States originally identified 4.86 million locations with poor or no internet access eligible for getting internet connectivity through federal funds. But that number is projected to fall to 4.19 million locations under the Trump administration's revamp stateline.org/2025/09/22/w... @stateline.org

ICE officials, attorneys for Mario Guevara spar over the Georgia journalist’s immigration history, reports @alander.bsky.social.

A group wearing MAGA hats and carrying signs that read "DEI should be illegal" and "deport all illegals now" appeared Tuesday on the campus of Tennessee State University, a historically Black college in Nashville. They were escorted off campus. www.tennessean.com/story/news/e...

Bobby Cain, the first Black student to graduate from high school during Southern integration dies in Nashville at 85 wpln.org/post/first-b... @mariannabac.bsky.social @wpln.bsky.social

BREAKING: ICE detainees were among those shot in the Dallas attack, Homeland Security spokesperson says. No agents were injured.

As Trump administration asks SCOTUS to uphold its sex marker ban on govt IDs, transgender Tennesseans may have a narrow window to get passports to reflect their gender -- particularly important here, where gender changes on DLs are barred tennesseelookout.com/briefs/trans... @tennesseelookout.com

Tennessee still ranks high in projected EV jobs amid industry uncertainty. That's thanks to 5800 jobs promised in rural Tennessee by Ford Motor Company, which has now delayed its EV plant opening until 2028 @cstephenson.bsky.social tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/24/r... @tennesseelookout.com

Former Tennessee Republican House Speaker gets 3y in federal prison, $30k fine in scheme to profit from legislature's postage/printing fund A former aide was sentenced to 30 months last week. Ex Rep. Robin Smith to be sentenced next month tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/23/f... @tennesseelookout.com

BREAKING: former Tennessee house speaker Glen Casada has been sentenced to three years in federal prison, one year of probation and a $30,000 fine for his role in a kickback scheme.

“Tennesseans don’t want people threatening our officers, but they also don’t want secret police.” tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/23/s... @tennesseelookout.com

Disability services in Appalachia face defunding under proposed federal budget cuts wpln.org/post/disabil...

“I don’t understand why it’s not available ... it’s my understanding that the private schools do communicate with the public school districts whenever they receive transfers from public to private,” said Tennessee Republican Rep. Kevin Vaughan of voucher data. tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/23/t...

Tennessee wants to withhold the identities of highway patrol officers from public records - but only when they participate in immigration enforcement. State officials cite the highly politicized nature of the work as putting troopers at heightened risk tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/23/s...

Trump ties autism to Tylenol use in pregnancy despite inconclusive scientific evidence www.newsfromthestates.com/article/trum...

In his newest congressional campaign ad, Rep. Gino Bulso says “they” shot Charlie Kirk and Trump and caused inflation. I asked him who “they” are.

EPA terminates $156M Biden-era solar power program for low-income Tennesseans Suspending Inflation Reduction Act funding, particularly for clean energy programs, was among Trump’s first actions after taking office. tennesseelookout.com/briefs/epa-t... @cstephenson.bsky.social

Tennessee taxpayers face steep, $110M+ price tag for SNAP after Big Beautiful Bill shifted more of the food program's costs to states The feds set all benefit/eligibility rules, leaving little room to cut costs - except to end SNAP in Tennessee entirely tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/22/o...

Some 154 million people in the United States get health care through their employer — and for many, their costs are about to go way up.

NEW: The Pentagon told journalists it will require them to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release, and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey. @washingtonpost.com

Half of Tennessee is in drought — for the fourth consecutive fall wpln.org/post/half-of... @carolineeggers.bsky.social @wpln.bsky.social

Mark Green retired from Congress to go into business with a lobbyist, hoping to compete with Chinese companies in other countries.

Tennessee GOP lawmakers vote to end equal opportunity employment rules for the state government workforce tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/18/t... @tennesseelookout.com

Memphis Democratic Rep Jesse Chism asks Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee to put National Guard under police chief command tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/18/m... @tennesseelookout.com

Federal prosecutors denied allegations they are pursuing human smuggling charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Tennessee as part of a Trump administration retribution campaign tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/17/p... @tennesseelookout.com

Cade Cothren, the former aide to ex Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, sentenced to 30 months in prison for his role in kickback scheme. Casada to be sentenced 9/23 tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/16/f... @tennesseelookout.com

Hey! @friedmanadam5.bsky.social has spent almost a year working with ProPublica to investigate how state legislation enabled Advance Financial to create a loan with a 267% interest rate--and unlike other lenders, the ability to sue 110,000 Tennesseans. Tune in!

NIH pulls $2M "DEI" grant from Meharry, part of “catastrophic” string of public funding cuts to HIV/AIDS that also includes: Ending 191 HIV/AIDS grants Halting 56% of clinical trials Ending global research/outreach programs Axing $67M for vaccine development tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/15/t...

Today we speak with @tennesseelookout.com reporter Adam Friedman who, along wit @propublica.org uncovered the hidden dangers of the latest version of a payday loan called the "Flex Loan" and the toll it has taken on Tennesseans. Also joining us are State House Rep. Mike Sparks, former State

Tennessee Universities are Firing Professors for Posting about Charlie Kirk in Aftermath of Killing nashvillebanner.com/2025/09/16/c... @iamstevenhale.bsky.social @nashvillebanner.bsky.social

Trump deploys National Guard troops to Memphis for anti-crime task force tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/15/r... @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Shelby County lawmakers torn over National Guard deployment to Memphis tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/16/s... @tennesseelookout.com

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says he will speak to Trump this afternoon to “work out details of the mission" bringing National Guard or other federal law enforcement to Memphis tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/12/t... @friedmanadam5.bsky.social

Tennessee House Speaker wants state to activate an anti-gang “strike force" working w National Guard to target gang activity in Memphis. He said U.S. attorney could prosecute, bypassing local DA, considered soft on crime by Republicans tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/12/s... @tennesseelookout.com

"Sadly, with the occupation of US cities, we are far down this road of losing our democracy," Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said on looming prospect of troops sent to Memphis tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/12/w... @tennesseelookout.com @mlk50.com

New Mexico's chief medical officer has provided a COVID-19 vaccine prescription for all residents that the department recommends people bring when they go to get a vaccine just to ensure no problems.

Middle Tennessee State University assistant dean fired over ‘callous’ comments on Charlie Kirk’s death www.wsmv.com/2025/09/11/m...

Judge denies new trial for former Tennessee House Speaker Casada, ex-aide Cothren tennesseelookout.com/briefs/judge... @tennesseelookout.com

Lutheran clergy seek to temporarily block new Tennessee law making it a crime to ‘harbor’ immigrants tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/11/l...

District Attorney General Steve Mulroy released information showing the fifth and last ethics complaint filed against him by state Sen. Brent Taylor was dismissed by the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, the state body that handles ethics charges against attorneys.

In a win for wetlands conservation, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is potentially a few months away from purchasing about 7,500 acres of land along the Hatchie River for conservation and outdoor recreation. @cstephenson.bsky.social reports.

TN Wildlife Agency to purchase 7.5K acres of huntable wetlands along Hatchie River tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/09/t... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR: “We should not have to live in a country where the Government can seize anyone who looks Latino, speaks Spanish, and appears to work a low wage job" @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social www.newsfromthestates.com/article/us-s...

As federal prosecutors push harder for swift deportations and accounts of immigration officers arresting people at court hearings circulate, a Memphis-based legal nonprofit and clergy members are working together to ensure these events don’t go unwitnessed. From @cstephenson.bsky.social.

Many Black, Latino people can’t get opioid addiction med. Medicaid cuts may make it harder. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/many... @nhassanein.bsky.social @stateline.org

Tennessee Republican Rep. Andy Ogles Fights with Protesters, Threatens to ‘Punch O’Connell in the Nose’ with National Guard Threats nashvillebanner.com/2025/09/08/a... @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social @nashvillebanner.bsky.social

Memphis legal nonprofit and local clergy are putting together an immigration court watch program as federal government sends immigration agents to detain those showing up for routine immigration hearings tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/08/m... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

"The response we got is that goal is to serve American children only. American citizen children” How the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration is reshaping federal funding for crime victims tennesseelookout.com/2025/09/08/t... @tennesseelookout.com

PBS is cutting 100 positions, or roughly 15% of its staff, as a result of the major federal funding cuts to public broadcasting.

Nashville mayor, citing year-over-hear crime reduction in the city: “Congressman Ogles neither lives in nor even has an office in Nashville. Perhaps he'd like to invite the National Guard into his actual community." www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Earlier this year, a federal court in Nashville struck down a portion of Tennessee's law making it a crime to provide information/guidance to teens seeking an out-of-state abortion. Tennessee is now appealing to the 6th Circuit. tennesseelookout.com/briefs/tenne... @tennesseelookout.com