A Tennessee woman is facing second-degree <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/father-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-murdering-his-daughters-as-part-of-honor-killings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murder charges</a> after she allegedly slipped methamphetamines to an inmate — while kissing him — who later died from an overdose.
Rachel Dollard, 33, was reportedly visiting inmate Joshua Brown at the Turney Center Industrial Complex Prison in Hickman County, Tennessee, last February when the two shared a kiss. That is the point at which Dollard allegedly slipped Brown a &#8220;balloon pellet&#8221; that contained half an ounce of methamphetamine (about 14 grams, or 70 times the average dose).
According to the <a href="https://www.tn.gov/correction/news/2022/8/16/tdoc-visitor-charged-with-murder-in-overdose-death.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Department of Correction (TDOC), prison officials observed Dollard slipping the drugs to Brown, and he died at a local hospital shortly after swallowing the pellet. Brown was in prison on drug-related charges and his 11-year sentence was set to conclude in 2029.
TDOC&#8217;s <a href="https://lawandcrime.com/crime/woman-charged-with-murder-after-she-allegedly-slipped-prison-inmate-drugs-as-the-two-exchanged-a-kiss/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> read in part: &#8220;In February, Dollard was observed passing drugs to inmate Joshua Brown as the two exchanged a kiss during visitation at the Turney Center Industrial Complex &#8230; Brown swallowed a balloon pellet containing half an ounce of methamphetamine. He died later at a local hospital.&#8221;
On a warrant pursuant to a Hickman County sealed indictment, Dollard was arrested over the weekend by TDOC special agents and the Dickson County Sheriff’s Department. She was charged with second-degree murder and the introduction of contraband into a penal facility.
&#8220;This incident points to the real dangers of introducing contraband into prisons and the consequences that follow,&#8221; David Imhof, director of TDOC’s Office of Investigations and Conduct explained. &#8220;Our agency will pursue prosecution against any individual who threatens the safety and security of our staff, the men and women in our custody, and our facilities.&#8221;
TDOC has implemented a number of policies and procedures in recent years that were designed to cut down the incidences of contraband making it into the general prison population. Among them are vehicle searches and pat searches of anyone visiting the facility — as well as cell searches of inmates — and drug detecting dogs on the premises. TDOC is still in the process of <a href="https://www.tn.gov/correction/news/2021/11/3/tdoc-rolls-out-new-technology-in-fight-against-contraband-.html">installing</a> body scanners in facilities throughout the state.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/woman-allegedly-shot-husband-in-his-sleep-and-left-fake-suicide-note-in-order-to-evade-capture-daughter-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RELATED: Woman Allegedly Shot Husband In His Sleep And Left Fake Suicide Note In Order To Evade Capture, Daughter Says</a>

Individual bags of illegal drugs on a black background

Woman Allegedly Slipped Meth To Inmate Via A Kiss — But He Overdosed, And Now She’s Facing Murder Charges

Woman Allegedly Slipped Meth To Inmate Via A Kiss — But He Overdosed, And Now She's Facing Murder Charges

Drugs

Jail

Murder

Tennessee

Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/matt-walsh">Matt Walsh</a>, star of the documentary “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe-today-two?hsa_ver=3&amp;hsa_ad=602115137262&amp;hsa_acc=6411461344&amp;hsa_grp=138191773918&amp;hsa_cam=16696131986&amp;utm_campaign=wiaw&amp;utm_campaign=dw_conversions_subscriptions_wiaw_na&amp;utm_medium=paid&amp;utm_medium=ppc&amp;cid=wiaw&amp;hsa_src=g&amp;mid=g&amp;utm_term=what%20is%20a%20woman&amp;hsa_mt=e&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwgO2XBhCaARIsANrW2X0_Hvu9RGhoC9goi8EUMjg4_PpbLx1eL6BHCkkjqJnEYCUbYRhPxqAaAiR9EALw_wcB&amp;utm_content=na_subscriptions&amp;hsa_tgt=aud-1464949825640%3Akwd-316948161071&amp;utm_source=googlesearch&amp;utm_source=adwords&amp;hsa_net=adwords&amp;hsa_kw=what%20is%20a%20woman&amp;xid=0">What Is A Woman?</a>,” said the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/united-states">United States</a> needs a coordinated national movement against radical transgender ideology.
Walsh, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and “What Is A Woman” director Justin Folk hosted a private screening for some of the most influential people in Tennessee on Monday evening at the Franklin Theater in Franklin, Tennessee, about 20 miles south of Nashville.
The documentary follows Walsh on his journey to answer one simple question: what is a woman? Over the course of the roughly hour-and-a-half movie, Walsh speaks with experts on the topics of gender and sexuality, such as Michelle Forcier, assistant dean of medicine at Brown University’s Warren Alpert Medical School, and Patrick Grzanka, a professor and chair of the gender studies program at the University of Tennessee.
Walsh’s journey results in few concrete answers from the proponents of radical trans ideas. Only when Walsh speaks with the un-woke experts, such as Dr. Jordan Peterson, and with members of an African tribe does he receive straight answers on what makes men and women separate.
Walsh told the audience before the movie that he wanted them to take that whatever they feel watching the movie – whether that is anger, fear, inspiration, or something else – and channel that feeling into action. “We’ve allowed this utter madness to grab hold of our society,” Walsh said.
He later explained that radical activists would continue to make strides in education, athletics, culture, and politics until the silent “95%” of people who know better start speaking up.
The political and culture commentator wants to see an organized mass movement like the pro-life movement against radical trans ideology. The pro-life movement scored its biggest victory in decades earlier this year when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which created a constitutional right to abortion.
Blackburn also joined Walsh in welcoming guests and retold her questioning of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during the judge’s Senate confirmation hearings in March. During the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-biologist-supreme-court-nominee-says-she-cant-define-the-word-woman">exchange</a>, the eventual Supreme Court justice refused to give Blackburn a definition of the word “woman.” Jackson demurred on the question because she is not a “biologist.”
The exchange underscores how pervasive radical trans ideology has grown in American society.
The ideology, which is having a real impact on children and minors who are put on puberty blockers and given life-altering surgeries, is driven by activists as well as profit-seeking hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, Walsh said.
“Live in the truth” and “stop tiptoeing around,” Walsh told an audience member after the show who asked about how to resist the radical ideas. “We are way past having to worry about people’s feelings.”

Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh Wants A National Movement Against ‘Utter Madness’ Of Trans Ideology

Matt Walsh: We Need A National Movement Against ‘Utter Madness’ Of Trans Ideology

Marsha Blackburn

What Is A Woman

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee">Tennessee</a> parents have filed a lawsuit alleging that a school district in one of the conservative-run state&#8217;s most populous counties is ignoring a ban on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/critical-race-theory">Critical Race Theory</a> (CRT).
The school district, says the lawsuit, is using a Great Minds and Wit &amp; Wisdom curriculum that runs afoul of the ban on Critical Race Theory in the classroom. One book, &#8220;Rap-a-Tap-Tap,&#8221; pairs with a kindergarten teacher lesson manual that &#8220;puts the focus of discussion on skin color and racial oppression,&#8221; the lawsuit says. One lesson plan calls on teachers to use &#8220;Equity Sticks.&#8221;
The 177-page suit highlights the difficulty that lawmakers may have in reigning in the curriculum when the onus of implementing the details falls on education bureaucrats, who are often liberal even in conservative areas. In the 2020 election, Williamson County voted for Republican Donald Trump nearly 2-1 over Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Tennessee passed a <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-racial-injustice-race-and-ethnicity-religion-education-9366bceabf309557811eab645c8dad13">law</a> in 2021 barring schools from teaching that anyone is inherently privileged or oppressive based on their race or sex, or should feel guilty because of their race or sex; that a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist; that the state or country is fundamentally or irredeemably racist; or that character traits can be ascribed on the basis of sex. It also barred teaching that the rule of law &#8220;is a series of power relationships and struggles among racial or other groups&#8221; and doesn&#8217;t actually exist.
Some teachers in Tennessee pledged openly to violate the ban — even while others claimed that CRT doesn&#8217;t exist in schools. “To be frank, the bill will not make it harder for my personal classroom because I plan to ignore it,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/as-tennessee-bans-critical-race-theory-educators-alternate-between-pledging-to-break-law-and-denying-crt-was-ever-in-schools">Liz Jarvis</a>, a teacher in Memphis, told the education news outlet Chalkbeat as the bill neared passage. “Who’s going to enforce it?&#8221;
Parents Patricia and James Lucente, along with a group called <a href="https://parentschoicetennessee.org/about">Parents&#8217; Choice Tennessee</a>, allege that in addition to violating that law, education bureaucrats short-circuited a process to get Wit &amp; Wisdom in schools, despite a review panel disapproving of it.
“The program called Great Minds’ Wit &amp; Wisdom received a failing grade for grades K-2. On re-review, this program again failed based on the same multiple deficiencies,” their lawsuit said. “Despite these findings, the Department nonetheless gave the Wit &amp; Wisdom program a passing grade. … Additionally, Commissioner [Penny] Schwinn granted a total of 33 waivers to school systems, like Williamson County, as a financial incentive to adopt at no cost the Wit &amp; Wisdom program. This waiver equated to a potential saving for Williamson County Schools particular, of approximately $565,989.”
The Wit &amp; Wisdom Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework draws from CASEL, a social-emotional learning group that trains &#8220;vulnerable students to become social justice activists,&#8221; the lawsuit said.
“Wit &amp; Wisdom has reoccurring emotionally-charged themes which include: suicide ideation, cannibalism, oppressed people of color, oppressive white people, extreme emotion, graphic death, dark imagery, anti-family, anti-American, and anti-church and religion,” said the lawsuit. “Wit &amp; Wisdom also has age-inappropriate topics which include: murder, graphic mating, gender fluidity, anti-authority, torture, rape, adultery, scalping/skinning of humans, stillbirth, excessive gore, excessive violence, drunkenness, and promiscuity.”
Its racial lessons communicate that “the racial injustice of the 1960s exists today,” the lawsuit said.
Williamson County Schools declined to comment. Great Minds did not immediately return a request for comment.
New York City schools have paid Great Minds $13 million since 2016, Baltimore City Schools have paid it $5 million, and Chicago schools have paid it more than $3 million since 2017, a Daily Wire analysis of school spending records found. Other districts such as Montgomery County, Maryland; Duval, Florida; Clark County, Nevada; and Pinellas, Florida have also paid it. Some, like Baltimore; Pasco, Florida; and Jefferson County, Colorado specifically mentioned Wit &amp; Wisdom in invoices.
Dr. James Lindsay, a prominent academic who studies Critical Race Theory, provided a 37-page affidavit in support of the lawsuit tracing Social Emotional Learning to Critical Race Theory to Paulo Friere, a Marxist whose books, including the &#8220;Pedagogy of the Oppressed,&#8221; have become canon in teacher colleges.
“They have abandoned the idea of educating American children to grow toward becoming successful and prosperous adults in American society because they want to undermine, destroy, and replace American society. Rather than teaching literacy, numeracy, or other educational basics, Freirean schools use subject matter like reading, writing, mathematics, history, social studies, and science lessons to teach Marxist consciousness of one or more forms at a time,” Lindsay&#8217;s affidavit said.
“As a result of more than a decade of this practice, American schoolchildren are almost universally failing in basic competency in virtually every subject at virtually every grade level. They are more ‘politically literate,’ in the Freirean sense, than ever before, though,” Lindsay continued. “Freirean education is Marxist education, and it has no place in any American public school system.”
“Freirean education doesn’t work, and it is easy to understand why it doesn’t work. It explicitly and intentionally replaces gaining mastery in any subject with using that subject as a proxy for generating ‘political literacy.’ This is wholly inappropriate, completely ineffective at educating students, and a gross violation of the public’s and parents’ trust in these school systems and the teachers and administrators who facilitate their programs,” he wrote.

Placentia Yorba Linda School Board discusses critical race theory

Lawsuit Claims Tennessee School District Is Violating Statewide CRT Ban

Lawsuit Claims Williamson County, Tennessee School District Is Violating Statewide CRT Ban With 'Great Minds' Curriculum

Critical Race Theory

Education

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/criminal-justice">prison reform</a> advocate and Left-wing activist was convicted this week for vandalism after he snuck weapons, including guns, into a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee">Tennessee</a> prison during construction. 
A jury <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-hid-guns-unfinished-jail-convicted-vandalism-87210848">found</a> Alex Friedmann guilty of over a quarter of a million dollars in vandalism to a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville">Nashville</a> jail after he was found to have placed guns, handcuff keys, and hacksaw blades in walls under construction. Friedmann had disguised himself as a construction worker. 
There is speculation about what the purpose for the weapons were and what the prison reform activist planned to do with them. During their investigation, law enforcement officers looked at thousands of hours of surveillance videos. 
“We don’t know: Who were those bullets intended for? Who was going to be stuck with that knife?” Deputy District Attorney Amy Hunter said in closing arguments. “Who was going to try to get something from the other side of the visitation booth, and what were they going to do with it? And why?”
Friedmann <a href="https://www.influencewatch.org/person/alex-friedman/">was</a> a consultant for the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2016 and was active in organizations promoting prison reform. He had previously served a stint in jail for an attempted armed robbery and later became involved with groups like Prison Legal News, the Human Rights Defense Center, and the Restorative Justice Coalition of Middle Tennessee.
The activist also presented testimony before the Tennessee legislature and Congress involving prison bills. 
Friedmann’s attorney said that the state wanted more money in damages than actually done and said he was liable for less damage. Prosecutors, however, said that it cost $291,000 to change all the locks at the facility because Friedmann had stolen keys from the new Downtown Detention Center. 
According to Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall, the jail was only “two weeks away from a massive loss of life,” and the stage had been set for a violent jailbreak. Hall had been in talks with Friedmann about at least one other jail in Nashville, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-vandalism-tennessee-nashville-b47f09ef2f697b4f068e3dff4a8894cc">reported</a>. 
“Understand, this plan went far beyond vandalism. Ultimately, it included planting various tools, weapons and security equipment throughout this facility — all designed to assist in a massive escape plan,” Hall <a href="https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/the-shocking-charges-against-alex-friedmann/article_f8d0fa1e-4c89-5d8c-a265-30d4bb615aeb.html">said</a> around the time of the initial arrest, saying that some of the guns hidden in the jail were loaded. 
Friedmann was arrested in January 2020 after officers found him entering the prison using keys he had stolen. While he was being detained, he ate jail plans he had been carrying with him. 
The activist also faces federal gun charges.

Row of empty prison cells

Ex-Bernie Sanders Campaign Consultant Convicted After Smuggling Weapons Into Prison

Criminal Justice

Nashville

Heartless creeps keep vandalizing the grave of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/country-music">country music</a> legend Charlie Daniels, according to his family and surviving bandmates.
In the latest incident, someone stole a freshly planted dogwood tree from the plot, in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. It was at least the third time people have messed with the “Devil Went Down to Georgia” singer’s final resting place, according to his surviving bandmates, who go by Team CDB and include Charlie Daniels Jr.
“Thanks to someone stealing a dogwood sapling &amp; watering bag this weekend (seriously!) &amp; someone gluing a spouse&#8217;s military ID on the marble of Charlie&#8217;s marker a few months ago, [Mount Juliet Police Department] will be increasing patrols near his grave &amp; video surveillance will soon be installed,” the band members wrote on the Instagram site.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Charlie Daniels Band said someone glued a spouse’s military ID to the marble a few months ago and damaged the grave. Then, someone dug up a newly planted dogwood tree and took it.<a href="https://t.co/mat87nBt1K">https://t.co/mat87nBt1K</a>
&mdash; Ethan Illers (@EthanIllers_TV) <a href="https://twitter.com/EthanIllers_TV/status/1542534194395480065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
No police reports were filed on the tree theft or military ID, Mt. Juliet Police Department Capt. Tyler Chandler said. But the department was asked to increase patrol because of the incidents, and police are complying with the request. In addition to stepped up police patrols, the late singer&#8217;s family has installed surveillance equipment at the grave in hopes of deterring ghoulish vandals.
&#8220;I hope Charlie Daniels haunted that person,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/Astrosfan___/status/1541949059350507520?s=20&amp;t=ZoCCL767z6u5rb68o3A22Q">tweeted a fan named Ashley</a>.
&#8220;What is wrong with people who disrespect the dead by vandalizing graves?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/memf2011/status/1542344562110349312?s=20&amp;t=ZoCCL767z6u5rb68o3A22Q">tweeted Mary Marks</a>. &#8220;I just don&#8217;t understand it! Sad that you have to put security cameras by final resting places.&#8221;
Daniels had millions of fans, but was especially popular among military veterans, according to his family. Since his death two years ago, fans have left mementos at the site, but not all the observances have been respectful.
“[Recently] an expired military dependent (spouse’s) ID of a woman who has since been divorced from her military spouse was superglued to the marble on the marker,” Team CDB wrote in response to a <a href="https://tasteofcountry.com/charlie-daniels-grave-vandalized/?utm_source=tsmclip&amp;utm_medium=referral">TasteofCountry.com article</a> about the ongoing vandalism. “The family welcomes anyone leaving items, what they do not want is to have items glued to the marker, or have any trees that the family planted nearby (with the full consent of the cemetery owner) dug up and stolen.
Daniels, who died July 6, 2020 at age 83 in Nashville after suffering a hemorrhagic stroke, was known for his blazing fiddle playing and staunch patriotism. He was also a deeply religious man, and his grave marker bears his favorite bible passage from Psalm 91.

Charlie Daniels

Country Music Legend’s Grave Vandalized Repeatedly, Prompting Increased Police Patrols

Country Legend Charlie Daniels' Grave Vandalized Repeatedly, Prompting Increased Police Patrols

Country Music

Crime

Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn tore into the state of public education last week during a private college event in Tennessee.
Arnn’s comments were caught on a hidden camera at a private college event in Franklin, Tennessee, just south of the state capital of Nashville. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee attended the event as Arnn’s “special guest.” The recording of the event was obtained by a local Tennessee outlet, <a href="https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed/revealed-teachers-come-from-dumbest-parts-of-dumbest-colleges-tenn-governors-education-advisor-tells-him">News Channel 5 Nashville</a>.
Tennessee and Hillsdale College currently have a working partnership. Lee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-partners-with-hillsdale-college-in-statewide-charter-school-initiative">announced</a> in January that Tennessee was partnering with Hillsdale College to build dozens of classical K-12 charter schools across the state.
During the nearly two-hour event, Arnn criticized the institutions currently directing and influencing state-run education, such as the Department of Education, various universities with accredited education programs, and the National Association of Education union. After Channel 5 published its story, Claude Pressnell Jr., president of Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, <a href="https://twitter.com/Pressnell/status/1542650038047739904">called</a> Arnn&#8217;s comments &#8220;incredibly disturbing&#8221; and an insult to educators.
Channel 5 reported clips of the event without publishing a full video of the event or Arnn’s comments. The Daily Wire was not able to obtain a full recording of Arnn’s comments, nor did Channel 5 respond to a request to share the full recording.
Channel 5 reported that Arnn “repeatedly mock[ed] the intelligence of public school teachers and question[ed] whether they really care about what is best for their students,” a characterization that both Hillsdale College and Lee’s office contest.
“Dr. Arnn was clearly criticizing the educational bureaucracy that has done a great disservice to both teachers and students by depriving them of the high-quality, content-rich education that makes for excellent teaching,” Hillsdale College spokeswoman Emily Davis told The Daily Wire in a statement.
“Hillsdale College has been in the serious business of education and teaching for more than 175 years. It wants what parents want: for as many children in America as possible to have access to high-quality educational options,” Davis continued. “The college’s approach to classical education in the liberal arts and sciences — combined with instruction in the principles of moral character and civic virtue — is the very best at teaching the whole child, helping students understand the world, and preparing young people for a life of service and flourishing. We look forward to assisting in that noble endeavor in Tennessee.”
Lee spokeswoman Laine Arnold told The Daily Wire, “Critics dishonestly claimed that a recent event with Hillsdale College criticized Tennessee teachers when it did not. Criticizing activism and other Left-wing issues that creep into the classroom is entirely separate from sentiments about the value or performance of Tennessee teachers. Our respect and support for educators in Tennessee wasn’t up for debate then and it isn’t now.”
Arnn’s college is a Christian liberal arts school in southern Michigan well known for its refusal to accept federal funds of any kind to limit the influence the federal government has on its curriculum. The college is popular among conservatives and often advertises with right-wing broadcasters.
Arnn said of the National Association of Education (NEA): “They’re the biggest gorillas, and they have a monopoly on education.” Teachers unions, of which the NEA is the largest, are generally highly partisan with 94% of donations backing Democrats, according to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=l1300">Open Secrets</a>.
NEA’s president, Becky Pringle, has been an outspoken critic of any display of religion in public schools, whether or not it is sanctioned by the school itself. She <a href="https://twitter.com/BeckyPringle/status/1541433171761315843">slammed</a> the Supreme Court’s recent decision to side with a Washington state high school football coach who was disciplined for praying at midfield after football games. Pringle denounced the coach’s action as “sectarian religious coercion.”
Later on in the event, Arnn criticized the university education system for teachers and the approach to education overall inherent in them. “Ed departments in colleges, if you work in a college, you’ll know this – unless you work in the Ed department, ours is different – but they are the dumbest part of every college,” Arnn said.
The Hillsdale College president went on to suggest that teaching is not a skill that needs to be taught at universities, so much as the knowledge and topics the teachers will need to master in order to teach their students.
“If you study physics, there’s a subject, right? How does the physical world work? That’s hard to figure out. Politics is actually the study of justice. What is justice? Some of the greatest books ever written are written about that. ‘Plato’s Republic’ is written about that. Literature – they don’t do it much anymore, but you can read the greatest books, the most beautiful books ever written. Education is the study of how to teach. Is that a separate art? I don’t think so,” Arnn said.
Arnn cited theologian C.S. Lewis’ book “The Abolition of Man,” which in part argues that a rejection of an objective morality leads to the collapse of society. “[Bad] education destroys generations of people. It’s devastating. It’s like the plague.”
“The philosophic understanding at the heart of modern education is enslavement and we have to break out of that,” Arnn said.
Arnn said that most teachers are currently taught to “do” something to children rather than cultivate their minds and souls.
“It’s an organized force. The teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country, and they are taught that they are going to go and do something to those kids,” Arnn said. “Do they ever talk about anything except what they are going to do to these kids?
“My wife is English, and she’s a gardener,” he said, “and she doesn’t talk about what she is going to do to these plants. She talks about what they need, because if you give them what they need, they will grow. It’s not a manufacturing operation.”
“They’re messing with people’s children, and they feel entitled to do anything to them, and if you mess with that, they’ll call the FBI on you,” Arnn said at one point, an apparent reference to a Department of Justice action last year.
Last summer, outraged parents spoke out at numerous school board meetings across the U.S. in protest of continuing COVID protocols and the influence of LGBT and Critical Race Theory content on their children’s education. Amid the outrage, the Department of Justice <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2021-10-21/garland-defends-decision-to-mobilize-fbi-against-threats-to-school-board-members">mobilized</a> the FBI against threats to school boards in an act many Republicans denounced as an attempt to intimidate parents for pushing back against leftism.
Arnn also criticized the average university system and the rigor of obtaining a degree in education.
“In colleges now, what you hire now is administrators. You don’t get faculty anymore, you get kids to do that, if you can. And the administrators you hire are all diversity people. And that helps you, by the way, with your federal requirements that you have a certain number by color,” Arnn said. “And what do they do? What they do is tell everybody else what to do. And now, because they are appointing all these diversity officers, what are their degrees in? Education. It&#8217;s easy. You don&#8217;t have to know anything.”

Empty auditorium

Hillsdale College President Under Fire After Ripping State Of Public Education: Here’s What He Said.

Hillsdale College President Under Fire After Ripping State Of Public Education. Here’s What He Said.

Bill Lee

Hillsdale College

Public Schools

A man charged with the attempted murder of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee">Tennessee</a> <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/police">police</a> officer was out on bond when authorities say he shot the cop.
The suspect, Samuel Quinton Edwards, was later killed in a firefight with authorities in Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday. Police say Edwards was on the run after he shot Hendersonville Police Department Officer Cameron Ferrell in Madison, Tennessee, on Monday.
“Samuel Quinton Edwards has been involved in an exchange of gunfire with Kentucky State Police in Louisville. He is deceased,” Metro Nashville Police <a href="https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1541948057889153036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1541948057889153036%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tennessean.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fcrime%2F2022%2F06%2F28%2Fhendersonville-police-officer-shot-manhunt-underway%2F7753838001%2F">announced</a>. 
Ferrell was released from the hospital after sustaining non-critical injuries when he was shot while pursuing Edwards on Monday, police say. 
<a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2022/06/28/hendersonville-police-officer-shot-manhunt-underway/7753838001/">According to The Tennessean</a>, the 34-year-old suspect had been released on bond prior to allegedly shooting Ferrell. He was facing more than 12 charges related to another shooting involving cops just weeks ago. 
The incident occurred on June 14, when law enforcement chased Edwards and Erica Lynn, a convicted felon in the vehicle with Edwards, down I-40 after a shooting involving two vehicles. The chase ended with Edwards veering into a telephone pole. Authorities recovered drugs and weapons from his car. Lynn was also charged following the encounter. 
Edwards, a convicted felon, was released on an $80,000 bond following the incident.
The hunt for Edwards intensified on Tuesday as police tried to track down the suspect after surveillance footage showed him fleeing the scene of Monday’s shooting armed with two guns. Throughout the ordeal, he used multiple vehicles to evade arrest. 
Police <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/manhunt-ends-after-blue-alert-suspect-accused-of-shooting-hendersonville-officer-killed-by-police-in-kentucky/">from</a> Millersville, Hendersonville, Nashville, and deputies with the Sumner County Sheriff&#8217;s Department hunted for the suspected shooter in Millersville, Tennessee, on Tuesday. Investigators also utilized bloodhounds and the Nashville police’s air unit. 
Edwards was killed Tuesday night after a shootout with law enforcement near Louisville, Kentucky. 
Kentucky State Police <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/29/kentucky-state-police-shooting-dixie-highway-louisville-nashville-man/7764825001/">did</a> not release many details about the confrontation but promised that it would be &#8220;committed to being transparent while ensuring the integrity of the investigation.&#8221;
The alleged attempted murder of the Tennessee officer by a suspect out on bond <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/suspected-california-cop-killer-was-out-of-jail-on-probation-for-gun-charge-report">follows</a> the killing of two police officers in California earlier this month by a suspect out on probation. 
Two El Monte police officers were killed during a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/murdered-by-a-coward-two-california-police-officers-killed-after-being-essentially-ambushed">shooting</a> while responding to a domestic violence call at a motel on Tuesday afternoon. The man suspected of killing the officers is named Justin Flores, who sources <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-06-15/gunman-in-killing-of-el-monte-police-officers-was-on-probation-for-gun-charge">told</a> the L.A. Times had been released from jail on probation.
According to the Times, in February 2021, Flores pleaded no contest to being a felon in possession of a firearm as part of a plea deal that dismissed a drug charge and an ammunition charge.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/murdered-by-a-coward-two-california-police-officers-killed-after-being-essentially-ambushed">shootings</a> occurred at a motel in El Monte, a city in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles-county">Los Angeles County</a>, where both officers and the suspect accused of killing them were shot dead. The officers, one in his first year on the job and another with more than 20 years of experience.

Open door to prison cell

Man Out On Bond Dies In Shootout With Cops After Allegedly Attempting To Murder Police Officer

Police

Violent Crime

A federal court has allowed Tennessee&#8217;s ban on abortion as early as six weeks into pregnancy to go into effect following Friday&#8217;s Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision came after the state&#8217;s Republican Attorney General Herbert Slatery filed an emergency motion on Friday following the Supreme Court&#8217;s announcement. Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee released a statement regarding the state&#8217;s pro-life plans on Friday shortly after the Supreme Court&#8217;s decision.
“Today’s landmark Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a hopeful, new chapter for our country,” Lee said in a <a href="https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2022/6/24/gov--bill-lee-statement-on-dobbs-ruling.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from his office.
“After years of heartfelt prayer and thoughtful policy, America has an historic opportunity to support women, children and strong families while reconciling the pain and loss caused by Roe v. Wade. We have spent years preparing for the possibility that authority would return to the states, and Tennessee’s laws will provide the maximum possible protection for both mother and child. In the coming days, we will address the full impacts of this decision for Tennessee,&#8221; he added.
In addition to the new six-week abortion ban, the Tennessee legislature has a trigger law in place that will &#8220;criminalize performing or attempting to perform an abortion, except in cases where it is necessary to prevent death or serious and permanent bodily injury to the mother,&#8221; according to the governor&#8217;s office.
The law is expected to go into effect on the 30th day after the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The law does not apply to the person receiving an abortion.
Tennessee also previously passed a law that prohibits abortion on the basis of &#8220;sex, race or Down Syndrome.&#8221; The state also requires a physician to perform an ultrasound for a pregnant woman considering an abortion.
Ashley Coffield, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, spoke out against the measure.
Her statement noted that the new abortion law will &#8220;rob people of their ability to make the decisions that are best for themselves, their lives, and their futures,&#8221; <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2022/06/28/tn-abortion-law-tennessee-immediate-effect-heartbeat-ban-trigger-ban-roe-vs-wade-dobbs/7728670001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> The Tennessean.
&#8220;It is unconscionable that Tennesseans will lose access to abortion in their communities because of this decision,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Planned Parenthood remains committed to helping people in Tennessee and Mississippi access abortions outside our state, and our doors are open for non-judgmental information, resources, and financial and logistical support.&#8221;
The Tennessee law adds to a growing number of conservative-led states that have enacted laws limiting abortion following Friday&#8217;s decision. Missouri became the first state to effectively ban abortions within hours of the Supreme Court&#8217;s ruling.
Oklahoma and South Dakota had already effectively ended abortions in their states ahead of the court&#8217;s decision. South Dakota Republican Governor Kristi Noem celebrated the closure of the last abortion clinic in her state in a Twitter post that included a link to the news of her state’s abortion-free status.
“Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here,” Noem <a href="https://twitter.com/govkristinoem/status/1537426575653740545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in mid-June.
“Now, we must redouble our focus on taking care of mothers in crisis. Help is available for you. Adoption is an option. You are never alone,” she added.

Court Rules Tennessee’s Six-Week Abortion Ban Can Take Effect Following Roe Decision

Abortion

Pro-Life Movement

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

NASHVILLE, TN — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee">Tennessee</a> Republicans moved this week to ask Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-lee">Bill Lee</a> (R-TN) to direct the Tennessee Department of Health to not promote or distribute the COVID <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/covid-19-vaccine">vaccine</a> for children under five.
The <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonZacharyTN/status/1539636088658075648/photo/2">letter</a> authored by Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) asks Lee to direct the Tennessee Department of Health to “halt distribution, promotion or recommendation of COVID-19 vaccines for our youngest Tennesseans.”
It follows the Food and Drug Administration&#8217;s (FDA) approval of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for children between the ages of six months to five years.
Zachary disagreed, telling The Daily Wire that it was “reckless and irresponsible” to promote vaccinating this age group, saying that more research needed to be done. He also pointed out the low risk for young children to get seriously sick with COVID.
“There is no emergency, especially in Tennessee. Again, you’re talking about those who are the least risk for having hospitalizations or deaths related to the COVID virus. [They] are our least vulnerable Tennesseans,” the Tennessee Republican said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Zachary said that he had spoken with the governor’s legislative director and general counsel about the letter, but had not yet heard back from the governor, who was traveling. He characterized the initial conversations as “favorable,” but that Lee’s team still needed more time to review the letter.
The Daily Wire reached out to Governor Lee for comment.
Zachary’s letter was also signed by Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), and House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby).
“We simply cannot recommend injecting an mRNA vaccine into children who have never been at serious risk from death or hospitalization from COVID-19,&#8221; the letter says. &#8220;We do not know the short-term and long-term impact on their development and overall health.&#8221;
The letter references Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins, Dr. Vinay Prasad of the University of California San Francisco, and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Lapado.
The Tennessee Republicans also asked several questions pertaining to the FDA’s decision to allow young children to be vaccinated, including: “Why was the trial not able to show a reduction in severe illness among those vaccinated?” and “Why was approval granted when the manufacturers&#8217; own trials show zero benefit to children?”
On June 17, the FDA <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-moderna-and-pfizer-biontech-covid-19-vaccines-children">announced</a> that those ages 6 months and older could receive the Pfizer or Moderna COVID vaccine, stating that they were safe and effective.
“The agency determined that the known and potential benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the known and potential risks in the pediatric populations authorized for use for each vaccine,” the agency said in a press release.
Zachary&#8217;s letter concluded by thanking Lee for his leadership and &#8220;for standing against the continued overreach of a federal bureaucracy.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-HEALTH-VIRUS

‘Reckless And Irresponsible’: Tennessee Republicans Ask Governor To Stop Distribution Of Vaccines For Young Children

Tennessee House Republicans Ask Governor To Not Promote Or Distribute COVID Vaccines For Young Children

COVID

COVID-19 Vaccine

Country music star Toby Keith announced on Sunday that he has been fighting cancer for several months.
Keith shared the medical news in a Twitter post that revealed his battle.
&#8220;Last fall I was diagnosed with stomach cancer. I&#8217;ve spent the last 6 months receiving chemo, radiation and surgery,&#8221; Keith shared.
&#8220;So far, so good. I need time to breathe, recover and relax,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I am looking forward to spending this time with my family. But I will see the fans sooner than later. I can&#8217;t wait.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/TeADP7UN8h">pic.twitter.com/TeADP7UN8h</a>
&mdash; Toby Keith (@tobykeith) <a href="https://twitter.com/tobykeith/status/1536037747021996036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Many fans and supporters were quick to express support for Keith following his announcement.
&#8220;Sending love and support,&#8221; the Academy of Country Music <a href="https://twitter.com/ACMawards/status/1536051045247352832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">replied</a>.
&#8220;Wishing you much strength and healing my friend!&#8221; ESPN anchor Hannah Storm <a href="https://twitter.com/HannahStormESPN/status/1536039059008757760" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a>.
Keith&#8217;s post was followed by an announcement that his July 28 show at the Ohio State Fair has been canceled.
&#8220;Our hearts go out to Toby Keith as he courageously battles cancer,&#8221; the Ohio State Fair&#8217;s Twitter account <a href="https://twitter.com/OhioStateFair/status/1536039798271516679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on Sunday.
The country music star had recently performed in Florida at the Heroes Honor Festival over Memorial Day weekend at the Daytona International Speedway.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
No better way to spend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MemorialDay?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MemorialDay</a> weekend than honoring those we’ve lost while supporting Vietnam veterans at <a href="https://twitter.com/HeroesHonorFest?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@heroeshonorfest</a>. <a href="https://t.co/OEPAuFzNKt">pic.twitter.com/OEPAuFzNKt</a>
&mdash; Toby Keith (@tobykeith) <a href="https://twitter.com/tobykeith/status/1531729593803198465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Keith&#8217;s cancer battle may lead to some concerts being postponed, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/country/toby-keith-stomach-cancer-diagnosis-1235086160/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> a Billboard report.
The Toby Keith Foundation has been a supporter of those facing cancer long before his own diagnosis.
&#8220;The Toby Keith Foundation has been helping children with cancer since 2006 and has streamlined its efforts around no-cost housing for children with cancer,&#8221; according to the foundation&#8217;s <a href="https://www.tobykeithfoundation.org/toby-keith-foundation/our-mission" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. &#8220;In 2014, the foundation opened OK Kids Korral, a cost-free, convenient and comfortable home for pediatric cancer patients receiving treatment at The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, Stephenson Cancer Center and other nearby facilities.&#8221;
Keith has been a long-time favorite among country fans. In November, the country music star was <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/11/01/nashville-songwriters-hall-fame-toby-keith-amy-grant-steve-earle-among-10-inductees/8509089002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inducted</a> into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Amy Grant, Steve Earle, Bobbie Gentry, Rhett Akins, Kent Blazy, Buddy Cannon, Brett James, Spooner Oldham, and John Scott Sherrill.

Toby Keith

Country Music Star Toby Keith Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

Cancer

Entertainment

A shooting near a nightclub in Chattanooga, Tennessee, early Sunday ended with three people killed and 17 injured, with multiple individuals in critical condition, according to police.
Three people were reportedly struck by vehicles during the tragedy, including one who died, according to reports. Two of the victims died from gunshot wounds.
The shooting was reported at 2:22 a.m. Sunday morning along the 2100 block of McCallie Avenue near a local nightclub.
&#8220;Of the 17 injured, 16 were adults and one was a juvenile,&#8221; local outlet The Chattanoogan <a href="https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/6/5/450431/14-People-Shot-Near-Bar-Close-To.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;Police Chief Celeste Murphy said there were multiple shooters. She said none were in custody,&#8221; the outlet reported. &#8220;She said concerning people hit by vehicles she did not know if they were driven by some involved in the shooting or if they involved people trying to get away from the scene.&#8221;
No arrests have been made so far in the incident. The Chattanooga Police Department has asked anyone to come forward with information about the shooting.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly addressed reporters regarding the incident during a <a href="https://fb.watch/dsGMJN7vs_/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press conference</a> on Sunday morning.
&#8220;Chattanooga will treat this as the crisis that it is. Over the next few weeks, my administration will be releasing even more ways that we will address gun violence,&#8221; he said.
The incident followed a shooting last weekend in downtown Chattanooga, in which six people were injured near the city’s aquarium.
“Officers who were patrolling the area heard gunshots and saw multiple people shooting weapons and numerous people fleeing the area. Officers began rendering aid to the victims and assisting others to safety,” the Associated Press <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/police-6-wounded-in-shooting-in-chattanooga-tennessee/2022/05/29/98d3a9ce-df66-11ec-ae64-6b23e5155b62_story.html">reported</a>.
Police noted that two of the injuries were life-threatening and that most of those involved appeared to be juveniles. A person was reportedly detained but was later released, and no arrests have yet been made.
​​Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/multiple-people-shoot-tennessee-police/story?id=85048571">said</a> that law enforcement believes the shooting to be related to an “altercation” between the two groups of young people but has no evidence that the incident was gang-related.
“That’s not been officially ruled out, but there’s nothing indicating that at this time,” Murphy stated.
The shootings also follow a concerning number of recent mass shooting events nationwide, including last week&#8217;s Tulsa shooting that killed four people.
In addition, 19 elementary school students and two teachers were killed less than two weeks ago at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, involving an 18-year-old shooter before being killed by a Border Patrol officer responding to the call for help. The previous week, a young man killed 10 people in a Buffalo, New York, grocery store before being apprehended.
The concerning incidents have led to widespread calls for actions to reduce gun violence among lawmakers. While congressional leaders have ruled out an assault weapons band, a variety of other options are under consideration. Some options noted have included red flag laws and raising the age to legally purchase certain firearms.

police scene

Tennessee Shooting Ends With 3 Dead, 17 Injured, Several In Critical Condition

Gun Violence

Shooting

A missing Alabama prison official and the inmate with whom she disappeared last week were seen on surveillance footage abandoning a marked vehicle together.
Lauderdale County Sheriff’s Office Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inmate-and-prison-official-both-disappear-on-their-way-to-court-two-years-ago-the-inmate-threatened-to-escape-with-a-hostage">disappeared</a> on Friday while claiming to escort inmate Casey White to a mental health evaluation. Earlier this week, investigators <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/missing-alabama-prison-official-had-special-relationship-with-disappeared-inmate-report">confirmed</a> that a “special relationship” existed between the pair. The two are not related. During a press conference on Friday, Lauderdale County Sheriff Rick Singleton explained that there were indications of a “jailhouse romance” between Vicky White and Casey White, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/alabama-inmate-corrections-officer-manhunt-reward">Fox News</a> reported.
On Thursday night, authorities linked a 2007 Ford Edge SUV abandoned in Williamson County, Tennessee, to the pair. The vehicle was initially spotted hours after the April 29 escape, but not connected to the couple until “the tow truck driver who picked up the Ford vehicle remembered it when he saw a local TV story this week about the missing officer and inmate and alerted his boss,” according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/06/us/vicky-white-casey-white-alabama-manhunt-friday/index.html">CNN</a>. The car was initially found locked and without tags.
Authorities are now trying to determine Vicky White and Casey White’s next move — including whether they stole another car.
“It really doesn’t leave us a lot, we just know what direction they were headed, they headed north from here,” Singleton said, according to CNN. “After Friday afternoon, when they abandoned that car, which direction they went from there, we don’t know.”
Singleton noted that Vicky White sold her house for $95,550 — far below its market value of $235,600 — on April 18. District Attorney Chris Connolly told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-corrections-officer-withdrew-90000-cash-multiple-banks/story?id=84546760">ABC News</a> that Vicky White withdrew approximately $90,000 from several banks before April 29.
Indeed, Vicky White’s mother-in-law, Frances White, told <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/vicky-white-alabama-prison-guard-who-fled-with-murder-inmate-casey-white-was-cashed-up-and-eying-florida">The Daily Beast</a> on Tuesday that the official had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/missing-alabama-prison-official-had-special-relationship-with-disappeared-inmate-report">amassed</a> large sums of money over time to keep herself afloat and “may have been brainwashed” into freeing Casey White. “She had said that she’d like to live in Florida, that’s the only thing I can think of,” Frances White told the outlet. Vicky White’s late husband passed away in January as a result of complications with Parkinson’s disease.
“She had money before she sold her home,” Frances White continued. “She saved her money. I figure if she’s still got her money, she’s still got enough to live on for a while.”
As federal, state, and local officials continue their pursuit, Governor Kay Ivey (R-AL) announced a $10,000 reward for information resulting in the “arrest and apprehension” of Vicky White and Casey White, Fox reported. According to Singleton, the total reward for the pair’s apprehension is now $25,000.
Singleton characterized the escape plan as “very well thought-out,” with Vicky White’s law enforcement knowledge putting investigators “at a loss,” ABC reported. The U.S. Marshals service said that the pair &#8220;may be armed with an AR-15 rifle, handguns and a shotgun.”
Casey White confessed in 2020 to fatally stabbing a woman named Connie Ridgeway five years earlier. The woman’s body was found by a neighbor after the neighbor noticed that Ridgeway had not been seen that day. Casey White claimed he was paid to carry out the murder.

Vicky White

‘Jailhouse Romance’: Car Used By Missing Alabama Prison Guard And Inmate Found In Tennessee As Officials Post $25,000 Reward

Escape Vehicle Used By Missing Alabama Prisoner And Official In 'Jailhouse Romance' Identified In Tennessee

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