The Roundabout: Congressional District 7 primary, banned books and…how will Vanderbilt answer Trump?

The Roundabout is your news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center.

Congressional District 7 candidate Rep. Jody Barrett, Owen School professor and Tennessee Lookout contributor Bruce Barry, and @WPLN’s Marianna Bacallao join today to help us think through the biggest news – including the special election in the 7th congressional district. We’ll digest the primary results with the help of Barrett, who was the focus of much of the money spent in the race. We’ll also look at how the state ended up banning more books than almost any other state — as well as Vanderbilt’s latest moment of decision. Plus, we’re hearing from you. Call 615-760-2000 to join the conversation!

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Guests

• Marianna Bacallao, state legislative/power and equity reporter, WPLN
• Rep. Jody Barrett, congressional district 7 candidate; state house representative
• Bruce Barry, professor, Vanderbilt’s Owen Graduate School of Management;  Tennessee Lookout contributor

Further reading

• • Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money (WPLN)
  • Vanderbilt campus groups push back against Trump administration higher ed ‘compact’ (Tennessee Lookout)
  • Memphis state Rep. Justin Pearson to challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen in 2026 Democratic primary (Tennessee Lookout)
  • New Tennessee English Language Arts Standards Recommendation: More Diverse Texts: Educators cited the benefits of reading materials that reflect a variety of cultures and viewpoints (Nashville Banner)