State Sen. Katrina Robinson’s federal trial on theft and fraud charges is slated to begin Monday, Sept. 13, in Memphis.

A ruling is expected before the temporary restraining order expires on Sept. 17.

The redistricting process formally began Wednesday, Sept. 8, with a bipartisan state House committee hearing public input and approving guidelines. Memphis is likely to lose seats in the General Assembly.

The first-term City Council member claims the numbers are there to first win the August statewide primary and then the November general election. That’s despite no Democrat winning statewide office in Tennessee in 15 years.

Memphis Councilman JB Smiley Jr. plans to run for governor of Tennessee. 

The Tennessee Housing Development Agency has spent less than 5% of its federal rental assistance money. In Memphis and Shelby County, where high poverty and low homeownership make the need much more urgent, that number is more than 60%.

State Sen. Katrina Robinson was indicted last year and charged with theft and embezzlement involving government programs and wire fraud.

Shelby County is ordered to enforce its universal mask mandate in all schools. 

Federal prosecutors file a motion to move Sen. Katrina Robinson’s Sept. 13 hearing out of Memphis, alleging that Robinson’s recent media interviews and social media posts could taint the jury pool. 

As more than a third of new COVID cases are among children, Lee says, “We’re doing what we believe is the best way forward.”

Hagerty spoke Wednesday, Sept. 1, at an East Memphis political fundraiser just before leaving for a tour of Europe to meet with government leaders and NATO allies.

The opt-out order on masks is one of many times in recent years that the state government has preempted local governments, negating laws passed by mayors and city and county councils.

Federal suit filed in Memphis late Thursday afternoon. 

“All our leaders around the state and region understand the connection between rising case counts and bans on masking,” mayor says.

“Debate is healthy, but not when the debate is about wearing a mask that can decrease the chance of children contracting COVID-19,” Dr. James Downing said.

Jason Martin treats COVID-19 patients in a Nashville hospital and has been one of the biggest critics of Gov. Bill Lee’s handling of the pandemic.

Flooding in rural areas took out roads, cellphone towers and telephone lines, leaving families uncertain about whether their loved ones survived the unprecedented deluge.

The state’s executive order banning mask mandates is taking fire from President Joe Biden as well as Biden’s education secretary Miguel Cardona, who this past week specifically questioned the legality of the executive order.

Sen. Katrina Robinson accused of embezzlement and fraud with her business, The Healthcare Institute, appeared in court Friday, a final time before her Sept. 13 trial begins. 

Students are still mandated to wear masks, unless parents present a formal, written request to school officials to opt out.

Tennessee’s two Republican U.S. senators were highly critical of President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. military forces before his speech Monday, Aug. 16. They were more critical after the speech.

Suburban school districts are no longer requiring mask mandates for students, in line with Gov. Bill Lee’s executive order. However, the Shelby County mandate still affects staff.

In the first 15 days of August, there were more hospitalizations than there were in any full month of the pandemic, although not all of those were due to the coronavirus.

In 24 states, nurse practitioners are allowed to practice independently, without supervision by physicians. During the pandemic, 15 other states loosened restrictions to give them more autonomy.