Two state lawmakers will go head-to-head for Memphis’ former congressional district. Tennessee Sen. Brent Taylor, R-Memphis, won the GOP primary and could now flip the seat red under the new District 9 map. In the general election, he’ll face state Rep. Justin J. Person, D-Memphis, of the “Tennessee Three.”
Black lung rates in Appalachia are high as the 1970s, with thousands of miners sick
Rates are now the highest they’ve been in nearly 50 years among veteran coal miners. Mining experts blame toxic silica dust, now more common in mines.
Tennessee Gov. Lee endorses Hatcher over incumbent Ogles in GOP primary
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee is endorsing former state agriculture commissioner Charlie Hatcher over incumbent Republican Andy Ogles for the new 5th Congressional District.
Traditional Appalachian ballads are reimagined in new audio drama, podcast series
A podcast series takes traditional Appalachian ballads about train wrecks and murder and transforms them into radio plays.
This data center rivals TVA’s largest coal plant for climate pollution
Power plants, an oil refinery and a chemical plant are among Tennessee’s top climate polluters. If Elon Musk’s sprawling xAI data center campus in Memphis were included in that lineup, it would rank second.
Appalachian researchers want to save this rare giant salamander
Appalachian researchers are working to restore populations of the eastern hellbender, a species of giant salamander struggling to survive amid a changing climate and human activity.
Tennessee hunger relief groups say food insecurity has gone up this summer
Some groups addressing hunger in west Tennessee have noticed an increase in demand for assistance to help feed kids in the region.
Polling, Haslam endorsement signals close race for Ogles
Former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is backing a Republican challenger to incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles for the District 5 primary.
Ghost gun company ordered to pay $104 million in Kentucky case, ‘largest in U.S. history’
After an online ghost gun company failed to appear at its own trial, a Louisville jury awarded a mother $104.2 million in damages.
NPR and Member stations in Appalachia and the Mid-South have launched a collaboration aimed at strengthening local news coverage and bringing more stories from this region to the rest of the country.







