U.S. District Judge William Campbell ruled in June that Tennessee officials violated federal voting law by requiring […] The post U.S. Appeals Court stops felon voter restoration change from going through appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case
WASHINGTON — U.S. presidents enjoy full immunity from criminal charges for their official “core constitutional” acts, but no immunity for unofficial acts, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, sending former President Donald Trump’s case back to the lower courts. The justices left open the question of how far official acts can reach, possibly reshaping the contours […] The post Presidential immunity extends to some official acts, Supreme Court rules in Trump case appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
With Ballad Health under new scrutiny, Tennessee to hold yearly hearing on monopoly agreement
Tennessee’s health department will hold its annual public hearing on Ballad Health’s state-sanctioned monopoly agreement as the hospital faces a new round of eroding public support. The hearing — scheduled for July 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Northeast State Community College in Blountville — is the public’s latest opportunity to comment on the […] The post With Ballad Health under new scrutiny, Tennessee to hold yearly hearing on monopoly agreement appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Tennessee’s state budget is a moral document
When I first started this work 35 years ago, Tennesseans with disabilities lived vastly different lives than they do now. Be it by a family member, the state, a well-intentioned doctor — or some combination thereof, lives were dictated. Predetermined. A linear path with few choices, and even fewer exits. Back then, most laws and […] The post Tennessee’s state budget is a moral document appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
How CoreCivic stands to benefit as Tennessee pushes harsher prison sentences
This article was originally published by The Lever, an investigative newsroom. If you like this story, click here to get The Lever’s free newsletter.” As states across the country adopt harsh new sentencing laws, private prison companies are celebrating, telling investors that they soon expect more people in their prisons — and even higher profits. From Mississippi to California, […] The post How CoreCivic stands to benefit as Tennessee pushes harsher prison sentences appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Nashville gets first rainbow crosswalk to support LGBTQ community
Hundreds of Middle Tennesseans gathered near in East Nashville Saturday to paint the city’s first rainbow crosswalks as a celebration of LGBTQ pride. The event, which was sponsored by Metro Councilman Clay Capp, drew scores of elected officials, community members and a couple of protesters. The crosswalk intersection at 14 and Woodland Streets is in […] The post Nashville gets first rainbow crosswalk to support LGBTQ community appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion
Mark Lee Dickson says he’s been home maybe once in the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court vanished federal abortion rights in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The 38-year-old director of Right to Life of East Texas in Longview has been on an endless road trip trying to set legal traps for […] The post Modern-day ‘Comstocks’ look to police travel, information as another strategy to end abortion appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
U.S. Supreme Court flips precedent that empowered federal agencies
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a precedent Friday that had for decades limited judicial power to strike executive branch regulations, in a decision immediately criticized for potentially undermining decisions by scientists and agency experts. The 6-3 and 6-2 decisions in two cases brought by fishing operators in New Jersey and Rhode Island challenged a […] The post U.S. Supreme Court flips precedent that empowered federal agencies appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Stockard on the Stump: It’s official, Tennessee AG a partisan office
If there were ever any doubts about the partisanship of Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, they can be dismissed. “The jig is up, the news is out, they finally found me.” The AG’s Office has pretended, at least, to be nonpartisan for decades. But Skrmetti’s office ripped off the Band-Aid last week with a refusal […] The post Stockard on the Stump: It’s official, Tennessee AG a partisan office appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids
WASHINGTON — Prominent members of the GOP strongly criticized the Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX, including U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx and former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. As the fate of a key Biden administration effort to protect LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in […] The post House Speaker Johnson, Betsy DeVos lead attack on Title IX rule that protects LGBTQ+ kids appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Biden and Trump trade insults, accusations of lying in acrimonious presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump pitched to undecided voters Thursday night during the first debate of the presidential campaign — trading insults over their policy differences, immigration and who represents a threat to democracy. During the debate from CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, the two men argued over who can do better for […] The post Biden and Trump trade insults, accusations of lying in acrimonious presidential debate appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Undecided voters are the prize for both Biden and Trump in Thursday presidential debate
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will get a crucial opportunity to reach undecided voters and set the terms for the 2024 presidential campaign at Thursday night’s debate in Atlanta. Partisans on either side have already made up their minds about which candidate they’ll support. And with this year’s race serving as a […] The post Undecided voters are the prize for both Biden and Trump in Thursday presidential debate appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
The state of abortion in the U.S. two years post-Dobbs
Abortion was legal and uncontroversial at the time of the nation’s founding. But during the mid-19th century (around the same time male doctors sidelined midwives and took control of obstetrics), medical and religious groups began pressuring lawmakers to enact abortion restrictions. For almost two centuries, anti-abortion tactics have been to restrict and control women. From […] The post The state of abortion in the U.S. two years post-Dobbs appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Class action complaint accuses Tennessee Department of Children’s Services of abusing disabled kids
The Department of Children’s Services is illegally and unconstitutionally warehousing kids with disabilities in prison-like facilities, where they are pepper-sprayed, beaten and denied access to education and healthcare, a new class action complaint alleges. In the sweeping 114-page legal complaint filed Wednesday in a Nashville federal court, page after page details “horrific experiences of youths […] The post Class action complaint accuses Tennessee Department of Children’s Services of abusing disabled kids appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Tennessee State University struggles to bolster athletic facilities, find campus dorm space
Tennessee State University continues to grapple with improvements for historic Hale Stadium, even as it plays home football games at Nissan Stadium, while trying to shore up dorm space after a housing crunch. One of two land grant universities in Tennessee, TSU is set to make repairs in phases to the 1950s-era stadium, also known […] The post Tennessee State University struggles to bolster athletic facilities, find campus dorm space appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
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