Cassandra Stephenson

West Tennessee Megasite Authority adopts stronger zoning protections for Memphis Aquifer • Tennessee Lookout The board controlling the West Tennessee Megasite — home to Ford’s BlueOval City electric vehicle and battery manufacturing campus — unanimously approved zoning rules Wednesday that require greater pr...

The board controlling the West Tennessee Megasite — home to Ford’s BlueOval City electric vehicle campus — unanimously approved zoning rules that require more protections for Memphis Sand Aquifer, the region’s drinking water source.

tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/24/w... @cstephenson.bsky.social

Tennessee, local governments will forgo sales taxes on $4.5B nuclear facility • Tennessee Lookout Tennessee officials hailed a uranium enrichment facility deal for East Tennessee in 2024 but months later exempted the project from sales taxes, forcing local governments to forgo untold revenue from…

Tennessee, local governments will forgo sales taxes on $4.5B nuclear facility coming to Oak Ridge, Tenn. after lawmakers carved out exceptions earlier this year, catching Oak Ridge/Anderson Co officials by surprise

tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/23/t...

South Memphis neighborhood to shape plan to protect Memphis Aquifer drinking water • Tennessee Lookout Residents of a South Memphis neighborhood will soon embark on a first-of-its-kind project to craft a protection plan for the drinking water stored in the earth beneath them. The Memphis Sand Aquifer…

South Memphis neighborhood to shape plan to protect Memphis Aquifer drinking water tennesseelookout.com/briefs/south... @cstephenson.bsky.social

38109 residents asked how to spend money from xAI tax payments The city is asking community members how it should spend the tax money Mayor Paul Young wants set aside for neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of

Memphis is asking community members how it should spend the tax money Mayor Paul Young wants set aside for neighborhoods within a five-mile radius of Elon Musk's xAI’s two local facilities.
mlk50.com/2025/07/18/3... @mlk50.com

Selmer begins to clear tons of debris from deadly tornado • Tennessee Lookout Months after a tornado destroyed more than 100 buildings in Selmer, Tennessee, the city is now removing piles of debris from the storm’s scar.

Three and a half months after a tornado destroyed more than 100 buildings in Selmer, Tennessee, the city is now removing piles of debris from the storm’s scar. As @cstephenson.bsky.social reports, it's not an easy process to clear so much wood, vinyl flooring, carpet and even material with asbestos.

Tennessee family seeks help for adopted son, though the state may return him to foster care instead • Tennessee Lookout A Tennessee family seeks help for their adopted son, though the Department of Children's Services may return him to foster care instead.

A Tennessee family adopted a child from the state's foster care system. Now, state agencies are denying care to the child for ongoing mental health treatment -- in part from trauma he incurred in foster care -- and may return the child to the Department of Children's Services to be in state care.

Nashville LGBTQ+ community leaders decry layoffs at VUMC office supporting access to care • Tennessee Lookout Vanderbilt University Medical Center laid off the staff of its LGBTQ Health Program in late June, closing a resource for LGBTQ+ people.

Nashville LGBTQ+ community leaders decry layoffs at VUMC office supporting access to care tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/08/l... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tnequality.bsky.social

FEMA approves $1.8M in aid for Tennesseans affected by April storms; Applications ongoing • Tennessee Lookout The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved more than $1.8 million in aid for individual Tennesseans affected by April severe storms.

FEMA approves $1.8M in aid for Tennesseans affected by April storms; Applications ongoing tennesseelookout.com/2025/07/03/f... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

In a reversal, judge keeps Kilmar Abrego in jail over deportation concerns • Tennessee Lookout Kilmar Abrego Garcia will remain n jail at the request of his own attorneys, who cited conflicting positions taken by the government.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia will remain temporarily in jail at the request of his own attorneys, who cited conflicting positions taken by the government over whether he is at risk for immediate deportation. @anitawadhwani.bsky.social reports.

ICE rushed no-bid contract to pay CoreCivic $4.2M per month to hold immigrants at Kansas prison • Kansas Reflector U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement used the pretense of a national emergency to justify a secret, no-bid contract with CoreCivic that would pay the company $4.2 million per month to house detain...

ICE used the pretense of a national emergency to justify a secret, no-bid contract with CoreCivic that would pay the company $4.2 million per month to house detained immigrants at its vacant Leavenworth prison #ksleg kansasreflector.com/2025/07/01/i...

Vanderbilt University Medical Center grant cuts may include faculty, research diversity initiatives • Tennessee Lookout Federal grant cuts to Vanderbilt University Medical Center could include funding for programs meant to improve diversity in medical research.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center grant cuts may include faculty, research diversity initiatives tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/30/v... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

ACLU sues Tennessee over law criminalizing elected officials’ votes for ‘sanctuary policies’ • Tennessee Lookout The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee is suing the state over a law creating a felony for elected officials to vote for sanctuary policies.

ACLU sues Tennessee on behalf of 7 members of the Nashville Metro Council over new law making it a felony for any elected official to vote in favor of immigrant ‘sanctuary policies’
tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/24/a... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Trump approves FEMA aid for some Tennessee counties as state disaster costs mount

tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/24/t... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Video taken by @cstephenson.bsky.social shows a gun-carrying man being taken into custody by Metro Nashville police as crowd members yell, "Shame, shame!"

Advocacy organizations warn ‘we are all Kilmar’; pledge to fight for immigrant rights • Tennessee Lookout Immigrant, labor, faith and civil rights organizations gathered at a Nashville church Friday ahead of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s arraignment.

Chants of “Todos somos Kilmar” — “we are all Kilmar” — punctuated a gathering of immigrant, labor, faith and civil rights organizations who gathered at a downtown Nashville church Friday ahead of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s arraignment. @cstephenson.bsky.social reports.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia's wife shares message ahead of hearing: ‘Continue fighting … God is with us’ • Tennessee Lookout The wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia shared a message from him ahead of his arraignment in Nashville Friday morning.

Just in from @cstephenson.bsky.social: The wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia — who was wrongfully deported to an El Salvador prison as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown — shared a message from him at a downtown Nashville church ahead of his arraignment Friday morning:

YouTube video by Tennessee Lookout Press conference: Family of Kilmar Abrego GarciaJ

Jennifer Vasquez Sura, wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia -- the Maryland man wrongfully deported to an El Salvador prison -- speaks at Nashville's First Lutheran Church, two blocks from the federal courthouse at which Abrego Garcia's arraignment will begin shortly. Video shot by @cstephenson.bsky.social.

Nashville DA, police under scrutiny for not filing charges after transgender woman was attacked • Tennessee Lookout The Davidson County District Attorney’s Office is facing scrutiny for not filing charges after a man struck a transgender woman in May.

A disturbing assault on a transgender woman was captured on video. Nashville police declined to pursue criminal charges.
tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/12/n... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Federal prosecutors in Nashville ask judge to keep Abrego Garcia detained until trial • Tennessee Lookout Federal prosecutors on Monday detailed legal arguments for the detention-until-trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man mistakenly deported by the Trump Administration. Abrego Garcia was retu...

Federal prosecutors on Monday detailed legal arguments for the detention-until-trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man mistakenly deported by the Trump Administration. @anitawadhwani.bsky.social reports.

Report seeks federal funding for preserving Ohio River Basin, including Tennessee River • Tennessee Lookout A coalition of environmental groups and researchers released a draft plan aiming to harness federal funding to protect the Ohio River.

Report seeks federal funding for preserving Ohio River Basin, including Tennessee River tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/09/r... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Conflicted Tennessee Senate overwhelmingly passed business tax refund • Tennessee Lookout Tennessee Republican Sen. Shane Reeves received a $1 million grant from the state to start a business, later taking a corporate tax rebate, too.

13 of Tennessee’s 33 senators declared a conflict of interest before voting on a $1.9B business tax break

Some lawmakers own/work for companies that reaped the benefits of these state dollars, even after pocketing prior state grants.

tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/05/c... @tennesseelookout.com

Transparency of Tennessee business tax refund law in question • Tennessee Lookout The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government says Tennessee’s list of companies netting a business tax refund gives an appearance of transparency.

Tennessee’s newly-released list of 60,000 companies netting a whopping $1.5B in business tax refunds does not reveal how much each company got and isn't posted in an easily searchable way. It's also set to expire online in 30 days.

tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/04/t... @tennesseelookout.com

Transparency of Tennessee business tax refund law in question • Tennessee Lookout The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government says Tennessee’s list of companies netting a business tax refund gives an appearance of transparency.

Tennessee’s newly-released listing of companies netting a business tax refund creates the appearance of transparency without providing the public a true picture, according to an open government advocate.

Appeals Court upholds state law halving Metro Nashville Council • Tennessee Lookout A split Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled in favor of the state’s effort to cut the Metro Nashville Council in half.

Appeals Court upholds 2023 state law brought by GOP to cut the size of the Metro Nashville Council from 40 elected members to 20
tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/03/a... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

“Big Beautiful Bill” cuts to Medicaid, food aid raise alarm in Tennessee • Tennessee Lookout Advocates for low-income and disabled Tennesseans sounded the alarm over federal bill that could slash $1.1 trillion over the next decade.

“Big Beautiful Bill” cuts to Medicaid, food aid raise alarm in Tennessee tennesseelookout.com/2025/06/04/b... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com

Tennessee program makes progress on EV chargers while frozen federal projects languish • Tennessee Lookout Tennessee closed a loop of electric vehicle chargers marking a significant milestone in the state’s push to support EV adoption.

From @cstephenson.bsky.social: Tennessee has closed a loop of electric vehicle chargers across the state even as a federal program intended to round out an EV charger program remains on ice.

U.S. border czar: Nashville mayor, a critic of immigration sweeps, now faces investigation • Tennessee Lookout U.S. “border czar” Tom Homan said Tuesday on Fox News Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is under investigation by a Congressional committee.

U.S. border czar: Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell, a critic of recent immigration sweeps in the city, now faces Congressional probe

Seemingly in retaliation, Tom Homan pledged even bigger enforcement activities in Nashville.

We'll "flood the zone," he said

tennesseelookout.com/2025/05/29/u...

See what research at Tennessee universities was defunded in Trump’s federal grant cuts Modeling for infectious disease research, vaccine education programs, a rural mental health program, disinformation research and a project developing evacuation route technology for active shooter sce...

▶️ THIS LIST FROM TENNESSEE ILLUSTRATES THE IMPACT OF FEDERAL CUTS

via @tennesseelookout.com
www.newsfromthestates.com/article/see-...

Industry orgs: Budget bill’s electric vehicle tax credit rollback could hamper Tennessee momentum • Tennessee Lookout Congress may roll back electric vehicle tax credits for EV owners, which could be trouble for Tennessee electric vehicle makers.

Congress may be poised to roll back electric vehicle tax credits and institute new annual taxes on electric vehicle owners — moves that could spell trouble for electric vehicle manufacturers in Tennessee and across the country, according to industry organizations. From @cstephenson.bsky.social.