After losing her pregnancy in ICE detention and being deported to Guatemala, Iris Dayana Monterroso-Lemus is still waiting to bury her son alongside her partner, who she hasn’t seen in more than a year. ✍️ @aracelireports.bsky.social

Metro schools’ funding policy for pre-K had the unintended consequence of creating segregated classrooms at Inglewood Elementary. After advocacy by parents and educators, next year the district will “braid” funding at 22 schools. ✏️ by Lillian Avedian

Tennessee death row prisoner Tony Carruthers was issued a one-year stay of execution last week after prison officials botched his execution. "We could hear him groaning in pain," says @nashvillebanner.bsky.social journalist Steven Hale, who attended as a media witness.

After executioners, including a licensed doctor, failed to place IV lines for Tony Carruthers’ lethal injection last week, his attorneys said Gov. Bill Lee should pause the death penalty in Tennessee and grant reprieves to three scheduled death row prisoners. ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

A state court three-panel judge has ruled against a group of plaintiffs, including the NAACP, who are challenging Tennessee's new redistricting maps in Chancery Court. ✍️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

In a series of Metro Council hearings, Metro Nashville department heads have detailed their budget asks — those fulfilled by the mayor and left unfunded — and how they plan to absorb a 1.5 percent budget reduction requested of each department. ✏️ @stelliott.bsky.social

NEW from the Banner: In a federal court filing, attorneys from the federal public defender’s office in Nashville said the doctor who participated in Thursday’s aborted execution of Tony Carruthers was not qualified.

Judge Waverly Crenshaw has dismissed the case against Kilmar Abrego García for selective and vindictive prosecution. In his opinion, he described the indictment as an “abuse of prosecuting power.”

Judge Waverly Crenshaw has dismissed the case against Kilmar Abrego García for selective and vindictive prosecution. In his opinion, he described the indictment as an “abuse of prosecuting power.” ✏️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

NEW: In a federal court filing, attorneys from the federal public defender’s office in Nashville said the doctor who participated in Thursday’s aborted execution of Tony Carruthers was not qualified. ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

On Thursday morning, the NAACP argued for an injunction against the new Congressional maps at a Chancery Court hearing. The three-judge panel said it will rule as soon as it can. ✏️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

The Banner is one of several outlets suing over the fact that reporters can't see executioners doing things like placing IVs. In April, the Tennessee Supreme Court blocked a judge's order to allow it. That's why today, we were literally sitting in the dark trying our best to hear what was happening.

This is a big deal. We spent significant time in Blackburn's court watching before we wrote about her performance. After Blackburn sealed her recusal, Judge Dalton blocked us from getting access to affidavits about her competence.

Outside after Tony Carruthers’ lethal injection was called off, attorney Maria DeLiberato who was in the chamber with him says “they tortured him trying to find a vein.” She says they got a line in right arm, tried left arm, tried feet, tried jugular, tried a central line in chest and then shoulder.

Tony Carruthers execution was delayed after the doctor contracted by TDOC could not find a vein to administer the dose of pentobarbital. An emergency motion was filed in Tennessee Supreme Court, shortly after which Gov. Bill Lee issued a reprieve for one year.

BREAKING: “This is a landmark victory for public access to judicial records in Tennessee.” After the Banner sued for access to former Judge Cheryl Blackburn’s files, the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled Thursday the records must be unsealed. ✍️ @scavendish.bsky.social

BREAKING: Gov. Bill Lee has issued a reprieve for Carruthers, according to a filing with the state supreme court.

It is worth noting that the Banner and a coalition of media partners are currently involved in a suit for greater access to executions, including the pre-execution preparations. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is representing the coalition. That case is pending review by SCOTN.

BREAKING: Attorneys for Tony Carruthers have filed in federal court because the TDOC doctor cannot find a vein to administer the lethal injection. They assert the TDOC doctor is not qualified to put in a central line. The execution is currently delayed.

After mentioning the country in a campaign ad about preserving farmland, Rep. John Rose tells the Banner China is an “enemy,” proposes banning Chinese property ownership in Tennessee, adding to the anti-China sentiment among TN Republicans in his bid to be governor. ✒️: @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social

Independents and non-maga Republicans are cooking on Trump in Tennessee. This is the first time his approval has been below 50% in the state since 2017. Read how it may impact midterms and how it probably won’t do much to the governor’s race:

Tennessee is all but certain to execute Tony Carruthers here in Nashville tomorrow morning. He would be the 11th man from death row killed by the state here since 2018. I will be one of the media witnesses inside the prison. Threading my stories for @nashvillebanner.bsky.social about the case here:

In a little less than four years, Nashville’s East Bank will be the center of the sports world. NFL owners on Tuesday chose the new Nissan Stadium, currently still under construction, as the site of Super Bowl LXIV.

English Language Arts instruction will look slightly different at all Tennessee public schools starting with the 2029-30 academic year. ✏️ by Lillian Avedian

“Affordability has to be keeping Republican consultants up at night” — John Geer, Vanderbilt Poll co-director, noting a drop in Trump approval and almost ubiquitous concerns about affordability among Tennessee voters will likely impact this year’s midterm elections. ✍️ @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social

The Metro Council voted on Tuesday to denounce the state’s “hostile takeover” of the Nashville airport authority, while also confirming two new board members as the authority prepares to vote on its own resolution in opposition to the move on Wednesday. ✏️ @stelliott.bsky.social

Ahead of Tony Carruthers’ execution, Tennessee prison officials are refusing to say whether or not their lethal injection drugs are expired. Medical experts say the use of out-of-date chemicals and drugs for lethal injections raises the risk of prolonged, painful death ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

Gov. Bill Lee just released a statement announcing that he will not intervene to postpone the execution Thursday.

TIRRC, a councilmember and several taxpayers are suing the Tennessee Highway Patrol, asking the court to enjoin the agency from joint operations with ICE like May 2025’s Operation Flood the Zone in South Nashville. nashvillebanner.com/2026/05/19/t...

Meet Nashville writer Tonya Abari! Tonya is partnering with the Banner for the 2026 @altavozlab.bsky.social Community Reporting Fellowship. She'll be exploring North Nashville's fight for clean air and environmental equity as part of our ZIP Code Project.

Tony Carruthers’ sister told the Banner Monday that she believed in her brother’s innocence in 1994 and she still believes in it now. As advocates call for DNA and fingerprint analysis, Tennessee is set to execute Carruthers on Thursday. ✒️: @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

Budget bills will be on first reading at Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting. The body will also discuss the state’s takeover of the Metro Nashville Airport Authority and NES’ tree trimming program. ✍️: @stelliott.bsky.social

Napier community advocates and residents have raised some concerns about policing in their neighborhood. City leaders and MNPD's South precinct are open to improving engagement with residents. ✍️ @ejturner02.bsky.social

Here’s where each of the lawsuits against Tennessee’s redistricting stands at the beginning of a potentially major week of litigation. ✏️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

Three years into Tennessee’s near-total abortion ban, a lawsuit is still making its way through the courts. The plaintiffs spoke to the Banner about why they joined the suit and how they are processing its delays. ✍️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

The private security firm Solaren Risk Management is facing increased penalties from state regulators who found that the company violated state law by wrongly dispatching employees in police-style uniforms and badges. ✏️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

Fisk University President Agenia Clark on Thursday announced a $900 million plan to remake the historically Black university's North Nashville campus, complete with a 100,000-square-foot data and technology center. ✍️ @stelliott.bsky.social

Sat down with Wally Dietz as he made his retirement announcement. Interesting insight on the last few years of legal wars with the state

A 15-year plan to restore, renovate and revitalize Centennial Park was thrown off course last month when Nashville Electric Service crews aggressively trimmed the towering oaks along Park Plaza. 📽️: Demetria Kalodimos

AD WATCH: John Rose vows to be “tough like Trump” if elected Tennessee’s governor ✍️: @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social

SCOOP: After becoming an unexpected voice for Nashville through high-profile litigation, Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz will retire in July. Tyler Yarbro will take over the Metro Law department. ✒️: @scavendish.bsky.social

The owner of an illegally demolished East Nashville structure has filed an application to build a replica in its place. The property formerly home to The Groove record store was torn down in February. 📝: @stelliott.bsky.social

A whole lot of new Dems are running in the redrawn Tennessee Congressional districts, or at least thinking about it while the map is challenged in court. Lots of familiar names in Nashville and Memphis: Story w/ @stelliott.bsky.social nashvillebanner.com/2026/05/13/t...

As renewal delays threaten to cause lapses in protected status, the Justice Department just made it easier to deport DACA recipients, adding to growing uncertainty for ‘Dreamers’ here in Nashville and beyond. ✏️ @aracelireports.bsky.social

Megan Barry, Sen. London Lamar and other familiar Democrats are pulling petitions to run for newly redrawn Congressional districts in Tennessee this week as the party scrambles to respond to unexpected, election year redistricting. ✍️ @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social & @stelliott.bsky.social

Twenty years ago, men facing execution in Tennessee were regularly interviewed on television and in print. But access to the men and women on the state’s death row has been all but eliminated in the year since. ✍️: @iamstevenhale.bsky.social

A lawsuit filed by the co-founder of one of the most notable bands in contemporary Christian music addressed allegations of sexual assault against the lead singer and fired off its own accusations of defamation and shadowy business practices in the industry. 📝: @mikeiereiland.bsky.social

Sat down with @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social to pod about Tennessee's whirlwind redistricting. We tried to touch most of the bases. You can listen here and read all her reporting at @nashvillebanner.bsky.social. nashvillebanner.com/2026/05/08/l...

By 2007, two forensic pathologists had testified that there was no evidence the victims in this case were buried alive and the original medical examiner had signed an affidavit stating he could no longer stand behind his trial testimony. But the buried alive narrative has persisted.

With Tennessee set to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, his attorneys are arguing not only that forensic testing might prove his innocence, but that his death sentence was based on an inflammatory and false claim that the victims in the case were buried alive. ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social