Latest news with #VolunteerState
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
When is the next full moon? The 2025 'Flower Moon' is set to bloom. Here's the best time to see it
It's almost time for the Flower Moon to bloom. May's full moon is just a few short days away and while it would be a beautiful view for people across Tennessee, the weather might obscure the view for many in the Volunteer State. Even if the weather works out, this month casual stargazers won't be able see it reach its peak but the moon will still appear full the night before and after its peak on May 12, according to Here's when stargazers can catch the celestial event and just how May's full moon has become known as the Flower Moon. The May full moon is May 12, at 12:56 p.m. ET/11:56 a.m. CT, according to This month's full moon is known as the flower moon. You've heard the adage, April showers bring May flowers, well that gives you the answer to May's full moon being the Flower Moon. The Flower Moon heralds the peak of spring and the season of rebirth and renewal. While the peak of the full moon is during the day, stargazers will still be able to see the nearly full moon the night of May 11 and in the evening of May 12. And if you are looking for the best view, you'll have to get away from the city lights. An open area with little to no light pollution will offer you the best view as the moon rises just above the horizon. May's full moon could be obstructed for many people across Tennessee due to a band of rainstorms making its way across the state. The National Weather Service predicts a chance of rain across Tennessee starting on May 11 and continuing through May 13, with some thunderstorms mixed in for Middle Tennessee. Each full moon has its own name. Here in North America, we take the names for the full moons from Indigenous peoples usually from different areas of North America. In the 1930s the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing names used among the Algonquin tribes from New England on west to Lake Superior. Here's a look at when other full moons are expected to happen in 2025, according to the Farmer's Almanac: May: Flower Moon June: Strawberry Moon July: Buck Moon August: Sturgeon Moon This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: May's 'Flower Moon' is the next full moon. Here's when it will peak
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Our bills would assure civil rights protections for all Tennesseans
The Volunteer State has a proud tradition of demonstrating leadership in the quest to protect civil liberties and ensure equal access for all. Our efforts have resonated nationwide. It was 105 years ago when the Tennessee General Assembly provided the 36th and final vote needed to ratify the 19th Amendment, giving millions of women the right to vote. Tennessee was the epicenter of student-led nonviolent sit-ins in the 1960s, where brave Black Americans risked their safety to desegregate lunch counters. In more recent years, Tennessee has expanded access to higher education for all by becoming the first state in the nation to offer free community college to high school graduates and returning adults. We've stood firm on religious liberties, protecting the rights of churches and faith-based organizations to operate according to their beliefs. And at a time when voting rights are under attack in other states, Tennessee leads the nation with its commitment to election integrity and ability to balance greater access with accountability. The list goes on, but what makes Tennessee truly remarkable is our ongoing commitment to shaping a future where everyone has the opportunity to prosper and exercise their rights. As the sponsors of Senate Bill 861/House Bill 910, our goal is straightforward: to ensure all Tennesseans have access to efficient, effective protection against discrimination. The bill simply transfers the enforcement of the Tennessee Human Rights Act (THRA) to the Tennessee Attorney General's Office, a structural change that will better serve citizens experiencing discrimination. We condemn discrimination in all forms. That is why we have ensured our legislation preserves every substantive protection of the THRA. While maintaining current protections, the bill expands these safeguards by adding discrimination in education as a prohibited practice and establishes a civil penalty for malicious harassment. Every Tennessean deserves robust protection from discrimination, and our commitment to this principle remains unwavering. This bill increases government efficiency by streamlining the complaint and enforcement process, directly connecting those who experience discrimination with the state's chief legal office, who can forcefully advocate on their behalf. If a citizen is unhappy with how their case is being handled, their individual right to sue is preserved. We strive to strengthen the enforcement of our civil rights laws while making the process more accessible and effective for all Tennesseans. Our message is clear: If you violate civil rights in Tennessee, you will be held accountable. The Tennessee Attorney General's Office has the capability and experience to enforce the THRA effectively. Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has a notable background in civil rights enforcement. During his tenure at the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Memphis's Civil Rights Unit, he prosecuted significant civil rights cases, including racially motivated violence and religiously targeted hate crimes. His work prosecuting the leaders of the Aryan Alliance for the firebombing of a Tennessee mosque, along with his role in securing justice for a law enforcement officer murdered in a racially motivated attack, highlights his unwavering commitment to protecting the civil rights of Tennesseans. This dedication earned Skrmetti the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service – one of the Department of Justice's highest honors – and other awards, including the Civil Rights Division's first-ever Victim Rights Award. As attorney general, he has been active and aggressive in protecting Tennesseans. His office has taken on some of the most powerful opponents in the country, including BlackRock, Google, and even the federal government – and won. We are confident he will be equally active and aggressive in protecting Tennesseans from illegal discrimination. The protection of civil rights transcends political differences. All Tennesseans deserve equal protection under the law and a system that resolves discrimination claims efficiently and effectively. House Bill 910/Senate Bill 861 represents a thoughtful progression in how our state upholds these fundamental rights. Ultimately, this legislation is about deterring discrimination and expediting justice for Tennesseans when it happens. By entrusting enforcement to the Attorney General's Office, with its established legal expertise and resources, we will continue our legacy of civil rights leadership and provide Tennesseans with more timely, effective protection against discrimination. John Stevens is an attorney from Huntingdon. He represents District 24 of the Tennessee State Senate, which includes Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Houston, Obion, Stewart, and Weakley counties. Johnny Garrett is an attorney from Goodlettsville. He represents District 45 of the Tennessee House of Representatives, which includes part of Sumner County. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Our bills boost civil rights protections for all Tennesseans | Opinion
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee foster children sleep in office buildings. Stop the virtue signaling
Right now, in Tennessee, children sleep in office buildings. They have no home, no family, no stability. The darkness whispers that they are unwanted, unworthy and unloved. And unless we step in – the darkness will consume them. The only thing standing in the breach protecting them is us. Not the government, not the system – us, the people of Tennessee. We are the neighbors, the churches, the families, the mentors who must step in, open our homes and change the trajectory of these lives. We must stop looking for someone else to address the tragedy in our communities. My heart broke to learn that Tennessee's Department of Children's Services (DCS) continues to house children in state office buildings and, as of December, nearly 250 children in DCS custody received care out of the state. This isn't merely a failure of a state bureaucracy; it's an indictment of the Volunteer State. DCS has made some improvements, but Tennessee is not in 'substantial conformity' with six out of the seven Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) federal standards, indicating multiple significant areas where the state's child welfare system is failing. Tennessee's government must improve, but it cannot parent these children. We need policies that empower families – not bureaucracies – to step in. Blaming bureaucrats is easy. Standing between a child and the darkness is hard. Where are you who carry the banner of Christ? I see you in your Sunday best. Has your theology become a dead letter? We seem to have forgotten Jesus's parable in Matthew's Gospel. 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' the condemned asked. The King replies, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' I can't help you if you can't apply that lesson to children in state custody. Where are you who call yourselves conservatives? I've heard you wax poetic about protecting life. Here are the lives. Thousands of them. They're right in front of you begging for a place to call home. Opinion: Tennesseans cannot wait for the state to fix the Department of Children Services You're concerned with preventing 'woke' influence in public schools. Why are you perfectly content for the state to be the 'parent' for thousands of Tennessee's most vulnerable children? Where are the progressives who preach tolerance and acceptance? Are you more concerned with Democrats providing better government programs to serve these children? Make room at your table for a child who will quickly expose whether you possess virtue or merely signal it at the local coffee shop. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a few friends about my family's experience as a therapeutic foster family. One asked, 'How can you be sure that your boys will be safe bringing these children into your home?' My response was short. 'I can't.' We do our best to maintain a safe home for everyone who comes through our door, but safety isn't our only or highest consideration. My wife and I are far more concerned that our sons know what is right and have the moral courage and resilience to pay the price it demands. We have two bonus sons. One came to our house after a stay in a state office building not too long ago, so it's tough hearing we haven't done enough to prevent it again. I'd love to tell you that my family has triumphed over the darkness, but that's a fairy tale. We are not saviors. We merely shoulder the darkness so that our sons and brothers have a fighting chance. If anything, the years of fostering have taught me that I'm not a hero who can lift others out of the void. I'm one of them. The darkness came for me when my brother committed suicide. That shadowy voice constantly feeds me the lie that I too am only worth leaving behind. The difference in my life was the loving people doggedly determined to prevent me from vanishing into the perpetual night. The least I can do is repay what has been done for me. My family can stand with a few young men, so they know they're not alone. My family can give them shelter and stability. The darkness will come, and we'll fight like hell … together. I don't write too many columns with tears streaming down my face, but I beg you to consider giving these kids a chance. We simply cannot wait for DCS and the political class to figure it out. Whether it's fostering, mentoring, or developing innovative ways to treat and support the most troubled kids in Tennessee, we're at a time for choosing. We will battle for the hearts and souls of our children, or we will feed the darkness with our apathy and willful blindness. As for me and my house, we've made our choice. Now you need to make yours. If you're interested in learning more about fostering, connect with Youth Villages at or visit the DCS website at USA TODAY Network Tennessee Columnist Cameron Smith is a Memphis-born, Brentwood-raised recovering political attorney raising four boys in Nolensville, Tenn., with his particularly patient wife, Justine. Direct outrage or agreement to or @DCameronSmith on Twitter. Agree or disagree? Send a letter to the editor to letters@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee foster kids need support, not virtue signaling | Opinion
