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Tennesseans must bring valid photo identification to the polls. That means a driver's license or government-issued photo ID. College student IDs are not acceptable. (Vesperstock/Adobe Stock)

TN Early Voting Underway; Voters Face Lengthy Ballots

The Volunteer State ranks poorly in the U.S. for its overall lack of voter participation. Over the last decade, critics say the poor turnout is …

Los residentes de Tennessee deben traer una identificaci�n v�lida con foto a las urnas. Eso significa una licencia de conducir o una identificaci�n con foto emitida por el gobierno. No se aceptan identificaciones de estudiantes universitarios. (Vesperstock/Adobe Stock)

Comenzó votación anticipada en TN; votantes enfrentan boletas largas

El Estado Voluntario ocupa un lugar bajo en los EE. UU. por su falta general de participación de los votantes. Durante la última dé…

Expanding professional nursing licenses to DACA recipients and Temporary Protected Status holders could help alleviate Tennessee's nursing shortage. (Adobe Stock)

TN Gov. Expected to Sign 'Historic' Expansion of Immigrant Workers’ Rights

A bill on Gov. Bill Lee's desk would expand eligibility for certain types of work licenses to Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) recipients…

Ampliar las licencias profesionales de enfermer�a a los beneficiarios de DACA y los titulares de Estado Temporal de Protecci�n (TPS) podr�a ayudar a aliviar la escasez de enfermeras en Tennessee. (Acci�n de Adobe)

Gobernador firmará expansión 'histórica' para trabajadores inmigrantes en TN

Un proyecto de ley en el escritorio del gobernador Bill Lee ampliaría la elegibilidad para ciertos tipos de licencias de trabajo a los beneficiar…

A recent report by the Hope Center calls on states to increase funding for HBCUs to help close the gap in addressing students' basic needs. (Adobe Stock)

Hunger Persists at HBCUs, Despite Record Federal Funding

Tennessee's six Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) collectively received more than $131 million in the past year through the America…

Tennessee House Republicans' newly approved map of congressional voting districts fast-growing and increasingly diverse Nashville into three districts. (Adobe Stock)

Groups: New TN Redistricting Maps Dilute Black, Brown Voting Blocs

Tennessee lawmakers have approved all three congressional, state House and state Senate redistricting maps, which now head to Gov. Bill Lee's desk…

From 1980 to 2019, Tennessee's jail incarceration rate increased 319%, according to the Vera Institute. (Adobe Stock)

Shelby County Pretrial System Under Scrutiny, Calls for Reform

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Legal advocacy groups in Tennessee have asked Shelby County Court officials to change their bail and pretrial detention practices…

Black men comprise only 2% of the national teacher workforce, according to 2016 data from the Department of Education. (Adobe Stock)

More Black Male Educators Sought Across TN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Among Tennessee students, 40% are children of color, yet only about 3% of teachers in the state are Black men. In Memphis…

Students participating in a high-impact practice in their first semester are more likely to be enrolled full time, and are much more likely to be enrolled in a learning-support course, according to a Lumina Foundation study. (Adobe Stock)

High-Impact Practices Make a Difference for TN’s Community-College Students

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - As the pandemic continues to pose challenges for college students across the state, research by the Lumina Foundation shows that a …

Research suggests a significant percentage of people on death row in the U.S. have some form of intellectual disability, brain damage, or severe mental illness. (Adobe Stock)

Rallies Planned Across TN for Pervis Payne

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tomorrow, events in Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro and Nashville will mark the one-year anniversary of weekly rallies for …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by …

People who have medical debt or trouble paying medical bills are more likely to have continued health issues, from high blood pressure and mental health concerns to a shorter life expectancy.(Adobe Stock)

TN Court Offers Online Negotiation for People with Medical Debt

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - A court in Hamilton County has set up a new pilot program, giving people with unpaid medical bills an option to negotiate online …

Protestors clash with police on a highway in Hong Kong. (Adobe Stock)

TN “Anti-Protest" Bill Would Make Highway Obstruction a Felony

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- State Senate lawmakers are considering a bill today that would increase the penalty for obstructing a highway from a class A …

For people unable to pay, court fees and fines can prolong their involvement in Tennessee's criminal-justice system. (Adobe Stock)

Mountain of Fees, Fines Trap TN Residents in Justice System

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennesseans charged with a crime often face a mountain of fees and fines, even if they aren't convicted. Critics say mandatory …

Pervis Payne is in Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Tennessee. (The Innocence Project)

Gov. Lee Delays Execution in Case Spotlighting Intellectual Disability

MEMPHIS -- Gov. Bill Lee has delayed the execution of Pervis Payne until next spring, citing challenges and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 …

About 30% of Black workers and 20% of Latinx workers hold bachelor's degrees, compared to 44% of White workers. (Adobe Stock)

Wage Gap Persists for Students of Color with College Degrees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The percentage of students of color enrolled in Tennessee colleges has steadily increased in the past decade, but national figures …

Civilian Conservation Corps members at a camp near Esco, Tenn. (Lewis Hine, U.S. National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons)

Reviving a Depression-Era Program Could Put Young People to Work

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Nationwide, the youth unemployment rate during the coronavirus pandemic is the highest it has been since the Great Depression…

More Americans are expected to vote by mail in the 2020 election year as the coronavirus pandemic continues. (Adobe Stock)

Tennessee's Strict Absentee Ballot Rules Put Voters at Risk

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee is bracing for multiple elections this year, including a major statewide election on Aug. 6 and the general election on …

Tight working conditions on production lines in meat and poultry processing facilities make it impossible for workers to adhere to 6-foot distancing. (Adobe Stock)

Undocumented Poultry Workers Fear Speaking Out on Unsafe Conditions

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tenn. -- A Tyson chicken plant in Goodlettsville is reporting nearly 300 confirmed cases of the coronavirus among employees, and …

Aprendizaje en línea, un reto para los Programas Carcelarios de Educación Superior

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Muchas universidades han migrado a clases en línea para el resto del año escolar, pero para las personas que están …

A new proposed rule change by the U.S. Department of Agriculture would weaken school meal nutrition standards put into place in 2012. (Adobe Stock)

Proposed USDA Rule Would Reduce Fruits, Veggies in School Cafeterias

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced a proposed rule change that would allow schools to serve fewer fruits and grains…

Supreme Court, court of appeals and district court judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. (Adobe Stock)

Senate Confirmations Alter Federal Judiciary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Over the past few years, the U.S. Senate has confirmed 185 of President Donald Trump's judicial nominees, the majority of whom …

No state's minimum wage covers the current cost of living, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (Adobe Stock)

Groups, Legislators Propose Federal Job Guarantee for All

NASHVILLE, Tenn. â€“ Some organizations are pushing for what they call a federal job guarantee, legislation that would ensure that …

Atheist students in one Tennessee public school district were told they would be better off

ACLU Sues TN School District Over Official Prayers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a freedom of religion lawsuit on behalf of parents whose children attend Smith …

Around 200,000 Tennessee children live in areas of concentrated poverty, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

New Data: Fewer TN Children Living in Concentrated Poverty

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The number of Tennessee children living in poverty has fallen by 7%, according to a new report by the Annie E. Casey …

A judge has temporarily blocked a Tennessee law that outlines strict new rules for voter registration, including fines and criminal charges for anyone who doesn't comply. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Federal Court Blocks TN Law Restricting Voter Registration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Just weeks from going into effect, a federal district court judge has temporarily blocked a Tennessee law that would make it …

Tennessee's state Capitol building in Nashville, where a bust of Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest is on display. (Adobe Stock)

TN Proclamation Law Aimed at Keeping “Memory of the Confederacy Alive”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee's recent signing of a proclamation making July 13 Nathan Bedford Forrest Day, in observance of the Confederate …

Juvenile detention facilities around the country routinely put youths in solitary confinement, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. (Adobe Stock)

In Shelby County, a Push to Reduce Youth Solitary Confinement

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A juvenile detention center in Shelby County has reduced the use of solitary confinement among children in its care…

Tennessee's child population has grown by 24 percent since 1990, according to a report by The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Tennessee’s Child Population has Ballooned in Last 3 Decades

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee's child population has grown rapidly since 1990, according to a report just released by The Annie E. Casey …

It may come as no surprise that a new poll finds Tennessee is becoming more politically polarized. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: The Political Divide Widens in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A new poll from Vanderbilt University finds Tennessee is becoming more politically polarized. Pollsters surveyed by phone 1…

The proposed work-reporting requirement would affect families with annual incomes below $21,000. Opponents say that's primarily parents and caregivers. (Bobbylove/Twenty20)

Report: Medicaid Work Requirement Could Lead to Health Care Loss

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As many as 68,000 Tennesseans would be affected by a proposal to require parents who now receive Medicaid to demonstrate …

Recent data from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families shows nationwide, about 276,000 fewer children had health insurance in 2017 than in 2016. (Masterone/Twenty20)<br />

Report Ranks TN High for Uninsured Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Children's advocates say while the need for Medicaid expansion has been overlooked by the Tennessee legislature, its impact …

According to the American Immigration Council, more than 285,000 Tennesseans have at least one immigrant parent. (amberley johanna/Flickr)

Executive Order Threatens ‘Flores’ Protections for Undocumented Children

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee has been the site of at least one federal raid that resulted in the detention of undocumented workers. While …

Currently, the Affordable Care Act makes legal immigrants, including green card holders and temporary visitors, eligible for subsidies to purchase private health insurance. (Twenty20)

Tennesseans Can Weigh In on Green-Card Policies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As they prepare to vote in the November midterms, Tennesseans can also weigh in on a proposal by the Trump administration …

H-2A workers must be paid twice a month and receive a job description in writing, but FLOC says the U.S. Department of Labor isn't always enforcing the requirements. (Bob Jagendorf/flickr)

Protections Not Enforced for Migrant Workers, Lawsuit Alleges

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As thousands of Tennesseans return to work after a long Labor Day weekend, allegations that the Department of Labor is not …

Texas v. U.S. is projected by legal scholars to be the most important case on the U.S. Supreme Court's docket this season. (Phil Roeder/flickr)

Changes to ACA Could Impact 1 in 3 Tennesseans

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The future of the Affordable Care Act rests in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court in a case brought to the court by the …

Many arrested in the April raids outside Morristown required help from friends and family to settle affairs since they were abruptly taken into custody. (Twenty20)

TN Delegation Meets with Congress Members on ICE Raids

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The April Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that took place outside Morristown continue to have an impact on …

Health insurance premiums in Tennessee will increase by at least one-third for many people next year, according to the Congressional Budget Office. (Lira_n4/Twenty20)

Digging Deeper to Pay for 2019 Health Insurance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennesseans who have to purchase their own health insurance plans can expect to dig even deeper next year to pay for them…

Duran live-streamed his arrest and shared it on Facebook. (Free Press/Facebook)

Tennessee Journalist Faces Deportation

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A journalist in Tennessee faces deportation following his arrest April 3 at a protest of current immigration policy. Manuel …

Tennessee communities will be prohibited from offering sanctuary to undocumented immigrants, and the law may actually lead to increased incidences of unreported crime when immigrants are afraid to call police for help. (yummypixels/Twenty20)

Anti-Immigrant Law Sits on TN Governor's Desk

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee may claim the moniker "Volunteer State," but a bill awaiting Gov. Bill Haslam's signature frames the state as less …

Tennessee laws can no longer protect consumers from unscrupulous student loan service companies. (cafecredit.com/flickr)

Problems With Your Student Loan? TN Can't Protect You

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sixty percent of Tennesseans graduate with student loan debt - owing $26,000 on average. And people experiencing problems …

Tennessee students are preparing to protest current state and federal gun laws this month. (dagnyg/Flickr)

Gun Safety Prompts Education Groups to Take Action

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee students are mobilizing for civic action this month with a school walkout and marches for changes in current gun …

A record number of women in Tennessee are expected to run for public office this year. (Mayor Megan Barry's office)

Filing Deadline Thursday: More Women Expected on TN Ballots This Year

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Thursday is the deadline for Tennesseans to file as candidates with a board of election in order to appear on the May …

Communities in Tennessee are looking for alternative industry to support their economy as the coal industry continues its decline. (Jan Truter/Flickr)

Appalachia Steps Up Effort to Make Clean Break from Coal

CLINTON, Tenn. – At one point, roughly half of the counties in Tennessee were supported by the coal industry in some way. As the fossil fuel …

Women are expected to be disproportionately affected by a pay rule proposed by the Trump administration. (Adam Croot/Flickr)

Report: TN Women Have Most to Lose with Tipping-Law Change

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - As women's marches take place across the country this Saturday, time is running out to put in your two cents about a rule proposed …

Protests erupted at the Trump inauguration and one journalist faces up to 60 years in prison, accused of participating in a riot he was documenting with his camera. (Shamila Chaudhary/flickr)

Rioting Charges Against Journalist Called "Truly Troubling Trend"

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Press groups and photojournalist Alexei Wood say there are troubling implications to Wood's trial on charges of multiple …

More than 30 young people from Tennessee who are at risk of deportation are in Washington this week to talk with members of Congress about the importance of passing a Dream Act. (Wally Gobetz/flickr)

TN Youths Demand Congress Pass Dream Act

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- More than 30 young people from Tennessee are in Washington, D.C., today to share their message with government leaders. They …

Tennessee doesn't require background checks for private sale of firearms and receives a failing grade from the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. (Peretz Partensky/flickr)

Vegas Shooting Highlights Gun Law Vulnerabilities in TN

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – While the nation mourns the lives lost and injuries suffered from the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history…

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PNS Daily Newscast - September 27, 2922

2022Talks - September 27, 2022

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TN: Social Justice