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COLUMBIA, TN — Lauren Pinkston, a businesswoman, educator, and 7th-generation Tennessean, formally announced her campaign for governor Monday, positioning herself as a reform-minded alternative to what she calls Tennessee’s “political extremes.”   Pinkston, whose career has spanned work with human-trafficking survivors, nonprofit leadership, and global workforce development, framed her candidacy around restoring fairness, accountability, and…

Amid bickering about funding the nation’s food program for the poor in a government shutdown, U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday she is backing legislation to keep it from lapsing, according to news reports. Blackburn joined Republicans in signing the Keep SNAP Funded Act to make sure it continues without interruption as the federal government…

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn is taking advantage of her remaining months in the Senate to build on her accomplishments and use them as a springboard in her run for governor. She has positioned herself as a loyal ally to President Donald Trump while working with Democratic colleagues on bipartisan tech safety rules and preventing child exploitation.…

A group of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students wants to register a campus chapter of Turning Point USA as a recognized student organization, university officials said Wednesday. The Student Government Association denied the organization’s approval in a vote on Tuesday. The vote serves as a recommendation to the Dean of Students Office, which will…

Tennessee is once again leading the way in protecting its most valuable resource: children. This fall, the Volunteer State has become the first in the nation to require annual gun safety training in public schools, ensuring students from kindergarten through high school know exactly what to do if they ever encounter a firearm.   The…

A group wearing “Make America Great Again” hats and carrying signs with “inflammatory” messages was removed from the campus of Tennessee State University, a historically Black, public school in Nashville. The group appeared on campus around 3 p.m. on Sep. 23, according to a Facebook post from the Nashville chapter of the NAACP. The group…

A FINAL LOOK: The Tennessee Supreme Court will make the final call on whether the Metro Council must be reduced from 40 to 20 members. Republicans in the state legislature in 2023 passed a law that would have forced a reduction in the council’s size. Metro, joined by some councilmembers and community members, sued and won…

The White House on Friday unveiled several changes to the H-1B visa program that could have a host of implications for businesses. The biggest change is the requirement of a $100,000 payment to accompany or supplement H-1B petitions for new applications. The Trump administration said it made the change to curb abuses that displace U.S.…