by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 30, 2026 | Elections, News, Tennessee, The South
Former Congressman Phil Roe, who represented Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District from 2009 to 2021, has endorsed U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) for Tennessee governor. Appearing in a video alongside Blackburn, Roe noted how he served in the U.S. House at the...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 30, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
A former University of Tennessee-Knoxville (UTK) assistant professor who was placed on administrative leave for comments she made after Charlie Kirk’s assassination received nearly $2 million to settle her wrongful termination lawsuit. The UTK Board of Trustees’...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 29, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
New recruits with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) are required to participate in a “Mobile Diversity Tour” before beginning patrol duties, a program designed to introduce future officers to a range of communities across the city. One stop on...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 29, 2026 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
A new congressional bill wants to limit the influence of foreign adversaries on American technology. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Export Control Enforcement and Enhancement Act, which would prevent sensitive American technology from being sold to...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 29, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South
U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Sean Duffy toured the Music City Loop construction site last week, hailing the privately-funded project as “critical infrastructure” seeking to “meaningfully improve” the lives of those traveling around Nashville. In a...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 29, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The South
Beau Hawk, the Democratic nominee for Knox County mayor, has admitted to attending a 2020 rally in Caracas, Venezuela, in support of then-President Nicolas Maduro, according to Knox News. The outlet reported that 35-year-old Hawk confirmed attending the March 2020...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 26, 2026 | Economy, News, Tennessee, The South
Only one county in Tennessee had an unemployment rate above 5 percent in May. Perry County, which has an estimated population of 10,000, had a jobless rate of 5.3 percent, according to state government data. The rural county’s unemployment rate remained unchanged from...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 26, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Veteran journalist and public affairs specialist Clint Brewer said “elections matter” after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration may move forward with terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designations for Haiti and...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 25, 2026 | Elections, News, Tennessee, The South
Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon) received the endorsement from Americans for Prosperity (AFP) State PAC in his reelection bid for State Senate District 17. In a press release announcing a wave of endorsements for state-level races, AFP said it was “proud”...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 25, 2026 | Education, News, Tennessee, The South
The Tennessee Department of Education released statewide results from the 2025-26 Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) on Wednesday, showing increases in student proficiency across multiple grade levels and subject areas. The results include assessments...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 25, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South
The conservative Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) has hired Dr. Kent DelHousaye as its new president, marking the organization’s first leadership change since its founding in 2006. FACT announced the appointment on Friday, saying DelHousaye (pictured...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 24, 2026 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
Wilson County took a step toward implementing a moratorium on data centers. On Monday, the Wilson County Planning and Zoning Committee advanced a resolution that would implement a six-month ban on new data center construction in the county. The committee decided on a...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 24, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
New figures presented by Memphis Police Chief CJ Davis during Tuesday’s Memphis City Council meeting show crime continues to trend downward across the city in 2026. Speaking before council members, Davis reported that every major crime category tracked by the...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 24, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
An Obama-appointed federal judge has blocked the implementation of Tennessee’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) reform prohibiting recipients from using benefits to purchase certain processed food and carbonated sweetened beverages. The ruling,...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 23, 2026 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
The Knox County Commission unanimously passed a resolution that bans data center construction for one year. The resolution will allow the county to develop zoning regulations for data centers to “address current and emerging technologies not yet covered by existing...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 22, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South
A rainbow crosswalk located at the intersection of 14th St and Woodland St in East Nashville originally painted in 2024 was updated with a fresh coat of paint on Saturday ahead of next weekend’s Nashville Pride Fest and Parade set to take place downtown. The...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 22, 2026 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South
Over 6,000 people have signed an online petition urging a rural Tennessee county to impose an 18-month moratorium on data centers. The petition comes as Lawrence County may be getting a data center in Lawrenceburg. The city’s planning commission will hold a meeting on...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 19, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Veteran Washington correspondent Neil W. McCabe said Friday that continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah remains the greatest threat to the newly signed U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. Appearing on The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, McCabe discussed...
by Zachery Schmidt | Jun 19, 2026 | Justice, News, Tennessee, The South
Tennessee announced on Thursday that it received settlement money from a rent-pricing manipulation lawsuit. The Volunteer State got $7 million from the settlement with LivCor, a Chicago-based real estate investing company, over allegations that the company used...
by Kaitlin Housler | Jun 19, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South
Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said Metro Nashville’s newly approved $1.5 million for two immigration-focused nonprofits raises serious questions about transparency and compliance with state law. Speaking with guest host of The Michael Patrick...
