Pres. Trump says the Smithsonian Institution is too "woke." My colleagues + I went to several museums + interviewed visitors to assess his concerns. Here's what we found: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... @chrisquintana.bsky.social @stephenbeard.bsky.social @duanegang.bsky.social @usatoday.com

In New Orleans, Broadmoor and the Lower Ninth Ward tell competing stories of recovery since Hurricane Katrina. One emerged stronger than before. The other remains entrenched in a battle for survival. Rick Jervis reports from New Orleans for @usatoday.com ⁦‪ www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Tomorrow marks 20 years since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast. ⁦ @usatoday.com national correspondent Rick Jervis covered a lot of the early rebuilding efforts‬⁩. He went back to see if New Orleans' culture survived Katrina. Here's what he found. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

The LA city council recently banned the N-word and C-word in its meetings, saying the terms have disrupted the proceedings "on many occasions." But groups like @thefireorg.bsky.social, @facoalition.bsky.social and @aclu.org say the rule violates free speech. My latest for @usatoday.com:

The Trump admin's memo about fed. employees' right to religious expression says, among other things, they can talk to others about "why (their) faith is correct." But that's nothing new, experts said. The new memo is, however, less concerned w/ potential harassment, they said. More @usatoday.com:

Canadians have pulled American alcohol from the shelves. So how does one make an Old Fashioned without Kentucky bourbon? Kentucky-native and Old Fashioned connoisseur Michael Collins of @usatoday.com decided to find out. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

Immigration raids and deportations are roiling American farms. For @usatoday.com, @chriskenning.bsky.social talks to farmers about what they see as the path forward. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

The Trump administration is seeking to dramatically reshape higher education across the U.S. For @usatoday.com, @chrisquintana.bsky.social takes a deep dive looking at the man Trump wants leading the charge. www.usatoday.com/story/news/i...

The latest from @brieannafrank.bsky.social on the @usatoday.com First Amendment beat. Reporting from Boston. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

From @usatoday.com national columnist @suzyscribe.bsky.social: George Houston was pressured to sell his land in 1968 for a new middle school. It was never built. Now, his family is fighting back -- and changing state law in Washington along the way. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Smoky Hills @pbs.org is a rural station that sits in the heart of Kansas wheat country. It's among the places that advocates fear could be hardest hit if the Senate votes to claw back $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. My latest for @usatoday.com:

With just word-of-mouth warning, a man raced 25 miles to save guests at his Texas RV park. From @usatoday.com's Rick Jervis on the ground in Center Point, Texas. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

From the talented @usatoday.com graphics team. How the deadly Texas flooding unfolded. www.usatoday.com/story/graphi...

In 2015, this Texas man lost his entire family in flash flooding. Since then, he has felt called to join search-and-rescue efforts after other deadly natural disasters. Now, he's in Kerrville. Powerful story from @usatoday.com's Rick Jervis. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Brief update, Senate version would cap the college endowment tax at 8% instead of the House's max rate of 21%. Also, only three tax tiers now, instead of four. Religious carveout remains in place, via Senate Finance Committee: www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-ne...

It's been one month since the brazen jailbreak in New Orleans. With 2 escapees still on the run, @chriskenning.bsky.social in this deep dive takes us inside the escape, the manhunt and the push to fix a broken jail system. @usatoday.com www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

'No Kings Day' protests planned for June 14 with aim to reclaim the American flag www.usatoday.com/story/news/n... via @usatoday.com

The US Supreme Court is still to rule on two more cases that could have significant impact on religious liberty and the First Amendment. @brieannafrank.bsky.social explores the issue for @usatoday.com. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

Today for @usatoday.com, @chrisquintana.bsky.social and @brieannafrank.bsky.social explore the religious exemption in the big college endowment tax hike included in the White House spending bill. Will every religious institution qualify? www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

From @chriskenning.bsky.social and @photojmorgan.bsky.social on the ground in New Orleans as the city remains on edge amid the manhunt for five remaining jail escapees. The DA blasts delays in gathering fingerprint and DNA and demands the sheriff preserve documents. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Wonderful storytelling by @usatoday.com national columnist @suzyscribe.bsky.social. She is embarking on a series about what home means. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

This is a good example of looking deep into a nonprofit organization's tax forms. @chrisquintana.bsky.social reports on how much Liberty University paid out to ex-president Jerry Falwell Jr. to end litigation stemming from his resignation back in 2020.

Really nice storytelling and reporting from @usatoday.com and @chriskenning.bsky.social and @michael-loria.bsky.social about Pope Leo XIV and his early years in Chicago. www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Some personal news: After 13 years at The Tennessean, I am embarking on a new role as the senior editor for storytelling @usatoday.com where I'll get to work with a talented team of national correspondents telling in-depth stories from across the U.S. 1/

Going to miss @davidplazas.bsky.social as he leaves Tennessee. But wishing him the best as he takes on the opinion team at the @ajc.com. www.tennessean.com/story/opinio...

This was a huge case before the U.S. Supreme Court today with major implications for education, religious liberty and the separation of church and state. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

This is a fun weekend read, from @keithsharontn.bsky.social and Paul Skrbina. It's the first in a new three-part series telling the story of a man who conned his way onto the fastest track in NASCAR and the journalist hot on his tail. www.tennessean.com/story/sports...

Percy Warner Park in Nashville is a gem. Read @keithsharontn.bsky.social 's story this morning. www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Really nice storytelling from @chriskenning.bsky.social & @usatoday.com about figure skating's twin disasters and how the sport is drawing upon its past as it recovers from the DC crash. At the world championships last night, there was a tribute to the victims. www.usatoday.com/story/news/2...

The Tennessee Department of Correction initially denied our request for records. But then reporter Kelly Puente reminded them of a specific section of the law that requires the costs to be public record. www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

This week is Sunshine Week, where we spotlight transparency and open records. @angelelatham.bsky.social explores how Tennessee's new immigration enforcement entity will largely be exempt from the state's public records law. www.tennessean.com/story/news/2...

Eight weeks or so into the Tennessee General Assembly's legislative session, @vivianejones.bsky.social breaks down what they have and have yet to do so far. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Lawmakers will take up a bill this session to allow TN districts to hire school chaplains as part of a wave of similar legislation in other red states. Like the Ten Commandments debate, it's come under fire for religious overreach in public ed. From me: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

A new Tennessee GOP bill would allow schools to refuse to enroll undocumented students. Dems, advocates and at least one Republican senator criticize the effort, which is an explicit attempt to overturn long-standing federal precedent on access to public ed www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

A good story from @vivianejones.bsky.social about the struggles Tennessee farmers have in keeping their land intact and what can be done about it. Great photos by the The Tennessean's Denny Simmons. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

One of my favorite stories this weekend is from Michael Collins of @usatoday.com and is about Grover Cleveland’s grandson, who lives in New Hampshire. Yes, that Grover Cleveland who left office in 1897. www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

From unhoused residents to beachfront homeowners and celebrities, wildfires hit all of LA society. @willcarless.bsky.social and @chriskenning.bsky.social report for @usatoday.com www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

It's been 25 years since Y2K was all the buzz. Here's how The Tennessean played the start of the year 2000 on the front page.

A good look at Jimmy Carter’s faith from @liamsadams.bsky.social of The Tennessean and Carla Hinton of The Oklahoman — two religion beat pros. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

On Dec. 26, 2004, the deadly tsunami hit Indonesia and the Indian Ocean. Here's how a few of the US newspapers played the story on the front pages on Dec. 27, 20 years ago. (Courtesy of newspapers.com) 1/

Lucky to get to work with a talented group of photographers. Some of their best photos of 2024. www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

A government shutdown could make Trump transition 'chaotic' www.usatoday.com/story/news/p... via @usatoday.com

From the archives. On this day in 1998, the House voted to impeach President Bill Clinton. Here are some print editions that I still have from the next morning.

The final part of @keithsharontn.bsky.social 's series on the chase to catch the man who broke into the Nashville jail and hid weapons inside. www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

Scott County has long been Republican and was the home of the late-Sen. Howard Baker, Jr. It also is where Trump won by the highest percentage of the vote in TN. Kelly Puente and @nicolehester.bsky.social visited to hear what voters had to say about the future. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

A little @vivianejones.bsky.social scoop to start the day. Lee administration already meeting with potential school voucher vendors ahead of the legislative battle over a statewide expansion next year. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Part 3 of our series about the chase to catch the man who broke into Nashville's jail is out today. From @keithsharontn.bsky.social www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

Part 2 of our series on the chase to find the man who broke into Nashville's under-construction jail. From @keithsharontn.bsky.social www.tennessean.com/story/news/c...

And if you prefer, please listen to this series. Narrated by @keithsharontn.bsky.social.

JUST IN: Dwayne Tucker, CEO of LEAD Public Schools, named interim TSU president www.tennessean.com/story/news/e...