Overnight sensation <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/oliver-anthony" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oliver Anthony</a> abruptly canceled a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">show</a> he had scheduled for September 27 at the Cotton Eyed Joe nightclub in Knoxville, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee,</a> blaming the high cost of tickets. 
&#8220;Cotton Eyed Joe has been cancelled [sic]. Ultimately, it’s my fault for not being more directly involved with the venues who have reached out. My plate has been full and I delegated the responsibility to someone else to help me book,&#8221; the singer <a href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085643337139">shared</a> with fans on Facebook Monday night. &#8220;I am not pointing fingers at Cotton Eyed Joe, I don’t know where the miscommunication took place. I’m just upset seeing those prices.&#8221;
&#8220;We will find another place in Knoxville area that can do $25 ticket and free meet and greet,” Anthony continued. ”I will work to get your tickets refunded from my own budget if they can’t. This will never happen again. Thanks for your patience. I am still learning how all of this works.&#8221;
The “Rich Men North of Richmond” composer posted a similar message on his official Instagram page. 
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“Don&#8217;t buy $90 Cotton Eyed Joe tickets or $200 for a meet and greet. That&#8217;s not acceptable,” he wrote in a video caption explaining what happened. “Just saw the Facebook post and lost my s***. Miscommunication with my friend booking shows and I. My shows should never cost more than $40, ideally no more than $25. Hell, out of the 4 shows we have currently done, 2 of them have been completely free. This will get straightened out tonight. Hold off on buying tickets for now.”
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The event venue Cotton Eyed Joe fired back at the accusations of exorbitant ticket prices with a Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CottonEyedJoeKnoxville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> of its own. The nightclub said the ticket prices reflected a “break even” amount, claiming it had made a deal with Anthony to play at the venue for an hour for $120,000. 
“Most times we say a show has been cancelled [sic] due to circumstances beyond our control &#8230; well we are cancelling [sic] the Oliver Anthony show under our full control. All refunds will be made in the next few business days to your original form of payment,” the post on the venue&#8217;s account said. 
“The North Man of Richmond contracted to play the Cotton Eyed Joe for $120,000 for 60 minutes &#8230;. after doing the math and knowing we can only hold apprx. 1500 people, paying the ticket website their fee to sell the tickets, paying the tax man, opening the JOE on a closed night &#8230; we set the ticket price to break even and bring our customers a show we thought would be fun. To our talent agency and promotor friends that follow us &#8230; be careful booking the North Man of Richmond.”

Oliver Anthony

‘That’s Not Acceptable’: Oliver Anthony Cancels Tennessee Show Over High Ticket Prices

Oliver Anthony Cancels Tennessee Show Over High Ticket Prices

Entertainment

Music

Music Industry

Tennessee

U.S.

A federal judge blocked a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> district attorney from enforcing the state’s law shielding children from sexually explicit performances ahead of a “Pride” event after he was sued by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/aclu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Civil Liberties Union</a>. 
The judge’s <a href="https://www.wate.com/news/blount-county-news/district-attorney-blocked-from-enforcing-anti-drag-law-ahead-of-pride-event/#:~:text=U.S.%20District%20Judge%20Ronnie%20Greer,ruled%20unconstitutional%20by%20a%20federal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ruling</a> comes after the ACLU filed a lawsuit this week against Blount County DA Ryan Desmond, who sent a letter to Blount County Pride saying that any explicit performances in front of children would not be allowed at a “Pride” event on September 2 just south of Knoxville. Video has emerged from “Pride” events across the country of explicit drag performances with children present and looking on. 
“It is certainly possible that the event in question will not violate any of the criminal statutes,” Desmond <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/national/ap-us-news/ap-aclu-sues-tennessee-district-attorney-who-promises-to-enforce-the-states-new-anti-drag-show-ban/?email=84885943124850418dccfffa5f984fb2b1450cf1&amp;emaila=6cb861e5998d3d6a1ce8452947dee058&amp;emailb=78504d1586e2066c8a05f4b619c2e64c552dbc337ec8d9ba2cb59caa7c91ecac&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Curated%20Evening%20Headlines%202023-08-31&amp;utm_content=evening%20headlines" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “However if sufficient evidence is presented to this office that these referenced criminal statutes have been violated, our office will ethically and justly prosecute these cases in the interest of justice.”
Desmond had a temporary restraining order placed on him by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer meaning that he is blocked from enforcing Tennessee’s Adult Entertainment Act. Also part of the suit was Flamy Grant, who has been <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2023/09/01/federal-judge-blocks-da-and-police-from-interfering-with-blount-pride/70741487007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">portrayed</a> in the media as a “Christian” drag performer. 
The law has previously been blocked before by a federal judge in Memphis, but could be enforced outside of Shelby County. In late June, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee blocked the law after Friends of George’s, a self-described “LGBTQ theatre company” based in Memphis, filed a suit challenging the law.
Blount County Pride, being represented by the ACLU, claims that Desmond’s letter to the “Pride” group was “a naked attempt to chill free speech.” 
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“Had Defendant Desmond merely wished to notify the public that he intends to enforce the [law], he could have issued a public statement,” the lawsuit states. “Instead, he sent a letter targeting Blount Pride and the drag artists who are scheduled to perform,” the lawsuit from the ACLU said. 
Tennessee’s law has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/18-state-coalition-legal-group-appeal-ruling-that-deemed-tn-law-shielding-kids-from-sexually-explicit-performances-unconstitutional" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been supported</a> by an 18 state coalition and America First Legal in court, who say that the law is necessary to protect children. 
“Protecting children from obscene and lewd behavior is not a new idea. We need to let kids be kids, and the state has legal authority to ensure their protection,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release.

UK – Culture – Gay and lesbian Pride Parade through central London

Tennessee District Attorney Blocked From Enforcing State Law Shielding Kids From Explicit Performances

ACLU

Courts

Drag Queens

Politics

Social Issues

A coalition of states and a non-profit legal group separately filed briefs against a district court ruling on Wednesday that purported to block a Tennessee law restricting sexually explicit performances in front of children.
In late June, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee blocked the state’s “Adult Entertainment Act” after Friends of George’s, a self-described “LGBTQ theatre company” based in Memphis, filed a suit challenging the law.
Parker said the law placed an unconstitutional restriction on freedom of speech and was “unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad.”
But an eighteen-state coalition and America First Legal group filed amicus briefs asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit to overturn the district-court ruling and support Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, who immediately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-moves-to-defend-laws-shielding-kids-from-trans-procedures-explicit-performances" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appealed</a> the judgment to defend the state law.
“Protecting children from obscene and lewd behavior is not a new idea. We need to let kids be kids, and the state has legal authority to ensure their protection,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said in a news release <a href="https://www.thecentersquare.com/tennessee/article_7c888a52-4723-11ee-9273-97c36b3a1f2e.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Center Square.
Wilson led the coalition that also included Alabama, Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
“I believe the Court wrongly ruled against the law, and I’m happy to lead a coalition of support for the law on appeal.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the law in March that outlawed adult cabaret male or female impersonators from performing “nudity, sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse” on public property. However, such “drag shows” could still occur in age-restricted venues under the law.
America First Legal vice president and general counsel Gene Hamilton told The Daily Wire in an emailed statement that the legal group stands with Tennesseeans supporting the law.
“We are proud to stand with our friends in Tennessee in defense of innocent children, and in opposition to erroneous, sweeping court orders that misapply the law based on the urging of radical activists,” Hamilton said.
The legal group argued the district court’s ruling gave Memphis “pride” parade organizers, “drag queens,” and other performers complete freedom to expose children “to harmful sexualized content such as intercourse, masturbation, sado-masochism, and other perverted sex acts.”
“No child should ever be exposed to the conduct at issue in this case — ever — and it is our hope that the Sixth Circuit overturns the injunction in this case,” Hamilton added.

Didi Blue Hart performs in drag during a drag show and story ho

18-State Coalition, Legal Group File Briefs Against Court Ruling That Deemed TN Law Shielding Kids From Sexually Explicit Performances ‘Unconstitutional’

18-State Coalition, Legal Group Appeal Ruling That Deemed TN Law Shielding Kids From Sexually Explicit Performances "Unconstitutional"

Bill Lee

Children

Drag show

Free Speech

Singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">Jessica Simpson</a> is talking about moving her family from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood">California</a> to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville">Nashville</a> for the summer and some of the changes they’ve experienced with their shift in location.
The 43-year-old pop star has been living in Nashville with her husband, Eric Johnson, and their three children: Maxwell Drew, 11, Ace Knute, 10, and Birdie Mae, 4. While it doesn&#8217;t seem to be a permanent move, Simpson said she’s been enjoying her time in Music City USA.
&#8220;Being in Nashville, even my kids are like, &#8216;You laugh the whole time. You&#8217;re so happy,'&#8221; she said during a recent PetSafe event in Los Angeles to celebrate National Dog Day, per <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1384290/why-jessica-simpson-left-hollywood-with-her-family-and-moved-to-nashville-for-the-summer">E! News</a>. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s because I&#8217;m not on guard,” Simpson continued. “I&#8217;m with a lot of like-minded people. It&#8217;s not about the celebrities—it&#8217;s really about the music and the heart and the conversation.&#8221;
The “Irresistible” singer also recounted how renting a home has been a “hilarious experience.”
&#8220;I used thumb tacks to hang these $40 curtains up so I wouldn&#8217;t wake up with the sun,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I put together a TV with a butter knife. I was looking for a screwdriver, but I went to the wrong place. I went to Walgreens, I got lip gloss instead.&#8221;
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Simpson has been on an extended break from performing but said she was considering coming back and feels more confident about it.
&#8220;I&#8217;m not nervous at all, but if you were to ask me two years ago when I was talking about coming back to music, I was frightened. But now, I know exactly what I want.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m building my own platform,” she added. “I&#8217;m doing it for the first time—the way I would—without a label telling me I need to do this song or use this producer. It&#8217;s all me.&#8221;
Several celebrities have been vocal about their positive experiences <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-is-not-america-why-so-many-celebrities-are-leaving-los-angeles">moving away</a> from Los Angeles. Stars like Katy Perry, Matthew McConaughey, James Van Der Beek, Chris Hemsworth, and podcaster Joe Rogan have all recently moved to other states.

Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson Discusses Moving From L.A. To Nashville For The Summer: ‘I’m With A Lot Of Like-Minded People’

Jessica Simpson Discusses Moving From L.A. To Nashville For The Summer: 'I'm With A Lot Of Like-Minded People'

California

Celebrities

Los Angeles

Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a> Republicans declared their intention to eradicate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/human-trafficking" target="_blank" rel="noopener">human trafficking</a> in the state at a Tuesday press conference during a hotly contested special session that has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gun-control-protesters-show-up-in-tennessee-as-public-safety-special-session-begins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received national attention</a>.
The press conference, put on by the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, a conservative advocacy group, featured over a dozen Tennessee Republicans from both the state House and Senate and took place in the state’s old Supreme Court chamber in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a>. The conference came as Left-leaning protesters showed up at the capitol this week to push for gun control.
The conference was held to discuss a bill dealing with mandating an annual report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and putting more awareness on the issue of human trafficking in the state.
“One of the things we have not done enough of, is drag this issue out into the light,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth said. “Have the TBI and law enforcement work together with the legislature to identify every single community where this is happening and then allocate needs towards that.”
The bill, SB 7088, has the support of Lamberth and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson. Unlike many of the other bills that have been filed during the special session, it made it through the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday.
“If you’re engaging in child and human sex trafficking in Tennessee, we’re coming after you. We’re going to war with you,” Johnson said.
Congressman <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/freshman-republican-lawmaker-files-to-impeach-biden-over-illicit-family-business-dealings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andy Ogles</a> (R-TN) was also present and said that lawmakers had a biblical mandate to fight against trafficking.
According to a <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB7088" target="_blank" rel="noopener">summary</a> of the bill, it &#8220;requires the bureau to submit a report on child and human trafficking crimes and trends in this state, based upon data available to the bureau, as well as current programs and activities of the bureau&#8217;s human trafficking unit.”
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“Human trafficking is the scourge of our time. It happens in our communities. It happens a mile from where we live. It happens even closer than that on certain occasions. We are dedicated to saving women and children and eradicating this scourge,” said Aaron Gulbransen, the executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition.
According to TBI, <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-news/nearly-600-kids-go-missing-in-tn-each-month-how-the-public-plays-a-role-in-their-safe-recovery/">there are</a> up to 600 kids who go missing in Tennessee each month. Some of these are runaways or children in remarkably complex situations; others are trafficked.
The issue of human trafficking has come to forefront <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sound-of-freedom-creators-say-movie-is-not-in-the-least-political" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with the success</a> of “Sound of Freedom,” the story of Tim Ballard (played by Jim Caviezel), a federal agent who quits his job to rescue a young girl from sex slavery in South America.
TBI previously told The Daily Wire that most children trafficked in Tennessee are not foreign nationals, but kids who were born and raised in the state.

Drug addict young woman with syringe in action, Stop drug addiction concept, Do not interfere with drugs, International Day against Drug Abuse.

Tennessee Republicans Declare ‘War’ On Human Trafficking Amid Special Session

Tennessee Republicans Declare 'War' On Human Trafficking Amid Special Session

Crime

Human Trafficking

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A special session of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee">Tennessee</a> General Assembly called by Republican Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-lee">Bill Lee</a> to deal with “public safety” began on Monday as Left-leaning protesters gathered to push for more gun control.
The August 21 special session comes months after a transgender-identifying shooter killed six people at The Covenant School in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville">Nashville</a>, and Lee has advocated for a variation of a red flag law. In his proclamation earlier this month, Lee said that the session would deal with issues of mental health, gun storage guidelines, human trafficking, and “temporary mental health orders of protection.”
The first meeting of the Senate ended after about 20 minutes while the House session went on for almost two hours. Republican Senator Janice Bowling moved to the end the session saying that it there was no emergency that <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/08/21/live-updates-tennessee-legislature-special-session-public-safety-guns-starts/70618843007/">required</a> the extra meeting. Last week Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson said that red flag laws and any kind of order of protection laws had a zero percent chance of making it through during the special session.
Debate in the House focused on the rules, including debate on whether to adopt new disciplinary rules for members who cause disruptions.
During the debate, Democrat lawmakers claimed the rules were undemocratic and Rep. Justin Jones claimed Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton was racist. Jones was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-gop-expels-democrat-following-state-capitol-storming">previously expelled</a> from the House for helping to lead a protest from the House floor that disrupted proceedings.
After 80 minutes of debate, the rules package passed 73-23. “These rules provide equality for 99 members who represent 7 million Tennesseans,” Republican Rep. Gino Bulso said. &#8220;If a member cannot conduct the member&#8217;s self with civility, they ought to sit down.&#8221;
Democrat Rep. Jeremy Pearson, another of the Democrats who was expelled for leading a protest from the House floor, said Republicans only offer thoughts and prayers after shootings. Pearson previously voted against a bipartisan bill that included school safety measures in the aftermath of the Covenant shooting.
Protesters chanted and screamed at Republican lawmakers as they left the House floor after the session was adjourned. Some protesters in and around the capitol building in Nashville held up signs like &#8220;we demand gun reform,&#8221; &#8220;protect kids not guns,&#8221; and &#8220;no more dead children.&#8221; Several groups were wearing shirts by the group Moms Demand Action and a group of Covenant mothers.
There were several people in attendance who opposed of red flag laws. Chavez Lopez, who works as an electrical engineer in Nashville, said that he was there to make his voice heard and support the Second Amendment. He told The Daily Wire he was disappointed that there were not more pro-Second Amendment protesters present.
Several members of the Nashville Young Republicans were also present at the capitol. &#8220;The Nashville Young Republicans are proud to stand with our leaders as they advocate for the safety of our communities across the state. Our Republican leadership needs our support as they continue to fight to ensure that gun rights are not curtailed in our state,&#8221; the Nashville Young Republicans told The Daily Wire after both the Senate and House had adjourned.

Nashville Students Hold Walkout To Demand Gun Safety In Wake Of School Shooting

Gun Control Protesters Show Up In Tennessee As ‘Public Safety’ Special Session Begins

Gun Control

The Covenant School

Federal health officials have launched a civil rights investigation into Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) after the hospital turned over trans-identifying clinic patients’ medical records to the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. The AG&#8217;s office is investigating the Nashville-based center for potential medical billing fraud connected to transgender medical treatments for minors.
VUMC chief communications officer John Howser <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tennessee-transgender-vanderbilt-e524f08f8324c46b106cbe3a054724ff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Associated Press last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights contacted the medical center just weeks after two patients sued the hospital system, claiming they were among more than 100 current and former patients whose records were turned over to Tennessee state authorities.
“We have no further comment since this is an ongoing investigation,” Howser said.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office confirmed in June that it was investigating the medical center over potential billing fraud. The center <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanderbilt-pediatric-transgender-clinic-terminates-gender-affirming-care-before-tennessee-law-takes-effect-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> ceased providing cross-sex hormones and performing sex-change surgeries on minors in compliance with a new Tennessee law that took effect earlier this year.
Brandon Smith, chief of staff for the state attorney general, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanderbilt-gives-tennessee-ag-gender-clinic-patient-records-under-investigation-for-billing-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the investigation is purely about Vanderbilt’s billing practices and not about the patients themselves, saying the AG’s office was “surprised that VUMC has deliberately chosen to frighten its patients like this.”
“The Office does not publicize fraud investigations to preserve the integrity of the investigative process. The Office maintains patient records in the strictest confidence, as required by law,” Smith added. “The investigation is focused solely on VUMC and certain related providers, not patients, as VUMC is well aware.”
Howser <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/14/us/tennessee-vanderbilt-university-medical-center-investigation-transgender-reaj/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN that the medical center “received valid requests” from state authorities as part of its investigation, which sought information about transgender care at VUMC.
“The Tennessee Attorney General has legal authority in an investigation to require that VUMC provide complete copies of patient medical records that are relevant to that investigation, and VUMC was obligated to do so,” Howser said. “VUMC complies with all health care privacy and security requirements established under both Federal and Tennessee law, including but not limited to HIPAA.”
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The investigation into VUMC from the Biden administration comes after a heated legislative session earlier this year when Tennessee Republicans moved to prevent sex change procedures and hormones from being prescribed to minors, legislation prompted by The Daily Wire’s investigation into VUMC’s gender clinic.
Daily Wire host Matt Walsh published a bombshell report last year that prompted Tennessee lawmakers to prohibit doctors from performing sex-change treatments and surgeries on minors.
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BREAKING: My team and I have been investigating the transgender clinic at Vanderbilt here in Nashville. Vanderbilt drugs, chemically castrates, and performs double mastectomies on minors. But it gets worse. Here is what we found. Let&#39;s start at the beginning.
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1572313369528635392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Walsh uncovered shocking videos that showed a doctor calling certain sex-change surgeries “huge money makers” and a health law expert saying conscientious objections to the surgeries are “problematic.”
Anthony Cash contributed to this report.

US-POLITICS-GOVERNMENT-HEALTH

Biden Administration Investigates Vanderbilt University Over Release Of Transgender Clinic Patient Records

Matt Walsh

transgender surgery

Vanderbilt University

A retired professional football player whose life story became the basis for the Oscar-winning movie “The Blind Side,” says the white, wealthy family who took him in never actually adopted him, as the film suggests.
Michael Oher, now 37, has filed a petition in Shelby County, Tennessee, probate court, alleging that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy never adopted him after bringing him into their home when he was a teenager, ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38190720/blind-side-subject-michael-oher-alleges-adoption-was-lie-family-took-all-film-proceeds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In the 14-page petition, Oher alleges that less than three months after he turned 18 in 2004, the Tuohys tricked him into signing a document that made them his conservators – not his adopted parents – thereby giving them legal authority to make financial decisions in his name.
Oher also alleges that the Tuohys used their conservatorship to make millions for themselves and their two birth children from royalties collected from the book and movie. In his petition, he says he received no money for the story, which “would not have existed without him.&#8221; To this day, the Tuohys claim Oher as their adopted son and use that narrative to promote their foundation and Leigh Anne’s motivational books and speaking tours.
&#8220;The lie of Michael&#8217;s adoption is one upon which Co-Conservators Leigh Anne Tuohy and Sean Tuohy have enriched themselves at the expense of their Ward, the undersigned Michael Oher,&#8221; the former offensive tackle wrote in the petition. &#8220;Michael Oher discovered this lie to his chagrin and embarrassment in February of 2023, when he learned that the Conservatorship to which he consented on the basis that doing so would make him a member of the Tuohy family, in fact provided him no familial relationship with the Tuohys.&#8221;
The Tuohys&#8217; attorney, Steve Farese, told ESPN that the family would file a legal response to Oher’s claims within weeks.
Sean Touhy <a href="https://dailymemphian.com/article/37925/sean-tuohy-responds-allegations-michael-oher-blind-side-money" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the Daily Memphian that the family “didn’t make any money off the movie” but did make money from the book it was based on, written by Michael Lewis.
&#8220;We&#8217;re devastated,&#8221; Sean told the outlet. &#8220;It&#8217;s upsetting to think we would make money off any of our children. But we&#8217;re going to love Michael at 37 just like we loved him at 16.&#8221;
Oher is asking the Tennessee court to end the conservatorship and prohibit the Tuohys from continuing to use his name and likeness, as well as a full accounting of the money they earned from selling his story. He is requesting his share of the profits, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
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&#8220;Since at least August of 2004, Conservators have allowed Michael, specifically, and the public, generally, to believe that Conservators adopted Michael and have used that untruth to gain financial advantages for themselves and the foundations which they own or which they exercise control,&#8221; the petition says, according to ESPN. &#8220;All monies made in said manner should in all conscience and equity be disgorged and paid over to the said ward, Michael Oher.&#8221;
Oher signed the conservatorship papers when he was still a senior in high school. He previously wrote in his best-selling memoir “I Beat the Odds” that the Tuohys had told him there really wasn’t a difference between adoption and conservatorship.
&#8220;They explained to me that it means pretty much the exact same thing as &#8216;adoptive parents,&#8217; but that the laws were just written in a way that took my age into account,&#8221; Oher wrote in 2011.
In reality, conservatorship didn’t make Oher a legal member of the Tuohy family, nor did it allow him to make his own financial decisions, even as an adult with no physical or psychological disabilities.
Oher alleges in the legal filing that the Tuohys and their two birth children were each paid $225,000 and 2.5% of the film’s “defined net proceeds,” which resulted in millions of dollars from a movie that grossed more than $300 million worldwide, according to IMDb.
The Tuohys previously wrote in their own 2010 book “In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving” that they received a flat fee for the story and didn’t receive any profits from the movie, and what money they did receive, they shared with Oher.
Oher says in his court petition that he never received any of this money.

Michael Oher

Former NFL Player Says ‘The Blind Side’ Family Never Really Adopted Him

Hollywood

Lawsuit

Sports

A judge in Tennessee has dismissed charges against a Chattanooga woman who was convicted in 2019 of murdering a man 10 years earlier – when she was just 13 years old.
Hamilton County Judge Amanda Dunn on Tuesday dismissed first-degree murder and aggravated robbery convictions for Angel Bumpass, now 28 and a mother of two who was preparing to enter nursing school when she was arrested in 2018. She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/convicted-of-a-murder-she-allegedly-committed-when-she-was-13-angel-bumpass-now-gets-a-new-trial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was convicted</a> in 2019 of murdering Franklin Bonner, who was found tied to a table and chair in his home, apparently murdered during a robbery attempt.
&#8220;A conviction does not always mean justice,” Hamilton County District Attorney Coty Wamp said after the charges were dismissed, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/chattanooga-murder-case-dismissed-angel-bumpass-cd92ef7f6beb5febc5a4fbaa814d820a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Associated Press</a>. “The way that Mr. Bonner was duct taped and killed in the ransacking of the home. In the state&#8217;s opinion, it is virtually impossible that a 13-year-old girl could have done this alone.&#8221;
At the time of Bonner’s murder, Angel would have been 13 years old, 5 feet tall, and just 80 pounds in weight. She told police she didn’t know anything about Bonner’s death and that she never met him or had been in his home.
Along with Angel, a man named Mallory Vaughn was arrested for Bonner’s murder, after his cousin – who was in federal prison for a bank robbery – claimed Vaughn had admitted to burglarizing Bonner’s home and binding the victim. The cousin later changed his story and said he had learned of the case through Detective Karl Fields, the original lead detective on the case who was later accused of sexually harassing a rape victim, tampering with evidence, and gross misconduct. The charges were dropped because of a lack of evidence.
Both Mallory Vaughn and Angel Bumpass said they didn’t know each other, yet they were tried together. The prosecution alleged that Angel’s fingerprints could only have been found on the duct tape if she was there when Bonner was killed; the defense argued that nine other fingerprints were also found on the duct tape and that Angel had been in school the day of the crime.
Angel was found guilty of a crime she allegedly committed when she was 13 years old and sentenced to life in prison, while Vaughn – who would have been 26 at the time of the murder –  was found not guilty.
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With one suspect found not guilty and another’s conviction overturned, DA Wamp said law enforcement would continue searching for the murderer.
“We know that there is at least one person responsible for this criminal offense who has not yet been located or identified as a suspect,” Wamp said. “It is my opinion that we must refocus our efforts on identifying the individual who did this.”

Judge Holding Gavel

Judge Dismisses Murder Conviction For Woman Who Allegedly Killed A Man When She Was 13

Murder

Wrongful Conviction

Tennessee Republican Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Lee</a> has called a special session to deal with “public safety” as Democrats in the state push for more gun control. 
The August 21 special session will come months after a transgender-identifying shooter killed six people at The Covenant School in Nashville, and Lee has advocated for a variation of a red flag law. In his <a href="https://tnsos.net/publications/proclamations/files/2517.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proclamation</a> this week, Lee said that the session would deal with issues of mental health, gun storage guidelines, human trafficking, and “temporary mental health orders of protection.” 
“As our nation faces evolving public safety threats, Tennessee remains vigilant and is taking continued action to protect communities while preserving the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” Lee <a href="https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2023/8/8/gov--lee-issues-official-call--presents-legislative-priorities-ahead-of--public-safety-special-session.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a statement. 
Republican leadership in the legislature has largely opposed any consideration of potential red flag legislation, while Lee’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-most-tennesseans-want-authorities-focusing-on-dangerous-people-not-guns-as-governor-pushes-order-of-protection-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">office has said</a> his proposal shouldn’t be considered a red flag proposal. 
“To be clear, the Governor does not support red flag laws. His proposal is different from any law across the country – it would strengthen Tennessee’s existing law around the order of protection process for cases of domestic violence and enhance support for law enforcement, ensure due process, require the highest burden of proof, and boost mental health support,” Press Secretary Jade Byers told The Daily Wire in June. 
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, both Republicans, have <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/tennessee-politics/tn-public-safety-special-session/?email=84885943124850418dccfffa5f984fb2b1450cf1&amp;emaila=6cb861e5998d3d6a1ce8452947dee058&amp;emailb=78504d1586e2066c8a05f4b619c2e64c552dbc337ec8d9ba2cb59caa7c91ecac&amp;utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Breaking%20News%20-%20WKRN%20-%20Breaking%20News%20-%20August%208%2C%202023%2C%2010:28%20pm%20UTC&amp;utm_content=breaking%20news&amp;utm_term=Breaking%20News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that any red flag-style legislation would be a non-starter. 
“From a philosophical standpoint, I have always opposed what is commonly referred to as a red flag, order of protection bill, again, because I deem them to be ineffective,” Johnson said. “Certainly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, known as the Bruen decision, I think they are constitutionally suspect at best, blatantly unconstitutional at worst.”
“As far as the enhanced orders of protection, red flag laws, yeah, you’re not going to see us go down that road,” Sexton said on Tuesday. 
Some Republicans have urged the release of the manifesto from The Covenant School shooter before the special session, while the Tennessee Executive Republican Committee has <a href="https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2023/aug/05/tennessee-gop-executive-committee-tfp/#:~:text=—%20Tennessee%20Republican%20State%20Executive%20Committee,despite%20most%20GOP%20leaders%27%20opposition." target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the session should be canceled. 
The announcement comes as Democrats in the state take a bus tour to talk about gun violence, making its final stop in Nashville as the session begins. 
“Since Republicans gained controlling power, the Tennessee General Assembly has loosened gun laws and abolished common sense gun safety reforms, such as mandatory gun safety classes and background checks for going armed, gun permits, and restrictions on carrying in many public places,” a <a href="https://tnsenatedems.medium.com/statewide-bus-tour-to-end-gun-violence-rolls-towards-special-session-525c7101f67a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a> from the Democratic Senate caucus said. 
Conservative groups in the state have vocally opposed any move toward red flag laws.
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“Governor Lee’s <a href="https://tnsos.net/publications/proclamations/files/2517.pdf">proclamation</a> makes it abundantly clear that he is on board with the long standing calls from notable Democrats like Justin Jones and Joe Biden to enact gun control in Tennessee,” John Harris of the Tennessee Firearms Association <a href="https://tennesseefirearms.com/news/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>. “Rather than just being candid and stating he wants a Red Flag law, Bill Lee urges for the passage of a &#8216;temporary mental health order of protection&#8217; as he did in April 2023 shortly after the Covenant School murders.”
The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, a conservative policy and advocacy group, has previously urged Lee to cancel the special session and has vocally opposed red flag laws. In a statement following Lee’s proclamation, they pointed to aspects of the proclamation that would deal with human trafficking. 
“As we’ve noted before, while noting certain areas of disagreement on certain other issues, we’ve had very productive meetings with Governor Lee and his staff on this issue, making a mutual commitment to work together in the furtherance of destroying child and human trafficking,” a statement from the group said.

Tennessee Governor Calls For ‘Public Safety’ Special Session As Democrats Push For Gun Control

Tennessee Governor Calls For 'Public Safety' Special Session As Democrats Push For Gun Control

General

Artists from the country and Christian music genres came together to perform in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tennessee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee</a>, on Monday evening for a benefit event for The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/the-covenant-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Covenant School</a>.
&#8220;A Covenant Knight&#8221; at the Grand Ole Opry featured performances by Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Old Dominion, Anne Wilson, and others several months after a deadly mass shooting at the local Christian school.
&#8220;I am so grateful for the way music impacts our lives and can bring us together, and I’m hoping this event will help everyone feel Jesus’ presence,&#8221; Wilson <a href="https://twitter.com/Annewilsonmusic/status/1674048785603870721" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X ahead of the event.
All proceeds from the show are being directed to The Covenant School Community Fund to &#8220;continue mental health support for healing, ease the transition back into the building and equip the school for a safe, successful new year together,&#8221; according to the <a href="https://www.opry.com/show/2023-08-07-covenant-benefit-at-7-30-pm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">event page on Opry&#8217;s website</a>. The event was put together with the help of two parents of students who attend the school, Houston Phillips and Chad Schultz, who are also music industry veterans.
The shooting at The Covenant School in late March killed three children and three adults. The victims have been identified as Evelyn Dieckhaus, 9; Hallie Scruggs, 9; William Kinney, 9; Cynthia Peak, 61; Katherine Koonce, 60; and Mike Hill, 61.
Authorities released body camera video <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/graphic-bodycam-footage-shows-heroic-police-response-to-nashville-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> police officers responding to the shooting and taking out the shooter, who allegedly was a 28-year-old transgender-identifying woman. The Daily Wire is not naming the suspect to avoid giving notoriety to mass killers.
People who missed the benefit can expect the show to air for six consecutive nights on the Circle Network starting on August 19, the Opry event page said. A smattering of posts and clips from the show made their way to social media that offered a glimpse of the performances and remarks given by some of the artists.
&#8220;I want to give a shout-out to the first responders here in Nashville who did such an amazing job,&#8221; Aldean told people in attendance, as shown in a clip posted to Instagram by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/98wsix/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local radio station The Big 98</a>.
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&#8220;Glad to be here, glad to help out, and I think about you guys — have been for a long time,&#8221; Aldean added.
One TikTok account <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@hannaheatsnashville/video/7264813293833997614?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted a video</a> showing Wallen addressing the audience.
&#8220;Nobody should ever have to go through what you went through,&#8221; Wallen said. &#8220;But I just wanted to let you know that me and my family have been praying for you and that we&#8217;re here for you and we&#8217;ve just been thinking about you.&#8221;
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&#8220;You know, I&#8217;ve got a 3-year-old boy, and he&#8217;s not at school yet, but whenever I heard this news my mind couldn&#8217;t help but go straight to him and think about what you guys are going through,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s just an honor to be here, to try to give you guys some hope, to try to hopefully have a little bit of fun as well tonight.&#8221;
The benefit event took place as children across the country begin to return to classrooms for the new school year.
As of press time, The Covenant School Community Fund website <a href="https://factsmgtadmin.com/give/appeal/iWSuCKbG7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said it had raised</a> more than $570,000 across 279 donations.

Morgan Wallen

Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, And Other Music Artists Unite For The Covenant School Benefit

Charity

Jason Aldean

Mass Shooting

An ethics complaint targeting a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nashville" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nashville</a> official over her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-official-facing-ethics-complaint-after-citing-religious-beliefs-in-opposition-to-sex-change-surgeries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vote against adding</a> transgender procedures to city health insurance coverage is a “blatant attack” on the First Amendment, according to several faith-based Tennessee policy organizations.
Nashville’s electric vehicle coordinator and Metro Benefits Board member Edna Jones is facing an <a href="https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/nashvillescene.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/4/72/4724b2f8-2d5d-11ee-b7b8-c3792c922dd2/64c3e1e5150ce.pdf.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ethics complaint</a> over her vote against expanding the city&#8217;s health care coverage. The complaint was filed by activist Maryam Abolfazli, who is the chair of the city’s Human Relations Commission.
“My God does not make mistakes,” Jones reportedly <a href="https://wpln.org/post/discriminatory-hateful-and-ignorant-complaint-filed-against-metro-employees-who-opposed-gender-affirming-care/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during debate on the issue in June. “He creates each of us as he chooses. I will vote no. Thank you.”
“Ms. Jones’s comment clearly discloses what influenced her vote — her religious faith in what she named as ‘my God,’” the complaint says. “Citing one’s religious faith as the determining factor for a board member’s vote shows improper influence on the performance of Ms. Jones’s official duties.”
The complaint has been criticized by policy and advocacy groups who say that sanctioning Jones over her vote after referencing her religious faith would have religious liberty and free speech ramifications.
“Firstly, the Nashville Metro Benefits Board to NOT give insurance coverage for transgender mutilation surgeries on city workers is one of the few things that Metro Nashville government has done recently that we agree with. Taxpayer funds have no business being used to cover transgender mutilation surgeries,” Aaron Gulbransen, the executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said in a statement given to The Daily Wire.
“Secondly, with regards to the sour grapes complaint, it is extremely disgusting to attack a board member’s vote on the basis of her faith. Furthermore, it is a blatant attack on the board member’s 1st Amendment free speech and freedom of religion rights. We hope that the ethics board considering the complaint understands and respects those two facts &#8212; and reacts accordingly. If they don’t, they would be trampling on the Constitution,” he added.
When asked by The Daily Wire if Jones should have been allowed to say what she did under the First Amendment, Abolfazli said that she didn’t know, but that it was a &#8220;valid&#8221; question. She said that determination would be made by the ethics board and not her.
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Former Tennessee state Senator David Fowler and current president of the Family Action Council Tennessee (FACT) said that Abolfazli’s complaint was actually an example of discrimination.
“It is tragic when the chair of Davidson County’s Human Relations Commission demonstrates an inability to think clearly about human relations and specifically the religious matter about which she complains, a member of the Nashville benefits board referencing God in making a decision. She fails to understand that every decision every person makes rests, in principle, on some belief about God — whether God exists and, if so, what the relationship between God and the social order and law is,” he said in a statement to The Daily Wire. “Her views about God inform her understanding of what discrimination is, yet she complains about that of another. That is discrimination.&#8221;
Jones said she was unable to comment on the complaint due to the ongoing investigation, which should be concluded later this month.

Nashville City Hall, Tennessee

Complaint Against Nashville Official Over Vote On Trans Surgeries Is ‘Blatant Attack’ On First Amendment, Conservative Groups Say

Complaint Against Nashville Official Over Vote On Trans Surgeries Is 'Blatant Attack' On First Amendment, Conservative Groups Say

First Amendment

Religious Liberty

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