Brown University's School of Public Health identified 579 nursing homes nationwide that are at risk of closure due to Medicaid cuts in the recently passed federal budget legislation. The bill reduces federal Medicaid spending by $1 trillion over the next decade. The Commercial Appeal reports that 12 of the nursing homes are in Tennessee. These facilities meet key risk criteria, including having over 85% of residents on Medicaid, occupancy rates below 80%, and low federal quality ratings. Tennessee’s TennCare program serves about 1.5 million residents, covering roughly 20% of the population and half of all children and births. The findings echo a separate University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill study, which listed nine Tennessee rural hospitals among more than 300 nationwide endangered by the budget reduction.

Judge Robert Wedemeyer recently was elected presiding judge of the Criminal Court of Appeals, officially assuming the role on Aug. 1 from Judge Camille McMullen. Wedemeyer will be responsible for presiding at all meetings of the court and at trials, ruling on the admission or exclusion of evidence, serving as the spokesperson for all matters pending before the court, and writing or designating another judge to write majority opinions. “We just have an outstanding group of judges on our court,” he said. “It is a huge honor to be elected. To serve on this court 25 years and that’s part of it because usually we lean toward the senior most judge, if that judge is willing to serve and can do a good job. So, apparently these other 11 think I can do it okay so I will do my best.” Read more in a profile from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

A Bristol man was sentenced today to more than 24 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl that led to a fatal overdose, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee announced in a press release. U.S. District Judge Clifton L. Corker handed down the 292-month sentence, followed by three years of supervised release. Whitaker pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit Roxicodone pills that caused a person’s death in Sullivan County in 2023. He was arrested in April 2024 after fleeing a traffic stop and was found in possession of a large quantity of fentanyl pills, $13,754 in cash, and more than 130 firearms, including stolen weapons. The case was part of Operation Take Back America and involved several local, state and federal agencies.

Tensions between community members and the Fayette County School Board have increased as the district continues efforts to push toward dissolving the consent decree that has held the school system accountable to the federal government for integrating public schools since 1965. According to the Tennessee Lookout, an order from U.S. District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in 2023 found the school system had worked to eliminate discrimination practices. He revised the consent decree to narrow desegregation obligations to a few remaining areas. Community members who attended school board meetings indicated a lack of trust in the school board’s decision-making processes and consideration of public feedback. Some also criticized the racial makeup of the board as six of the eight members are white, while more than half of the district’s students are Black. Advocates have urged board members to improve communication and public engagement as the district considers its next steps in the federal case.

A woman has filed a $6 million lawsuit against FedEx, alleging she was fired for repeatedly reporting a coworker’s racist comments. The lawsuit was filed in federal court on July 26, with an amended complaint submitted on July 30. According to the Commercial Appeal, Barbara Blake, a Black former security guard, claims she was wrongfully terminated in March 2024 after reporting that a white coworker used racial slurs and made references to police brutality. Blake said she initially reported the comments to her supervisor, who took no action. She says she was twice suspended in retaliation for reporting the behavior and reporting her supervisor’s inaction. The coworker also filed a complaint against Blake. FedEx later fired Blake citing complaints about her conduct and alleged use of threatening language. In a statement to the Commercial Appeal, FedEx said it “is committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from discrimination of any kind.”

A proposal to build a new jail and relocate all criminal and civil justice institutions in Shelby County to the former Firestone plant site in north Memphis recently was presented to the Shelby County Commission. According to the Daily Memphian, the first phase of the estimated $1.3 billion plan would move the county jail and criminal courts from downtown to the 71-acre site. Future phases could include relocating civil and federal courts. The second phase would build new facilities for chancery, circuit, general sessions and probate courts, while the third phase would add the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office training facility, the Mark Luttrell Transition Center, the Shelby County Corrections Facility and the Federal Correctional Institution of Memphis. Kemp Conrad, who presented the proposal, said leaders have met with community advocates and stakeholders over the last seven months to discuss the new site, which could be completed in three years.

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Tennessee state Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, has announced that 30 state inmates will be moved from the Shelby County Jail to state facilities this week. That is in addition to 41 inmates who were moved last week, according to Local Memphis. Taylor said he toured the jail earlier this year and was asked by the sheriff’s office to help get a “high number” of state inmates moved to state facilities to cut down on overcrowding. Recent reports have shed light on crowded conditions at the jail.

The city of Chattanooga intends to appeal a judge’s finding that laws were violated during nonpublic meetings on redrawing local voting districts, the Times Free Press reports. According to the paper, the move comes after a judge found that an ad hoc redistricting committee met on three occasions without any public notice or minutes taken. Finding in support of the paper — which had brought suit — the court directed the city council to follow the state’s Open Meetings Act, submit to one year of oversight and write a semiannual report regarding its compliance. The paper is represented by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a nonprofit group focused on First Amendment issues.

Brick Church Middle School in Nashville has been renamed to honor the late Judge Richard H. Dinkins, a civil rights pioneer who helped reshape public education in Nashville. Dinkins played a critical role in desegregating the city’s public schools and advocated for educational equity throughout his life. The Nashville Board of Education voted unanimously in March to rename the school. Metro Nashville Public Schools held a dedication ceremony Saturday that included remarks from city leaders, a student presentation and the unveiling of displays honoring Dinkins’ life and impact. The Tennessean has photos.