Briefs
Black Caucus advises Tennesseans to withhold home addresses from public health officials
The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is advising Tennesseans to withhold their home addresses from public health officials conducting COVID-19 testing. The caucus has urged Gov. Bill Lee to rescind agreements to provide the state’s sheriffs and police chiefs with the names and addresses of every state resident who has tested positive for the […]
Sumner youth center posts all negative COVID results
All children and staff at a Sumner County youth treatment center have tested negative for COVID-19, after mass testing prompted by a staff member who tested positive for the virus, the Department of Children’s Services reported Tuesday. The privately-operated Bledsoe Youth Academy employs 41 staff members who oversee 30 children in state custody at the […]
Groups call for extension of tenant relief measures
Middle Tennessee Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and its offshoot Red Door Collective (RDC) called on elected officials to extend current economic relief to Nashvillians through temporary suspensions of evictions and utility shutoffs. Metro Nashville Councilmember Sean Parker (District 5), a DSA member, plans to introduce resolutions to address the issues. “It’s absolutely critical that […]
BCBS posts drop in numbers of insured
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee saw a drop of of 15,743 in commercially-insured members in April, according to data provided by the state’s largest insurer. The loss of coverage for individuals formerly covered through employer-sponsored insurers represents a fraction of the insurer’s 1.5 million customers. But the data is too early to capture the full extent […]
Southern Christian Coalition calls on Lee to expand Medicaid
Gov. Bill Lee is putting vulnerable Tennesseans at risk by reopening the economy too soon and failing to accept federal funds for Medicaid expansion, members of the Southern Christian Coalition said Thursday. During a Thursday press conference, three pastors from across Tennessee called on Gov. Lee to expand Medicaid in Tennessee and to address the […]
Nashville COVID chief says ‘data and science matter’
A Monday story from NBC that reported Nashville is experiencing a high spike in COVID-19 cases counted data from a Trousdale County prison outbreak took local criticism. Written by political reporter Jonathan Allen and reporters Phil McCausland and Cyrus Farivar, the story cited a May 7 report by the White House pandemic task force. Dr. […]
Will Congress send aid to ailing local news outlets?
WASHINGTON — Politicians are banding together to try to rescue local news media from economic collapse during the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced that Democratic leaders in Congress are pushing to fix a small business lending program so that it applies to local news publishers and broadcasters affiliated with larger […]
Poor People’s Campaign launches stay-at-home campaign
The Poor People’s Campaign, which has a Tennessee chapter, today launched a nonviolent protest to promote the plight of essential and low-income workers as states begin reopening the economy. Today’s virtual media conference was led by the Rev. William Barber II and featured workers speaking of having inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE.) A Dallas retail […]
Update: DNC Member Owen: “I didn’t give money to McConnell”
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Lookout reported Bill Owen, a former state senator from Knoxville and one of four Tennessee members on the Democratic National Committee, survived a challenge from party officials that would have removed him from the DNC. Among the charges levied against him were his numerous contributions to Republican elected officials. Owen has […]
UPDATE: List of Law Enforcement Agencies with MOUs
The Tennessee Department of Health has provided a list of law enforcement agencies in the state that have entered into memorandums of understanding with the state to accept personal data about COVID-19 patients in their jurisdictions. As the Tennessee Lookout reported earlier, Gov. Bill Lee requested the Department of Health to provide daily updates to […]
TIRRC joins national coalition to protect meatpacking workers
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) discussed a nationwide coordinated effort with other immigrant rights leaders in order to highlight COVID-19’s impact on immigrants. In response to the rising number of infected workers across the country, adult children born in the U.S. have collaborated on behalf of their parents, many of whom are undocumented […]
From hospital, Justice Ginsburg slams Trump birth control rules
WASHINGTON — Hospitalization for a gallbladder condition didn’t stop U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from assailing Trump administration’s birth control rules on Wednesday. Ginsburg, 87, was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday night, but was animated as she participated in an oral argument via teleconference surrounding a Trump administration policy that allows […]