Free Republic

A Tennessee institution is taking a stand for inclusion by threatening to exclude those who don’t stand for inclusivity.So far as I can tell, contemporary adult society is mostly one big high school — coolness is king. And in some circles, at least, “diversity, equity, and inclusion” is all the rage.In corporate America and even the military, DEI has soared. And on college campuses nationwide, it’s taken colossal hold.Take, for example, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s latest turn.The College Fix has reportedly obtained 322 pages of new diversity guidelines for the roughly 30,000-student school, spanning 20 administrative and academic departments.Per...

After receiving his first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine in early December, Dr. Dimitri Ndina, described as a ‘very healthy’, loving father, husband, grandfather and pharmaceutical doctor at Tennessee Oncology, was soon admitted to St. Thomas Midtown Hospital in Nashville, according to his daughter Alexis, where after a 12 day hospital stay, he developed blood clots in his lower region and passed away on December 2022. NASHVILLE, TX – It has been revealed that a beloved and longtime Nashville doctor tragically passed away last month just days after receiving his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, with the official...

Knoxville’s Planned Parenthood building was engulfed in flames early Friday morning and is a total loss. Fire crews were called about 6:40 a.m. as heavy smoke was coming out of the back of the structure, Assistant Chief Brent Seymour said. There were no injuries to report. The building was being renovated and the clinic had not been used in some time. Seymour said it’s too early in the investigation, with parts of the building unsafe to enter, to be able to say what caused the fire. Representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI have...

"While this issue still hasn’t impacted a significant percentage of the national workforce, various vaccine mandates have led to the dismissal or forced resignation of workers who declined to comply and get vaccinated. This is a significant financial issue for many families because the rules regarding unemployment benefits make many workers ineligible if they either quit or are terminated for cause. In response to this, four states – Arkansas, Florida, Kansas, and Tennessee – had already passed laws making such workers eligible for benefits, with extensions offered in some cases. Now a fifth state has joined the list. Iowa will...

In a 29-page order, U.S. district judge Gregory Van Tatenhove actually got it right on vaccine mandates — but not for reasons cited by either side of this contentious issue. The George W. Bush nominee wrote, "This is not a case about whether vaccines are effective. They are. Nor is this a case about whether the government, at some level and in some circumstances, can require citizens to obtain vaccines. It can." Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove further made his case, writing, "The question presented here is narrow. Can the president use congressionally delegated authority to manage the federal procurement of...

ATTN Tennessee FReepers: I've read through the anti-mask mandate bill that Gov. Lee signed into law back in November. If a store/business breaks this law, what's the punishment? Is there one? The place I work in Shelby county is still mandating we wear masks. Thank you for your help.

A black man in Tennessee will get a new trial after being convicted by an all-white jury who deliberated in a room adorned with Confederate symbols. Tim Gilbert, who was sentenced to six years in prison in 2020 for aggravated assault and other charges stemming from a December 2018 dispute, was granted a new trial Friday by the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals. An attorney for Gilbert argued his right to a fair trial was violated because the jury deliberated in a room at the Giles County courthouse with an antique Confederate flag and a portrait of Confederate President Jefferson...

KINGSPORT, Tenn. - Matthew Hawn checked his phone to see if the wait was finally over. It had been five months since he was fired for teaching about White privilege at a high school in rural Tennessee. Two months since he had fought to regain his job at an emotional three-day hearing, becoming a symbol of the acrimonious debate over the way race, racism and history should be taught in America's schools. A lifelong resident of Kingsport, Hawn was well aware his liberal views made him an outlier in his overwhelmingly White, mostly conservative community. But that had never mattered...

Witnesses WATE 6 News spoke to said Beal questioned whether his vegan burger was actually vegan and asked the staff to take the burger to the hospital to have it tested.

A judge on Tuesday blocked President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, finding that Biden likely lacks the authority to force them to get vaccinated. “This is not a case about whether vaccines are effective. They are. Nor is this a case about whether the government, at some level, and in some circumstances, can require citizens to obtain vaccines. It can,” U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, a George W. Bush nominee, wrote in the 29-page order. “The question presented here is narrow. Can the president use congressionally delegated authority to manage the federal procurement of goods and...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) - Ivermectin, a drug that treats parasite infestations, is being studied at Vanderbilt as a possible treatment for COVID-19. **SNIP** Vanderbilt is participating in a national study on several treatments. In addition to ivermectin, they're also researching fluticasone, a nose spray for allergies commonly known as Flonase, and fluvoxamine. "It’s one of the older anti-depressants that have been out there a very long time," Goyal said. Fluvoxamine could have an anti-inflammatory effect according to the National Institutes of Health. Beth Winslow is vaccinated, had her booster shot, and still got COVID-19. She decided to enroll in the...

Fifteen Republican governors, led by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, have launched “Operation Open Road,” an initiative that seeks to ease the U.S. supply chain crunch through a range of state and federal measures, including calling on the Biden administration to remove “burdensome” regulations on the trucking industry and to suspend President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for private employers. Lee announced the start of the operation in a statement on Nov. 22, the same day that he signed an executive order (pdf) deregulating critical trucking functions in Tennessee. “Republican governors across the country have committed to doing everything we can to...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An earthquake near Williamsville, Missouri shook up the Mid-South Wednesday night. According to the U.S. Geological Survey at the University of Memphis, it was a 3.7 magnitude quake hit near Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Williamsville is located approximately 160 miles north of Memphis. The earthquake happened at 8:53 p.m. It was felt in some parts of west Tennessee and eastern Arkansas including Shelby, Tipton, and Crittenden counties. There are no damages to report. More top stories on WREG.com

CLARKSVILLE, TN – Over 50 students were suspended from West Creek High School on Friday after a video showing the students raising their hands or phones simulating a weapon went viral on TikTok. The video, posted Thursday evening, gained almost 500,000 likes on the social media app before it was made private by the video’s creator – a sophomore at West Creek High.

The Supreme Court of the United States unanimously rejected Mississippi’s claim against Tennessee for using too much of its groundwater. In this case, Mississippi claimed Tennessee should have prevented Memphis Light, Gas & Water Division from pumping groundwater from the Memphis Sand Aquifer over the state line. It argued that Tennessee’s “knowing, intentional, and forcible pumping of groundwater” violated Mississippi’s sovereignty and constitutes a wrongful taking of the state’s “most valuable natural resource.” All nine justices, however, disagreed.... ...Roberts seemed particularly annoyed by Mississippi’s argument, pointing out that, “Mississippi claims an absolute ‘ownership’ right to all groundwater beneath its surface—even...

Two children reported missing out of Tennessee and Kentucky have been found safe in Dana Point, and a suspect in the case is in custody, authorities announced Thursday. Noah Clare, 3, and Amber Clare, 16, were located less than a day after the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations released new surveillance images that they said confirmed both kids were with 35-year-old Jacob Clare. He’s the father of Noah and Amber’s uncle. The children were recovered after a concerned woman spotted a boy matching the toddler’s description and reporting the sighting to law enforcement, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. She...

Republican Governor @BillLeeTN is refusing to sign a bill, which: - Bans COVID-19 vaccine mandates - Clampdown on vaccine passports - Provides doctors with the right to prescribe what is best - Protects workers from vaccine discrimination @seanmdav The Tennessee legislature passed a sweeping bill banning COVID-19 vaccine mandates and protecting individuals from discrimination by government and corporate entities. That was over a week ago. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has thus far refused to sign it.

Video obtained by FOX 17 News captures the chilling moments a man waves a gun over members of a Nashville church Sunday. Surveillance shows the man casually walking up to the altar and placing a book down on the podium before waving a gun over the crowd at Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church. Fearful churchgoers can be seen scurrying and running out of the building, while others try to stay calm.

States are the protectors of our republic, and red states in particular are the firewall between the federal government and the people.At the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdowns, we were asked to stay home for two weeks in order to flatten the curve. Nineteen months later, Americans are being denied their right to make health decisions for themselves. Our economy and the livelihood of millions of American workers stands at risk thanks to President Joe Biden’s alleged mandate forcing private businesses to require proof of vaccination of their employees. Government’s responsibility is to maintain a framework of ordered liberty. That...

One of government’s most shocking powers is civil asset forfeiture or seizure. This power occurs when law enforcement confiscates private property with or without charging the owner with a crime. In Tennessee, the betting odds say it is more likely personal property will be taken by law enforcement than through a robbery. Scary, isn't it? Going back slightly more than a decade you will find Tennessee law enforcement has taken more than $150 million in cash and personal property – without criminal charges or legal accusations of criminal activity. The proceeds from these types of seizures are generally applied to...