www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-12 12:27:00
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the \$25 million Farmland Preservation Act, aimed at helping farmers protect their land. The act, included in the fiscal year 2026 budget, offers grants to farmers who enter permanent easement contracts. Rep. Greg Vital, a farm owner, championed the bill and highlighted its potential to slow farmland loss, which occurs at a rate of 9.8 acres per hour in Tennessee. The fund will assist voluntary conservation easements, helping to preserve farmland and secure food production for future generations. The Tennessee Farm Bureau supports the initiative as vital to safeguarding the state’s agricultural industry.
(The Center Square) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the $25 million Farmland Preservation Act on Monday, a move he said would help Tennessee farmers protect their land.
The governor included the plan in his fiscal year 2026 budget. It will award grants to farmers who want to preserve their farmland. The grants will be given to farmers who have entered permanent easement contracts.
Rep. Greg Vital, R-Harrison, is a farm owner who carried the bill in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
“Over 20 years ago, I saw the importance of protecting part of my farm with the first voluntary conservation easement in Hamilton County,” Vital said. “Since that time, as both a board member and chairman of the Land Trust for Tennessee, we have protected over 4,400 acres across Hamilton County and almost 140,000 acres of farmland and forests across Tennessee. This fund will help facilitate additional voluntary conservation easements across the state and slow the decline of farmland and give the Tennessee Department of Agriculture another tool in protecting family farms and providing food security for future generations.”
Tennessee loses farmland at a rate of 9.8 acres per hour, according to a policy brief from the Tennessee Farm Bureau.
“It’s an extremely heavy lift to combat the rate at which farmland across Tennessee is being lost, but we are confident this program will help ensure Tennessee’s number one and most important industry is protected for generations to come,” said Tennessee Farm Bureau President Eric Mayberry.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Right
The article primarily reports on the signing of the Farmland Preservation Act by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, including statements from Republican lawmakers and representatives of farming interests. The language is generally factual and focused on the preservation of farmland and support for the agricultural industry, which often aligns with conservative and pro-business priorities. However, the article does not critique or promote a broader ideological agenda explicitly; it centers on the practical benefits of the legislation for farmers and the state’s agricultural sector. This presentation, emphasizing government support for a traditional industry through a Republican-led initiative, suggests a mild center-right leaning without overt ideological slant or opinionated framing.
SUMMARY: Fireworks for U.S. Fourth of July celebrations rely heavily on imports from China, which produces 99% of consumer and 90% of professional fireworks used in the country. The ongoing U.S.-China trade war and tariffs threaten to increase costs, creating uncertainty for small businesses and volunteer groups that fund local fireworks shows. Despite a temporary 90-day tariff pause, industry experts warn prices could soar, forcing show organizers to potentially shorten displays or substitute cheaper fireworks. Annual fundraising efforts, like those at Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico, remain crucial to maintaining traditions that celebrate national pride and community spirit.
www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-06-30 15:55:00
Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains in federal custody following a Monday ruling by Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes. Garcia faces federal human smuggling charges related to a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop where he was caught driving an SUV with eight passengers, suspected of smuggling them for money. Garcia sought release, citing conflicting government statements about potential removal to a third country before trial. Holmes noted these conflicting positions and decided Garcia will stay detained until a July 16 hearing. He is to be held separately from other inmates and given private access to his defense counsel. Garcia was recently returned to the U.S. after deportation to El Salvador.
(The Center Square) – Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not getting out of jail for now.
The Monday ruling from federal Magistrate Barbara D. Holmes comes at the request of Garcia, who is facing federal charges of human smuggling. Garcia is concerned “based on purported conflicting statements by the government, specifically that it intends to remove Abrego to a third country upon his return to DHS custody following release in this case and that it would ensure Abrego is not removed before trial on the instant criminal charges,” Holmes said in the ruling.
Holmes previously said that Garcia should be released but acknowledged that he would likely remain in federal custody. In her ruling Monday, Holmes said she considered the “perceived conflicting positions taken by the government regarding whether it will deport Abrego pending final disposition of this case including the further review by the District Judge of the government’s request for pretrial detention.”
The ruling means Garcia will be held in federal custody until a July 16 hearing.
“He shall, to the extent practicable, be held separately from persons awaiting or serving sentences or being held in custody pending appeal and he shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for private consultation with defense counsel,” Holmes said in her ruling.
Garcia was returned to the U.S. after being deported to El Salvador to stand trial on charges of “alien smuggling” and “conspiracy to commit alien smuggling.”
The smuggling charges stem from a 2022 Tennessee traffic stop. Garcia was driving an SUV with eight passengers. One of the officers believed that he was smuggling them, remarking in a video of the traffic stop that he was “hauling these people for money.”
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article presents a straightforward report on the federal magistrate’s ruling regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s detention without promoting or endorsing any political viewpoint. The language used is factual and neutral, focusing on legal proceedings and specific court statements without commentary or emotionally charged phrasing. It describes the charges, court decisions, and events sequentially without framing the issue through a particular ideological lens. Thus, the content adheres to neutral, factual reporting rather than expressing or implying a political bias.
www.wkrn.com – TRAVIS LOLLER and BEN FINLEY, Associated Press – 2025-06-30 15:06:00
SUMMARY: Kilmar Abrego Garcia remains jailed in Tennessee amid concerns he could be deported before trial on human smuggling charges. His lawyers highlighted conflicting statements from the Trump administration about his immigration status, fearing immediate deportation despite pending charges. Abrego Garcia was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March, violating a 2019 judge’s order due to credible gang threats. The administration returned him to face charges, which his attorneys call baseless. Although a judge ruled he is neither a flight risk nor a danger, concerns over ICE’s authority to deport him have delayed his release. A July hearing will reconsider his detention.
