Whitney Jones

A federal judge has ruled that a Tennessee law passed last year that targets online sex ads violates free speech rights.  Judge John Nixon says the law that protects children from sex trafficking is written in a way that infringes on freedom of speech and interstate commerce laws. Backpage.com took the issue to court. The website publishes millions of ads each month that include ones that sell adult services, and it says screening every ad on its site was impossible and would hurt its business.

From NPR: The new movie Promised Land will have many energy industry insiders rolling their eyes with its portrayal of hydraulic fracturing. Fracking proponents are using the opportunity to inform people about their side of the story.

Ten Kentucky health departments are receiving grants that will allow them to do more colon cancer screenings for low-income, uninsured Kentuckians. Calloway County and Christian County health departments will both receive part of the one million dollars in grants from the General Assembly and the Kentucky Cancer Foundation.

A Tennessee Valley Authority coal-fired power plant in Muhlenberg County that is undergoing expensive pollution control upgrades has been named a top polluter. The Environmental Integrity Project says the TVA Paradise Fossil Plant near Drakesboro emitted more than 1,500 pounds of arsenic, almost a ton of lead and about 1,400 pounds of chromium in 2011. The plant was ranked third on the group’s metal emissions list, which was compiled from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. 

The Illinois Senate adjourned yesterday, canceling today’s session, but Senate President John Cullerton told senators to be prepared to return Tuesday in case action is needed after a House session. The Senate planned no major action on the pension crisis. However, a more comprehensive proposal is waiting in the House, which will convene Sunday through Wednesday.

The Tennessee Treasury Department is extending a promotion offering a $50 match to Tennessee residents who sign up for the TNStars college savings plan. TNStars participants choose from 15 low-fee investment options. The money they earn can be withdrawn tax-free to pay the educational expenses of the account's beneficiary. Participants don’t have to attend a college in Tennessee.

Tennesseans suspecting fraud, waste or abuse of public funds in state government can now report their suspicions online. The state Comptroller's office has provided a toll-free telephone hotline for reporting suspected fraud, waste and abuse since 1983. During that time, the hotline has received more than 17,000 calls.

People getting federal extended unemployment benefits can continue claiming them for at least another year. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program was set to expire Dec. 29, but Congress has extended the program through Jan. 1, 2014.

From NPR: From the uncomfortable costumes to the behavior of a disturbed footman, the cast of Downton Abbey talks about the upcoming season.

An Illinois Senate committee has approved restrictions on semiautomatic assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines.  The bills are now on their way to the full Senate. One measure bans the sale of semiautomatic handguns and rifles. People who already own such weapons can keep them, but they will have to register them. The second proposal would limit ammunition magazines to 10 or fewer rounds.