President Donald Trump has named former Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn as deputy U.S. secretary of education. The Tennessean reports that Schwinn, a former teacher and founding principal of a charter school, was an early appointment in Gov. Bill Lee's administration. She served in the role for five years. Lee praised the selection as “another strong choice to further [the [president’s] education agenda — delivering school choice and finally returning power back to the states,” though other conservatives in the state expressed concern about the choice.

On the last day of his presidency, Joe Biden granted blanket pardons to five family members; members of Congress who investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol; former National Institutes of Health leader Anthony Fauci; and retired Gen. Mark Milley, former chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A few days earlier, Biden commuted the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses. The Associated Press reports on those actions. According to Reuters, Biden also granted clemency to Native American activist Leonard Peltier, who had been sentenced to life for killing two FBI agents. Since taking office Monday, President Donald Trump also has issued a slew of pardons, including pardons for all of those charged in the Jan. 6 attack on the capitol — including some 30 who have connections to Tennessee — as well as Ross Ulbricht, who operated a dark web marketplace. Read more about those actions from The Tennessean and Reuters.

After a blackout that lasted about 14 hours, TikTok returned to the U.S. on Sunday. The video app was taken offline Saturday night in compliance with a law that effectively banned the service nationwide unless it separates from ByteDance, its China-based owner. Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law. On Saturday, Google and Apple removed the app from their stores, a requirement of the ban, which also prohibits web-hosting companies from providing back-end support to the app, National Public Radio reports. On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump issued a statement vowing to pause the law and protect tech companies while the app's future is worked out. On Monday, the president signed an executive order giving U.S. leaders 75 days to find a buyer, according to the Associated Press. Despite that action, Apple and Google reportedly are not allowing new users to download the app or allowing current users to install updates or make in-app purchases.

Acting U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire announced Tuesday that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee recovered more than $137 million for American taxpayers and crime victims in fiscal year 2024. According to the press release, the office collected a total of $135.7 million in civil cases, primarily through the False Claims Act, which allows the government to recover up to three times the amount of fraudulently obtained funds, and $59 million from civil penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. In criminal cases, the office obtained approximately $4.1 million in money judgments and recovered $939,718 through forfeited criminal and civil assets. “The dedicated public servants in our office responsible for protecting the public from fraud and disgorging criminal proceeds have once again done a fantastic job on behalf of taxpayers and crime victims in Middle Tennessee,” McGuire said.

The Tennessee Attorney General announced a settlement this week with Family Dollar Stores, a subsidiary of Dollar Tree Inc. The settlement follows an investigation that found Family Dollar stores in Tennessee were selling consumer goods that had been knowingly stored in a rodent-infested distribution center in Arkansas. In 2022, Family Dollar announced a voluntary recall of FDA-regulated products stored at its West Memphis Distribution Center. In 2024, the company pleaded guilty to causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while being held under insanitary conditions. As part of the settlement, Family Dollar has agreed to pay the state $1.125 million. “No matter the family budget, whether at a discount shop or not, every Tennessean deserves confidence in the food they buy. This settlement holds Family Dollar accountable and protects Tennessee families from being sold harmful or mislabeled food,” Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a press release.

President Donald Trump has named a number of acting leaders at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) while his nominees await confirmation. According to Bloomberg Law, James McHenry, a longtime DOJ immigration official, will serve as acting attorney general; Emil Bove, Trump’s personal lawyer, will serve as acting deputy attorney general; and veteran federal prosecutor Antoinette “Toni” Bacon will serve as acting leader of the criminal division. Attorney general nominee Pam Bondi appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last week. Bloomberg reports on the hearing, which can be watched in full on the committee’s website (watch Day 1 or Day 2). The committee is set to vote on the nomination on Jan. 29 according to Politico.

Gov. Bill Lee on Friday appointed Jeremy Ball as circuit court judge in the 4th Judicial District, which covers Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson and Sevier counties. Ball served as assistant district attorney for the 4th Judicial District. He earned his bachelor’s degree at Carson-Newman College and law degree at Vanderbilt University Law School. Ball was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the death of Judge Duane Slone. The appointment is effective immediately. Read an announcement from the Administrative Office of the Courts.

The Memphis City Council has voted unanimously to reappoint Memphis Police Department (MPD) Chief C.J. Davis, The Daily Memphian reports. Davis has been serving in an interim capacity for the past year, after Memphis Mayor Paul Young delayed the vote on Davis’ reappointment last January. The delay followed a test vote in a council committee session and comments from some council members that they wanted to see a drop in crime and a more visible effort by the Memphis Police Department before voting on Davis.  The Department of Justice in December released a report finding that the MPD and the city of Memphis engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law, which some council members referenced during Davis' confirmation vote. Davis took the helm of MPD in 2021 as an appointee of former Mayor Jim Strickland and the department’s first female chief.

In a new episode of "The Hope People" podcast from Belmont University's President Dr. Greg Jones, Davidson County Chancellor I'Ashea Myles shares her journey of studying vocal performance at Belmont to becoming the first Black female civil trial court judge in Davidson County. The episode covers the power of authenticity and representation as a model for future leaders who may not see immediate representation in their chosen fields, the importance of maintaining relationships with mentors as a catalyst for growth, and the resilience and perseverance needed in the face of challenges. Myles says, “I hope that I inspire grit and tenacity to say ‘you can do it’ even when you've not seen someone do it before.” Listen to the episode here.

Several Tennessee lawmakers were subpoenaed last week to testify in the upcoming corruption trial of former House Speaker Glen Casada and his ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren, who face federal charges of bribery and kickbacks involving a vendor, Phoenix Solutions. Cothren allegedly ran the vendor under a false identity, “Matthew Phoenix,” to secure state-funded contracts for mailers and caucus work, earning tens of thousands of dollars. Casada, prosecutors allege, recruited his fellow lawmakers for business and then accepted kickbacks, reports the Tennessean. According to the Tennessee Lookout, the subpoenas came at the request of Cothren’s defense team, while former Rep. Robin Smith of Hixson, who pleaded guilty in the case, is cooperating with prosecutors. Casada resigned in 2019 amid multiple scandals. The trial is set to begin on April 22.