MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Prosecutors will seek the death penalty against a man charged with kidnapping a Memphis, Tennessee, school teacher during an early-morning run and killing her, a district attorney said Thursday. Cleotha Abston, 39, is charged with snatching Eliza Fletcher from a street near the University of Memphis on Sept. 2 and forcing her into an…

A slew of state lawmakers have received suspicious letters containing white powder in recent months, including most recently in states such as Kansas and Tennessee, leading to buildings being evacuated and investigations being launched. Several Republican leaders in Tennessee received letters containing a white powder substance last month, prompting a temporary lockdown of a legislative office…

A decision to deny a man the right to register to vote in Tennessee after receiving clemency in Virginia for a crime he committed in 1986 was upheld by the Tennessee Supreme Court on June 29. The 3–1 decision (pdf) came after Ernest Falls, a Tennessee resident since 2018, tried to register to vote in…

An executive order signed this week by Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee aims to make the state one of the leading states for military families and veterans. “As we gather with friends and family to celebrate our great nation this Independence Day, we must also remember that freedom is not free – it has been…

Editor’s Note: Former Covenant School students, Mary and Dorothy, along with their parents, spoke about their experiences with The Covenant School and Covenant Presbyterian Church in the early 2000s. They agreed to speak about their experience to The Epoch Times on the condition of anonymity, out of fear of reprisal and damage to their reputation…

A new Tennessee law that bans transgender procedures for minors was partially blocked by a federal judge, who said the prohibition likely runs afoul of the U.S. Constitution. “If Tennessee wishes to regulate access to certain medical procedures, it must do so in a manner that does not infringe on the rights conferred by the…

Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) on Tuesday introduced a bill aiming to stop the federal public health agency from using funds to coerce pro-life states into supporting abortion. The one-page bill, formally titled “States Choose Life Act of 2023,” states that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) should not demand states make referrals…

SHOALS, Ind.—A tornado struck a home, killing one occupant and injuring another as severe weather hit parts of Indiana, Tennessee, and other states, an official said. The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through Martin County, Indiana, WXIN-TV reported. A tornado also touched down Sunday afternoon…

SHOALS, Ind.—A tornado struck an Indiana home, killing a man and injuring his wife while two people died in Arkansas after a tree fell onto a house there as severe weather rumbled through several states. The tornado that struck the home Sunday evening was part of a storm system that pushed through a rural area…

An array of statements in support of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s denial of public records requests in connection with the March 27 mass shooting at The Covenant School have been filed this week. In total, around 25 statements supporting the decision to withhold the documents were made in just three days. Those filing in support…