Tennessee
Tennessee Deputy Dies While Texting and Driving, Killing Suspect in the Back Seat
While the deputy's death is tragic, all evidence indicates that the woman handcuffed in his back seat died as a result of his negligence.
Tennessee Says Residents Can't Vote If They Have Lost Their Gun Rights
People who were disenfranchised based on felony convictions face a new obstacle to recovering their voting rights.
A Tennessee Youth Detention Center Has Been Illegally Throwing Kids in Solitary Confinement
An investigation from ProPublica shows that one Knoxville-area facility is putting kids in solitary but skirting scrutiny by classifying the seclusion as "voluntary."
Tennessee to Pay $125,000 to Settle Lawsuit by Man Arrested for Posting Meme Mocking Dead Cop
Joshua Garton spent nearly two weeks in jail for "manufacturing and disseminating a harassing photograph on social media." A First Amendment lawsuit quickly followed.
Police Watched as a Man Drowned and Discouraged Bystanders From Helping, Lawsuit Claims
When a bystander offered to give the officers flotation devices and a small boat, they refused.
Tennessee Public School Sued After Suspending A Student Over Instagram Memes
Schools don't get to censor nondisruptive off-campus speech.
The Public Has a Right To See the Nashville Shooter's Writings
Government officials have neither the right nor the credibility to stand in the way.
Should Libertarians Be Noncombatants in the Pride Wars?
Plus: A listener question considers the pros and cons of the libertarian focus on political processes rather than political results.
Trump-Appointed Judge Rules Tennessee's Anti-Drag Law Unconstitutional
Plus: Librarians take on Arkansas book restrictions, another migrant stunt may have originated in Florida, and more...
Justice Department Challenges Tennessee Ban on Drugs, Surgery for Transgender Youth
Plus: Court sides with journalists sued by LAPD, don't ban private employers from requiring college degrees, and more...
Stadium Subsidy Stupidity Hits New Record
Taxpayers are on the hook for $1.26 billion for a new stadium in Nashville.
Spat Among Tennessee Lawmakers Illustrates a National Urban-Rural Divide
Decentralizing power is better than trying to jam one vision down the throats of the unwilling.
Abortion, Guns, Trump, and the New Era of Shout-Down Politics
Plus: The editors respond to a listener question concerning corporate personhood.
Tennessee Will Use Eminent Domain To Evict Black Farmers for Ford E.V. Factory
The state promised Ford nearly $900 million in incentives, including new and upgraded roads. But it chose to run that new road through a number of black-owned farms.
States Try To Reform Prostitution Laws—for Better and Worse
New bills in six states showcase some right and wrong ways to help sex workers, from full decriminalization to ramping up penalties for prostitution customers.
Police Found a Blunt in Their Car. So They Seized Their Kids.
"Then my baby started crying so I reached for my son, and as I'm reaching, a man held me and told me, 'Don't touch him. He's getting taken away from you,'" said the children's mother.
Don't Just Hire 'Better Cops.' Punish the Bad Ones.
Convincing law enforcement officers that those who do wrong will suffer consequences is by far the most powerful tool for changing police behavior in the long run.
Tennessee's Anti-Drag Bill Is a Gaudy Public Performance
It’s already illegal to expose minors to obscenity, so what is this bill really for?
After Tyre Nichols Killing, It's Once Again Time To Build a Bipartisan Movement for Police Reform
Let's start by doing away with the idea that officers are engaged in a war for our streets rather than involved in a civilian operation that requires community support and trust.
The Cops Who Killed Tyre Nichols Could Be Convicted of Murder and Still Get Qualified Immunity
In his State of the Union address Tuesday, President Joe Biden said that he wants to hold police "accountable." But he neglected to mention the elephant in the room.
Tyre Nichols' Killing Brings Police Reform Back into Public Debate
There are ways to reduce abusive behavior while still protecting public safety.
Why Did Other Cops Fail To Stop the Lethal Assault on Tyre Nichols?
"Active bystandership" training aims to overcome the pressures that discourage police officers from intervening when their colleagues use excessive force.
The Most Popular Police Reforms Can't Stop the Next Tyre Nichols From Being Killed. Here's What Might.
Plus: Minnesota moves to protect reproductive freedom, how government thwarts a relatively inexpensive housing option, and more…
New Video Shows Memphis Police Fatally Beating, Tasing, Pepper-Spraying Tyre Nichols
The five police officers involved in the deadly encounter have been charged with Nichols' murder.
5 Memphis Cops Charged With Murder of Tyre Nichols, Who Died After Traffic Stop Beating
Plus: Judge blocks California's COVID-19 censorship law, Cato's latest Human Freedom Index, and more...
2022 Was a Year of Bad, Botched Death Row Executions
Fortunately, government kills fewer prisoners each year.
The War on Christmas Comes for the Drag Queens
Some conservatives toss “parents’ rights” out the window in a holiday culture war against kids at live shows.
Wildlife Agents Placed a Camera on His Property Without a Warrant, Then Raided His Home After He Removed It
How a Prohibition-era legal precedent allows warrantless surveillance on private property.
Cities Switch From Requiring Too Many Parking Spaces To Banning Too Many Parking Spaces
Nashville is the latest city to eliminate minimum parking requirements while simultaneously capping how much parking developers are now allowed to build.
Mandatory Life Sentences for Juvenile Homicide Offenders are Unconstitutional, Rules Tennessee Supreme Court
The court says a 51-year "life" sentence for a 2015 murder violated the Eighth Amendment.
Prison Slavery Up for a Vote in 5 States
Plus: Federal court dismisses state challenge to student loan debt forgiveness, not all independent contractors want to be employees, and more...
ICE Almost Deported a 10-Year-Old Cancer Survivor and His Mom
They were ultimately allowed to stay. But it’s an example of ICE targeting nonviolent migrants after a federal judge blocked the Biden administration’s enforcement priorities.
This Tennessee Town Claims Restricting Protests Helps 'Facilitate' the First Amendment
A new ordinance in Franklin will restrict evening and weekend protests and subject violators to misdemeanor charges.
Memphis Voters Dump Harsh D.A. in Favor of Criminal Justice Reformer
Let’s perhaps stop trying to tease national trends out of the complexities of local public safety issues.
COVID Taught More Than 1 Million Parents the Value of School Choice
Educational freedom is good for everybody but unions, bureaucrats, and the education establishment.
Florida, Tennessee Ban Ranked-Choice Voting Despite Citizen Support
Politicians who benefit from divisive election politics resist reforms that threaten the status quo.
Possible Problems With Lethal Injection Drugs Stop Tennessee Execution
Meanwhile in South Carolina, the state Supreme Court delays a planned execution by firing squad.
Tennessee May Allow Resentencing for Drug-Free School Zone Offenders After Reason Investigation
A 2018 Reason investigation showed that the zones covered wide swaths of cities and turned minor drug crimes into prison sentences that rivaled those for murder or rape.
Pamela Moses 'Requested a Jury Trial.' So She Got 6 Years in Prison.
Shelby County District Attorney Amy Weirich said Moses would be a free woman—if she hadn't insisted on exercising her constitutional right to trial.
The Tennessee Supreme Court Could Decide the Fate of Nashville's Home Recording Studios
The city's restrictions threaten one of the world's most vibrant music scenes.