Tennessee’s one-of-a-kind TennCare Medicaid waiver program crossed over $1 billion in savings, TennCare Director Stephen Smith told state officials during the agency’s budget hearing Thursday. @friedmanadam5.bsky.social.

Tennessee Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Jeff Long told reporter Sam Stockard that Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner was signing on to a 287(g) program with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move critics say will increase fear in the Hispanic community.

Tennessee’s one-of-a-kind TennCare Medicaid waiver program crossed over $1 billion in savings, TennCare Director Stephen Smith told state officials during the agency’s budget hearing Thursday. via @tennesseelookout.com

ICYMI: Former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-chief of staff reportedly received presidential pardons Thursday, just weeks after being sentenced to prison for government corruption convictions, according to news reports.

Feds form ‘Homeland Security Task Force’ in Nashville, among several other major U.S. cities tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/06/f... @tennesseelookout.com

Federal agents joined acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire Thursday to announce creation of a federal law enforcement task force ostensibly to combat gangs, drug trafficking and transnational crime across Middle Tennessee. @anitawadhwani.bsky.social reports.

Federal agents joined acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Rob McGuire Thursday to announce creation of a federal law enforcement task force ostensibly to combat gangs, drug trafficking and transnational crime across Middle Tennessee. @anitawadhwani.bsky.social reports.

The busiest passenger airport not included in the list of 40 getting flight cuts is Nashville International Airport, the 28th-busiest airport in the country in 2024. @fischler.bsky.social reports.

Numerous federal, state, local officials gathered in Nashville ahead of presser announcing formation of “Homeland Security Task Force” set for 2 pm CT @tennesseelookout.com

U.S. House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the first woman to hold the speaker’s gavel, announced Thursday she will retire, ending a 40-year legislative career as one of the most powerful Democrats in Congress. From @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social.

Just in: U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee will hold a 2 p.m. press conference to announce the creation of a Homeland Security Task Force in Nashville. The Lookout will be reporting.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Wednesday the Federal Aviation Administration would restrict air travel in 40 “high-traffic” areas of the country to relieve pressure on air traffic controllers who have been working without a paycheck since Oct. 1.

Four Fayette County Public Schools employees filed a lawsuit on Oct. 23 against the district’s school board, alleging a pattern of racial discrimination and retaliation against Black staffers. The next day, the district’s superintendent fired one of them. From [email protected].

Brentwood, Tennessee-based CoreCivic has seen a substantial increase in revenue over the past six months, driven by a steady rise in new federal government contracts signed as part of President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. Reported by @friedmanadam5.bsky.social.

Following major Democratic wins in local and state elections across the country on Election Day, top Democratic congressional leaders pushed for a meeting with the president to end the federal government shutdown, which on Wednesday became the longest in U.S. history at day 36.

Commentary: Tax paying blues. John Cole’s Tennessee: Past business tax cuts push Tennessee’s government to rely even more on regressive sales tax.

Tennessee’s Department of Correction is seeking a $13 million contract increase for the state’s private-prison company amid questions about a riot and federal civil rights investigation. via @tennesseelookout.com

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect and chief practitioner of neoconservative foreign policy who was an influential figure among a generation of Republicans, died Monday.

Tennessee’s Department of Correction is seeking a $13 million contract increase for CoreCivic, the state’s private-prison company, amid questions about a riot and federal civil rights investigation.

Days after thousands of Tennessee families lost monthly federal food benefits, Gov. Bill Lee announced he would direct $5 million in state funding to food banks.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announces $5M for food banks during SNAP benefits freeze that impacts nearly 700,000 low-income state residents tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/05/t... @tennesseelookout.com

Tennessee Correction Department requests $13M pay increase for private prison contractor, CoreCivic. CoreCivic has rocky record in Tennessee: its been fined it $45M+ since 2022 for failing to meet contractual requirements tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/05/t... @tennesseelookout.com

Democrats completed a clean statewide sweep in Virginia on Tuesday night, as former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears for governor, reports @virginiamercury.com.

“I Don’t Feel Safe”: Black Memphis Residents Report Harassment by Trump’s Police Task Force Story from @mlk50.com tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/04/i... @tennesseelookout.com

This country is smart enough and wealthy enough to avoid that people lack basic needs like food, housing and healthcare!

The U.S. Senate Tuesday failed for the 14th time to advance a stopgap spending bill to fund the government, as the ongoing shutdown hit 35 days and is now tied with the shutdown of 2018-2019 as the longest ever.

In 2023 and 2024, Tennessee lawmakers passed back-to-back multibillion-dollar tax cuts for businesses. This has pushed the Volunteer State to rely even more on its sales tax to fund government spending. via @tennesseelookout.com

Commentary: Under federal funding cuts proposed by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, thousands of Tennesseans could lose support for housing and become homeless, writes Judith Tackett, a consultant and advocate for those living in homelessness.

A pastor pulled over for looking lost as she left church and, in a case of mistaken identity, a 72-year-old man roused from bed and marched out of his apartment while clad in only his robe and underwear. @propublica.org and @mlk50.com report on innocent Memphians ensnared by a federal task force.

Low-income Tennessee families pay a higher proportion of their income in taxes than any other income group due to a reliance on sales taxes. via @tennesseelookout.com

A Nashville judge heard arguments Monday over the legality of Gov. Bill Lee's deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/04/j... @tennesseelookout.com

Nearly every state economist who presented to the Tennessee funding board Monday noted back-to-back multibillion-dollar tax cuts for businesses will push the state to rely even more on its regressive sales tax to fund government spending. @friedmanadam5.bsky.social reports.

Tennessee lawmakers have steadily shifted more of the tax burden from corporations to people, resulting in low-income families having a “higher tax burden than wealthier families and businesses.” tennesseelookout.com/2025/11/04/p... @friedmanadam5.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

During court arguments Monday, a lawyer representing the State of Tennessee claimed the court has no authority to stop Gov. Bill Lee from deploying National Guard troops because Lee is the commander-in-chief of the state’s army and can determine when they should be used.

ICYMI: Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett told President Donald Trump he will refer 42 “potential non-U.S. citizens” to the FBI for illegal voting. The state has 4.3 registered voters.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will pay about half of November benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, though benefits could take months to flow to recipients, the department said Monday in a brief to a federal court in Rhode Island.

Via Anita Wadhwani and Tennessee Lookout: A court hearing in Nashville Monday could decide whether members of the Tennessee National Guard can continue patrolling the streets of Memphis. https://alabamareflector.com/2025/11/03/repub/court-to-consider-whether-to-halt-national-guard-in-memphis/

Commentary: There is a dangerous willingness among too many political, civil, and community leaders — and, anecdotally, far too many everyday citizens — to sacrifice civil and human rights on the altar of authoritarianism. From columnist Rev. Earle T. Fisher.

Technology consultant Lena Chipman will attempt to become the second transgender person elected to local office in Tennessee and first in Memphis. Chipman announced her candidacy for the Shelby County Commission Thursday.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett notified President Donald Trump t he is referring 42 “potential non-U.S. citizens”, or 0.0001% of all registered voters in Tennessee, to the FBI for illegal votes.

A court hearing in Nashville Monday could decide whether members of the Tennessee National Guard can continue patrolling the streets of Memphis as part of the Trump administration’s anti-crime task force. via @tennesseelookout.com

A court hearing in Nashville Monday could decide whether members of the Tennessee National Guard can continue patrolling the streets of Memphis as part of the Trump administration’s anti-crime task force. @anitawadhwani.bsky.social reports.

A federal judge on Saturday issued a written order saying there is “no question” that U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funds must be used to provide food assistance for 42 million Americans during the government shutdown. From @janenorman.bsky.social with @statesnewsroom.com.

Commentary: There is a dangerous willingness among too many political, civil, and community leaders — and, anecdotally, far too many everyday citizens — to sacrifice civil and human rights on the altar of authoritarianism, writes Rev. Earle T. Fisher of Memphis.

A federal judge ruled Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s plan to pause SNAP food assistance program for 42 million people was illegal — but gave the Trump administration until Monday to respond before a motion to force the benefits be paid despite the ongoing government shutdown.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be transferred to Tennessee ahead of hearing scheduled next week in Nashville on claims he is being vindictively prosecuted by the federal government after they erroneously deported him. tennesseelookout.com/2025/10/31/r... @tennesseelookout.com @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social

A federal judge in Maryland on Friday approved the transfer of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration detention in Pennsylvania to Nashville, Tennessee, for a multi-day hearing in his criminal case brought by the Trump administration after an erroneous deportation to El Salvador.

No matter what Congress does, the amount insurers charge for coverage sold on the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act will increase by an average of 26% in 2026, according to KFF, a health research nonprofit. From @stateline.org.

icymi My take on Democrat Aftyn Behn's @aftynfortn prospects for turning Tennessee's markedly red 7th Congressional District blue in the upcoming Dec. 2 special election. Latest column at @tennesseelookout.com. tennesseelookout.com/2025/10/30/c...

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in a Sept. 23 the U.S. Department of Defense is prepared to authorize and fund up to 1,000 Tennessee National Guard personnel to work with the Memphis Safe Task Force through Sept. 2026.