Tennessee
State leaders can shape responsible AI use in schools, report finds
Two states made recent strides to go beyond suggesting safe AI policies for schools by requiring them to develop their own policies and training programs.
Inside the Memphis Chamber of Commerce’s push for Elon Musk’s xAI data center
In the face of intense public opposition, the city’s Chamber of Commerce has gone to unusual lengths to promote Musk’s xAI facility: sending out a mailer, for the first time in recent memory, that includes misleading facts.
In South Memphis, Elon Musk’s Colossus operated gas turbines without appropriate permits, residents and activists claim
In an area long plagued by air pollution, permitting irregularities have opponents of what’s predicted to be the world’s largest supercomputing facility fearing the world’s richest man is getting special treatment.
Chattanooga to establish nation’s first quantum tech center
The center, backed by the EPB public utility and others, will serve as a quantum networking and computing hub and help develop applications for the technology.
EVs in Tennessee: Uncertainty abounds as Trump targets Biden-era electric vehicle funding
Tennessee investments in the electric vehicle sector face an uncertain future as President Donald Trump halts infrastructure spending.
Cross-state partnership looks to boost drone use and research
The Tennessee Department of Transportation announced this week it would partner with North Dakota to build its own testing site and figure out potential uses for the technology.
Virtual teachers step in as school district grapples with educator shortage
The Memphis-Shelby County board approved a $4.6 million contract for Texas-based Proximity Learning to provide 100 live online teachers for middle and high school students.
How tougher regulations on short-term rentals can boost revenue for state, local govs
Some short-term rental properties go undetected by authorities, but a new report offers tips on how officials can crack down on unregulated rental units to boost revenue and reduce their negative impacts on communities.
Wildfires are coming to the Southeast. Can landowners mitigate the risk in time?
No other part of the country has seen such a sharp rise in the number of big fires. The bigger challenge, though, is getting people to embrace the prescribed burns that can prevent them.
This state is shrinking the public-private pay gap for state workers
Nationally, public employees earn nearly 15% less than their private sector peers—including benefits.
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‘License plate flippers’ help drivers evade police, tickets and tolls
A few states and cities are cracking down on the devices, which obscure or conceal license plates.
Few states require foster homes to respect LGBTQ youths' identities
The lack of explicit anti-discrimination policies around gender and sexuality can have dire consequences for children and teens, advocates say.
Tennessee law to let teachers carry guns in schools caused a ruckus, but has drawn little interest
The law assigns teachers sole liability for anything that might go wrong with their gun, including an accidental shooting, or their failure to prevent a tragedy.
Tennessee House votes to arm teachers despite opposition
In spite of protesters, a bill that would allow teachers to carry a gun goes to governor for signature.
How many of your state’s lawmakers are women? If you live in the southeast, it could be just 1 in 5.
A record number of women were elected to statehouses last year. But in the Southeast, where some legislatures are more than 80% male, representation is lagging as lawmakers pass bills that most impact women, like near-total abortion bans.
A huge EV factory is coming to west Tennessee. Here’s how locals are ensuring they benefit.
Communities are using an organizing tool intended for sports stadiums to bargain with energy transition projects for labor standards and affordable housing.
How improvements in onboarding can lower employee turnover
One of the greatest challenges confronting state and local governments is a badly understaffed workforce. Here’s one technological and personal way to confront that problem.
States Decide if Workers Fired Over Vaccine Mandates Can Collect Unemployment
When employers fire people because they fail to follow company policy, employees are generally not eligible for benefits. But three states have or could make non compliant workers eligible.
Ford to Invest Billions in Electric Vehicle Production in Two States
One governor is describing a planned facility as the largest economic development project his state has ever seen.
Local Corrections Costs Rose by $25 Billion in Last 40 Years
But the coronavirus has ushered in creative lower-cost alternative jail programs that could last long after the pandemic, local leaders say.
