Lolav Arman's story is at the center of Nashville's Kurdish immigrant tradition, history about Iraqi Kurds' plight, and recent debate about lawmakers' remarks about Islam and immigration. @evanmealins.bsky.social walks us through in a naturalization ceremony story: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Religion reporter Kimberly Winston has long been a kind mentor and friend to me in the years I've gotten to know her at the Religion News Association. Glad we'll be able to honor her this week with the Lifetime Achievement Award. rna.org/news/kimberl...

With the TN legislature passing a bill to rename the "West Bank" to "Judea and Samaria" in state government documents, @vivianejones.bsky.social looks at a faith-based nonprofit founded by an AR state senator that pushed this bill and others like it in red states. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

'In the name of protecting free expression... students [are banned] from staging walkouts and using oversized signs during campus events.' 'It also offers specific protections for people with certain political beliefs, including opposition to abortion, homosexuality and “transgender behavior”'

The TN leg passed a bill bearing Charlie Kirk's name that bans college students from staging walkouts in the middle of an invited speaker's remarks or using signs to block audience members during an invited speaker's appearance. From @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Update: Tennessee's three Catholic bishops have commented on the latest news about Pope Leo XIV and Trump's posts through a statement from Tennessee Catholic Conference director Rick Musacchio. We've updated the story with their statement. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Michael Knowles, Candace Owens and Riley Gaines are among influential and locally based voices of faith to react and condemn Trump's latest posts about Leo and depicting himself as Jesus-like (since deleted). My roundup: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Inbox: Evan Lenow is the new head of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission following a unanimous vote by the ERLC trustees for a new permanent head. We wrote about his likely appointment a couple weeks ago: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Following our earlier coverage last week of the record TOSHA fine against AES following the explosion that killed 16 people at the TN explosives manufacturing plant, Kelly Puente explains why experts say the penalty should have been more. www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

On Friday night, I joined an event with Rep. Andy Ogles, William Wolfe, Andrew Isker and Stephen Wolfe, which was to launch a new group called The Institute of Christian Statecraft. It came on the heels of Ogles' recent rhetoric about Muslims: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Michael Knowles, a Nashville-based podcast host for The Daily Wire and a conservative Catholic, has joined other conservative Catholics and even Protestants in urging Trump to take down the photo depicting himself as a Jesus-like figure.

Originating with print publishers and then record labels and now influencers, Nashville has long been at the center of evangelical media power. For a Sunday print feature, I trace how the latest upheaval is transforming some of the most influential leaders in Christian media.

"We all brought the goalpost and dropped it in the Cumberland River. Now we’re here talking about how Moses led the Jews to the Jordan River...The same way that Diego Pavia has been leading his own team to the promised land.” Per a seder at FirstBank arena: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

ICYMI: A lawsuit from the National Religious Broadcasters has sparked a bigger conversation about an IRS policy barring churches from endorsing political candidates. In a surprise ruling, a judge rejected a proposed exception to the policy. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

NEW: The IRS will maintain a policy barring pastors and churches from endorsing political candidates, defying earlier expectations about a proposed exception to the Johnson Amendment. @angelelatham.bsky.social and I report on a surprising end to the NRB's lawsuit: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

While away, my devoted colleagues took up some important local religion stories I wanted to share. First, Brad Schmitt reports on the closure of Woodland Presbyterian Church in East Nashville and an intimate, final service on Palm Sunday: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

BREAKING: U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Colorado law banning conversion therapy on a 8-1 vote. From @usatoday.com: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

Glasgow, Glencoe

Last night, members of Nashville’s Kurdish community gathered to light a fire for Newroz, a Kurdish holiday. It was both a celebration and “part of our political resistance,” Ugur Balyan told me. More on the different emotions folks shared with me: www.tennessean.com/story/news/2...

Story: Tennessee pastor and former SBC president Steve Gaines died at 68. Amid his national stature as longtime senior pastor at one of the nation's most prominent Southern Baptist churches, neighbors knew him as "pastor to the greater Memphis area." www.commercialappeal.com/story/news/l...

A bill to allow the Ten Commandments in Tennessee schools will go back to House Republicans to approve an amendment before it's headed to the governor's desk to sign. Kelly Puente covered yesterday's Senate vote: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodriguez is out of ICE custody while her deportation case is ongoing, which will deal with a dispute over whether DHS had an arrest warrant prior to Rodriguez's detention. From @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

The courtroom and business succession battles over Uncle Nearest whiskey intensifies with a legal maneuver from CEO Fawn Weaver to spike the receivership that now runs the business. The receiver called it "beyond the pale," reports @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/money/...

Tennessee may be the first state in which schools will ask about students' immigration status as a prerequisite for enrollment after House Republicans passed a bill that is a repeat of even stricter proposed legislation last year, reports @vivianejones.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

With Kurds celebrating this weekend their new year, Newroz, Audrey Gibbs interviews musician Arank Doski, who will be playing at celebrations this weekend despite a heaviness with the war in Iran. www.tennessean.com/story/entert...

Pope Leo met on Monday with an investigative journalist who alleges that a prominent Catholic organisation with ​ties to right-wing politicians in the U.S. and other countries ‌covered up sexual and financial crimes, which the group firmly denies. For @reuters.com

ICYMI: A wild story emerged last week about Jeffrey Epstein's private island, a United Methodist pastor, and complex UMC polity related to a so-called extension ministry. My overview of the news, based on an initial @umnews.bsky.social report: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Rep. Gino Bulso wants to require curriculum about Israeli history, the Bible and its influence on western civilization. The Catholic lawmaker shares with @angelelatham.bsky.social how he squares his bill with the Establishment Clause: www.tennessean.com/story/news/2...

A United Methodist pastor who, during her time on what is known as an extension ministry, was a property manager for Jeffrey Epstein's private island. She didn't tell the UMC administrative leaders as required by the UMC Book of Discipline. My latest: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Wow, big news from @umnews.bsky.social that a UMC pastor in Missouri is under suspension for working with Jeffrey Epstein in 2018-2019, including as a property manager on his island. Her name appears 1,800+ times in the Epstein files, reports Heather Hahn: www.umnews.org/en/news/prob...

With TN Rep. Andy Ogles' ongoing social media attacks against Muslim Americans, The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville and interfaith groups warned of the dangerous precedent it sets for American civil liberties. My latest on reactions to Ogles: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

As a follow to @evanmealins.bsky.social story about 3 women suing Old Hickory religious leader Gregg Garner for alleged sex abuse, MNPD told me they have since dropped a criminal investigation into Garner/G.O.D. International after 2 women filed reports last year. www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Following an ICE arrest, 100+ people phone banked legislators to advocate for the release of Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodriguez. The SPJ and other press groups have called for the same. From @angelelatham.bsky.social & @evanmealins.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

The Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville in a statement today denounces TN Rep. Andy Ogles' "hateful rhetoric about Muslim Americans" and "affirms that Muslim Americans do belong." (👇 and mailchi.mp/jewishnashvi...) (For context on Ogles' remarks: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...)

ICYMI: In the widening rift between Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally and the more traditionalist Anglicans in Africa and Asia, Gafcon established the rival Global Anglican Council and its chair, Archbishop Laurent Mbanda from Rwanda. From @apnews.com: apnews.com/article/angl...

An ally of the abortion abolitionist movement who supported a TN bill that would have made abortion punishable by death penalty told @vivianejones.bsky.social "legislators will be held guilty before a holy God" when a subcommittee killed the proposal yesterday. www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Us Nashvillians will long remember the details of the January ice storm and power outages. But Molly Davis and Kelly Puente walk readers through day-by-day of the damage, political controversy and personal devastation: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

@vivianejones.bsky.social is continuing her investigation of Gov. Lee's Faith Based Office, the most recent with a deep dive into the sole contractor who's managing a foster placement initiative. There was no competitive bid and why that raises suspicions: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Rep. Andy Ogles' recently proposed “Muslim ban” bill and social media statement today that "Muslims don't belong" in the U.S. are "pure showmanship," said Sabina Mohyuddin, who leads TN's main Muslim advocacy group. From @vivianejones.bsky.social and me: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

ICYMI: Bernard Lafeyette, who cofounded SNCC and helped lead the Nashville sit-in movement before his activism in Selma for voting rights, died at 85 last week. Here's my and @kirstenfiscus.bsky.social's story in @usatoday.com: www.usatoday.com/story/news/n...

Greg Garner ran a church called G.O.D. International, which has an affiliated Bible college, and who was previously indicted for defrauding TN's Medicaid program. Now, women are suing him for sexual trafficking and abuse, @evanmealins.bsky.social reports: www.tennessean.com/story/news/r...

Soft-launched a new Nonorofit Explorer feature just in time for #nicar26!

Excited to currently be in a #NICAR26 nonprofit deep dive session co-led by @andreasuozzo.com, who authored this bombshell story from 2022 I still remember of the Family Research Council registering with the IRS as a church to shield its donor info. www.propublica.org/article/fami...

Our fresh religion news roundup features insights from @fiona-murphy.bsky.social, @piperhutch.bsky.social, @andreadotweb.bsky.social, @liamsadams.bsky.social, @friendlyatheist.com, and more!

For its first 5 years, Gov. Lee's Faith Based Office supported a six-member staff with entirely private donations. Now, it's almost completely run on $1.5 million in state funds. They provided @vivianejones.bsky.social with little detailed info on that spending: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Breaking: Civil Rights icon Bernard LaFayette, an American Baptist College alumnus who helped desegregate Nashville and became a lieutenant of Martin Luther King, Jr. and then American Baptist president, died at 85. From myself and @kirstenfiscus.bsky.social: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Estefany Maria Rodriguez Flores, a journalist who works with Nashville Noticias, was arrested by ICE without an arrest warrant. @evanmealins.bsky.social & @angelelatham.bsky.social report on a petition and another example of a TN Spanish-speaking reporter's arrest: www.tennessean.com/story/news/l...

Kristi Noem took the stage at a conference in Nashville on March 5 just minutes after Trump announced he was replacing her. @vivianejones.bsky.social is reporting on Noem's appearance at the Sergeant Benevolent Association on March 5 at the Grand Hyatt hotel: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

As part of a larger effort to lend legitimacy to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, TN lawmakers are pushing a bill to use “Judea and Samaria” in state agency records. Myself and @vivianejones.bsky.social cover the context and a subcommittee debate yesterday: www.tennessean.com/story/news/p...

Hey #NICAR26 @ire.org folks I’m here in Indy to improve my data and investigative reporting skills and find ways to integrate it better in religion reporting. If you’re interested in brainstorming more on religion reporting and data journalism, come find me!