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Tennessee Enacts First-In-The-Nation Law To Stop Adults From Helping Minors Access Gender-Affirming Care

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Tennessee Enacts First-In-The-Nation Law To Stop Adults From Helping Minors Access Gender-Affirming Care


Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) on Tuesday signed a first-in-the-nation law to block adults from helping trans youth receive gender-affirming care without their parents’ consent.

Under the law, known as House Bill 2310, anyone who helps a child access gender-affirming care within Tennessee state lines can be sued for compensation by the minor or the minor’s parents. There are exceptions for the child’s own parents or legal guardians, for adults who have permission from the minor’s parents, and for transportation companies, like those that operate ride-sharing apps, buses or airlines, that a minor could take to get to a gender-affirming care clinic.

A previous version of the law included a criminal penalty, making anyone who “recruits, harbors, or transports an unemancipated minor within this state for the purpose of receiving a prohibited medical procedure” chargeable with a Class C felony.

Lee’s office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

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Tennessee had already banned gender-affirming care for minors — measures that can include puberty blockers, hormone replacement therapy and, in rare instances, gender-affirming surgery — last July, when Lee signed an earlier bill, Senate Bill 1, into effect.

“I want to be clear that this in no way bars parents or legal guardians from helping their child access to medical care that they need out-of-state,” Bryan Davidson, a policy director at the ACLU Tennessee, told HuffPost.

“I think that this is an attempt by the legislature to try to use misinformation and intimidation to try to get parents and families to self-censor themselves and to police their own behavior. That is the concerning part.”

If the problem of adults transporting minors across state lines were indeed a major issue, Davidson said, Tennessee already has a law on the books for that. “It’s called kidnapping,” he said.

The gender-affirming care ban, S.B. 1, was temporarily blocked for certain residents thanks to a legal challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union, but a federal appeals court ruled in the fall to allow the ban to stand.

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Advocacy groups are now waiting to see if the Supreme Court will take up the ACLU’s challenge to S.B. 1, known as L.W. v. Skrmetti, and weigh in on the question of who is allowed to make medical decisions for minors seeking gender-affirming care. If this highest court does take up the challenge to Tennessee’s ban, it could have precedent-setting ramifications for other states’ restrictions on care.

Lee signed a separate bill on Tuesday that penalizes “abortion trafficking of a minor” and makes it a misdemeanor office for a person to help a minor obtain an abortion or abortion-inducing drugs without consent from the minor’s parents. Several GOP-led states — most notably Idaho — have passed similar laws since the reversal of Roe v. Wade two years ago.

The two new laws go into effect July 1.

Tennessee’s state legislature, which has a Republican supermajority, has long been an early adopter of new kinds of anti-LGBTQ legislation. As governor, Lee has never issued a veto on an anti-LGBTQ bill, and the state has far outpaced the rest of the country in terms of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

During this year’s legislative session, Lee enacted at least eight new anti-LGBTQ+ laws. This includes laws that force school administrators to tell parents if their child asks to use a name or gender marker that differs from their birth certificate; allow people to refuse to perform same-sex marriages; permit foster families to discriminate against LGBTQ+ kids; and eliminate the state’s human rights commission.

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Last year, Tennessee became the first state to enact a drag ban, and blocked performances from taking place anywhere in public where children could be present. A federal judge ruled that ban unconstitutional, but the state Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is trying to argue for the ban to be applied in private spaces, as well.

The state also garnered national attention last year after Skrmetti probed Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the records of trans patients — both minors and adults — after a Nashville-based right-wing media figure posted an inflammatory, misleading information on Twitter about the hospital’s treatments for transgender children. The Department of Health and Human Services has since opened an investigation into Vanderbilt’s release of patient medical records.

“Tennessee has become a sort of policy laboratory for attacks on LGBTQ+ folks at the state level,” said Davidson. “The anti-LGBTQ legislation is largely driven to appease the small fringe activist base in Tennessee.”

Davidson added that Tennessee is one of the most “egregiously gerrymandered states in the nation” and has one of the lowest rates of voter turnout, allowing more extreme rhetoric and policy to flourish.



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Black Friday hours: List of major retailers open in Middle Tennessee

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Black Friday hours: List of major retailers open in Middle Tennessee


Black Friday is right around the corner, and FOX 17 News is breaking down retailers open across the Midstate and their hours for shoppers who celebrate.

See our list of stores open and hours for Black Friday below (Listed in alphabetical order):

Bass Pro Shops

Open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Best Buy

Locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

CoolSprings Galleria

Open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Costco

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Locations will open at 10 a.m. and close at 8:30 p.m.

Dick’s Sporting Goods

Locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

Home Depot

Most locations to open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

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Home Goods

Locations to open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

Kohl’s

Locations to open at 5 a.m. and close at 12 a.m.

Lowe’s

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Locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Opry Mills

Open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Publix

Locations to open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

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Rivergate Mall

The mall opens at 11 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m.

Sam’s Club

Locations will open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

Tanger Outlets

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The outlets are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Target

Nashville locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m.

The Mall at Green Hills

Open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Trader Joe’s

Locations to open at 8 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Tractor Supply

Locations will open at 6 a.m. and close at 9 p.m.

Walmart

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Walmart locations in Nashville will open at 6 a.m. and close at 11 p.m.



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What went wrong for Tennessee basketball in loss to Kansas in Las Vegas

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What went wrong for Tennessee basketball in loss to Kansas in Las Vegas


LAS VEGAS – Tennessee basketball squandered a chance to finish 3-0 at the Players Era Festival and remain undefeated.

The No. 16 Vols (7-1) went away from what built their 12-point lead early in the second half, and Kansas (6-2) stormed back to win 81-76 in the third-place game at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 26.

Here’s what went wrong for Tennessee in its first loss of the season.

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Tennessee settled for too many 3-pointers

Tennessee shot 28% on 25 attempts from 3-point range, and it settled for too many shots behind the arc in the second half.

The Vols shot 5-for-13 on 3-pointers in the first half, which wasn’t a bad mark considering Ja’Kobi Gillespie went an uncharacteristic 0-for-3 before halftime. But then they shot 2-for-12 in the second half, and they didn’t score at the rim enough.

“I told our post guys when they’re out there shooting jump shots, I’m sure (Kansas coach) Bill (Self) and his staff were sitting on the bench saying, good let them do it. Let him. We don’t want them in there,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “That goes back to where we didn’t follow the things we talked about and what we need guys to do.”

Barnes didn’t think all the 3-pointers were necessarily bad shots, but there were times they needed to drive the ball and get to the foul line when they were in the double bonus. Barnes believed the 22 free throw attempts would have been even with Kansas’ 30 if the Vols had tried to drive the ball more.

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Vols let offensive struggles dictate defense in second half

Tennessee’s 12-point lead started to crumble when the Vols let their offensive struggles dictate their defense.

Kansas started chipping away when it grabbed two offensive rebounds on the same possession and hit a 3-pointer. Then Felix Okpara missed a jumper and Jaylen Carey sent Kansas to the free-throw line. Nate Ament then missed shots on two straight possessions and UT gave up a transition 3-pointer.

Then the Vols started fouling and gave up three and-one plays in an almost three-minute span. Tennessee missed another jumper shortly after and gave up three straight layups to Kansas for a 6-0 run to take a 68-64 lead.

“Second half, I thought they out-competed us when it counted,” Barnes said. “And that’s the hardest thing to take when they’re doing things that we could have done.”

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Tennessee needs more from its starting frontcourt

Barnes wasn’t happy with the fact that Okpara and Cade Phillips didn’t have a single offensive rebound between them. The two starters in the frontcourt only combined for five rebounds total in a game that Tennessee got outrebounded 37-36.

The pair combined for 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting, and Okpara went 3-for-4 on free throws.

Barnes said the Vols can’t put everything on Gillespie, who shot 1-for-10 on 3-pointers. Gillespie had a heavy load over three days, averaging 34.3 minutes, and he had some great looks that just didn’t fall.

“You look at the stat sheet, too many guys that honestly didn’t do the things that they need to do to help us win,” Barnes said.

Carey was a bright spot in Tennessee’s frontcourt with 11 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. But Barnes believes he can be even better after shooting 3-for-6 on free throws.

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“The guys that want to learn from this will do it,” Barnes said. “And they’ll get better and move forward, but it’s not going to get any easier, which is the way it should be.”

Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalllBluesky: @corahall.bsky.social‬. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks:knoxnews.com/subscribe





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First Alert Forecast: Much colder air returning to Middle Tennessee

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First Alert Forecast: Much colder air returning to Middle Tennessee


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Be ready to bundle up the next few days.

NEXT 24 HOURS

A mild start to our Wednesday, with many of us in the 50s, and no major weather issues as we head out the door early today.

This afternoon will be mostly sunny and breezy with temperatures in the mid-50s and winds gusting over 20 mph at times.

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Tonight will be much colder, with temperatures dropping into the 30s.

Full weather forecast for Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky with meteorologist Stefano DiPietro.

TODAY’S FORECAST

MORNING – Mild and breezy. Temperatures in the 50s.

AFTERNOON – Staying breezy with winds gusting as high as 25 mph. Mostly sunny. Temperatures in the mid-50s.

EVENING – Partly cloudy. Getting colder quickly. Lows in the 30s.

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THANKSGIVING FORECAST

MORNING – Cold start. Partly cloudy. Temperatures in the 30s.

AFTERNOON – Very chilly and breezy. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. Wind gusts near 20 mph.

EVENING – Mostly clear. Even colder. Lows in the 20s.

FRIDAY’S FORECAST

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MORNING – Frigid and frosty start. Temperatures in the 20s.

AFTERNOON – Staying chilly and mostly sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 40s.

EVENING – Mostly clear, staying cold. Lows in the 30s.

WEEKEND OUTLOOK

Clouds increase on Saturday, but we’ll stay dry with temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Showers and even some rumbles of thunder move in Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

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As of now, we do not expect severe weather. Rain will taper off by Sunday afternoon with highs staying in the 50s.

NEXT WEEK

Dry and chilly on Monday under a partly sunny sky with highs in the mid to upper 40s.

We’re closely monitoring a storm system for next week that will bring rain, and potentially even some wintry weather to parts of the Midstate.

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