The University of Tennessee (UT) at Knoxville has cut ties with the China Scholarship Council after the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party urged administrators to assess security concerns, Knox News reports. The program funds study abroad scholarships for Chinese college students. UT Provost John Zomchick sent a letter of termination July 10, ending an agreement the institutions signed in 2024. UT said the agreement was not an “enforceable legal document.” In a July 8 letter, the committee called the program a tool for advancing China’s military and scientific goals. The university is now assessing the decision's impact on three students enrolled in the program. Six other U.S. universities received similar warnings. The University of North Texas previously ended its partnership with the group in 2020.

The TBA will host a replay of the webcast “Communication Breakdown: It's Always the Same (But It's Avoidable)” on July 25 from noon to 1 p.m. CDT. The program will explore how poor client communication can lead to malpractice claims, internal conflict and decreased productivity. It also will offer tools, technologies and techniques to help attorneys improve communication, reduce stress, enhance client satisfaction and lower malpractice risk. For more information, visit the TBA website. Can't tune in on Friday? The program also is available on demand.

The man accused of carrying out a Memphis shooting spree in 2022 is set to go to trial early next year.  According to the Daily Memphian, Ezekiel Kelly's trial will begin on Feb. 9, 2026. Shelby County Criminal Court Judge James Jones Jr. set the date during a preliminary court hearing Tuesday. Kelly, who is facing the death penalty, is accused of killing three people and wounding three others in multiple shootings that created crime scenes across the city. He originally was set to go to trial last week, but that date was delayed in May after Kelly’s attorney argued he needed more time to prepare. The attorney also said he plans to file a motion to have an out-of-town jury try the case. Kelly is scheduled to return to court Sept. 16, which also will be the last day he can plead guilty before trial.

The Knoxville Bar Association (KBA) will hold its 2025 Bench & Bar Celebration on Sept. 4 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. EDT. The annual event honors the justices of the Tennessee Supreme Court and celebrates the state judiciary. The celebration will take place at the Knoxville Convention Center, 701 Henley St., Knoxville 37902. Learn more and access registration information online.

Acting U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert E. McGuire on July 18 announced that the U.S. has reached an agreement with Knights Inn Nashville to resolve allegations the hotel violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The hotel is alleged to have refused to allow a family with a service animal to stay because it was against hotel policy. As part of the settlement, the hotel has agreed to post a large sign in a conspicuous area accessible by the public that reads “Service Animals Welcome.” The owner of the hotel also will establish and implement a written policy specifically addressing the provision of services to individuals with disabilities who require a service animal for all hotels that he owns, and will provide ADA training to all hotel staff who have contact with guests. Read more.

The Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility (BPR) reportedly has dismissed an ethics complaint against Nashville attorney Cynthia Sherwood, who represents former House Speaker Glen Casada’s ex-chief of staff, Cade Cothren. The complaint, filed by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, alleged misconduct after a private investigator working for Sherwood visited the home of Bill Young, the registry’s executive director. Sherwood, who called the complaint "frivolous," provided the Tennessee Lookout with a copy of the BPR's confidential letter. The BPR has not made the decision public, pending an opinion from the Attorney General’s Office. Resolution of the complaint comes as Cothren and Casada, both convicted of federal bribery charges, are seeking new trials. In addition, the registery said it would revive a 2020 request for a criminal investigation into Cothren and the Faith Family Freedom Fund PAC based on new evidence from the trials.

Reginal Jenkins, Defendant, appeals from his convictions for two counts of attempted first degree murder and two counts of employing a firearm during a dangerous felony, claiming there was insufficient evidence regarding identity and premeditation. We disagree with Defendant’s claims and affirm the judgments.

The U.S. Department of Justice and Kilmar Abrego Garcia's lawyers agreed to keep Abrego Garcia in U.S. custody in Tennessee for 30 days if the court denies the government's motion to revoke his bond, again delaying his transfer to immigration authorities. Fox 17 News reports that Abrego Garcia's lawyers requested the delay to assess legal options amid potential deportation. The government did not oppose, noting it would not impact trial preparations or the current January 2026 trial date.

The Defendant, William C. Sutton, received and signed a written trespass notice from Walmart informing him that he was banned from entering its retail locations for life. Less than a year later, the Defendant entered one of Walmart's retail locations and left without paying for clothing items he concealed in a plastic bag. Before trial, the Defendant made an oral motion ni limine ot exclude the trespass notice as inadmissible hearsay, which the trial court denied. The jury subsequently convicted the Defendant of burglary, for which he received a twelve-year sentence of imprisonment. On appeal, the Defendant argues that the trial court erred in denying his motion in limine and that the evidence is insufficient to support his conviction. After review, we affirm.

The Defendant, Fredrick Devell Rice Jr., entered guilty pleas to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, tampering with evidence, and felony drug possession with intent to sell. The trial court imposed an effective sentence of ten years and placed the Defendant on probation after service of twelve months incarceration. The Defendant subsequently tested positive for fentanyl and norfentanyl four times. At the Defendant’s probation violation hearing, the Defendant objected to an assessment report the State offered through a witness who did not prepare it as inadmissible hearsay, which was overruled by the trial court. The trial court revoked the Defendant’s probation and ordered him to serve the remainder of his sentence. In this appeal, the sole issue presented for our review is whether the trial court erred in admitting the testimony from the assessment report. After review, we affirm.