A dean at a university in Tennessee was fired on Wednesday after she said she had “zero sympathy” following the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. 
Middle Tennessee State University Associate Dean of Students Laura Sosh-Lightsy was fired for “inappropriate and callous” social media posts about the killing of Kirk, the university confirmed to The Daily Wire. According to screenshots of posts shared online by Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sosh-Lightsy wrote, “Looks like ol’ Charlie spoke his fate into existence. Hate begets hate. ZERO sympathy.”
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Assistant Dean of Students for my alma mater — Middle Tennessee State University — has some thoughts on Charlie Kirk’s assassination. <a href="https://t.co/HN3HIPI24l">pic.twitter.com/HN3HIPI24l</a>
— Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) <a href="https://twitter.com/matthewhurtt/status/1965939113162592469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sosh-Lightsy’s posts <a href="https://x.com/matthewhurtt/status/1965939113162592469">were</a> first flagged by Matthew Hurtt, an MTSU alumnus and director of the Leadership Institute. According to another post shared by Hurtt, Sosh-Lightsy wrote, “I’m not celebrating the loss of Charlie Kirk’s life. Violence is not the answer. I’m celebrating the loss of his message of violence in an increasingly violent world, which is partially because of him.”
Those comments came after Kirk was gunned down while speaking at Utah Valley University. A manhunt is still ongoing for the individual who shot Kirk. Many leftists took to social media to mock Kirk or celebrate his death. 
Sosh-Lightsy’s firing was announced by Middle Tennessee State University President Sidney McPhee, who said that she was fired “immediately” and that she had done damage to the university’s credibility with students and the public. 
“An MTSU employee today offered inappropriate and callous comments on social media concerning the horrific and tragic murder of Charlie Kirk,” McPhee said. “The comments by this employee, who worked in a position of trust directly with students, were inconsistent with our values and have undermined the university’s credibility and reputation with our students, faculty, staff and the community at large. This employee has been fired effective immediately. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Kirk family.”
Sosh-Lightsy’s profile was removed from the university’s Office of Student Conduct and Care Page sometime after the firing. According to her LinkedIn page, she had worked at Middle Tennessee State University for over twenty years and was in charge of student conduct and behavioral intervention plans. 
Her firing came after <a href="https://x.com/VoteMarsha/status/1965946930753945875">pressure</a> from Blackburn and other Tennessee Republicans. 
“Charlie Kirk was an inspiration for so many young people to speak up and work towards a better country, and nowhere was that more true than our college campuses,” Blackburn <a href="https://x.com/VoteMarsha/status/1965946930753945875">wrote</a> on X. “She should be fired tomorrow.”
Republican State Rep. Jason Zachary, an alumnus of MTSU, also called for Sosh-Lightsy’s firing. After the university announced the firing, he praised the leadership at the school.
“Thank you [President McPhee] for your leadership and decisive action,” he <a href="https://x.com/JasonZacharyTN/status/1966090666905334095">posted</a> on X. “Our leaders in higher education must hold faculty accountable and ensure that our public institutions reflect Tennessee values [MTSU] has led the way. Well done.”

Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Holds Rally In Glendale, Arizona

Tennessee University Dean Fired After Saying She Had No Sympathy For Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk

Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee

The Trump administration is backing legislation that would ban doctors from performing transgender procedures on children and allow lawsuits against doctors or hospitals who greenlit such procedures.  
The Justice Department <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/department-justice-proposes-legislation-protect-children-gender-mutilation">said</a> Wednesday that it had “transmitted a legislative proposal to Congress that protects and defends children from chemical and surgical mutilation under the guise of ‘gender-affirming care.’” In the press release, the DOJ said it was backing a proposal from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Rep. Bob Onder (R-MO) that would protect children nationwide from transgender procedures. 
“The Department of Justice has heard from far too many families who have been devastated by mutilative medical procedures that fly in the face of basic biology,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “While we continue our ongoing legal battle to protect children, we appreciate our colleagues in Congress who are working diligently alongside us to end these abusive procedures once and for all.”
The <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1412656/dl?inline">proposal</a> from the Republican lawmakers, called the Victims of Chemical or Surgical Mutilation Act, would ban doctors from doing transgender surgeries like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys or genital procedures. It would also ban children who identify as transgender from being put on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. 
Puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can permanently destroy fertility, stunt bone growth, and impact heart health. 
The bill would also allow children who were put on transgender procedures to bring a civil suit for &#8220;damages against any healthcare professional, physician, hospital, or clinic, who participates in the chemical or surgical mutilation of that child. This includes, but is not limited to, compensatory damages, including all economic damages associated with undoing, correcting, or ameliorating the effects or results of any chemical or surgical mutilation procedures, and noneconomic damages for emotional distress and pain and suffering.&#8221;
The legislation would allow kids to sue their doctors within 25 years of their 18th birthday.
President Donald Trump has cracked down on transgender procedures for kids, signing an executive order in January that ended federal funding for any entity performing or promoting the procedures. His administration has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/health-care-puts-stop-to-trans-surgeries-on-kids">pressured</a> hospitals across the country to stop the procedures.

Attorney General Pam Bondi Announces Sinaloa Cartel Co-Founder Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia Guilty Plea

Trump Admin Backs Nationwide Push To Protect Kids From Transgender Procedures

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

gender ideology

transgender surgery

Trump Administration

The FBI arrested a 22-year-old on Thursday for threatening to kill Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) earlier this year. 
The Justice Department accused Penelope Convertino, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, of leaving a voice mail message at Blackburn’s Nashville office threatening to shoot the senator on May 30. Convertino has been charged with making a threat to murder a federal official with the intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere. 
“Our public officials should be able to do their jobs without receiving vile death threats,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/murfreesboro-woman-charged-threat-murder-united-states-senator-marsha-blackburn">said</a> Acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Threatening public officials with deadly violence cannot and will not be tolerated. We will not hesitate to hold those who make these kinds of violent threats accountable for their crimes.”
According to the Justice Department, Convertino’s voice mail said: “My name is mother**ker and I’m gonna kill Marsha Blackburn. I’m gonna shoot her with a gun. I’m gonna blow up her head on national TV,” Convertino said, according to the Justice Department. “She will literally have brains splattered behind her because she will not be a person. She will be a dead f**king body.”
If convicted, Convertino could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 
Blackburn, who is running for governor of Tennessee, expressed gratitude to federal investigators. 
“Threats against the life of any public official are unacceptable and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent,” she <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/murfreesboro/woman-charged-alleged-threat-blackburn/">told</a> local outlet WKRN. “I am grateful to law enforcement and federal prosecutors in the Middle District of Tennessee for taking this threat seriously and for their swift action. My focus remains on serving the people of Tennessee, and I will not be intimidated or deterred by those who seek to silence me.”
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Republican Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) criticized the FBI, <a href="https://x.com/timburchett/status/1961433462079889900">saying</a> it took far too long to make an arrest in the case.
“Someone threatens [Blackburn’s] life and it takes the [FBI] 3 months to arrest the dirtbag?! That’s a problem,” he posted on X. 
Blackburn, who was re-elected to a second Senate term in 2024, will face off against Republican Rep. John Rose in the August 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary.

Senate Lawmakers Return To Work On Capitol Hill After Weekend

FBI Nabs Suspect Over Chilling Threat To Assassinate Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Crime

Nashville

Two Republican U.S. senators called for a congressional investigation into Meta Platforms on Thursday after Reuters exclusively reported on an internal policy document that permitted the company’s chatbots to “engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual.”
Meta confirmed the document’s authenticity, but said that after receiving questions earlier this month from Reuters, the company removed portions that stated it is permissible for chatbots to flirt and engage in romantic roleplay with children. The standards described in the Meta document don’t necessarily reflect “ideal or even preferable” generative AI outputs, the document states. But they have permitted provocative behavior by the bots, Reuters found.
In one example, the document notes that it would be acceptable for a bot to tell a shirtless eight-year-old that “every inch of you is a masterpiece – a treasure I cherish deeply.”
&#8220;So, only after Meta got CAUGHT did it retract portions of its company doc,&#8221; Senator Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a post on social media site X. &#8220;This is grounds for an immediate congressional investigation,&#8221; Hawley said.
A spokesperson for Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, said she supports an investigation into the social media company.
A spokesperson for Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
Blackburn also added that the report illustrates the need to pass reforms to better protect children online, such as the Kids Online Safety Act, a bill she co-sponsored that the Senate passed last year but which failed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“When it comes to protecting precious children online, Meta has failed miserably by every possible measure. Even worse, the company has turned a blind eye to the devastating consequences of how its platforms are designed,&#8221; Blackburn said.
The Kids Online Safety Act would make explicit a &#8220;duty of care&#8221; that social media companies have when it comes to minors using their products, focusing on the design of the platforms and the regulation of the companies.
Senator Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, called the policies &#8220;deeply disturbing and wrong,&#8221; adding that Section 230, a law that shields internet companies from liability for the content posted to their platforms, should not protect companies&#8217; generative AI chatbots.
&#8220;Meta and Zuckerberg should be held fully responsible for any harm these bots cause,” he said.
Senator Peter Welch, a Democrat of Vermont, said the report &#8220;shows how critical safeguards are for AI — especially when the health and safety of kids is at risk.&#8221;
The Senate voted 99-1 in July to remove a provision in President Donald Trump&#8217;s sweeping tax-cut and spending bill that would have effectively barred states from passing AI regulation.
In the absence of federal laws regulating AI, states have passed legislation, including bans on using the technology to create child sexual abuse material.
(Reporting by Jody Godoy in New York; Additional Reporting by Alexandra Alper in Washington; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

FILE PHOTO: Illustration shows Meta logo

GOP Senators Push For Probe Into Meta’s AI Chatbot Engaging In ‘Sensual’ Discussions With Children

Artificial Intelligence

Children

Josh Hawley

Mark Zuckerberg

GOP Presidential Nominee Donald Trump Holds Town Hall in Warren, MI

Marsha Blackburn Launches Governor Bid, Pledges To ‘Make Tennessee America’s Conservative Leader’

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Monday that the state would be partnering with Elon Musk’s Boring Company to build an underground tunnel connecting the Nashville airport to the city’s downtown.
The project will be called the “Music City Loop” and will connect Nashville International Airport to the heart of the city’s entertainment district via an underground tunnel. Using electric vehicles, the trip will take about eight minutes, <a href="https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2025/7/28/gov--lee--the-boring-company-unveil-transformative-underground-music-city-loop-project.html">according</a> to the Boring Company.
During a press conference at the airport, Lee said that the project would be 100% privately funded with “no cost to taxpayers.” He said that it was brought to Nashville because it is the “most dynamic city in the country” and that it would lead to less congestion on the roads.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to infrastructure challenges,” Lee said. “By leveraging the innovation of private sector companies like The Boring Company, we’re exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own as a state. This partnership represents the kind of forward-thinking, fiscally responsible approach that will define the future of transportation in Tennessee.”
The loop will be built under state-owned roads, and construction is projected to begin in the fall of 2026, pending approvals.
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy was also present at the announcement, saying that he was “thrilled about this project.”
Duffy said that the project would help reduce congestion on the roads, which has become worse in recent years as Tennessee has seen an influx of new residents. He said that the congestion was a “product of your own success” because people were attracted to the politics of Tennessee.
Boring Company President Steve Davis said at a press conference that the rock below Tennessee was really difficult to drill through, but that his engineers would be able to figure it out. He also said that the company would start consideration of potential places to expand the tunnel.
The decision to bring a tunnel to Nashville was celebrated by Tennessee GOP Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty.
&#8220;As Nashville International Airport continues to set passenger records and our city experiences an economic boom, the Boring Company&#8217;s investment in the Music City Loop will help ease growing pains and address transportation challenges at zero cost to Tennessee taxpayers,&#8221; Blackburn said. &#8220;The Boring Company could not have picked a better new home for this state-of-the-art tunneling technology than Nashville, and I look forward to seeing the tremendous impact this investment will have on our city and its residents.”

Milken Institute’s Global Conference Held In Beverly Hills

Elon Musk’s Boring Company Announces Major Tunnel Project In Red State

Bill Lee

Economy

Elon Musk

U.S.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is warning major universities across her state to scrap DEI programs or risk their taxpayer-funded federal support.
Blackburn sent letters on Wednesday to the heads of Belmont University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Vanderbilt University expressing “concern” over reports that the universities are hiding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs behind sanitized language. The warning comes after a series of undercover videos show employees at the universities discussing how they will push the liberal orthodoxy despite orders by the Trump administration to halt them.
The letters are largely similar, though each reflects details of the situations specific to the universities. The senator sent the letters after officials at each university were caught on camera admitting to certain tactics and ploys each institution has adopted to avoid scrutiny of their DEI programs.
“Renaming woke DEI programs to circumvent compliance and public scrutiny degrades the educational experience of your students and the trust placed in institutions of higher education,” reads a similar section posted in each letter.
“As a beneficiary of federal funding,” writes Blackburn, the university “has a responsibility to align with the President’s executive order and return to a focus on providing quality education to your students.”
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&mdash; Tim Pearce (@timbpearce) <a href="https://twitter.com/timbpearce/status/1948178903102591015?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In the past week, controversy has erupted around each of the universities after hidden camera recordings caught employees admitting that at their respective institutions, university leadership has hidden DEI programs behind more benign language.
At the University of Tennessee, for instance, the university&#8217;s DEI initiatives have been wrapped under the &#8220;Access &amp; Engagement&#8221; office, a coordinator at the office said on a hidden camera. At Vanderbilt, the Center for Student Wellbeing has taken over DEI-related programs, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/watch-dei-efforts-were-rebranded-2-red-state-colleges-skirt-trump-orders-staffers-admit">Fox News</a>.
“We’re in the Center for Student Wellbeing – like I said, we have things that clue people in and let people know that this is a safe space for everybody,” an academic coach in the center said. &#8220;Belonging and Communities is like as close to that DEI work you can probably get. Previously, they were the Center for Social Justice and Identities.”
At Belmont University, the institution is not only continuing DEI under another name, but it is also enrolling illegal aliens, Belmont University Assistant Director of Student Success and Flourishing Jozef Lukey said in an undercover video first reported by <a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2025/07/16/belmont-university-is-hiding-illegal-aliens-on-campus-n2659728">Townhall</a>.
“We definitely have to navigate very carefully and just cautiously just because we just don&#8217;t ever know,” he said. “Especially with the ICE raids that are happening in the city that impacts our campus.”
All three universities have denied the claims caught in the undercover videos, noting that individual employees do not speak for the institutions. The universities have also asserted that they follow all relevant laws and regulations.
The Trump administration has taken a combative stance against DEI and other “woke” initiatives across college campuses, picking fights with high-profile institutions such as Harvard and Columbia. The Trump administration has threatened or yanked taxpayer funding from a slate of top-tier schools over DEI programs, antisemitism, allowing males in female sports, and other issues.
The White House’s wrangling with Harvard has so far cost the university more than $2 billion in frozen funding. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday that the administration will investigate Harvard’s eligibility for a federal visa program that allows the university to sponsor foreign students and faculty.

EXCLUSIVE: Blackburn Sends Warning Shot To Tennessee Schools After Undercover Videos Reveal DEI Push

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Vanderbilt University

A new bill from Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) would require states to pay back the federal government if U.S. military resources were used in response to “civil disturbances” triggered by a state&#8217;s “refusal to cooperate with lawful Federal immigration enforcement.”
The <a href="https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/services/files/092A4293-3943-49B2-A152-DE4A1FBE802E">bill</a>, which was first shared with The Daily Wire, was filed Wednesday in response to violent rioting across parts of California last month over ICE raids. The unrest prompted President Donald Trump to send in thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines into Los Angeles to protect federal property and personnel. 
“As lawless states like California obstruct the federal government’s work to enforce immigration law, American taxpayers in other states have been forced to foot the bill for the military forces required to quell the chaos and protect law-abiding citizens,” Blackburn told The Daily Wire. “If a state refuses to do its job and forces the federal government to respond to unrest, they should pay for it.”
Blackburn added that her bill, called the “State Accountability for Federal Deployment Costs Act,” would “send a message that refusing to comply with federal immigration law will not be tolerated.”
A companion bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Jody Arrington (R-TX), the chair of the House Budget Committee. 
“Sanctuary policies that obstruct federal law enforcement jeopardize communities and drain valuable resources &#8211; in fact, their very existence is a violation of the law,” Arrington told The Daily Wire. “It’s entirely unacceptable for states that refuse to enforce immigration laws to expect taxpayers in states like Texas and Tennessee to foot the bill when the consequences of their lawlessness results in federal action. I’m proud to team up with Senator Blackburn to ensure that states that break the law, pay the price.”
The bill says that state authorities not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement operations can cause “civil unrest, security breakdowns, and law enforcement emergencies” that require a federal military response. 
If this situation were to occur, the bill says that states would be required to reimburse the federal government for the travel, meals, lodging, and other expenses incurred by the troops who were mobilized. That would have to come after the attorney general and the secretary of Homeland Security determined that the state’s actions contributed to the unrest. 
If a state did not make a payment within 180 days of receiving a reimbursement request from the Department of Defense, the president would be authorized to rescind discretionary grants to the state. 
The recent deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the Los Angeles area is <a href="https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2025/06/10/la-deployments-to-cost-134-million-and-last-60-days-pentagon-says/">estimated</a> to have cost the Department of Defense at least $130 million. Over a month after the National Guard was first sent in, the Pentagon on Tuesday confirmed that 2,000 National Guard members are being withdrawn from that mission.

MixCollage-16-Jul-2025-07-26-AM-5051

Sen. Marsha Blackburn Bill Targets ‘Lawless States,’ No Free Passes After Anti-ICE Riots

California

Congress

Illegal Immigration

Politics

Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced legislation that would prevent certain migrants from entering the United States in a bid to crack down on what she calls a “multi-million dollar industry” built on birth tourism.
Blackburn’s bill, called “the Ban Birth Tourism” act, would modify existing immigration law to make those intending to come to the United States for the purpose of having a child in America ineligible for entry.
Blackburn asserted in a recent <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2025/05/21/marsha-blackburn-moves-to-ban-birthright-citizenship/">interview</a> that foreign networks, including those operating in China and Russia, have built a multi-million dollar industry by taking advantage of America’s birthright citizenship policy.
“You have brokers who are advertising and pushing for people in countries like Russia and China, and women, when they are pregnant, they can pay a fee to the broker, come into the U.S., live in housing that is provided for them, have the baby, get the birth certificate,” she said, adding that the scheme allows the foreign nationals to start the chain migration process once the child turns 21 years old.
Blackburn’s legislation aims to prevent those foreigners from entering the United States.
“Foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation’s immigration laws for far too long, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States for the sole purpose of giving birth to obtain U.S. citizenship for their children,” the senator from Tennessee <a href="https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/2025/5/immigration/national%20security/blackburn-introduces-bill-to-stop-multi-million-dollar-birth-tourism-industry">charged</a>. “The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children.”
Blackburn’s bill comes just after the Supreme Court began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sounds-off-on-birthright-citizenship-ahead-of-scotus-argument-drug-cartels-love-it">hearing arguments</a> addressing President Donald Trump’s day one <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/protecting-the-meaning-and-value-of-american-citizenship/">executive order</a> ending birthright citizenship for children born in the United States without at least one parent who is a citizen or legal permanent resident.
Trump railed against birthright citizenship in a post on Truth Social ahead of the arguments before the Supreme Court.
“The United States of America is the only Country in the World that does this, for what reason, nobody knows — But the drug cartels love it!” Trump said. “Birthright Citizenship was not meant for people taking vacations to become permanent Citizens of the United States of America, and bringing their families with them, all the time laughing at the ‘SUCKERS’ that we are!”
Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-congressman-to-introduce-bill-limiting-birthright-citizenship-bolster-trump-executive-order">introduced</a> his own legislation in the House ending birthright citizenship shortly after Trump’s executive order. Babin’s bill, like Blackburn’s, takes aim at birth tourism and aims to “close loopholes that exploit birthright citizenship and discourage illegal immigration.”

Sen. Blackburn

Sen. Marsha Blackburn Introduces Bill To Kneecap ‘Multi-Million Dollar Birth Tourism Industry’

birthright citizenship

Immigration

mass immigration

Singer Sheryl Crow, who has expressed leftist views in the past, said she contacts her local Republican representatives in Tennessee &#8220;every day&#8221; in an effort to “fight” for the future.
The 63-year-old recording artist was discussing her move to the Volunteer State and how her politics do not align with those of many Tennesseans.
“We all have those moments in our life where we have to pivot,” Crow told <a href="https://variety.com/2025/music/news/sheryl-crow-power-of-women-nashville-cover-story-1236379807/">Variety</a> in a newly published interview. “I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and I moved [to Tennessee] in 2007. I think having come out of a relationship [with former professional cyclist Lance Armstrong] where I thought I was gonna be married and was close to the kids that were gonna be my stepkids, then got diagnosed — all three of those things made me reassess. I just looked at it and thought, &#8216;I want to put down roots; I want to have a family.’ My sisters live here, and my family all lived within three hours, and I just decided to start phase two.”
She said she’s happy with the move to Tennessee, but has experienced some difficulties adjusting.
“Tennessee is a hard place for me. I mean, I struggle,” she told the outlet. “I call my representatives [in Congress] every single morning — Andy Ogles and Marsha Blackburn hear from me every day — because we have to stand up and be vocal and fight for the future for our kids.”
“I do think, ’Are they laughing?’ But it’s like what Jimmy Carter said: As long as there’s legal bribery, we won’t ever have fair elections. So we have to keep raising our voices and showing up to these organized rallies,” Crow added.
The “Soak Up the Sun” singer said she received backlash after posting a video of her Tesla being towed away. “This feels different, because when I came out against Walmart carrying guns [in a 1996 song], not everybody was armed — and certainly I didn’t live in Tennessee, where everybody is armed,” she said.
“So yeah, there was a moment where I actually really felt very afraid: A man got on my property, in my barn, who was armed. It doesn’t feel safe when you’re dealing with people who are so committed.”
As for posting the video, she said, “I can’t help it. I feel like I’m fighting for my kids. Also, that’s the way I was raised. There have been times when it hasn’t really been fun, but I follow my Atticus Finch dad; I’m very similar to him if I see something that seems unfair, you know?”
Crow was criticized for an Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DGEf88eBMVX/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=a00569fc-1a7b-490d-8550-55229d48acf5">post</a> with the caption, “My parents always said … you are who you hang out with. There comes a time when you have to decide who you are willing to align with. So long Tesla.”
“Money donated to [NPR], which is under threat by President Musk, in hopes that the truth will continue to find its way to those willing to know the truth,” the post concluded.

Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow Says She Calls Tennessee Republicans Marsha Blackburn And Andy Ogles ‘Every Day’

Sheryl Crow Said She Calls Tennessee Rep Marsha Blackburn 'Every Day'

Celebrities

Vanderbilt University Medical Center gave in to a public pressure campaign to end all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on Wednesday afternoon, just a day after receiving a letter from Tennessee&#8217;s Republican senator, Marsha Blackburn, accusing the hospital of &#8220;concealing&#8221; the DEI work.
In a statement from the university hospital, it said it intends to fully comply with President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order.
“Vanderbilt University Medical Center is eliminating all DEI programs and is fully complying with Executive Actions on DEI,&#8221; the statement <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2025/04/16/vanderbilt-university-medical-center-eliminating-all-dei-programs/">said</a>. &#8220;Shortly after the Executive Orders were issued, VUMC began removing related content on internal and external websites to reflect the termination of these programs. VUMC will continue to comply with federal mandates and directives.”
The announcement comes just one day after Blackburn wrote a <a href="https://www.blackburn.senate.gov/services/files/4387EAC3-4C5F-44F1-9FF2-45E995761DBB">letter to VUMC President Jeffrey Balser</a>, accusing the university of concealing its DEI efforts and urging him to comply with Trump’s executive orders against the ideology.
“VUMC has recently scrubbed its website of references to DEI initiatives at the institution, going so far as to password protect web pages tied to DEI and climate activism. Concerningly, though, offices such as the Office of Health Equity, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and the Office for Diversity Affairs are seemingly still active,” Blackburn wrote in her letter to Blaser. “President Trump has been clear on this issue. His recent executive orders correctly prohibited DEI programs at federally funded research institutions and ended the recognition of gender identity apart from biological sex.”
“As a beneficiary of federal funding, VUMC has a responsibility to align with the President’s executive orders,” Blackburn went on to add. “Instead of covering up VUMC’s DEI initiatives, I urge you to comply with President Trump’s effort to responsibility allocate taxpayer dollars and immediately cease all DEI initiatives.”
Vanderbilt&#8217;s hospital is perhaps best known for its transgender procedures on children, which were revealed by Daily Wire host Matt Walsh. The hospital described the practice of so-called &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; care for children as a &#8220;big money-maker.&#8221;
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BREAKING: My team and I have been investigating the transgender clinic at Vanderbilt here in Nashville. Vanderbilt drugs, chemically castrates, and performs double mastectomies on minors. But it gets worse. Here is what we found. Let&#39;s start at the beginning.
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1572313369528635392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The investigation by Matt Walsh led to Governor Bill Lee calling for an investigation, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tn-senate-leader-credits-daily-wire-investigation-for-inspiring-ban-on-gender-procedures-for-minors">ultimately resulted</a> in a Tennessee state law protecting children from medical interventions that seek to change their sex. That law was recently debated in the Supreme Court, where Walsh rallied activists against mutilating children.

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The following is a distilled and edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley and Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/tesla-attacks-doge-government-waste-with-senator-marsha-blackburn-3-29-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">weekend edition of Morning Wire</a>.
As Tesla owners face escalating attacks and the Biden-era federal budget balloons, Senator Marsha Blackburn says Americans are witnessing the backlash to Republican efficiency reforms and shrinking government. In a recent Morning Wire interview with Daily Wire Editor-in-Chief John Bickley, Senator Blackburn outlines why the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is under fire, and why she believes Democrats are “rudderless” and losing their grip on power.
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John Bickley: Senator, you’re bringing a resolution to the Senate floor that condemns attacks on Tesla. What prompted that move?
Senator Marsha Blackburn: It’s stunning that we’re seeing these violent attacks—vandalism, destruction of private property, even firebombings—and yet Democratic leadership is not standing up and calling out these acts of domestic terrorism. This resolution says the U.S. Senate stands against those acts of violence. Whether it’s Tesla dealerships, electric car owners, or charging stations being targeted, it’s unacceptable. So we think this resolution is appropriate. We want to give members of the U.S. Senate from each party, along with a couple of independents, the opportunity to stand up and say, “We condemn these attacks.”
Bickley: Elon Musk has suggested there’s big money and coordination behind these protests. Are you seeing evidence that this isn’t just grassroots chaos?
Sen. Blackburn: Yes. What we’ve heard — and what Musk has highlighted — is that this is something that is quite organized. We know they’re planning a so-called &#8220;Global Day of Action&#8221; against Tesla. The reasoning behind it is telling: it’s about their hatred for Donald Trump, their disdain for Elon Musk, and opposition to DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency — which Musk helped establish in partnership with Congress. That’s the real target. Leftists need big government in order to survive. That’s their mother&#8217;s milk, if you will. These activist organizations can’t survive on their own — so when we start rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal system, they become distraught. DOGE is cutting off the pipeline of taxpayer money that’s been flowing into these nonprofits.
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Bickley: What kind of waste are we talking about here?
Sen. Blackburn: The Biden administration handed out billions to organizations that have no ability to stand on their own. I’ll give you one example: Stacey Abrams’ so-called “climate justice” nonprofit had about $100 in the bank, but somehow received $2 billion in federal money — that’s billion with a “B.” That’s not just wasteful, it’s offensive to taxpayers. All that money needs to be clawed back. It should go back to the U.S. Treasury and used to pay down our $36 trillion in debt. Then, we need to codify those cuts, making them permanent through rescission bills and reconciliation processes. That’s how we get to a balanced budget again. Right now we’re at $7.3 trillion. Trump’s target is $5.5 trillion.
Bickley: What specifically will the Senate do to make DOGE reforms permanent?
Sen. Blackburn: You&#8217;ll see us move quickly on a reconciliation bill to make the Trump 2017 tax cuts permanent. That’s step one. But just as important, we’re planning a rescission bill that includes DOGE’s spending reductions. That’s the mechanism for cutting these funds out of the federal budget baseline. The beauty of the rescission process is that it only requires 51 votes in the Senate, not 60. That gives us a real path to codify these cuts. We’re aiming to get back to pre-COVID levels of spending.
<div id="attachment_899967" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-899967" class="size-large wp-image-899967" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205592369-864x576.jpg" alt="US President Donald Trump, left, and Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Inc., exit the Oval Office of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, DC, US, on Friday, March 21, 2025. Speculative traders in the $7.5-trillion-a-day currency market turned bearish on the US dollar for the first time since Trump won the US presidential election last year. Photographer: Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205592369-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205592369-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205592369-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/GettyImages-2205592369.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Yuri Gripas/Abaca/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
Bickley: Final question. We&#8217;ve seen a lot of pressure mounting on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Do you foresee a real shakeup with the Democrats in the near future?
Sen. Blackburn: I don’t think Chuck Schumer’s going anywhere. They’ve gone so far Left, however, that even their base is frustrated. If you look at the issues Americans care about — securing the border, deporting criminal illegal aliens, restoring law and order, getting men out of women’s sports, balancing the budget — these are 80/20 issues. Eighty percent of the people are in favor while 20% are opposed. But the Democrats are on the wrong side of every one of them. They oppose everything that&#8217;s being done to secure the border and deport criminal illegal aliens and get inflation down and get men out of women&#8217;s sports. The list goes on and on. So, they’re rudderless. They have no message, no messenger, no designated leaders. They’re pretty much out of the game.
Bickley: Senator Blackburn, thank you for your time.
Sen. Blackburn: Thanks. Always good to join you.
* * *
Catch the full interview on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/tesla-attacks-doge-government-waste-with-senator-marsha-blackburn-3-29-25" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morning Wire</a>.

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‘They’re Rudderless’: Sen. Blackburn On Democrats, DOGE, And Domestic Terrorism

'They're Rudderless': Sen. Blackburn On Democrats, DOGE, And Domestic Terrorism

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)

DOGE

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