The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a Tennessee law that protects children from viewing sexually explicit performances.
The court on Monday denied a petition from Friends of George’s, a Memphis-based theater group, that claimed a law banning sexually explicit performances in front of children violated the First Amendment. In July, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the law could take effect, overturning a federal judge’s decision to block the law.
“Another big win for Tennessee! Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Friends of George’s v. Mulroy,” Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said. “Free speech is a sacred American value, but the First Amendment does not require Tennessee to allow sexually explicit performances in front of children,” said AG Skrmetti. “We will continue to defend TN’s law and children.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another big win for Tennessee! Today, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Friends of George’s v. Mulroy.
“Free speech is a sacred American value, but the First Amendment does not require Tennessee to allow sexually explicit performances in front of children,” said AG… <a href="https://t.co/Tqiyi3aXwz">pic.twitter.com/Tqiyi3aXwz</a>
— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGTennessee/status/1894126239918477600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, who authored the legislation, also celebrated the news from the court.
“This court decision makes it clear that sexually explicit performances belong in spaces for adults, not in front of kids,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/tennessee/article_fd7e722e-f38a-11ef-b6b9-9faac744f0a2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;Just because an event is labeled ‘family-friendly’ doesn’t mean it’s appropriate for children or reflects Tennessee’s values. This law establishes a necessary legal standard, ensuring that what is truly family friendly is clearly defined.&#8221;
The law was passed by the Republican-controlled state legislature in 2023 and signed by GOP Governor Bill Lee. In June of 2023, a federal judge blocked the law from going into effect, saying that it was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.”
According to a <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB0003&amp;ga=113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> of the law, it “creates an offense for a person who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or in a location where the adult cabaret performance could be viewed by a person who is not an adult.”
The law passed after a series of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taxpayer-funded-tennessee-performing-arts-center-hosted-all-ages-drag-christmas-show-as-republicans-propose-banning-similar-events" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a> of drag performances across the state that were billed as “family friendly,” but were explicit in content.
The Supreme Court is currently considering another Tennessee law meant to protect children.
In December, the court heard arguments over Tennessee’s law that bans procedures like giving minors puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, and performing surgeries like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys. The law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge after it was passed in 2023 before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the law to take effect.
After oral arguments on the case in December, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-appears-poised-to-uphold-tennessee-law-protecting-kids-from-trans-procedures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appears poised</a> to rule in Tennessee’s favor. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts, and Amy Coney Barrett all seemed skeptical of the claims made by the ACLU and the previous Biden administration.

Multiple Storms Dump Snow From Midwest To East Coast This Week

Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge To Tennessee Law Protecting Kids From Explicit Performances

Bill Lee

Drag show

General

Memphis

Supreme Court

Tennessee

U.S.

A man who lives in Ashland City, Tennessee, was arrested last week for allegedly saying he wanted to &#8220;burn down&#8221; the xAI supercomputer facility in Memphis because he &#8220;was very upset with Elon Musk and Donald Trump,&#8221; according to authorities.
Last Thursday, Ashland City police were contacted after friends and co-workers of 25-year-old Ethan Early, a Nashville EMT, expressed concern &#8220;about some things that he was saying regarding the politics,&#8221; Ashland City Police Department Sergeant Alexis Duncan said, according to <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/ashland-city-arrest-memphis-xai-facility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKRN</a>. Early was placed in the Cheatham County Jail and charged with an act of terrorism.
According to the arrest affidavit, Early told a friend that “he was going to burn down one of Elon Musk&#8217;s data centers using Thermite,” WKRN reported. The 25-year-old had also allegedly purchased components to make thermite, a pyrotechnic mixture of metal powder and metal oxide that can be used to make incendiary bombs.
The xAI facility in Memphis holds the largest artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer in the world, according to <a href="https://venturebeat.com/ai/building-colossus-supermicros-groundbreaking-ai-supercomputer-built-for-elon-musks-xai/#:~:text=Building%20Colossus:%20Supermicro's%20groundbreaking%20AI%20supercomputer%20built%20for%20Elon%20Musk's%20xAI,-VB%20Staff&amp;text=The%20team%20at%20xAI%2C%20partnering,Supermicro%2C%20and%20produced%20by%20ServeTheHome.&amp;text=Here%20is%20a%20run%2Ddown,highlights%20for%20this%20massive%20undertaking." target="_blank" rel="noopener">VentureBeat</a>. The supercomputer, named Colossus, is mostly powered by Nvidia processing chips and used for storage and networking to train and power Musk&#8217;s AI chatbot, Grok.
Early allegedly told police that he had become &#8220;too wrapped up in politics&#8221; and that his friends ultimately talked him out of going through with the act of terrorism. He added that he was ashamed he had gotten &#8220;so carried away,&#8221; according to the affidavit. Ashland City authorities said that the components to make thermite were thrown into a dumpster last week, adding that they pose no risk since the chemicals were never combined.
Musk, Trump&#8217;s most powerful and public adviser, has been criticized by Democrats and the legacy media over his influence on the Trump administration and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team seeking to drastically slash government spending. Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114047677181856301" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> last week that Musk &#8220;is doing a great job&#8221; but added that he wants to see the SpaceX and Tesla CEO &#8220;get more aggressive.&#8221;
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/musk-gives-federal-workers-another-chance-to-justify-employment-or-be-fired">Musk Gives Federal Workers &#8216;Another Chance&#8217; To Justify Employment Or Be Fired</a>

Elon Musk’s xAI to Develop New Supercomputer in Memphis

Tennessee Man Arrested For Alleged Plot To ‘Burn Down’ Elon Musk’s Memphis Supercomputer Facility

Crime

Donald Trump

Elon Musk

Police

Nearly 3,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> for crimes ranging from murder to rape during the last three months of 2024, according to a report compiled by the state’s district attorneys.
The <a href="https://www.tndagc.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/PC998-Immigration-Report-2025-FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> released last week by the Tennessee District Attorneys General Conference found that around 2,719 illegal immigrants from over 92 different countries were arrested from October to December 2024. Sent to GOP Governor Bill Lee and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, the report sheds light on how the border crisis has led to increased crime in the Volunteer State.
Compiled as a result of a new state law requiring law enforcement to report on the arrests of illegal immigrants, the report found that 447 of the estimated total 3,854 charges were violent offenses. The data only included 73 counties since the other 22 did not submit their statistics.
There were a total of 11 homicides reported across the state, including three cases of first degree murder, one case of second degree murder, and seven instances of vehicular homicide.
Other violent offenses reported include rape of a child (3), aggravated rape (6), continuous sexual abuse of a child (2), aggravated kidnapping (3), especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor (1), statutory rape (9), aggravated sexual battery (6), aggravated robbery (6), aggravated domestic assault (27), sexual exploitation of a minor (8), robbery (2), and assault on a law enforcement officer (4).
The most common offenses illegal immigrants were arrested on were driving under the influence (654), driving without a license 549, traffic violations (533), domestic assault (154), public intoxication (147), failure to appear (150), probation violation (91), open container (83), and aggravated assault (80).
<div id="attachment_872131" style="width: 1949px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-872131" class="size-full wp-image-872131" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM.png" alt="" width="1939" height="872" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM.png 1939w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM-300x135.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM-1024x461.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM-768x345.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/Screen-Shot-2025-02-05-at-2.36.24-PM-1536x691.png 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1939px) 100vw, 1939px" />TN District Attorneys report.</div>
Results of the charges were reported as a mixed bag with 136 cases still open, 37 dropped by prosecutors, 85 cases dismissed, 128 found guilty, and 198 with no record indicating the outcome.
Most of the arrests were made in the cities of Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, and the counties surrounding those cities. Surprisingly, Shelby County, home to Memphis, reported just 59 arrests of illegal immigrants.
The greatest number of illegal immigrants came from Mexico (892), though a significant number came from Guatemala (564), Honduras (332), Venezuela (130), and El Salvador (86).
Over the past few years, illegal immigrants have been arrested in Tennessee for a number of high-profile crimes, including the murder of popular Nashville restaurant owner Matt Carney. Carney died from injuries after police say an illegal immigrant struck him with his truck in the parking lot of his restaurant. Carney’s death <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-decries-vicious-illegal-immigrant-suspected-of-murdering-nashville-restaurant-owner" target="_blank" rel="noopener">drew the attention</a> of then-candidate Donald Trump, who has warned of an illegal immigrant crime wave stemming from lax border policies implemented by the Biden administration.
Last week, Tennessee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-passes-bill-to-assist-trumps-illegal-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> sweeping legislation during a special session intended to help carry out Trump’s mass deportation plans.

Federal Agents Target Immigrant Gangs On Long Island

New Data Show How Much Crime Illegal Immigrants Committed In Red State

Illegal Immigation

Nashville

Violent Crime

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">Elvis Presley</a>’s granddaughter Riley Keough is taking action against the impending foreclosure sale of the King’s legendary Graceland estate.
The 34-year-old actress filed a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/lawsuit">lawsuit</a> against Naussany Investments &amp; Private Lending LLC in an attempt to block them from selling the property in what she’s calling a “fraudulent” move. Keough is the heir to Graceland and trustee of the Promenade Trust, per <a href="https://people.com/elvis-granddaughter-riley-keough-graceland-foreclosure-sale-attempt-fraudulent-8651540">People</a>.
According to the 60-page lawsuit filed on May 20, Naussany Investments is claiming that Keough’s late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, borrowed $3.8 million and gave them a deed using the Graceland property as security for the loan prior to her death in 2023. 
Keough argues in court docs that “the note and deed of trust are fraudulent and unenforceable.”
“The purported note and deed of trust are products of fraud and those individuals who were involved in the creation of such documents are believed to be guilty of the crime of forgery,” Keough states in court docs, the outlet noted.
&#8220;On information and belief, Naussany Investments &amp; Private Lending LLC is not a real entity. Naussany Investments &amp; Private Lending LLC appears to be a false entity created for the purpose of defrauding the Promenade Trust (the trust of Keough and formerly of Lisa Marie Presley), the heirs of Lisa Marie Presley, or any purchaser of Graceland at a non-judicial sale,&#8221; the lawsuit alleges.
Keough’s attorneys claim that Lisa Marie’s signature was forged and that she never met the notary who allegedly witnessed her signing the deed.
Keough’s grandmother, Elvis’ ex-wife Priscilla Presley, also weighed in on the situation. She <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C7N1a7yNki4/">shared</a> a short video clip of Graceland on her Instagram along with a text overlay saying, “It’s a scam!” 
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Elvis <a href="https://www.graceland.com/history-of-graceland#:~:text=In%20the%20spring%20of%201957,armloads%20of%20gold%20record%20awards.">purchased</a> the 14-acre Memphis property in the spring of 1957 when he was 22, paying just over $100,000 for the mansion and grounds. The rock and roll legend spent the following years renovating and expanding the property and lived there until his death in 1977. 
It was opened to the public as a museum in 1982 and attracts more than 650,000 visitors annually. Elvis and other family members, including Lisa Marie, are buried on the house&#8217;s grounds.
This is not the first financial dispute in the Presley family. In 2023, Keough agreed to pay Priscilla $1.4 million in exchange for control of the family trust, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/elvis-granddaughter-agrees-to-pay-grandmother-massive-sum-to-control-lisa-maries-trust">reported</a>. Prior to the settlement, which they reached privately without litigation, there were rumors of a family feud over the money. 
“As a family, we are pleased that we resolved this together,” Priscilla said in a statement at the time while confirming she never formally sued her granddaughter.
Lisa Marie had at one point retained full control of Elvis&#8217; estate, which today is estimated to be worth around $1 billion. She sold 85% of her stake in the company in 2005 for $100 million, per <a href="https://www.insideedition.com/lisa-marie-presley-will-death-elvis-graceland-estate">Inside Edition</a>. That share is now worth about $850 million.
Keough was passed control of the 15% stake the family retained and full ownership of the Graceland property upon Lisa Marie&#8217;s death last year.

Graceland

Elvis’ Granddaughter Says Upcoming Graceland Foreclosure Sale Is ‘Fraudulent’

Elvis' Granddaughter Says Upcoming Graceland Foreclosure Sale Is 'Fraudulent'

Elvis Presley

Entertainment

Lawsuit

Music

Real estate

The 18-year-old accused of killing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> police officer and injuring two others when they were responding to a suspicious vehicle call early Friday morning was out of jail on felony charges at the time of the incident.
While responding to the call, investigators say Memphis police officer Joseph McKinney was killed by Jaylen Lobley, who was in the vehicle and fired out at the officers. The other officers with McKinney <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/two-memphis-police-officers-shot-rushed-to-hospital/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">returned fire</a> and two were injured by gunfire. One officer was hospitalized in non-critical condition and one received medical attention at the scene of the shooting.
Lobley was also killed during the shootout as police took two other suspects into custody as well, including a 17-year-old who was in critical condition. Lobley had been released from jail without bond by a Shelby County judge after being hit with weapon and theft felony charges last month, <a href="https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/man-mpd-officer-killed-shooting-released-from-jail-by-shelby-county-judge/522-42482bcb-d8b3-4124-a32c-855c48a807f1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a report from ABC24. He was facing two counts of motor vehicle theft, unlawful possession of a weapon, and multiple vandalism charges. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
SAY HIS NAME: Officer Joseph McKinney
He was gunned down in Memphis, TN by a criminal who was arrested just a few weeks earlier for possession of a firearm and was released without bail.
You won’t see this story on the MSM. <a href="https://t.co/tTTwG5FLDc">pic.twitter.com/tTTwG5FLDc</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1778847975537881377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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According to the report, Lobley was arrested on March 5 for car theft and police found him in possession of a handgun with an illegal modifier. The report said he admitted to police that he had stolen two cars. On March 7, a judge allowed him to go free without bond on his own recognizance. ABC24 reported that the judicial commissioner who approved the release was Christopher Ingram.
Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy <a href="https://www.scdag.com/news-releases/da-mulroy-issues-statement-on-officer-involved-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that his office had “strongly argued against lowering the bond” for Lobley, “citing the defendant&#8217;s danger to the community.”
​​Memphis Police Association President Matt Cunningham ripped into the decision to allow Lobley back on the street.
“The suspect in this shooting was released from jail on his own recognizance — he got right back out on the street and armed himself, and got into a shooting with an officer who died, and he lost his life as well — and that’s tragic, too,” he <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/memphis-police-officer-teen-suspect-killed-early-morning-shootout-rcna147560" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News. “If he had been kept in jail, he would be alive himself. So that’s the situation here in Shelby County, we have to do something about the revolving door at our jail.”
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Tennessee Governor Bill Lee offered his prayers and support for McKinney’s family on Friday.
“Maria &amp; I are deeply saddened by the death of Memphis Police Officer Joseph McKinney while serving in the line of duty,” he posted on X. “Our prayers are with Officer McKinney’s family, the recovering officers &amp; the Memphis law enforcement community.”
Memphis, which has one of the <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-city-rankings/cities-with-most-murders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst</a> murder rates in the United States, had nearly 400 homicides in 2023.

Police car – fast moving with bright flashing lights

Man Suspected Of Killing Memphis Cop Was Out Of Jail On Felony Charges

Bail Reform

Policewoman at night with flashlight, emergency lights

Police Departments Obliterate Fitness Requirements In Order To Recruit More Women

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Police Reform

Readers Pass

Women

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Democratic state senator called for riots on Friday after the Republican-controlled state Senate passed a bill preventing cities from restricting their police forces from making certain traffic stops.
State Sen. Charlane Oliver, who represents Nashville, said the Republicans’ pro-police legislation is “rooted in racism,” and will force those in her district to “fight like hell.” The bill was sponsored by Republican state Sen. Brent Taylor after Memphis passed an ordinance that banned traffic stops for issues such as expired registrations, a single inoperable headlight or brake light, and loose bumpers, News Channel 3 <a href="https://wreg.com/news/tn-senate-passes-bill-to-undo-memphis-traffic-stop-ordinance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The Memphis city council passed the ordinance following the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man, who was fatally injured during a confrontation with five black Memphis police officers on January 7, 2023, after he was pulled over.
“It is a slap in the face and you might as well stomp on the grave of Tyre Nichols,” Oliver said after the state Senate passed Taylor’s bill by a vote of 26-6. “Yes, we are emotionally charged. Why? Because it’s personal for us. Taylor made this personal the minute he introduced this legislation to target one family and one life that was lost.&#8221;
“So yeah, we gonna fight,” Oliver added. “Dr. King said that riots are the language of the unheard. You ain’t seen nothing yet. If you keep silencing us like this, what do you think our district is going to do? We have had it up here. Gloves are off. Like, we gonna fight like hell. You don’t expect us to respond when you gaslight us every single day with these bills?”
“It is rooted in racism,” she continued. “This is a Jim Crow bill that [Sen. Brent] Taylor brought and all his Confederates voted for it.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#39;Gloves Off:&#39; Sen. <a href="https://twitter.com/CharlaneOliver?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CharlaneOliver</a> (D-Nashville) Calls for Riots after TN Senate Passes <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrentTaylor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenBrentTaylor</a> Pro-Police Bill. 
&quot;It is rooted in racism,&quot; Oliver said. &quot;This is a Jim Crow bill that [Sen. Brent] Taylor brought and all his Confederates voted for it.&quot; Video <a href="https://twitter.com/FOXNashville?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXNashville</a> <a href="https://t.co/F7rhyeAwzu">pic.twitter.com/F7rhyeAwzu</a>
&mdash; KWAM News Radio 990 AM Memphis (@Mighty990KWAM) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mighty990KWAM/status/1768661902689804640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 15, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The five Memphis police officers who got into the confrontation with Nichols were charged in his death. Footage from a camera mounted on a nearby pole area showed officers kicking and beating Nichols while he was on the ground. Last November, one of the five officers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-memphis-police-officer-becomes-first-to-plead-guilty-to-federal-charges-in-tyre-nichols-death" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded guilty</a> to excessive force and obstruction of justice in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 15-year prison sentence.
Oliver, who has been in office since 2022, co-founded the <a href="https://theequityalliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Equity Alliance</a>, a non-profit organization that focuses on &#8220;education, housing and environmental justice, jobs and economic opportunity, criminal justice and public safety, politics and democracy, and healthcare – as well as reparations.&#8221;
Taylor <a href="https://twitter.com/SenBrentTaylor/status/1768727782748475614" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Oliver’s remarks on the legislation, writing, “Despite your overwhelming support for my bill that prohibits local governments from banning legal routine traffic stops, leftist opposition has been insane and totally out of touch with reality and our community’s demands.”
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“I have been hearing from people in Democrat districts who have thanked me for passing this important legislation,” Taylor added. “These community members are tired of crime and bad policies that don’t allow police to do their jobs.”
The bill now heads to Republican Governor Bill Lee’s desk, and he has 10 days to either sign or veto the legislation before it would become law without a signature.

Charlane Oliver

Tennessee Dem Calls For Riots After Republicans Send Pro-Police Bill To Governor’s Desk: ‘You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet’

Democrats

Republicans

The Satanic Temple plans to launch its first after-school program in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> at an elementary school just outside of Memphis come January, a development that sparked widespread controversy within the community.
Chimneyrock Elementary School in Cordova, part of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS), will play host to the After School Satan Club. The Satanic Temple announced the club on Tuesday. The organization claimed that it offers a “non-theistic religion” with Satan present as a metaphorical literary figure, and that its after-school clubs don’t attempt to convert children to any religious ideology.
“The Satanic Temple supports children to think for themselves,” read a flyer. “All After School Satan Clubs are based on activities centered around the Seven Fundamental Tenets and emphasize a scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious worldview.”
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After School Satan Club is coming to Tennessee! 
The state&#39;s first ASSC will launch on on January 10th at Chimneyrock Elementary. 
If you&#39;d like to help provide needed supplies for TN&#39;s first ASSC, please visit our Amazon Wish List: <a href="https://t.co/3pSkBZLepx">https://t.co/3pSkBZLepx</a> <a href="https://t.co/cbAEyrfkK7">pic.twitter.com/cbAEyrfkK7</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanic_temple_/status/1734619564271448460?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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MSCS issued a statement on Tuesday defending the club’s access to the campus as a First Amendment right and deserving equal treatment granted to the Good News Club, a Christian organization, further noting that the IRS recognizes the Satanic Temple as a public nonprofit charity. MSCS directed community members to read about the Satanic Temple in The Washington Post and LA Times.
“[W]e cannot approve or deny a request based solely on the organization’s viewpoints or beliefs,” said MSCS.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Please see this statement from Memphis-Shelby County Schools regarding the recent approval of a facility rental at Chimneyrock Elementary <a href="https://t.co/WK5rHh2yya">pic.twitter.com/WK5rHh2yya</a>
&mdash; Memphis-Shelby Co. Schools (@MSCSK12) <a href="https://twitter.com/MSCSK12/status/1734681597444751525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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MSCS also addressed the controversy over the Satanic Temple club during a meeting on Wednesday. District leaders told the community that any anger directed at the elementary school leaders and staff was misdirected.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We just announced that the After School Satan Club is coming to Tennessee at Chimneyrock Elementary School! Today, The Memphis-Shelby County School District&#39;s will be holding a Q&amp;A Session with their Legal and Facilities Team. <a href="https://t.co/Zow68BtDcJ">https://t.co/Zow68BtDcJ</a>
&mdash; The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) <a href="https://twitter.com/satanic_temple_/status/1734937818210897994?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One mother pledged to remove her son from the school following the news.
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WTH!!!! This is appalling! My son goes to Chimneyrock and I will be taking him out of this school immediately. Shame on you and this satanic organization! Where’s the after school Jesus club? Disgusting, shameful
&mdash; Ghosted (@HerrmannJe17061) <a href="https://twitter.com/HerrmannJe17061/status/1734980456578204071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Activist and father Robby Starbuck said the new club represented further proof of an ongoing spiritual war between good and evil.
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This is a fight of good versus evil so it shouldn’t be a surprise that satanists are joining with the woke to invade public schools in Tennessee. I hope y’all let these people know what you think of them coming here to gain access to kids in our state. Absolutely unacceptable. <a href="https://t.co/sC2ySMYGUp">https://t.co/sC2ySMYGUp</a>
&mdash; Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) <a href="https://twitter.com/robbystarbuck/status/1734680250955747801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Satanic Temple <a href="https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0428/0465/files/ASSC_vs_GNC_chart_05.pdf?v=1646323473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">focuses</a> on the Good News Club as its primary competitor, an organization it describes as “insidious.”
The Satanic Temple <a href="https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it only opens clubs in public schools where other religious groups operate on campus, namely the Good News Club, for the purpose of providing “a safe and inclusive alternative” to those clubs that “use threats of eternal damnation” to convert children.
“The Satanic Temple is not interested in operating After School Satan Clubs in school districts that are not already hosting the Good News Club,” says the Satanic Temple on their website. “However, The Satanic Temple ultimately intends to have After School Satan Clubs operating in every school district where the Good News Club is represented.”
Those districts who reject After School Satan Club open themselves up to lawsuits. The ACLU <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-sues-saucon-valley-school-district-for-prohibiting-after-school-satan-club-from-meeting-in-district-facilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> a Pennsylvania school district earlier this year for rejecting the satanic club, ultimately resulting in a federal court order requiring the district to allow the club and a $200,000 <a href="https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/pennsylvania-school-district-agrees-to-pay-200000-after-discriminatory-decision-to-block-after-school-satan-club-from-school-facilities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">settlement</a> last month.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Toni Williams, MSCS interim superintendent, said that she doesn’t endorse or support the Satanic Temple, but does support the Constitution, state law, and board policies.
“Let’s not be fooled. What we’ve seen in the past 24 hours is an agenda initiated to ensure that we cancel all faith-based organizations that partner with our school district. Because the law says what you do for one organization, you must do for all,” said Williams.
https://twitter.com/SuptCFOToni/status/1735116023299199106
The Satanic Temple’s co-sponsor for the after-school clubs, the Reason Alliance, is an offshoot of the nonprofit.
The Satanic Temple lists 45 member congregations, with one located in Tennessee initiated and led by two women: Kayla Sparks and Kayli Ann Miller.
“This is the religion in school that you wanted,” said Sparks. “You probably never even considered the possibility of a satanic organization coming in, did you?”
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ASSC ony goes to schools that have Good News Clubs, or the like. Open the door for one religious club, you open the door to them all. This is the religion in school that you wanted. You probably never even considered the possibility of a satanic organization coming in, did you?
&mdash; Fauna V (@FaunaVee) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaunaVee/status/1735042805590843609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Baphomet

First Satanic Temple Kids Club Comes To Memphis Elementary School

Christianity

Education

A former policeman with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> Police Department who was one of the five officers charged in the beating death of 29-year-old Tyre Nichols in January pled guilty to two federal charges Thursday.
Desmond Mills Jr., 33, reached a plea deal with federal and state prosecutors, pleading guilty to excessive force and obstruction of justice in exchange for prosecutors recommending a 15-year prison sentence, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tyre-nichols-beating-death-officer-plea-54495720ccd302067cda9539678aa0eb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Mills’ plea at the Memphis Federal Courthouse was part of an agreement that he would also plead guilty to similar charges at the state court. Mills now faces a sentencing hearing on May 22 in front of a judge.
“This one today was very difficult for me because this was really the first time I actually heard somebody tell and say what they actually did to my son,” Nichols’ mother RowVaughn Wells said, according to the AP. “So, this was very difficult. But I’m hoping that Mr. Mills, it was his conscience that allowed him to make this plea agreement, and not because of his lawyers telling him it was the right thing to do.”
Nichols was fatally injured during a confrontation with five Memphis police officers on January 7, 2023, after he was pulled over. During the initial traffic stop, Nichols was pepper-sprayed and tased. He then attempted to flee the Memphis police officers, but they caught up with him, and footage from a camera mounted on a nearby pole area showed officers kicking and beating him while he was on the ground.
The plea agreement details that Mills pepper-sprayed Nichols three different times and pulled out his baton while yelling at him, “I’m about to baton the (expletive) out of you,” before hitting him repeatedly while Nichols was on the ground. The plea agreement also says that Nichols was never given the opportunity to comply with the commands given to him.
Mills and the other officers discussed among themselves “taking turns hitting Nichols, hitting Nichols with straight haymakers, and everybody rocking Nichols. During these conversations, the officers discussed hitting Nichols to make him fall and observed that when Nichols did not fall from these blows, they believed they were ‘about to kill’ him,” according to the plea agreement.
The five officers accused of beating Nichols to death were <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/20/us/tyre-nichols-memphis-police-fired.html">fired</a> from the Memphis Police Department later that month before facing federal and state charges. Mills, along with Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmit Martin III, and Justin Smith were all charged with using excessive force, failing to intervene, deliberate indifference and conspiring to lie, and obstruction of justice.
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Previously, all five officers pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in a state court. Mills becomes the first officer to plead guilty to any of the charges.

Tyre Nichols

Former Memphis Police Officer Becomes First To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges In Tyre Nichols’ Death

Former Memphis Police Officer Becomes First To Plead Guilty To Federal Charges In Tyre Nichols' Death

Courts

Death

Plea deal

A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted five former <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> police officers with federal civil rights conspiracy and obstruction charges connected to the murder of Tyre Nichols earlier this year.
&#8220;Tyre Nichols should be alive today,&#8221; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Rights Division said in a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/five-former-memphis-police-officers-charged-federal-civil-rights-conspiracy-and-obstruction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news release</a>. &#8220;It is tragic to see a life cut short at 29, with so many milestones unmet, so many words unsaid, so much potential unfulfilled.&#8221;
Emmitt Martin, Tadarrius Bean, Desmond Mills, Justin Smith, and Demetrius Haley — the ex-cops named in the indictment — face four charges each, including excessive force and failure to intervene, deliberate indifference, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice through witness tampering in federal court, according to the Justice Department.
Mike Stengel, a Memphis lawyer representing Haley, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/federal-grand-jury-indicts-five-former-officers-involved-in-tyre-nicholss-death-71fd4ef7?mod=e2li" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that his client would plead not guilty.
Blake Ballin, a lawyer for Mills, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/12/us/politics/tyre-nichols-memphis-officers-federal-indictment.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times in a statement that his client &#8220;maintains his innocence.&#8221;
William Massey, a lawyer for Martin, told the outlet that his client would plead not guilty and attempt to release more footage about what led to the initial stop.
Lawyers for the other defendants have not made public comments.
Nichols, a black 29-year-old FedEx worker, died on January 10, three days after a brutal beating captured on camera showed the former officers kicking, punching, and tasing him that stemmed from an attempted arrest during a traffic stop for suspected reckless driving.
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Nichols was subdued, but then he fled before being recaptured minutes later, and police allegedly kicked and punched him multiple times. Nichols later died at a hospital, and his death was later reported as a homicide due to blunt-force trauma, according to a medical examiner&#8217;s report reviewed by Nichols&#8217; family through their attorneys, Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/former-memphis-police-officers-charged-death-tyre-nichols-face-federal-indictment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The five officers were fired and subsequently charged with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and other charges in a separate case in Tennessee. The defendants pleaded not guilty in February to second-degree murder and additional charges in connection to Nichols&#8217; death.
All five former officers were members of a so-called crime-fighting unit with the Memphis Police Department. Although the officers charged in Nichols&#8217; death were all black, and their special unit was disbanded, activists have taken to blaming &#8220;systemic racism.&#8221;
If convicted on the federal indictment, the former police officers could face up to life in prison for the first two counts and 20 years in prison for counts three and four, according to the Justice Department.
Attorneys for Nichols&#8217; family <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/memphis-police-federal-charges-tyre-nichols-death-rcna104699" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> NBC News in a statement that the federal indictment &#8220;gives his family hope as they continue to grieve his loss and inspire change in his honor.&#8221;
The federal indictment comes after the Justice Department announced two months ago that the federal agency would launch a civil rights investigation into the Memphis Police Department after more reports emerged of officers using excessive force.
Daniel Chaitin contributed to this report.

Rev. Al Sharpton Holds Funeral For Tyre Nichols In Memphis

Five Former Memphis Police Officers Indicted On Federal Charges In Connection To Tyre Nichols Death

Department of Justice

Police Brutality

To deal with vagrancy issues and petty crime, Walgreens stores in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> have installed speakers to loudly play classical music in the parking lot. 
The tactic, which has been used in Chicago and Los Angeles, is intended to deter loitering from homeless people and others, who sometimes harass customers. In Memphis, groups of about 10-15 people were loitering around in one of the Walgreens parking lots before the initiative was started, <a href="https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/walgreens-in-memphis-use-classical-music-for-crowd-control/article_9d93701a-4159-11ee-9225-6bf878a5aa76.html">according</a> to Fox13. 
“At various locations, we have implemented a recorded music loop that plays outside of the store to help deter loitering on the premises. We take steps to ensure the music is only loud enough for the immediate area around the store and cannot be heard by residents in surrounding neighborhoods,” Walgreens <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-stores-using-classical-music-to-fight-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
The music is being played at several Walgreens locations throughout the crime-plagued city through a mobile camera and speaker system. At one location, the music can be heard from across the street, WREG <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/memphis-stores-using-classical-music-to-fight-crime/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Some city residents have enjoyed the music while others have said that it gets annoying. 
“Everybody else listens to hip-hop, pop, rock and everything else,” Chris Worsham, who listens to the music while at his bus stop, told Fox13. “Classical? Yeah, I don’t think they’ll stick around too long and try to Memphis jerk on that.” 
Another person said that the music was getting annoying. “I thought, ‘Oh there is a band playing and they’re really good.’ Then, the next day, I was like, ‘They’re still playing.’ And later that night, they’re still playing,” said Cameron Cooley, who works nearby, said. “I understand why they are using the music, but it’s the same key all day, the same music. It can be a deterrent and it definitely deters me.”
Memphis has consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in America, and has seen property and violent crime increase in the last year. Its murder rate is in the top ten worst in the U.S. 
The strategy for deterrence using classical music has also been used by Walgreens stores in Chicago and the Los Angeles Metro, which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/psychological-torture-chamber-l-a-subway-plays-classical-music-critics-go-bonkers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">started playing</a> classical music at a downtown subway station in April.
The Metro’s operations and security team worked with law enforcement to play symphonies, concertos, and piano sonatas by composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Vivaldi, in the Westlake/MacArthur Park Metro station starting in January.

Walgreen Co. May Sales Increase 12.3 Percent

Memphis Walgreens Stores Using Classical Music To Deter Vagrants, Crime

Classical Music

Homelessness

Police stopped a potentially deadly shooting at a Jewish school in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/memphis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memphis</a> on Monday after they shot a gunman they say was attempting to gain entry into the building. 
Police said they shot a suspected gunman after he fired his gun at least one time outside of Margolin Hebrew Academy, an Orthodox Jewish day school. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) <a href="https://tbinewsroom.com/2023/07/31/tbi-special-agents-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-memphis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> reports of multiple gunshots outside the facility. According to Memphis-area congressman Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), the suspect <a href="https://wreg.com/news/local/what-we-know-about-the-memphis-jewish-school-shooting-suspect/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was</a> Jewish and was previously a student there. 
No classes were in attendance when the suspect allegedly fired the gun outside the school. 
After he could not gain entry, the suspect left, and staffers called the police and provided a description of the person&#8217;s vehicle. He was able to pass through the exterior doors, but could not make it any farther into the school because the interior doors were locked. The suspect also <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/31/us/memphis-margolin-hebrew-academy-shooting/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> had a confrontation with a contract worker after which he ended up &#8220;retreating&#8221; to his vehicle, according to a letter to parents from the school. 
Law enforcement caught up with the suspect several miles from the school and shot the gunman when he exited the automobile armed with a gun. The suspect was then transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
“Today is a great example of very alert, vigilant officers trying to protect the city,&#8221; Assistant Chief Don Crowe said in comments given to local media. &#8220;I personally truly believe we have avoided a tragedy. I think the suspect was going to harm somebody before the day was over.” 
 &#8220;When he could not gain entry, he fired shots outside the school,&#8221; Crowe <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gunman-shot-police-firing-memphis-school-rcna97426" target="_blank" rel="noopener">continued</a>. &#8220;Thankfully, that school had a great safety procedure in place, and avoided anyone being harmed or injured at that scene.&#8221;
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In a statement, the school thanked Memphis police for their response to the incident. 
“We are shocked and saddened by the events that took place at MHA-FYOS yesterday, and incredibly grateful to God that thanks to our school’s extensive security measures and the swift response by the Memphis Police Department, everyone is safe.&#8221;
The TBI is heading up the investigation. No motive for the suspect has been revealed.

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