Fall matchup set between 'Tennessee Three' Democrat Gloria Johnson and GOP US Sen. Marsha Blackburn
Tennessee state Rep. Gloria Johnson has won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate and will face off against Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn in November.
Senate passes bill to protect kids online and make tech companies accountable for harmful content
The Senate has passed legislation designed to protect children from dangerous online content.
Senate to consider bills that aim to protect children and teenagers online
The Senate will consider legislation this week that aims to protect children from dangerous online content, moving forward with what could become the first sweeping new regulation of the tech industry in decades.
What to know about the Kids Online Safety Act that just passed the Senate
The last time Congress passed a law to protect children on the internet was in 1998 โ before Facebook, before the iPhone and long before todayโs oldest teenagers were born.
On Chinese doping case, lawmakers demand action, answers from Olympic and law-enforcement leaders
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators have sent a letter to the leader of the World Anti-Doping Agency asking for answers about the case in which 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite positive tests for a banned drug.
Tennessee GOP could change law to prevent Democrat's simultaneous bids for Senate and statehouse
Less than a year after Tennessee Republicans tried to expel her from the state House, Democrat Gloria Johnson is seeking another term there while simultaneously waging an uphill campaign for U.S. Senate.
Taylor Swift + Super Bowl = conspiracy theories. The claims are baseless
Superstar Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, have become the focus of a raft of false claims and political conspiracy theories on social media this week as the team advances to the Super Bowl on Feb. 11.
Senators call on TikTok CEO to explain 'inaccurate' statements about how company manages US data
Two U.S. senators are asking TikTok to explain what they called โmisleading or inaccurateโ statements about how it stores and provides access to U.S. user data.
Senate passes defense bill rescinding COVID vaccine mandate
A bill to rescind the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for members of the U.S. military and provide nearly $858 billion for national defense has passed the Senate and now goes to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
US Coast Guard cutter is denied port call in Solomon Islands
A U.S. coast guard cutter conducting patrols as part of an international mission to prevent illegal fishing was recently unable to get clearance for a scheduled port call in the Solomon Islands.
Taiwan: China, Russia disrupting, threatening world order
Taiwan's leader says China and Russia are โdisrupting and threatening the world order" with Beijing's recent large-scale military exercises near the island and Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
AP source: SEC, Pac-12 leaders to push for NIL law in DC
The commissioners of the Southeastern Conference and the Pac-12 are scheduled to meet with lawmakers in Washington They will lobby for federal legislation to regulate name, image and likeness compensation to athletes.
Democrats push toward vote on Jackson for Supreme Court
The Senate Judiciary Committee is pushing Ketanji Brown Jackson closer to confirmation, setting up a vote next week to recommend her nomination to the full Senate and seat her as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Black women feel sting of 'traumatizing' Jackson hearings
Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson had to endure hours of public scrutiny from skeptics during her Senate hearings this past week, and that's something familiar to many Black women.
Takeaways: Joy, tears, culture wars dominate Jackson hearing
Itโs not just Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson who is being watched as she makes history as the first Black woman to be considered for the job.
![Haley, Scott, Rubio advising group pushing for GOP diversity](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/2yhGjggb8vuNFhnwbYchLIeKi8U=/800x541/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/R5P2RB6DUNHYPCFKW4YGKQ6SZ4.jpg)
Haley, Scott, Rubio advising group pushing for GOP diversity
A group intent on expanding Republican power across state-level offices is rolling out a national effort to diversify and broaden the GOP, with an advisory council headed up by a number of possible future presidential hopefuls.
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Facebook whistleblower testifies: Five highlights
A former Facebook data scientist testified before Congress that the social networkโs products harm children and fuel polarization in the U.S. while executives reject changes that could hurt company profits.
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Union jobs? Ford's plan for new EV factories raises question
Fordโs blockbuster announcement this week that it would build four vast new factories in Kentucky and Tennessee by 2025 and hire nearly 11,000 workers raised a big unanswered question: Just how good will those jobs be.
![Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/viYmiPMOzowTLedbAzrMoapd444=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ZWXEG6KCNNFTZIULNFIWENMYKE.jpg)
Senators push Facebook exec on Instagram policies for youth
Senators have fired a barrage of criticism at a Facebook executive over the social-networking giantโs handling of internal research on how its Instagram photo-sharing platform can harm teens.
![Green energy takes hold in unlikely places with Ford project](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/_FH4aOc-fAT0VxUCxmPtdeZjvS4=/800x533/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/OM7EGEHXYFAEFA6AM7AS24PJ3E.jpg)
Green energy takes hold in unlikely places with Ford project
When Ford revealed plans to ramp up its commitment to the electric vehicle sector, the automaker chose two states where Republican leaders have vilified the push for green energy and defended fossil fuels.
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Buttigieg visits closed Interstate 40 bridge in Tennessee
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg came to Tennessee to learn how the closure of the Interstate 40 bridge connecting that state and Arkansas has affected freight movement since it was shut down more than three weeks ago when a crack was found in the span.
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EXPLAINER: Executive orders can be swift but fleeting
A new president may overturn a predecessor's order by issuing another executive order effectively canceling it. BOTH SIDES DO IT; BOTH SIDES COMPLAINTo be sure, modern presidents from both parties have been heavy users of executive orders โ and have been criticized by the opposition party. Not surprisingly, some Republicans have complained about Bidenโs early reliance on executive orders. As his presidency plays out, an overreliance on executive orders could undercut that argument. HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROWThe experiences of both Trump and Obama underscore the fleeting nature of executive orders.
![Congress reconvenes, confirms Bidenโs electoral win](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/-SnOSUwthReENWDCpH3V6QkhcZc=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/V4HRVZOOGZHERMSR5BUGD72J7M.jpg)
Congress reconvenes, confirms Bidenโs electoral win
Together, the protests and the GOP election objections amounted to an almost unthinkable challenge to American democracy and exposed the depths of the divisions that have coursed through the country during Trumpโs four years in office. Congress reconvened in the evening, lawmakers decrying the protests that defaced the Capitol and vowing to finish confirming the Electoral College vote for Bidenโs election, even if it took all night. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress would show the world โwhat America is made of" with the outcome. Tensions were already running high when lawmakers gathered early Wednesday afternoon for the constitutionally mandated counting of the Electoral College results, in which Biden defeated Trump, 306-232. Some House lawmakers tweeted they were sheltering in place in their offices.
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Dividing party, Republicans poised to challenge Biden win
Eleven Republican senators saying they will not be voting Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's victory include Wyoming's newly sworn in Sen. Cynthia Lummis, a Cheyenne-area rancher and former congresswoman. It is unclear just what the Republican senators will do, but the process could drag into the night as the two chambers will have to consider each objection individually. And more than a dozen Republican senators have said they will not support the effort. Facing the criticism from many in his own party, Cruz has attempted to put a finer point on his challenge. The commission remains his focus, he has said, not to undo the election results, even though that would be the practical effect of a successful objection.
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Trump says he'll 'fight like hell' to hold on to presidency
Though he got nothing but cheers Monday night, Trump's attempt to overturn the presidential election i s splitting the Republican Party. Trump himself is whipping up crowds for a Wednesday rally near the White House. Trump said in Georgia: โI hope that our great vice president comes through for us. Two current Republican senators, Rob Portman of Ohio and Mike Lee of Utah, joined the growing number who now oppose the legislators' challenge. Larry Hogan of Maryland; Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking House GOP leader; and former House Speaker Paul Ryan โ have criticized the GOP efforts to overturn the election.
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Republicans condemn 'scheme' to undo election for Trump
Of the more than 50 lawsuits the president and his allies have filed challenging election results, nearly all have been dismissed or dropped. Other prominent former officials also criticized the ongoing attack on election results. Cruz's coalition of 11 Republican senators vows to reject the Electoral College tallies unless Congress launches a commission to immediately conduct an audit of the election results. The convening of the joint session to count the Electoral College votes has faced objections before. States choose their own election officials and draft their election laws.
![$900B COVID relief bill passed by Congress, sent to Trump](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/56_siVCQi7XTHEAVwTyifGE7E4w=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/B3NBSXJNTVBMPD2ALJSTU2GDKU.jpg)
$900B COVID relief bill passed by Congress, sent to Trump
(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON โ Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. The bill approved Monday night went to President Donald Trump for his signature, which was expected in the coming days. The relief package, unveiled Monday afternoon, sped through the House and Senate in a matter of hours. The bill combines coronavirus-fighting funds with financial relief for individuals and businesses. Democrats and Senate Republicans prevailed in a bid to use bookkeeping maneuvers to squeeze $12.5 billion more for domestic programs into the legislation.
![GOP presses ahead after election with Russia probe review](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/t8LvmUbG3i-JRLMqNQPlwoUjOlY=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/A2GQ66ODOZEAPCWLFCRGMH3KOE.jpg)
GOP presses ahead after election with Russia probe review
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., questions former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, on a probe of the FBI's Russia investigation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, Pool)WASHINGTON โ President Donald Trump may have lost his bid for reelection, but that hasnโt stopped Senate Republicans from pressing forward with their politically charged probe of the FBIโs Russia investigation. โThis is a last ditch, desperate undertaking to deal with President Trumpโs grievances about that election,โ Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said of the hearing. Most of the criticism of the Russia investigation has centered on flaws in applications to surveil former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. Even so, a Justice Department inspector general report from last year concluded that the Russia investigation was opened for a valid and legitimate purpose.
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Tennessee Senate nominee connects activism to election
Marquita Bradshaw, the Tennessee Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, takes part in a Power Together Women's March Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, in Nashville, Tenn. โI would not have been able to win without Marquita.โBradshaw hopes her experience as an activist will lead her to the U.S. Senate. The win made Bradshaw the first Black woman nominated for statewide office in Tennessee. Two years ago, Democrats thought they had a chance to win an open Senate seat with former popular Gov. Tennessee House Minority Leader Karen Camper, a Democrat, said Bradshaw is an ideal candidate for the moment.
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White House official says vaccine expected in January, countering President Trumpโs timetable
President Donald Trump has said at rallies, debates and press conferences that a vaccine could arrive within weeks. Kadlec agrees that supply chain disruptions led to shortages. Of the hundreds of COVID-19 related bills introduced in Congress this year, only a handful seek to resolve supply chain issues; none of those has reached the president. โWe need to claw back our medical supply chain back to the U.S.,โ said Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who has sponsored bills to bolster the U.S. pharmaceutical manufacturing base. โIt is time to reevaluate the complete medical supply chain in the U.S.
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Virus spreads on panel handling Supreme Court nomination
Lee, who did not wear a mask at the White House event, said he had โsymptoms consistent with longtime allergies." "We now have two members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who have tested positive for COVID, and there may be more," tweeted Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Blackburn said she tested negative after the event. Graham was not at the White House on Saturday but sees Trump frequently. He feels healthy, hasnโt exhibited any COVID-19 symptoms, and has tested negative.
![Q&A: What to expect from trial of Nissan, ex-director Kelly](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/789k2NhELpRhs7UdJ8KAfWQTHzk=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/AZEC7HEDXFCTDKLG2GWJC5WXEE.jpg)
Q&A: What to expect from trial of Nissan, ex-director Kelly
FILE - In this Friday, April 20, 2018, file photo, Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn speaks during an interview in Hong Kong. The criminal trial against Japanese automaker Nissan and its former executive Greg Kelly will open in Tokyo District Court on Sept. 15. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)TOKYO โ The criminal trial against Japanese automaker Nissan and its former executive Greg Kelly will open in Tokyo District Court on Tuesday. A: Prosecutors will present their opening statement, outlining their case against Kelly during the first day of the trial. When asked about the trial, Tokyo Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hiroshi Yamamoto said little beyond reiterating his confidence there was plenty of evidence to win a conviction.
![GOP Convention takeaways: Pence pounces while crises swirl](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/erhyxcAXY8zeks7AXCfgMPPZK4Q=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FD7635Q3MVHSBK6PFQBTU7LRD4.jpg)
GOP Convention takeaways: Pence pounces while crises swirl
Vice President Mike Pence arrives with his wife Karen Pence to speak on the third day of the Republican National Convention at Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)WASHINGTON Republicans proceeded with the third night of their national convention, but many Americans particularly those in the path of Hurricane Laura were focused on more immediate concerns. Joe Biden said America is systemically racist, Pence said, criticizing the Democratic challenger as soft on crime. CRISES DRAIN CONVENTION ATTENTIONA political convention is the most scripted, tightly controllable of events, especially when it is mostly virtual and much of it is prerecorded. ANOTHER SPEAKER DOESNT MAKE THE SHOWFor the second consecutive night, Trumps campaign was forced to reshuffle its speaking lineup just hours before the prime-time program began.
![WHAT TO WATCH: Pence, Conway and protest pushback at RNC](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/dxDtLEbeF0Hez5nb78F3D7gc5us=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/VW5PQH6NCVFVRLUNIY4PW27NIA.jpg)
WHAT TO WATCH: Pence, Conway and protest pushback at RNC
Pence, whose future political aspirations could hinge on November, has campaigned aggressively for the president. Pence has helped steer the White House response to the coronavirus, leading a task force and frequently working with the nations governors. The GOP convention has mentioned the virus far less than Democrats did last week, but Pence could throw it back into focus if he speaks about the work hes led. Conway, whose husband has become an outspoken Trump critic, says she is stepping away to spend more time with her family. Clarence Henderson, a civil rights activist from the 1960s, is expected to speak on the true meaning of peaceful protest."
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Heeding mom, Tennessee lawmaker helped women gain the vote
Of the states yet to vote, Tennessee was the only one where ratification was considered possible under prevailing political conditions. At that time, women in more than half the states could vote in presidential elections. The attitude was, If you ratify the 19th Amendment, youre not a good son of the South,' Spruill said. 'These white radical women from outside are going to insist that Black women get the vote. The 19th Amendment was a starting point, wrote Sharon Harley, a professor of African American Studies at the University of Maryland.
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Radical or moderate? Trump paints Democratic ticket as both
President Donald Trump's campaign is struggling to define California Sen. Kamala Harris, the newly announced running mate for Democratic rival Joe Biden. Like Biden, Harris has staked out relatively moderate stances over the course of her career on issues such as health care and law enforcement. That's complicating the Trump campaign's crude efforts to depict the Democratic ticket as out of step with the country. A radical leftist who is causing a revolt among Bernie voters. Harris ran her own campaign for the Democratic nomination as a relative moderate in the field.
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Radical or moderate? Trump paints Democratic ticket as both
The most radical pick for vice president ever but too moderate to energize the Democratic base. President Donald Trump's campaign is struggling to define Sen. Kamala Harris, Democrat Joe Biden's newly announced running mate. Do they attempt to fire up their own base and scare off moderates by painting Biden and Harris as radical socialists? Or do they aim to depress enthusiasm among the Democratic base by arguing Biden and Harris are opportunistic and insufficiently liberal? Harris, who dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary in December, ran her own race as a relative moderate in the field.
![Hagerty rides Trump support to Senate GOP win in Tennessee](https://www.ksat.com/resizer/WAA4BHvNAicoZ_BD8T2hlR2yb5g=/1600x1066/smart/filters:format(jpeg):strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/ACLA2IENCRAWZNK5GEFLOIPV7Y.jpg)
Hagerty rides Trump support to Senate GOP win in Tennessee
Ambassador to Japan Bill Hagerty rode the endorsement of President Donald Trump to victory Thursday in a contested Republican primary for an open U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee. The Nashville businessman emerged from a tough challenge from trauma surgeon Manny Sethi to clinch his partys nomination for the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander. Last July, Trump let Tennessee voters know he would back Hagerty for the seat, months before Hagerty declared himself a candidate. Hagerty spent more than $9.6 million on the race through mid-July, compared to the $4.2 million spent by Sethi. Republicans are heavily favored to keep the seat, considering the GOP has held both Tennessee Senate seats since 1994.