SUMMARY: President Trump unveiled plans for the “Golden Dome,” a missile defense system designed to protect the U.S. from missile attacks by intercepting threats from space. Modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, it would include sensors, satellites, and attacking satellites to destroy missiles shortly after launch. The project, estimated to cost between $175 billion and $542 billion, echoes Reagan’s costly Star Wars program. Defense experts say it can’t shield the entire country, requiring selective prioritization. While Republicans largely support it, Democrats question its necessity and cost. The Golden Dome would expand existing missile defenses in Alaska and California.

President Trump is moving forward with a plan to build a ‘Golden Dome’ defense shield.

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SUMMARY: Tennessee’s Attorney General is leading a bipartisan letter opposing a federal proposal that would prevent states from regulating artificial intelligence (AI). The proposal, included in the “Big, Beautiful Tax Bill,” would centralize AI regulation at the federal level, a move supported by the AI industry. The letter, signed by Attorneys General from numerous states, argues that federal control would harm consumers. Tennessee has already passed legislation protecting musicians’ voices and likenesses from AI. Vanderbilt Law professor Mark Williams emphasizes that the debate over AI regulation involves both consumer protection and geopolitical power, particularly in relation to global competition with China.

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SUMMARY: Tennessee is set to execute Oscar Franklin Smith on Thursday, the state’s first execution since 2020, despite ongoing legal challenges to the new lethal injection protocol. Smith, convicted of a 1989 triple murder, will be executed using pentobarbital, a method contested in court due to concerns about its risks and mishandling by the Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC). The protocol has faced criticism for inadequate testing, poor oversight, and secretive drug sourcing. Anti-death penalty advocates and attorneys argue the execution risks violating constitutional rights, while TDOC defends the secrecy to maintain access to lethal drugs. A lawsuit is ongoing.

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