Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR), a Memphis-based legal nonprofit, is partnering with clergy members to create an immigration court "watch program" aimed at supporting immigrants and increasing transparency in court proceedings, Tennessee Lookout reports. AIR Executive Director Casey Bryant said the effort comes as federal prosecutors push for faster deportations and immigrants risk arrest at hearings, often without legal representation. Catholic priests Juan Antonio “Tony” Romo and Valentine Handwerker have already begun attending hearings, offering what Romo described as solidarity for immigrants facing a daunting process. Bryant said the goal is to establish a formal program with trained volunteers in each courtroom, providing a “friendly face” in the system.

U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tennessee, and John Cornyn, R-Texas, have introduced bills to end cashless bail policies, which they say allow criminals to reoffend, WSMV reports. The "Ending Cashless Bail in Our Nation’s Capital Act" would ban cashless bail in Washington, D.C., while the "Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act" would bar certain federal funds from going to states and localities that limit the use of cash bail. Blackburn’s office said the bills are aimed at stopping “soft-on-crime” officials from releasing “countless violent criminals who have demonstrated a clear risk to society back into their communities without bail, which incentivizes and rewards criminal acts.” Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order limiting cashless bail and threatening to revoke federal funding from jurisdictions that use it. Another order directed police in the District of Columbia to charge suspects with federal crimes and hold them in federal custody to avoid cashless bail.

Tennessee Rep. Monty Fritts announced his candidacy for governor Friday night at the “Trump Day Dinner” hosted by the Washington County Republican party, WJHL reports. Fritts joins the race alongside Sen. Marsha Blackburn and Rep. John Rose. “What will help me be most successful? Because I do think we’ll win, and I think it will be folks like us that say ‘I’ve had enough with an establishment, politics in Nashville that thinks they don’t have to listen to me,’” Fritts said. “I think there’s a lot of frustration with that, and I think it’s important for us that we reestablish the confidence of the Republican voter.” The primary election is set for Aug. 6, 2026, with the general election to follow on Nov. 3, 2026.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) and Memphis Area Legal Services (MALS) both have open positions to fill. LAET is hiring a staff attorney to help oversee the administration of its Pro Bono Project in the Knoxville area. View the job description and get instructions on how to apply on the LAET website. MALS is hiring for several positions: an attorney for its Low Income Taxpayer Clinic funded by the Taxpayer Advocate Service, staff attorneys to join its Consumer/Housing and Elder/Family Units, and a part-time bilingual intake specialist. Visit the MALS website for job descriptions and more information.

On Sept. 5, the Tennessee Supreme Court suspended Mitchell Ray Miller, who now works in Williamson County, from the practice of law for two years with four months to be served on active suspension and the remainder on probation with conditions, including engaging a practice monitor and obtaining additional continuing legal education. The court found that in seven separate matters, Miller accepted payment for attorney fees but then either failed to perform the work for which he was retained, failed to appear at scheduled hearings, failed to reasonably communicate with clients or unreasonably delayed matters through a pattern of neglect, resulting in actual or potential harm to multiple clients. Additionally, Miller on repeated occasions failed to respond to BPR inquiries in a timely manner; however, he did ultimately refund all unearned attorney fees. Miller agreed to a conditional guilty plea acknowledging his conduct violated Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16, 3.2, 8.1 and 8.4(d).

Rep. Ron Travis, R-Dayton, has announced that he will not seek reelection to the statehouse but will instead run for Rhea County mayor, according to the Tennessee Journal. In a Facebook post, Travis says, "After much reflection, I have decided not to seek re-election when my term ends in 2026. Serving District 31 has been the honor of my life." Current Mayor Jim Vincent recently announced that he would not seek reelection and endorsed Travis as his successor.

Conservative activist Gary Humble has launched a 2026 campaign for Tennessee’s District 27 state senate seat, setting up a rematch with Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, who narrowly defeated him in 2022. The Nashville Post reports that Humble is framing the race as a battle between establishment and grassroots conservatives, pledging support for term limits, transparency measures, gun rights and governing from a “Biblical worldview.” He also highlights opposition to federal health agencies, calls for responsible growth in Williamson County, and ties his platform to his history of leading anti-lockdown protests and faith-based activism.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett defends her 2022 vote to overturn Roe v. Wade in her forthcoming memoir, "Listening to the Law," arguing that abortion rights were never deeply rooted in U.S. history or tradition. According to Reuters, Barrett frames the court’s role as respecting choices made by the people rather than dictating them. She reportedly also reflects on criticism of her Catholic faith and addresses expanded use of the “shadow docket," saying the court is obligated to act on emergency applications. The book is set to be released on Sept. 9.

Matthew Vandergriff, an inmate at the Hamilton County Jail, died last week after going into cardiac arrest. Chattanoogan.com reports that Vandergriff had been routinely treated for a chronic illness. He was being held on charges of arson and violating an order of protection. An investigation by the sheriff's office is pending.

Meta has appointed former Tennessee congressional candidate and anti-DEI activist Robby Starbuck to help address “ideological and political bias” in its AI systems. The Tennessean reports that the move stems from an August settlement of Starbuck’s defamation lawsuit, which alleged Meta AI falsely linked him to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Starbuck, who has led online campaigns against corporate DEI programs, says his goal is to ensure neutrality and fairness in AI. In a joint statement, Meta and Starbuck said they had resolved the matter to their mutual satisfaction. “Since engaging on these important issues with [Starbuck], Meta has made tremendous strides to improve the accuracy of Meta AI and mitigate ideological and political bias,” the statement reads. “Building on that work, Meta and Robby Starbuck will work collaboratively in the coming months to continue to find ways to address issues of ideological and political bias and minimize the risk that the model returns hallucinations in response to user queries.”