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Tennessee Lookout
As pro-school voucher group purchases $1M in TV ads, Tennessee’s GOP primaries to decide its future
Two years ago, Maryville Republican Bryan Richey pulled off a major upset, taking down a seven-term incumbent while raising a fraction of the money his opponent did. The seemingly grassroots campaign was anything but, as groups supporting school vouchers and charters boosted Richey with over $140,000 in independent advertisements. The investment in Richey didn’t pay […]
‘Pass the torch’: Biden addresses nation on why he won’t seek a second term
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden explained his decision not to seek reelection during a prime-time address from the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying now is the time to turn over power to the next generation. “I’ve made it clear that I believe America is at an inflection point — one of those rare moments in […]
Democrats approve virtual vote by delegates to pick a presidential nominee
WASHINGTON — The Democratic National Committee will move forward with a virtual nomination vote for its presidential candidate as soon as Aug. 1, after its Rules Committee approved the process on Wednesday. The DNC has been moving forward with plans to hold a virtual nomination roll call since well before President Joe Biden announced his […]
5th District Democratic candidate touts small-dollar donations
Democrat Maryam Abolfazli, candidate for Congress in Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, is touting her contributions from small-dollar donors. Abolfazli, who is running unopposed in the Democratic primary, tails in fundraising the competitive Republican primary featuring Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston against first-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles. Abolfazli reported raising $5,677 for the pre-primary reporting period […]
Home efficiency programs are falling short for nearly half of Memphians, data shows
Nearly half of Memphis families face high energy burdens, spending roughly 60 cents of every $10 they earn to keep lights on and climate control running, according to a study released in late June. At the same time, advocates warn as heat waves become more prolonged and common across the south, current home efficiency boosting […]
Tennessee wildlife agency won’t appeal ruling that limits secret surveillance of private lands
The Tennessee Attorney General won’t appeal a court decision that found secret surveillance of private property by state game wardens to be unconstitutional. The decision marks the end of a six-year legal battle initiated by two Benton county men who challenged forays onto their land by officers with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Terry Rainwaters […]
Tennessee election finance board to subpoena members of Constitutional Republicans
Dissatisfied with a Tennessee Attorney General’s investigation, the Registry of Election Finance is set to subpoena members of two Constitutional Republican groups to have them explain how they operate without registering as a political action committee. The registry board voted Tuesday to order members of the Tennessee and Sumner County Constitutional Republicans to answer questions […]
Private prison operator holds close ties with lawmakers as it sidesteps state law
Flush with donations from CoreCivic, Tennessee’s lawmakers have spent the past three years enacting tough-on-crime policy that could help the state’s private-prison operator in spite of complaints that profiting on the backs of inmates is bad business. Moves to create laws that require teenagers to be tried as adults for certain crimes and remove rewards […] The post Private prison operator holds close ties with lawmakers as it sidesteps state law appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Due diligence: Questions surround Musk’s XAI plans
(This story was originally published by The Institute for Public Service Reporting Memphis.) Is Memphis moving too fast in its negotiations with Elon Musk? The question troubles environmentalists like Sarah Houston as Musk fast-tracks plans to open an energy-intensive xAI supercomputer here later this summer. “Data centers like this come with a lot of questions,’’ […] The post Due diligence: Questions surround Musk’s XAI plans appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Tennessee Lookout pulls in 15 awards from state press association
The Tennessee Lookout won 15 awards, including five first place ones, on Friday at the Tennessee Press Association’s 84th annual awards presentation. Winning coverage came in the categories of Best Investigative Reporting for “Cash for Clout,” a series analyzing the political organizations and individuals funding state lawmakers; Best Single Feature for a story about the […]
Suspected Johnson City serial rapist Sean Williams faces first trial on escape charges
Sean Williams, a former Johnson City businessman linked to scores of suspected sexual assaults, is expected to face his first trial Tuesday in a federal court in Greeneville. Williams, 52, will stand trial on charges related to his attempted escapes from custody — among the lowest level of alleged offenses involving Williams, who is at […] The post Suspected Johnson City serial rapist Sean Williams faces first trial on escape charges appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Corporate sponsors of Pride events also contribute to politicians with anti-LGBTQ leanings
This story was produced in partnership with OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that tracks money in politics. Albert Serna, Jr. is a reporter at OpenSecrets. He can be reached at aserna@opensecrets.org. Throughout Pride Month, it has become increasingly common for corporations to adorn their websites in rainbow flags, espouse their support for LGBTQ+ rights and […] The post Corporate sponsors of Pride events also contribute to politicians with anti-LGBTQ leanings appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Tennessee Valley Authority faces a push to get greener and more transparent
ASHLAND CITY, Tenn. — When he heard about the sale, Kerry McCarver was perplexed. In 2020, the mayor of rural Cheatham County discovered that the Tennessee Valley Authority bought about 280 acres of rolling farmland “in the middle of nowhere” in his county, which lies just west of Nashville and is home to about 42,000 […] The post Tennessee Valley Authority faces a push to get greener and more transparent appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Democratic delegates face big decisions on a presidential nominee
WASHINGTON — Democratic National Convention delegates from across the country praised President Joe Biden’s decision Sunday to end his reelection bid, and a few state party leaders followed Biden’s endorsement and immediately threw their support to Vice President Kamala Harris. Delegates are scheduled to hold a virtual roll call vote early next month to officially […] The post Democratic delegates face big decisions on a presidential nominee appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Tennessee delegates back Harris as Biden drops out of Presidential race
(Editor’s note: This story has been updated.) Tennessee delegates to the Democratic National Convention pledged to back Vice President Kamala Harris after President Joe Biden announced he was dropping out of the U.S. Presidential race Sunday. Chip Forrester, an at-large delegate to the convention and co-chair of the Biden-Harris Southern Finance Committee, said after Biden […] The post Tennessee delegates back Harris as Biden drops out of Presidential race appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
President Joe Biden bows out of reelection campaign, Harris vows to win nomination
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday, he said in a letter posted to social media, creating an unprecedented vacancy atop the Democratic ticket one month before he was scheduled to officially accept his party’s nomination. In a followup post less than 30 minutes later, Biden endorsed Vice President […] The post President Joe Biden bows out of reelection campaign, Harris vows to win nomination appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Anti-abortion researchers back riskier procedures when pregnancy termination is needed, experts say
The day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the medical board that certifies OB-GYNs in America released a statement calling legal pregnancy termination and knowledge of abortion procedures “essential to reproductive health care.” But a small number of influential anti-abortion doctors have spent the last two years trying to change the […] The post Anti-abortion researchers back riskier procedures when pregnancy termination is needed, experts say appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
Stockard on the Stump: Products of privilege don’t understand civil rights
If Gov. Bill Lee thinks “school choice” (code for private-school vouchers) is the “civil rights issue of our time,” he’s clearly never experienced discrimination. Desperate to pass the linch-pin bill of his administration, Lee took to the stage this week at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee claiming President Joe Biden “attacked parental rights” and […] The post Stockard on the Stump: Products of privilege don’t understand civil rights appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
U.S. Appeals Court upholds Tennessee drag show ban
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated with reaction from Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and state Rep. Aftyn Behn. The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed a lower court’s ruling and upheld Tennessee’s 2023 ban on adult cabaret entertainment in front of children. The court found that Memphis theater group Friends of George’s, […]
Tribute to civil rights leaders, neo-Nazis in city council: two disparate days in Nashville
Members of the neo-Nazi group that demonstrated in downtown Nashville on Sunday made it a twofer, raising a ruckus in Tuesday night’s Metro Nashville Council meeting before being ejected by police. About 12 members of the anti-semitic hate group, Goyim Defense League, signed up to participate in the customary public comment session. But after loudly […] The post Tribute to civil rights leaders, neo-Nazis in city council: two disparate days in Nashville appeared first on Tennessee Lookout.
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Now more than ever, tough and fair journalism is important. The Tennessee Lookout is your watchdog, telling the stories of politics and policy that affect the people of the Volunteer State. Our investigative reporters and journalists explain what’s happening, why it’s happening, and who it helps or hurts. We expose the relationships between politics, people and policy and we hold the powerful accountable. You can count on us for hard-hitting stories and incisive commentary on health care, hospital closures, mental health and addiction treatment, education, criminal justice reform and environmental issues. We are a nonprofit and all of our content is free for sharing. Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. Tennessee Lookout retains editorial independence.
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