Tennessee
Alabama and Tennessee move to draw new congressional districts in wake of Supreme Court ruling
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Republican governors in Alabama and Tennessee have summoned lawmakers into special sessions this week seeking new congressional districts after the U.S. Supreme Court weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey has called legislators back to Montgomery starting Monday to approve contingency plans for special primary elections in hopes that the Supreme Court will allow the state to switch congressional maps ahead of the November midterms. It’s a move that Republicans legislative leaders said would “give our state a fighting chance to send seven Republican members to Congress.” The seven-member delegation currently has two Democrats.
In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee also announced a special session starting Tuesday for the GOP-controlled Legislature to break up the state’s one Democratic-held House district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis.
The Supreme Court decision striking down a majority-Black congressional district in Louisiana said the drawing of the district map relied too much on race. The ruling began reverberating through statehouses across the South as Republicans eyed the possibility of getting new lines in place for the 2026 midterm elections, or at least 2028.
President Donald Trump encouraged the latest round of redistricting in a post on social media on Sunday, saying his party could gain 20 seats in the House.
“We should demand that State Legislatures do what the Supreme Court says must be done,” Trump said. “That is more important than administrative convenience.”
Florida approved new districts the day of the Supreme Court ruling, and Louisiana moved quickly to postpone its May 16 congressional primary, drawing lawsuits from Democrats and civil rights groups. The state’s Republican leadership started planning for a redraw that could eliminate one or both of its congressional districts now represented by a Black lawmaker. South Carolina’s governor suggested his state might also reconsider its congressional map.
Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Georgia Democrat, described the court decision and the redistricting scramble as an attempt to roll back the Civil Rights Movement.
“They said we’re going to allow partisan politicians to gerrymander you, so that even when you show up, your voice won’t have as much impact because we’ll play with the lines,” he said Sunday from the pulpit at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Martin Luther King Jr. once served as pastor. “That isn’t a new method. That’s an old method. That’s a Jim Crow method.”
The Supreme Court ruling boosted an already intense national redistricting battle by providing Republican officials in some states potential new grounds to redraw voting districts.
Federal judges previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map with a second district with a substantial number of Black voters. The judges also ordered Alabama to use the new map until after the 2030 Census. Alabama is appealing that decision and is hoping the court, in light of the Louisiana ruling, will let Alabama revert to a 2023 map drawn by state lawmakers.
“As I continue saying, Alabama knows our state, our people and our districts best,” Ivey said.
Tennessee’s move comes after a pressure campaign by Trump and other Republicans to reconfigure the state’s 9th Congressional District. Republicans have always been checkmated by the Voting Rights Act in their desire to spread the district’s Democratic voters around neighboring conservative districts and make it winnable, but the law may no longer be an impediment.
“We owe it to Tennesseans to ensure our congressional districts accurately reflect the will of Tennessee voters,” Lee said Friday. The move was encouraged by Trump, who wrote on social media Thursday that Lee had promised to work hard to give Republicans one extra seat.
The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6. Democrats noted that in 2022 the state Supreme Court checked additional redistricting because it was too close to an election. They argued that the court is their best hope this time around too.
“We cannot keep doing things like this and calling ourselves a democracy,” Democratic State Sen. Ramesh Akbari said at a news conference outside the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis.
Alabama Democrats also sharply criticized the decision to try to change the maps ahead of looming elections.
“This special session is a blatant power grab by Republican leadership in Montgomery to eliminate seats held by Black Democrats,” said former Sen. Doug Jones, a Democratic candidate for Alabama governor.
Louisiana has suspended its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts, though that is being challenged in court.
Trump urged Texas Republicans last year to redraw U.S. House districts to give the party an advantage. Democrats in California responded by doing the same, then other states joined the battle. Lawmakers, commissions or courts have adopted new House districts in eight states.
___
Associated Press writers Jeff Amy, Bill Barrow, Jack Brook, Nicholas Riccardi and David A. Lieb contributed to this report.
Tennessee freshman forward Chris Washington Jr met with the local media earlier this week in his first press conference after committing and signing with the Vols back in the spring.
Washington discussed why he chose Tennessee, what position he has mostly been working at this summer and much more. Here’s everything Washington said.
More From RTI: What Director of Sports Performance Garrett Medenwald Said About Tennessee Basketball Offseason
On what led to him de-committing from Alabama, eventually committing to Tennessee
“Honestly, I just felt like that for me and my family, that was just the best decision for me. And I found my right school, I feel like.”
On his first impressions of the team
“Like I said, me and the guys, we came a long way just from this first month, you know, getting help from DeWayne, and the team, it’s just been a blessing.”
On what the first month has been like for him personally
“Honestly, just getting better day by day. Coach Barnes, he’s coaching me hard. So honestly, just stacking days, just getting better day by day.”
On what Rick Barnes is harping on with him right now
“My defense. The whole country know I can score the ball, so just me, just working on my rotations, being right in the gaps. Defense.”
On what position he is working at.
“Right now, they got me playing four.”
On if they sold development based on his film or Tennessee’s track record
“I mean, honestly, just the track record of like guys he did put in the league, you know what I’m saying? I want to be pro, so like I said, I came to Tennessee, I felt like they’re gonna get me there, he’s gonna get me there.”
On who have been the verbal leaders on the team
“My boy DeWayne and my boy Kenbell (Duncan Campball), them two. They’ve been kind of really helping me.”
On how Tennessee sophomore forward DeWayne Brown has helped the newcomers understand what it’s like to play for the Vols
“I be in practice sometimes, I’ll get lost and he’ll kind of just help me a little bit. I mean, honestly, him just guiding us when we mess up.”
On his relationship with the rest of his freshman class: Manny Green, Ralph Scott and Marquis Clark; if he knew about them on the AAU circuit
“It’s been a great relationship. I didn’t play those guys on the circuit, so for us to be all on the same team, it’s a good thing.”
On playing AAU basketball in Knoxville; if that helped his decision
“It’s great, you know? It’s just amazing, honestly. I’m just glad to be here.”
On how he is liking the new Adidas uniforms
“I’m loving it. We’re in Adidas gear. I’m liking it, I’m loving it.”
On his strengths on offense
“I’d say getting to the rim, getting to my spots, and my (ability) to catch and shoot.”
On where his spots are
“Really just getting to the mid-range, getting down hill.”
On watching last year’s Vols get drafted
“Coach Barnes, him getting those guys there, I know my time’s gonna come.”
On his freshman class
“Oh, we got the best class, I feel like, honestly. We got a good class.”
Why he feels Tennessee has the best freshman class
“Shoot, we all can score, honestly. (Barnes) recruited a lot of scores this year. Even our freshman class, we can all get a bucket.”
Tennessee
Where Tennessee Baseball Players, Commits Land In Final MLB Mock Drafts, Rankings | Rocky Top Insider
The 2026 MLB Draft gets underway on Saturday afternoon to jump start MLB All-Star game festivities in Philadelphia. The two-day, 20-round draft is a highly important once for Tennessee baseball. While there are fewer current Vols projected to be selected, there will be no shortage of Tennessee prep signees and transfer commits who are draft risks.
We’ve compiled a number of both mock drafts and overall draft prospect rankings from a multitude of outlets that give us a look at where Tennessee players, transfers and commits could go. There’s a handful of Tennessee transfer commits who are not listed but are also draft risks including Wright State outfielder Andrew Duncan, Baylor shortstop Travis Sanders, FIU infielder Mario Trivella and Clemson right-handed pitcher Hayden Simmerson.
Taking a look at the mock drafts and draft rankings here.
More From RTI: Clemson Transfer Pitcher Commits To Tennessee Baseball
Current Tennessee player. Tennessee transfer commit. Tennessee high school signee
Mock Drafts
ESPN Two-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11 to Kansas City
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 14 to Miami
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 34 to Pittsburgh
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 51 to Pittsburgh
The Athletic One-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11 to Baltimore
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 24 to Seattle
CBS One-Round Mock Draft
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 18 to Cincinnati
Prospect Rankings
MLB Pipeline Top 250
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 13
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 16
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 25
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 61
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 99
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 106
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 124
- RHP Shawn Sullivan — No. 132
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 139
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 141
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 148
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 152
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 190
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 212
- RHP Bo Rhudy — No. 219
- LHP Ricky Ojeda — No. 243
ESPN Top 250
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 11
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 16
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 32
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 49
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 52
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 98
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 107
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 109
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 112
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 125
- 1B Cody Boshell — No. 142
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 156
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 162
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 183
- RHP Bo Rhudy — No. 201
Perfect Game Top 400
- LHP/OF Jared Grindlinger — No. 16
- OF Trevor Condon — No. 29
- RHP Tegan Kuhns — No. 50
- RHP Kaiden McCarthy — No. 51
- RHP/SS Cole Koeninger — No. 62
- C Sean Dunlap — No. 68
- 3B/OF Henry Ford — No. 134
- 1B/OF AJ Curry — No. 153
- RHP Cannon Grant — No. 176
- RHP Tyler Putnam — No. 190
- SS Jack Dugan — No. 201
- LHP Jake McCoy — No. 227
- RHP Shawn Sullivan — No. 231
- RHP Gary Morse — No. 241
- LHP Ricky Ojeda — No. 251
- RHP Bo Rhudy 255
- SS Jaxson Wood — No. 262
- C/OF Garrett Wright — No. 269
- LHP Brandon Arvidson — No. 274
- SS Manny Marin — No. 375
- OF Reese Chapman — No. 386
- LHP Drew Christine — No. 387
Sissy arrived at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee in 2000, where caretakers began monitoring and managing her osteoarthritis. Sanctuary leaders said a recent progression of the disease caused what they described as “clear signs” of pain and swelling in her right wrist.
-
Milwaukee, WI5 minutes agoMilwaukee dives into the Global Swimmable Cities Alliance
-
Atlanta, GA7 minutes agoAtlanta Starting Lineup: July 2026 (NASCAR O’Reilly Series) – Racing News
-
Minneapolis, MN13 minutes agoFormer Obama press aide accused of stealing cash, credit cards, from Minneapolis coworkers to buy kratom
-
Indianapolis, IN20 minutes agoWoman killed in downtown Indianapolis hit-and-run crash
-
Pittsburg, PA22 minutes agoGame Discussion (Let’s Try This Again): Milwaukee Brewers (59-34) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (47-47)
-
Augusta, GA27 minutes ago8 school district cops lose certifications over cheating scandal
-
Washington, D.C35 minutes agoD.C. police investigating fatal Saturday morning stabbing in Columbia Heights
-
Cleveland, OH37 minutes agoLakewood woman dies after being thrown from ATV; police seek persons of interest
