Kuhn says Kustoff is vulnerable in reelection bid
Heidi Kuhn, 8th Congressional District Democratic nominee, discusses her challenge of Republican incumbent David Kustoff on ‘Behind The Headlines.’
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
There are 4454 articles by Bill Dries :
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October 2026
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Behind The Headlines -
City of Memphis City Council passes tentative zoning for data centers
Council members are still debating whether there should be a moratorium on new data centers to get public buy-in or at least an understanding of what the rules will do and what they won’t do.
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City of Memphis Young orders 90-day data center review
Memphis Mayor Paul Young issued an executive order Friday, Oct. 9, calling for a 90-day working group to develop guidelines for data centers in the city.
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Behind The Headlines Justin J. Pearson says no U.S. military aid to Israel or Ukraine
Democratic congressional nominee Justin J. Pearson talked about ongoing U.S. aid to Ukraine and “America First” on “Behind The Headlines.”
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City of Memphis Memphis City Council will meet to resume session that ended in protest
The second council meeting of the week was called after Tuesday’s session ended with police clearing the council chamber, leaving several items awaiting discussion and a vote.
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Update
MetroFord sentenced to 2 years in prison for tax evasion in grants scandal
“I think: ‘Does anyone get it?’” U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker said of several letters from other elected officials urging leniency for Ford. “I think there may be a blind spot when it comes to public service.”
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City of Memphis Mayor said ‘broad overhaul’ of land bank to follow dismissal of CEO
Mayor Paul Young also talked about the return of trolleys, work toward a new Memphis Grizzlies lease at FedExForum as well as the status of the convention center hotel the city bought and other topics.
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City of Memphis City Council faces 6 proposals for regulating data centers
There are now six proposals compared to the three plans — including a one-year moratorium on new data centers — on the table three weeks ago.
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Premium
ElectionsBailey’s summit call in the shadow of SpaceXAI
Also in the political roundup, Blackburn talks about affordability, Hagerty’s letter as Jack Smith testifies in the insurrection case, and the difficult mechanics of write-in voting.
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Elections Trump adds Tennessee stop to midterm campaign blitz
The visit would come as Republicans try to flip the state’s last Democratic-held U.S. House seat under a new map that splits Memphis into three districts.
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Elections Last day to register to vote on Nov. 3 ballot is Monday
The general elections for three newly drawn congressional districts that divide Shelby County are expected to be a potent draw on the Nov. 3 ballot along with a tightening race for governor.
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Metro Blackburn calls for return to electric chair after botched execution of Christa Pike
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s reaction to the two failed attempts to carry out the death penalty in the case of Christa Pike is one of several, including a very different one from her rival, Democratic nominee Jerri Green.
Related content:
Christa Pike is alive a day after Tennessee’s failed attempt to execute her, her lawyers say
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Elections Independent David Hatley brings campaign for governor to Memphis
Also in the political roundup, Charlie Hatcher on KWAM, Chaz Molder’s fish fry in North Memphis and the art of canvassing and phone banking.
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Premium
MetroHow Memphis Safe Task Force became a battleground for Tennessee Republicans and local Democrats
The political backdrop of the Task Force includes a Republican tactic to take over local government and a conflict among local Democrats about how to respond to the operation.
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September 2026
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Metro Blackburn sues, Hagerty seeks disbarment of Special Counsel Jack Smith
The lawsuit and disbarment complaint from Tennessee’s two U.S. senators comes the day after Special Counsel Jack Smith testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington.
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Shelby County County commissioner wants to breathe new life into air-quality standards
A vote on resetting air-permit fees opened a move to address air quality concerns about data centers.
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Shelby County Short agenda Monday as new Shelby County Commission settles in
Commissioners will vote on committee chairs, including a first-term budget chair, after putting off an ethics commission revival and a data center moratorium in committee.
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North MemphisThe women behind the return of Leon Place: ‘We break ground on a belief in Memphis’
Two women are teaming up on an affordable-housing development in North Memphis, another move in the momentum to bring more new homes to the city.
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Behind The Headlines New county mayor focused on money
Almost a month into his four-year term, Shelby County Mayor Mickell Lowery said his top priority is the county’s financial stability.
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Behind The Headlines Task Force’s 1-year mark comes with questions
A year since the presidential executive order that created the Memphis Safe Task Force was announced in the Oval Office, its impact and future are still being debated, touted and condemned.
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Elections Independent contenders make waves in race for governor
Lauren Pinkston and David Hatley are drawing the attention of the Democratic and Republican nominees for Tennessee Governor. Pinkston and Hatley are better funded than independent candidates usually are in the statewide race.
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Shelby County More ‘focused time’ in County Clerk’s Office to clear car-title backlog
County Clerk La Sonya Hall says her office has cleared about half of the 34 crates of unprocessed car titles and vehicle registrations from car dealers so far.
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Premium
City of MemphisMayor Paul Young defends approach to SpaceXAI in preview of reelection campaign
Also in the political roundup, a new poll shows the race for Tennessee governor tightening, and one of two standout independent candidates campaigns in Memphis.
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State Government State House hopeful bounced as write-in candidate
Kyler Gilkey was declared ineligible at Monday’s deadline for write-in candidates in the Nov. 3 election. It’s the latest wrinkle in a complex political puzzle. Meanwhile, five other contenders did qualify.
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Elections State House hopeful’s write-in bid killed by ‘sore loser’ election laws
Kyler Gilkey’s second bid for public office this year was shut down by the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office because it was his second attempt at a state House of Representatives seat, albeit a different one.
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