As Tennessee’s attorney general for only two years, Republican Jonathan Skrmetti is racking up wins for conservatives in policy and law against the Biden-Harris administration and private sector actors.  One of those successes looms at the U.S. Supreme Court, where in the term that begins Oct. 1 the justices are expected to take up the federal government’s attempt to kill a Tennessee law restricting gender transitions for children.  In the case, called United States v. Jonathan Skrmetti, the high court will hear arguments and then decide whether the Tennessee law violates the Constitution in attempting to protect minors subjected to dangerous, life-altering medical procedures.  “Twenty-five different states have enacted similar, and in some cases, identical laws,” Sarah Parshall Perry, a senior legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal.  The Tennessee ban is “very logical, very reasonable, and very constitutional,” Perry said, noting that Skrmetti is “working overtime to defend children.”  The state law bans puberty blockers, hormones, and gender-transition surgeries for minors.  In court filings, Skrmetti and other Tennessee officials argued that gender-reassignment surgery on minors has “exploded” in recent years and that these procedures are “unproven and risky.”  Skrmetti, now 47, was sworn in as attorney general on Sept. 1, 2022. Married and the father of four, the Franklin resident previously was chief deputy attorney general under his predecessor, Herbert H. Slatery III, for three years.   Mr. President, no matter the intention, changes to the law must come from Congress — not from agency bureaucrats.Separation of powers is the fundamental principle of American government. https://t.co/pyYWfs10HM— TN Attorney General (@AGTennessee) August 28, 2024 Skrmetti also was chief counsel to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a fellow Republican.     “His reputation is really stellar,” Heritage’s Perry said of Skrmetti, calling him “an excellent attorney general who is highly revered.”  Skrmetti received degrees from George Washington University, the University of Oxford, and Harvard Law School.  Unlike in other states, Tennessee’s chief law enforcement officer is appointed by the state Supreme Court for an eight-year term, rather than elected by voters for a four-year term. (The office, whose official title is attorney general and reporter, is thus part of Tennessee’s judicial branch rather than its executive branch.)  Aides and other admirers say that as attorney general, Skrmetti has spearheaded successful lawsuits against the federal government, especially leading the charge against gender ideology mandates and government overreach.   Here’s a look at what they characterize as some of his biggest challenges and successes.  1. Protecting Consumers   Skrmetti’s duties as attorney general include protecting the state’s consumers, and supporters say he has risen to that task.  Skrmetti filed a lawsuit against one of the world’s largest asset managers, BlackRock Inc., in a “first-of-its-kind” consumer protection case.   Tennessee successfully sued BlackRock over misleading statements about its use of ESG standards (for environmental, social, and governance considerations) in investments.  Ordinary shareholders argue that ESG standards elevate over “social justice” and other progressive causes over profitability and good business practices.  2. Countering Gender Ideology   Skrmetti has been at the forefront of battles with progressives over gender ideology, most notably foiling the Biden-Harris administration’s proposed Title IX changes.   The administration’s adjustments would have mandated that biological boys be allowed to play girls sports at school and to use girls’ restrooms and locker rooms, among other things.  Despite facing several challenges from the Biden-Harris Justice Department, Skrmetti successfully defended Tennessee’s ban on so-called gender-affirming care for children. This is the case pending at the U.S. Supreme Court.   The attorney general also won a U.S. District Court case against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which sought to mandate that medical providers perform, and insurers cover, some sex-change procedures.  Skrmetti also went to the District Court as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit to successfully defend Tennessee’s policy forbidding a change in the biological sex listed on birth certificates.  (Office of the Tennessee Attorney General) 3. Combating Illegal Immigration   Skrmetti also has had success in responding to the Biden-Harris administration’s undoing of border security measures imposed by the Trump-Pence administration.   He sued the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border-related agencies, over its refusal to share records regarding the “catch and release” of illegal aliens who were transported to Tennessee.   The case is called Tennessee v. Mayorkas, after DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, an appointee of President Joe Biden.  4. Fighting for Life  Early this year, Skrmetti successfully sued the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over its revised regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.  The agency’s revision would have forced employers to pay for their employees’ abortions, he argued.   “I’m proud to lead the coalition fighting to protect the rule of law against this unconstitutional federal overreach,” Skrmetti said in a public statement. “Congress passed the bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to protect mothers-to-be and promote healthy pregnancies, and the EEOC’s attempt to rewrite that law into an abortion mandate is illegal.”  5. Opposing Racial Discrimination and DEI Policies  When it comes to government and private sector policies focused on or mandating so-called DEI—diversity, equity, and inclusion—Skrmetti has been proactive in expressing concerns.   The Tennessee attorney general last year co-led a 13-state letter that warned Fortune 100 companies about DEI practices setting up racial preferences in hiring, promotions, and other decisions.  “As the Supreme Court recently emphasized, both our Constitution and our civil rights laws guarantee every American the right to be free from racial discrimination,” Skrmetti said in a press release.   “The court’s reasoning means that companies, no matter their motivation, cannot treat people differently based on the color of their skin,” he said. “Corporate America continues to have many avenues to help disadvantaged people and communities of all races without resorting to crude racial line-drawing.  The post Jonathan Skrmetti’s Top 5 Successes as Tennessee’s Attorney General  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you have ever lived in Texas (or if you have ever met a Texan), you have heard of Whataburger. With 740 locations in Texas alone, the iconic orange and white combo permeates the culture in a way that rivals no other fast food chain I’ve ever seen. Whataburger embodies “go big or go home.”However, as the Californians have migrated to the Lone Star State, they brought In-N-Out with them. The Californian chain has cropped up in 43 locations, and it’s caused quite the divide. Their Christian values feel right at home in South, but challenging the state burger has ruffled some feathers.The score must be settled. One burger must reign supreme. So we conducted an experiment.Grace, a New Hampshire native, recently moved to Texas. Since her palate had not yet been exposed to either Whataburger or In-N-Out, she was the perfect test subject. We devised a super-detailed, ultra-specific, rigidly-scientific process to test the merits of the warring burger joints. 1. Acquire the burgersThe two burgers had to be as similar as possible. A classic Number One with cheese from Whataburger with fries (and its patented spicy ketchup on the side, of course). A Combo Number Two cheeseburger with fries from In-N-Out. Sticking to the basics was essential if the chains were to be judged by merit alone. The Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit will have to wait. 2. Remove all branding The orange and white packaging was discarded along with the Bible-verse-adorned bag. The burgers and fries were placed on plates, and then we were ready to bring in our subject.3. Taste the burgersSince we neglected to bring a blindfold for our blind tasting, Grace used the honor system and kept her eyes closed during the tasting. Unbeknownst to her, we served her the Whataburger burger and fries first. In-N-Out was next.4. Tabulate the resultsAfter we guided Grace’s hands to the Whataburger fries, the reception to the Texas classic was positive. However, she noted that “they need[ed] more salt.” According to Grace, most things need more salt. The burger was received with a bit less enthusiasm.The In-N-Out fries were deemed soggier than the Whataburger fries. They also required more salt. In a fortunate turn of events for the Californians, the burger was immediately proclaimed superior to Whataburger’s. Apparently, the ideal meal is fries from Whataburger and a cheeseburger from In-N-Out. But, as there can be only one winner, Grace announced that In-N-Out took the cake.For all the Whataburger loyalists out there (like me), don’t despair. In-N-Out doesn’t have a Sweet and Spicy Bacon Burger or a Honey Butter Chicken Biscuit. There are just some things that the simplicity of the In-N-Out cheeseburger can’t beat. But it’s safe to say that the Californian chain’s values are worth supporting. The Bible verses hidden on the packaging reflect IN-N-OUT owner and president Lynsi Snyder’s personal faith in Jesus. So maybe it’s worth switching it up once in a while to support a company that values faith in Christ. If it counts for anything, Whataburger is still better (in my humble Texan opinion). But I digress.

Sad Terrorist Noises: AP Mourns Loss of Colleague With Glowing Headline About Hezbollah Leader Nasrallah

The iPhone has one of the best cameras of any smartphone. What makes it my favorite is that I can take my iPhone out of my pocket and, most times, get the best shot possible. There are no tricky settings or adjustments to make—it's as simple as a tap. However, while Apple focuses on computational photography and improves HDR with new generations of Smart HDR, the photography experience becomes more about software decisions than hardware—even though the new chips play a big part in photo processing. That said, it has become more common for social media users to complain that their photos look worse, even though the hardware is getting better. As a user, I have also experienced this, as I was not fond of Night Mode shots with iPhone 13 Pro, and basically, all my iPhone 14 Pro photos don't look as good as I hoped they would. Image source: Christian de Looper for BGR This situation reminds me of the iPhone XR days and the introduction of Smart HDR. At the time, Apple said it would continue to improve this feature in future updates to adjust the tone. While it did happen, I assume the company also struggled with future versions of Smart HDR, which is why I was unhappy with some of my photos taken on the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro. With the iPhone 15 Pro and the new 48MP sensor, my photos looked better than ever. However, they also lacked detail, and occasionally were blurry. This is when I discovered a TikTok trend—and several posts on Reddit and social media—that changing one single setting could greatly improve my iPhone camera experience. Turning Prioritize Faster Shooting off improved my iPhone photos My photos looked better after I turned off Prioritize Faster Shooting (Settings > Camera > Tap the toggle next to Prioritize Faster Shooting). With this setting on, Apple prioritizes the speed at which photos are taken but uses less processing power if you're shooting several photos simultaneously, which is why it might seem like your photos look off. This setting is useful if you want to take quick pictures of subjects in motion. However, I strongly recommend turning it off. Even if you're taking several photos of someone, you're probably not pressing as quickly as you think. By doing so, you ensure your photos have crisper details and avoid the feeling that something is blurred. Of course, there are several tweaks you can make to improve your iPhone's camera abilities. BGR offers a few other helpful camera tips in the article linked below. Don't Miss: 6 useful iPhone camera tricks you might have forgotten about The post This one iPhone camera setting made my photos so much better appeared first on BGR. Today's Top Deals Today’s deals: $50 off Eureka E20 Plus robot vac, $1,100 off LG C4 OLED TV, Blink cameras from $20, more Today’s deals: First AirPods 4 discount, $6 smart bulbs, $110 off Dyson V8, $6 MagSafe chargers, more Today’s deals: Pitaka iPhone 16 cases, $10 off Starbucks coffee, $199 iPad 9, $36 Dreo space heater, more Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2024: Get $425+ free

Thanks to her daughter Riley Keough, Lisa Marie Presley’s posthumous memoir, From Here to the Great Unknown, will be released soon. The book’s juicy details about the late star’s childhood are being teased in snippets. During an exclusive with PEOPLE, where the excerpt was shared, Riley noted that she penned down the book’s content just as Lisa Marie narrated via some tapes passed down to her. One of Lisa Marie’s documented memories included having her dad, Elvis Presley, at school for the parent-teacher conference. A glimpse into Elvis and Lisa Marie’s private lives Lisa Marie Presley and her father, Elvis Presley / Everett Lisa Marie did not get much time with Elvis because he died when she was only 9; however, they made wholesome memories together, which she carried on throughout her lifetime. She recalled how he would show her off on stage during his shows, after which she would return to her seat with grandfather Vernon Presley mostly by her side. Lisa Marie narrated one of her favorite moments at school, when Elvis showed up for the PTA conference and had teachers and her friends all giddy. He showed up in his usual snazzy outfit featuring black pants, a blouse, and accessories like a big bejeweled belt, sunglasses, and a cigar in hand. Lisa Marie admitted to feeling on top of the world as she strutted hand-in-hand with him. Lisa Marie Presley / Everett Riley Keough reveals the memoir creation process Putting Lisa Marie’s experiences together in a book was no easy feat for Riley, but she is glad to have penned the details down just like her mother would have. The 35-year-old says she can recognize Lisa Marie in the pages, which reveal personal aspects of her life like motherhood, loss, and romance. Lisa Marie Presley / Everett From Here to the Great Unknown shows a vulnerable side to Lisa Marie, which, in Riley’s words, proves the force that she was. From the tapes, Riley could determine her deceased mother’s moods, as she did not hold back from expressing herself. This helped Riley channel authenticity into the upcoming release, which will be released in October via Random House. Next up: Courteney Cox May Still Have Feelings For Michael Keaton Decades Later The post Lisa Marie Presley’s Memoir Details Elvis Presley’s Bedazzled Parent-Teacher Visits appeared first on DoYouRemember? - The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Peace A

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