Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic proposal Thursday to sue the Trump administration over allegations that it did not fully release the Epstein files, as mandated under a law unanimously approved by senators and signed by the president nearly three months ago.

"To be included as a stop along the Civil Rights Trail helps to guarantee the histories, the stories, the music, the songs and the civil rights events that happened on and near historic Jefferson Street will not be forgotten,” said Lorenzo Washington of the Jefferson Street Sound Museum.

If you read @tennesseelookout.com, you already know he Sam Stockard is one helluva reporter and writer. It's hard to get him on the air, but when he is, he's good. Here's your chance to hear him speak on CoreCivic.

Kid Rock looks like one of those dried up apples carved into a face I used to see at craft fairs as a kid.

"A total disaster within a disaster," House Speaker Cameron Sexton said of Nashville Electric Service. With Middle Tennessee still reeling from Winter Storm Fern after two weeks, GOP lawmakers are ready to reshape Nashville Electric Service or fire the utility’s leaders if they don’t shape up.

President Donald Trump’s attempts to dramatically slash funding for the U.S. Department of Education amid a broader push to dismantle the agency hit a major roadblock this week in the form of bipartisan approval of a spending law that gives the department a small raise.

Commentary: When Tennesseans trying to verify their voter registration couldn't do so, a spokesman for the Tennessee Secretary of State's office attributed it to a software issue. That explanation may satisfy internal operations but should not satisfy the public, writes Rev. Earle Fisher.

"To be quite honest, I’m a bit perplexed why a very simple honoring and memorializing resolution for a mother who was murdered was bumped off a consent calendar and sent to the Criminal Justice Subcommittee,” Rep. Justin Jones, a Nashville Democrat, told the committee Wednesday.

Tennessee Republicans on Wednesday voted down a resolution to honor Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman fatally shot multiple times by an immigration agent during the Trump Administration’s controversial surge in federal law enforcement actions across the Twin Cities. From @anitawadhwani.bsky.social.

An issue preventing voters from verifying their registration status on a state website Tuesday was caused by human error and has been fixed, according to a spokesperson from the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Elections Division. @cstephenson.bsky.social reports.

U.S. Health Secretary Kennedy renews backing for vaccination “freedom of choice” on visit to Nashville tennesseelookout.com/2026/02/04/u... @tennesseelookout.com

Kennedy compared mandated school vaccines to the Nuremberg Code, ethical principles created after World War II in response to Nazi medical experimentation on prisoners.

Dozens of U.S. House Democrats and leaders of several caucuses rallied on a chilly Tuesday morning outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters in the nation’s capital, demanding the resignation, firing or impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

DO IT.

Black infant mortality in Alabama is about twice as high as that of whites.

BREAKING: The Supreme Court allows new California congressional districts that favor Democrats.

Commentary: Columnist @brucebarry.bsky.social on the Nashville Electric Service power outages and communication (or lack thereof) from the agency as hundreds of thousands were left without power following Winter Storm Fern.

With end of 2025 campaign finance disclosures recently released, I did one of my favorite things: I poured a big cup of coffee and created a spreadsheet, tracking fundraising, spending, cash on hand and notable donors. Here's a look at Congressional District 5.

In the closely-watched race for Tennessee's 5th Congressional District, Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder holds a huge financial advantage over other candidates in the race, including incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles.

To what extent should we fault NES for ice storm recovery mayhem? My latest column for @tennesseelookout.com up today. tennesseelookout.com/2026/02/04/t...

House Republicans continued their push to toughen immigration laws days before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee made his final State of the State address. But the governor didn’t talk about immigration Monday night, heading into the last year of his two terms.

Got two hours of sleep last night and it shows: I just walked out of a public bathroom not with toilet paper on my shoe, but somehow dragging a whole roll.

Gov. Bill Lee didn't mention immigration during Monday's State of the State address, despite Republican legislative leadership partnering with Trump aide Stephen Miller on a slate of anti-immigrant measures.

It is not illegal to watch, record, follow, or track immigration officers. It *is* illegal to threaten, punish, or point a gun at them when they've done nothing illegal. If all these people were doing is observing, this is a crime. As are all the similar videos. We can't let this become normal.

The U.S. House cleared a government funding package Tuesday, sending the legislation to President Donald Trump, who is expected to quickly sign it and end the partial shutdown that began this past weekend.

In a 217-214 vote -- 21 Democrats voted for the spending package, 21 Republicans voted against--cleared a government funding package Tuesday, a move that is supposed to give time for lawmakers to find consensus on changes to how immigration officers operate.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., will be in Nashville Wednesday as part of his "Take Back Your Health" tour. @timhenderson.bsky.social with @stateline.org reports on how Kennedy may be affecting childhood vaccine rates.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee leaves mention of immigration enforcement out of final address even as GOP leaders introduce a spate of anti-immigrant bills, some crafted in consultation with Stephen Miller tennesseelookout.com/2026/02/03/t... @tennesseelookout.com

A good analogy for 2026 here:

"Candidates I spoke with felt that for too long the Republican party had distorted Christian values and the Democrats had allowed their opponents to monopolize faith." ICYMI @lauren-egan.bsky.social: lnk.thebulwark.com/3MjDseL

House Republicans continued their push to toughen immigration laws days before Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee made his final State of the State address. But the governor didn’t talk about immigration Monday night, heading into the last year of his two terms.

After rejecting millions of dollars in federal funds intended to help families buy food for their children during the summer, Tennessee officials have begun recruiting organizations to participate in a separate program that serves meals at churches, playgrounds and community centers.

SEARING DECISION AGAINST KRISTI NOEM ON TPS: Temporary legal status allowed for now for 350,000 Haitians as judge blasts Kristi Noem - @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social for @statesnewsroom.com DC www.newsfromthestates.com/article/temp...

Despite plans to cut the state budget, Gov. Bill Lee used his final State of the State address to push for a 100% increase in private school vouchers, a move that is likely to put him at odds with rural lawmakers.

Just in: In his final State of the State, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee proposed a 100% increase in private-school vouchers, even as lawmakers say the state is building an unsustainable entitlement program.

In just over an hour, at 6 pm CST, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will give his final State of the State address. He is expected to address, among other topics, the expansion of private school vouchers. Sam Stockard will cover for @tennesseelookout.com.

As if the winter storm didn't damage Nashville enough, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert Kennedy, Jr. will be at the Tennessee Capitol on Wednesday as part of his Make America Healthy tour.

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked a Trump administration policy that prevented members of Congress from making unannounced oversight visits at facilities that hold immigrants. From @arianalfigueroa.bsky.social.

Journalists @anitawadhwani.bsky.social and John Partipilo spent Saturday with volunteers from the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition as they delivered hot meals and supplies to immigrants in housing without power - many of whom have been afraid to venture out.

From Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell this morning:

From @tennesseelookout.com: @cstephenson.bsky.social reports the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it will send $11 million in emergency response funds to Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi to expedite disaster response after last week's winter storm.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday that it will deliver more than $11 million in combined emergency assistance funding to Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana to expedite immediate disaster response following a debilitating winter storm. @cstephenson.bsky.social reports.

Just in from Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell: "What I learned today is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis." (1)

A note from our editors:

BREAKING: The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

The U.S. Department of Justice released more than 3 million pages of documents Friday related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. The release comes more than 40 days after the agency was legally required to release the full set of files.

Just experienced the most intense tear gassing of my life by federal officers outside the ICE facility in Portland where marchers gathered. There was no fast exit as they indiscriminately threw loads of gas and flash bangs. Children were in the crowd screaming. @oregoncapitalchronicle.com

Hey, Tennessee. This is our leadership.

In most states, regulators try to keep lending and betting separate. But in Tennessee, when a payday lending company wanted to include a sports gambling company at its storefronts, Tennessee lawmakers stepped aside to let it happen.

Appeals court affirms Kansas Highway Patrol traffic stops violate motorists’ constitutional rights | via @kansascarpenter.bsky.social #ksleg