Tennessee Lookout

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Independent, nonprofit news site dedicated to cover Tennessee government, policy and politics. Send tips to @info@tennesseelookout.com.

Tennessee Lottery proceeds that fund many of the state’s college and technical education scholarships are projected to fall short of covering those programs’ costs each year through 2030, according to a report released Tuesday.

Report: Tennessee’s lottery-funded scholarship program faces revenue shortfalls • Tennessee Lookout

Tennessee Lottery proceeds that fund many of the state’s college and technical education scholarships are projected to fall short.

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Voting on Thursday? Check out some of our coverage of the Tennessee Republican primary between U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Rep. John Rose and state Rep. Monty Fritts. First up: the candidates on school vouchers.

Tennessee GOP gubernatorial hopefuls split on private school vouchers • Tennessee Lookout

Tennessee’s three top Republican gubernatorial candidates are miles apart on expanding the state’s main private-school voucher program.

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The Tennessee Department of Correction is believed to be investigating a series of overdoses at the Morgan County prison. WBIR reported obtaining an employee’s 911 call from the correctional complex last week in which two to three ambulances were requested for “multiple overdoses” at the prison. The

Report: State probing overdoses at Morgan County prison • Tennessee Lookout

The Tennessee Department of Correction is investigating a series of overdoses at the Morgan County Correctional Complex.

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COMMENTARY: While Republican candidates for office run Saturday Night Live-worthy ads with fortune cookies and AI drag queens, Tennessee's quality of life metrics are in the pits, including for health care, air quality and worker protections. From columnist Ren Brabenec.

Does Tennessee business growth matter if no one enjoys living here? • Tennessee Lookout

Tennessee ranks low for most quality of life measures according to a recent report by CNBC and more people leave the state each year.

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U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche came closer to permanently leading the Justice Department, after two skeptical Senate Republicans voted to advance his nomination given Blanche’s signed promise that President Donald Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund is dead.

Blanche nomination for attorney general advanced by US Senate panel on party-line vote • Tennessee Lookout

U.S. acting Attorney General Todd Blanche was one step closer to permanently leading the Justice Department Tuesday.

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Cookeville U.S. Rep. John Rose loaned his gubernatorial campaign an additional $4 million in the final days of the Republican primary, bringing his total in self-funding to $13 million. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn has a raised $12 million for her campaign, reports @friedmanadam5.bsky.social.

Rose up to $13M in self-funding, Blackburn PAC gets $250k from Anthropic in TN gov primary last days • Tennessee Lookout

U.S. Rep. John Rose loaned his governor's campaign $5 million in the last days of the GOP primary for a total in self-funding to $13 million.

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The state has found some registered Texas voters were wrongly flagged as potential noncitizens. The secretary of state told counties to immediately reinstate any Texans who were removed from the voter roll despite showing DPS proof of citizenship. bit.ly/4yOsWzH

Texas finds some registered voters wrongly flagged as noncitizens

The secretary of state told counties to immediately reinstate any Texans who were removed from the voter roll despite showing DPS proof of citizenship.

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Bishop William Barber and a group of faith leaders were arrested in Washington, D.C., Monday following a demonstration inside the Hart Senate Office Building. Barber and the activists were attempting to voice their opposition to voter suppression and the SAVE America Act. @ncnewsline.com

Moral Monday leader, activists arrested in U.S. Senate Office Building • NC Newsline

Bishop William Barber and other faith leaders were arrested Monday following a voting rights protest in the Hart Senate Office Building. They say they'll take their message to the states to turn out v...

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ICYMI: In May, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn nearly emptied her federal campaign account, donating $4.8 million to the Club for Growth PAC. Months later, a subsidiary PAC gave a nearly identical amount to her gubernatorial campaign in what one campaign finance expert called a "workaround."

Blackburn moves $4.8M from US Senate campaign account in apparent legal 'workaround' • Tennessee Lookout

A political action committee operated Club For Growth has spent $4.81 million backing U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s gubernatorial bid.

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Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, on Sunday said Rep. Max Miller, also of Ohio and his former son-in-law, is not fit to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives as he faces allegations of domestic abuse from his ex-wife, who is Moreno’s daughter.

Ohio US Sen. Moreno says former son-in-law Rep. Max Miller unfit to serve in Congress • Tennessee Lookout

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno on Sunday said his former son-in-law, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, is not fit to serve in the U.S. House.

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Attorneys for anti-abortion activist Paul Vaughn, who was convicted in 2024 on a felony charge of conspiring to prevent access to a Mt. Juliet reproductive clinic and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, say they have reached a seven-figure settlement with the federal government on his behalf.

Attorneys for pardoned abortion clinic protester announce 7-figure settlement with DOJ • Tennessee Lookout

Anti-abortion activist Paul Vaughn got a settlement from the federal government after a 2024 conviction for harassment at Carafem Mt. Juliet.

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Paper ballots, deportation of all immigrants and banning congressional stock trading are among the issues that unite the Republican candidates in the race for the newly-drawn 9th Congressional District while the Democrats in the race focus mostly on “kitchen table issues."

In crowded primaries for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, what separates the candidates? • Tennessee Lookout

A May redistricting by Tennessee Republicans opened the floodgates to candidates from from both parties in the 9th Congressional District.

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A political action committee operated by officers of the conservative pro-private school voucher group Club For Growth has spent $4.81 million backing U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s gubernatorial bid, months after Blackburn donated a nearly identical amount to the organization’s primary PAC.

Blackburn moves $4.8M from US Senate campaign account in apparent legal 'workaround' • Tennessee Lookout

A political action committee operated Club For Growth has spent $4.81 million backing U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s gubernatorial bid.

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Commentary of the week: U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett is chairing a committee with the topic, "American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past,” with Burchett claiming the museum has fallen victim to a “woke ideology." From Mark Harmon.

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett’s Smithsonian slam is madness • Tennessee Lookout

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, of Tennessee's 2nd Congressional District, is leading a review of the Smithsonian Institution.

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President Donald Trump defended his highly criticized, nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” settlement fund on social media and in a Cabinet meeting Friday, as two key Republican senators withheld support for the president’s nominee for attorney general over Trump’s refusal to formally end it.

Trump defends massive settlement for ‘great American Patriots’ of Jan. 6, attacks GOP senators • Tennessee Lookout

President Donald Trump defended his highly criticized, nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” settlement fund on social media Friday.

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"Queen pharma mama" backer seeks karma: The Tennessee Registry of Election Finance will on September 16 hear a complaint for a campaign surrogate for U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn about a dark money group that’s been pounding Blackburn with a TV ad calling her “queen pharma mama.”

Stockard on the Stump: Dark-money complaint headed to Tennessee Election Finance Registry • Tennessee Lookout

Better late than never, Tennessee’s campaign finance watchdog will take up a sworn complaint against a dark-money group that’s been pounding U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn with a TV ad calling her “queen…

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not planning an aggressive campaign at voting sites during the upcoming midterm elections, the Department of Homeland Security said Thursday in response a letter from U.S. Senate Democrats voicing concerns about armed federal agents at polling places.

Trump administration rules out mass ICE enforcement at the polls in midterms • Tennessee Lookout

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not planning an aggressive campaign at voting sites during the upcoming midterm elections.

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Five human rights organizations are seeking the immediate release of a breastfeeding mother with a pending asylum claim, who was detained in May by immigration agents at her home in Nashville as she was putting her two young children into a car to get to a doctor. From @anitawadhwani.bsky.social.

ICE separated nursing mom from infant, toddler, against its own rules, advocates say • Tennessee Lookout

Human rights organizations seek the immediate release of a breastfeeding mother with a pending asylum claim, detained in May by ICE.

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