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☆ July PCE prices will likely show a downward but bumpy trajectory in inflation, says Bill Lee
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJuly PCE prices will likely show a downward but bumpy trajectory in inflation, says Bill LeeWilliam Lee, Chief Economist at the Milken Institute, discusses his expectations for July PCE prices and its impact on the Fed's rate hiking campaign.

Persons: Bill Lee William Lee Organizations: Milken Institute

☆ Tennessee governor's push for gun laws fails as lawmakers scuffle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Tennessee State Senators on the chamber floor and advocates for gun law reform in the gallery pray during a special session on public safety to discuss gun violence in the wake of the Covenant School shooting, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr Acquire Licensing RightsAug 29 (Reuters) - A special legislative session in Tennessee called by the state's Republican governor in response to a deadly school shooting ended on Tuesday with no progress on gun safety laws, capped by a brief scuffle between opposing lawmakers. Jones and Pearson, both of whom are Black members of the predominantly white House, have been outspoken proponents of new gun laws to help ease violence in the urban areas they represent. That sentiment was not shared by Sarah Shoop Neuman, the parent of a Covenant student who lobbied lawmakers for new gun laws. After the session ended, she told reporters it was difficult for her to comprehend that children were murdered at school, yet lawmakers "took no meaningful action."

Persons: Cheney Orr, Bill Lee, Cameron Sexton, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, Jones, Pearson, Lee, Sarah Shoop Neuman, Brad Brooks, Donna Bryson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Tennessee State Senators, Covenant School, REUTERS, Republican, The Covenant School, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Democratic, Covenant, Thomson Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, U.S, Tennessee, Nashville, U.S ., Longmont , Colorado

☆ Number of US children killed by guns hit record high in 2021: study
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Child gun deaths in the United States have hit a record high, according to a new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020. The study was published as Tennessee lawmakers opened a special session on public safety after a Nashville school shooting earlier this year that killed three children and three teachers. The study further showed that Black children accounted for around 67% of firearm homicides while white children made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides. Reporting by Rachel Nostrant; Editing by Donna Bryson and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annie Andrews, Iman Omer, Omer, Bill Lee, Rachel Nostrant, Donna Bryson, Alistair Bell Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics, for Disease Control, Pediatrics, of Oxford High School, Oxford High School, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Firearms Association, Thomson Locations: United States, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oxford , Michigan, Clarkston , Michigan, U.S, Nashville

☆ Number of US children killed by guns hit record high in 2021, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Seth Herald/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Child gun deaths in the United States have hit a record high, according to a new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020. The study was published as Tennessee lawmakers opened a special session on public safety after a Nashville school shooting earlier this year that killed three children and three teachers. The study further showed that Black children accounted for around 67% of firearm homicides while white children made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides. Reporting by Rachel Nostrant; Editing by Donna Bryson and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Seth Herald, Annie Andrews, Iman Omer, Omer, Bill Lee, Rachel Nostrant, Donna Bryson, Alistair Bell Organizations: Oxford High School, REUTERS, American Academy of Pediatrics, for Disease Control, Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Firearms Association, Thomson Locations: Oxford , Michigan, Clarkston , Michigan, U.S, United States, Tennessee, South Carolina, Nashville

☆ Tennessee lawmakers open special session in wake of school shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Brad Brooks | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Protesters gather near the Tennessee State Capitol building ahead of a special session on public safety to discuss gun violence in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., August 21, 2023. REUTERS/Seth Herald Acquire Licensing RightsAug 21 (Reuters) - Tennessee lawmakers on Monday opened a special session focused on public safety that was sparked by a deadly school shooting earlier this year, as hundreds of protesters marched on capitol grounds demanding change. Hundreds of protesters demanding tougher gun laws arrived at the Tennessee capitol in Nashville. Lee called the special session in response to the murder of three children and three staff members at The Covenant School in March in Nashville. The shooting triggered intense protests at the state capitol and led to the expulsion of two Democratic lawmakers after they helped lead protests from the House floor.

Persons: Bill Lee, Lee, Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Brad Brooks, Mary Milliken, Stephen Coates Organizations: Protesters, Tennessee State Capitol, Covenant School, REUTERS, Seth, Monday, Republican, Constitutional, The Covenant School, Nashville Mayor, Thomson Locations: Nashville , Tennessee, U.S, Tennessee, Nashville, Longmont , Colorado

☆ Grieving Governor’s Moderate Gun Proposal Is Spurned by G.O.P. Allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Emily Cochrane | More About Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bill Lee of Tennessee began a push in April to address public safety, his family was grieving the loss of two close friends, both educators killed in a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school. His call for millions of dollars to harden school security was embraced by Republicans in the legislature, who flanked him during a formal announcement. But days later, when Mr. Lee, a Republican, decided to go further and ask for an order of protection law that could temporarily restrict an individual’s access to firearms, he stood alone for the announcement. The legislature would wrap up its work by the end of the month without taking a vote to pass it. Now, Mr. Lee has summoned lawmakers back to Nashville on Monday for a special session on public safety that could include consideration of a limited version of the law.

Persons: Bill Lee of, Lee Organizations: Gov, Nashville Christian, Republicans, Republican Locations: Bill Lee of Tennessee, Nashville

☆ Opinion | I Can’t Believe I’m Saying This, but I Have Hope for Gun Reform in My State
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Margaret Renkl | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

In the context of a Republican supermajority state, these efforts reflect genuine political courage. Tennessee legislators aren’t obliged to do their governor’s bidding, or even work with him to reach a compromise, because they have the numbers to override his veto. They are not accustomed to being called on their pious declamations of thoughts and prayers, and the unusual way the aftermath of this particular mass shooting unfolded — with great swaths of Tennesseans ceaselessly demanding gun reform, week after week after week — apparently caught them off guard. Republican legislators seemed genuinely shocked at finding themselves the targets of overwhelming national opprobrium after they ejected Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, two Black members of the Tennessee House, for joining protesters in demanding gun reform. State Republican leaders called for the governor to drop his plans for a special legislative session.

Persons: aren’t, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, Dudley Brown, Bill Lee, Governor Lee, He’s Organizations: Tennessee, Republican, Tennessee Firearms Association, National Association for Gun Rights Locations: Nashville

☆ Civil rights groups sue Tennessee over the state's GOP-drawn congressional and state Senate maps, calling the boundaries 'unconstitutional racial gerrymandering'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Civil rights and voting rights groups have sued Tennessee over the state's congressional map. The GOP-drawn map led to the elimination of a heavily blue district in one of the state's Democratic centers. Bill Lee and several top election officials over the state's congressional and state Senate maps, arguing that the boundaries are unconstitutional and violate the rights of minority voters. Tennessee district maps must preserve the ability for voters to express their shared interests and elect the political representation of their choice." At the heart of the matter is the creation of three Republican-leaning congressional districts that include parts of Democratic-heavy Davidson County but which all elected GOP members of Congress.

Persons: Bill Lee, Debby Gould, mapmakers, Philip Randolph, Jim Cooper, Steve Cohen, Memphis Organizations: Tennessee, Democratic, Service, Tennessee Republican Gov, Republican, Court, Middle, Middle District of, GOP, League of Women Voters, of Women Voters, Tennessee State Conference of, NAACP, Equity Alliance, Memphis, Philip Randolph Institute, American, of Tennessee Locations: Wall, Silicon, Memphis, Nashville, Middle District, Middle District of Tennessee, , Tennessee, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Davidson, exurban, Davidson County, Shelby County

WASHINGTON, June 3 (Reuters) - A federal judge has ruled that Tennessee's law restricting drag performances in public or where children were present was unconstitutional, striking a blow to efforts in U.S. states to regulate LGBTQ conduct. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in February had signed the bill passed by the state's assembly that aimed to restrict drag performances, putting the state at the forefront of a Republican-led effort to limit drag in at least 15 states in recent months. U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker, an appointee of former Republican President Donald Trump, ruled late on Friday that the law was "both unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad." "Simply put, no majority of the Supreme Court has held that sexually explicit — but not obscene — speech receives less protection than political, artistic, or scientific speech," Parker said in the ruling. Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Additional reporting by Eric Beech and Jonathan Allen; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bill Lee, District Judge Thomas Parker, Donald Trump, Parker, Timothy Gardner, Eric Beech, Jonathan Allen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Republican, District, Human Rights, GLAAD, Thomson Locations: U.S, Tennessee, Memphis

☆ Tennessee governor quietly signs law dissolving police oversight boards meant to investigate police misconduct
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Bill Lee signed a law dissolving independent police oversight boards in the state. Bill Lee signed legislation this week dissolving independent oversight boards meant to investigate police departments in the state. The law will replace the community-led boards with "review committees" that will be comprised of members appointed by a mayor. Nashville residents voted to form one of these boards in 2018, a year after the shooting of Jocques Clemmons. Residents have spoken out against the changes to the committee, and plan to push back against the new law, WZTV reported.

But now there is a discrepancy about, 'Is sex gender and can I change it?' Major medical and psychological associations endorse gender-affirming care and say transgender identities should be respected, while conservative groups claim that children are too easily allowed to transition. While researchers say sex generally refers to physiological characteristics and gender is more a social construct, when it comes to federal civil rights law, they are essentially the same. "By defining sex so narrowly, you are excluding LGBTQ people from bringing claims in state court based on discrimination on the basis of sex," said Sarah Warbelow, HRC's legal director. The laws also stand to limit nontransgender people who have a discrimination claim based on sex stereotyping, Warbelow said.

☆ South Carolina and Nebraska lawmakers voted down abortion bans, exposing a chasm on the issue for Republicans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

— Abortion bans in deeply conservative Nebraska and South Carolina both fell short of advancing in close legislative votes amid heated debates among Republicans, yet another sign that abortion is becoming a difficult issue for the GOP. In South Carolina, lawmakers voted 22-21 to shelve a near-total abortion ban for the rest of the year. Katie Glenn, the state policy director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, characterized the failure of both proposed abortion bans as disappointing. The failure to advance abortion restrictions has confounded conservatives who dominate both Nebraska and South Carolina and exposed a chasm on the issue of abortion within the GOP. Riepe and some Republicans across the country have noted evidence pointing to abortion bans as unpopular with a majority of Americans.

☆ Justice Department Sues to Block Tennessee Restrictions on Transgender Healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

The Justice Department is asking a judge to issue a preliminary injunction to block Tennessee from enforcing the law. Photo: Patrick Semansky/Associated PressThe Justice Department filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging Tennessee’s recent ban on certain healthcare for transgender minors, arguing the law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection. Under the measure, doctors are prohibited from providing certain treatments to anyone under 18 even with parental consent if the procedure is used as part of transgender healthcare. The restrictions include a block on prescribing medications that can delay the onset of puberty or hormones that can cause physical changes such as the development of facial hair or breasts. The law also requires physicians to discontinue current gender-transition care of minor patients by March 2024.

The Justice Department said the law violated the U.S. Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment, which promises equal protection. The Justice Department also said it was asking the court to issue an immediate order to prevent the law from going into effect on July 1. But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas.

☆ Lizzo protests Tennessee drag ban, inviting drag queens on stage in Knoxville
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Toyin Owoseje | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Lizzo made her stance on Tennessee’s anti-drag-show legislation clear by inviting drag queens onstage at her Knoxville concert. Last month, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed legislation banning “adult cabaret” artists from performing in public and/or in the presence of children. The controversial bill listed “male or female impersonators,” which is widely interpreted to mean drag queens. In a show of defiance, Lizzo, known for her vociferous support of body-positivity and self-love, welcomed queens including Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, Asia O’Hara and Kandy Muse from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” to join her performance at the Thompson-Boling Arena on Friday. “But why would I not come to the people who need to hear this message the most, the people who need to feel this release the most?” Lizzo told cheering fans.

☆ Tennessee Republicans Unlikely to Move on Governor’s Gun-Control Proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Cameron Mcwhirter | Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has tried to secure passage of legislation that he says could reduce the chances of mass shootings in the future. Photo: Mark Zaleski/Associated PressNASHVILLE, Tenn.—The GOP-dominated Tennessee legislature appeared likely to wind down its session without taking up a measure to tighten gun-control laws following a mass shooting here, despite a late plea by Republican Gov. Mr. Lee backed a proposal that would allow police to ask a civil-court judge to remove firearms from people who were at risk of hurting themselves or others. As of Thursday evening, the legislation supported by Mr. Lee hasn’t been attached to existing bills and it hadn’t come up for discussion in any committees.

☆ Tennessee Republicans Fail to Move on Governor’s Gun-Control Proposal
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Cameron Mcwhirter | Mariah Timms | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tried to secure passage of legislation that he says could reduce the chances of mass shootings in the future. Photo: Mark Zaleski/Associated PressNASHVILLE, Tenn.—The GOP-dominated Tennessee legislature wound down its session Friday evening without taking up a measure to tighten gun-control laws following a mass shooting here, despite a late plea by Republican Gov. Mr. Lee backed a proposal that would have allowed police to ask a civil court judge to remove firearms from people who were at risk of hurting themselves or others. Republican leadership blocked it in both chambers, leaving it without a sponsor or a bill number by the time the General Assembly adjourned Friday evening.

But many medical associations have said the law is transphobic and that gender-affirming care can be life-saving. The new lawsuit says depriving transgender youth of medically necessary care will have devastating consequences for them and their families. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of three families with transgender children and a Memphis-based doctor who performs gender-affirming procedures. Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed the ban into law last month along with a separate measure restricting drag performances in public. Several other U.S. states have banned gender-affirming care for minors, and over the last several weeks groups have sued over laws adopted in Utah, Florida, Indiana and Arkansas.

☆ Book Bans Rising Rapidly in the U.S., Free Speech Groups Find
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Alexandra Alter | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Free speech advocates are troubled by not just the sharp rise in book bans, but also the new ways in which books are being targeted. Until fairly recently, most book removals occurred when a parent raised concerns about a title with a teacher or librarian. Complaints were typically resolved quietly, after a school board or committee evaluated the material and determined whether it was appropriate for students. The rise of these networks meant that specific books — often titles that center on L.G.B.T.Q. PEN and other free speech groups say that the new laws have had a chilling effect.

☆ Opinion: Gun control after Louisville shooting has a chance
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Max Burns | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Meanwhile, Democrats — once wary of mentioning gun control at all — have finally rediscovered their voice. See heated gun control discussion between lawmakers in the halls of Congress 01:19 - Source: CNNDemocrats’ rising confidence in fighting for gun reform comes against a backdrop of tireless coalition-building from gun safety activists and community organizers across the country. Everytown credits at least 51 pieces of state-level gun safety legislation passed in 2022 to their state-by-state strategy. Over the summer, an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll found that 59% of American adults think it’s more important to control gun violence than to protect gun rights (35%) — “its highest point in nearly a decade.” These figures have surely factored into Democrats new assertiveness on gun control. “Republicans look completely unreasonable when they won’t even discuss background checks, gun safety measures like storage or red flag laws,” Del Percio warned.

☆ Memphis-area commissioners vote to reinstate Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Shelby County Commission voted to reinstate Justin Pearson back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Pearson was removed from the body alongside newly-reinstated state Rep. Justin Jones over a gun reform protest. On Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously former state Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis back to the seat that he last occupied just last Thursday. Pearson, along with state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, had been expelled from the legislature for what Republicans said was a breach in decorum in leading an unauthorized gun control push on the House floor. Tennessee Republicans have denied that Pearson and Johnson were removed from the body because of race.

☆ Drag queens fight back against Tennessee law that classifies drag shows as 'adult cabaret' entertainment and makes them a felony
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Bill Lee signed HB0009 into law, amending a law about cabaret performances. A drag queen suing the state over the law told Insider it violates performers' and parents' rights. Tennessee House Bill 0009 was signed into law by Lee on February 27, amending an existing clause regulating erotic performances to include "male or female impersonators" as "adult cabaret entertainment." The company's all-ages performances feature variety shows and comedies highlighting drag performers in an effort to provide the LGBTQ community with events and activities outside of bars and nightclubs. "Were it not for this law, Absent Friends would not have added an age restriction to its monthly performances."

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - A federal judge in Memphis, Tennessee, on Friday temporarily blocked a law restricting drag performances in public from going into effect, saying it was likely "vague and overly-broad" in its restriction of speech. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, in February, had signed the bill passed by the state's legislature that was meant to go into effect on Saturday. The judge said the state had failed to justify with a compelling interest the restrictions it aimed to impose. The Tennessee bill was part of an upswing in recent months in Republican efforts to regulate the conduct of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Much of the debate in Tennessee has been over whether drag is inherently a sexually explicit art form.

☆ After school shooting, some trans Tennesseans face backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Mykul Coscia, who performs drag as Eazy Love at Play, a night club, poses for a portrait after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state's efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. "We've had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that's taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people.

☆ Tennessee Officials Face Pressure After Nashville School Shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Mariah Timms | Cameron Mcwhirter | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

NASHVILLE—Tennessee Republican leaders said they would act following a mass shooting at a private Christian school that left six dead as pressure mounted from churches, civic groups and Democrats urging action. After days of mourning, officials from both parties and residents here have said they hope their hometown tragedy sparks some sort of change. Randy McNally sent a letter to Republican Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday, calling for armed guards at all schools, securing windows and glass doors in schools, magnetic locks on doors and other measures. Democrats have suggested tightening laws to make it harder for people who are a danger to themselves or others to buy guns.

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