News
Case against Sen. Katrina Robinson hits snag
In Memphis Thursday, federal Judge Sheryl Lipman debated with prosecutors the merits of the federal government’s fraud case against state Sen. Katrina Robinson. Lipman dismissed the jury immediately after prosecutors rested their case. Robinson’s attorneys asked the judge to dismiss all charges, citing lack of evidence and fundamental flaws in the prosecution’s financial analysis. The […]
Governor discounts effect of constitutional carry law on Collierville Kroger shooting
A day after a disgruntled employee opened fire in a Collierville Kroger, killing one woman and injuring 14 others, Gov. Bill Lee said he believes there is no connection between the shooting and a constitutional carry law he signed this year. Lee called the incident a “terrible shooting” and tragedy, while expressing sorrow for victims […]
Tennessee lawmaker says Virginia needs to do more to fix Bristol landfill’s malodorous emissions
Not satisfied with how Virginia officials are handling the complaints, a Tennessee state senator wants his state agencies to investigate a Bristol, Virginia, landfill linked to air pollution and foul odors plaguing residents on both sides of the border. “In addition to the landfill causing odor nuisance issues, I believe it presents a health and […]
Week two of Robinson trial in Memphis: Prosecutors call former THI employees
Trial continued in Memphis this week for state Sen.Katrina Robinson who is facing federal charges of embezzlement and fraud. The charges allege that she intentionally appropriated federal grant funds meant for her business, The Health Institute, which provides postsecondary education in nursing. The week’s testimony has focused on discrepancies in annual reports made by The […]
Shelby County committee recommends DOJ oversight of juvenile courts
The Shelby County Law Enforcement, Corrections and Courts Committee voted to recommend the U.S. Department of Justice resume oversight of the county’s juvenile court system after concerns that current policies have failed to address racial disparities. On Wednesday the Countywide Juvenile Justice Consortium (CJJC), a citizen-led board created to hold the juvenile justice system accountable, […]
Tennessee sees student improvement from summer programs
Tennessee students who took part in summer camps improved in English and math, regaining some of their pandemic learning loss, after the Legislature pumped $160 million into new programs, according to new data the state released Wednesday. Test scores from 120,000 students who participated in the classes showed an improvement of 5.97 percentage points overall […]
Orphaned, infected, in crisis: How the pandemic is traumatizing kids
WASHINGTON — The coronavirus pandemic has brought heartbreaking consequences for millions of U.S. children, even as most avoided serious illness themselves, pediatric experts told Congress on Wednesday. Take, for instance, a young girl from Tennessee named Sophia, whose story was relayed by Dr. Margaret Rush, president of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University. Within […]
“I feel like the public schools have let us down.”
Last school year wasn’t easy, but with the help of his mother, Joey Doherty kept up with Zoom classes taught by the special education teachers he has known for years. This year, Joey – a high school senior who is 19 years old, blind in one eye, has Down Syndrome and a host of resulting […]
Memphis Council bridges regulatory gaps that have threatened water
The Memphis City Council approved an ordinance to bridge regulatory gaps that have left the city’s drinking water vulnerable and added protections for residents living near toxic materials. On Tuesday, council members debated three ordinances created as a result of protests against a pipeline set to be built near a historic Black neighborhood. In late […]
State saving monoclonal antibodies for the unvaccinated
Apparently reacting to cutbacks from the federal government, Tennessee is recommending monoclonal antibodies to treat COVID-19 be used for the unvaccinated as the state ranks at the bottom nationally for vaccination rates. As reported Tuesday by The Tennessean, the Department of Health issued a statement saying, “Our recommendation to monoclonal antibody providers or individual facilities […]
U.S. House Dems propose $28.6B in disaster aid for recovery from hurricanes, wildfires, floods
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats unveiled a short-term spending measure on Tuesday that would keep the federal government operating through Dec. 3 and provide $28.6 billion for costs related to recent natural disasters. That disaster relief money is slightly more than the $24 billion that the Biden administration asked Congress to approve for extreme weather events […]
House Education panels won’t hear Hakeem’s Black history bill
A joint meeting of House Education committees isn’t likely to consider Rep. Yusuf Hakeem’s Black history education bill this week even though he was told it would be made “perfect” in summer study. The Chattanooga Democrat sought to increase Black history curriculum in grades 5-8 earlier this year, but the House Education Instruction Committee voted […]