Tennessee
Families from Tennessee to California seek humanitarian parole for adopted children in Haiti
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — At only 6 years old, Esai Reed has endured three emergency evacuations from orphanages across Haiti as gangs pillage and plunder their way through once peaceful communities.
He is now in northern Haiti under the care of a U.S. organization after the director of Esai’s last orphanage fled the troubled Caribbean country where gangs control 80% of the capital.
Nearly five months have passed since the last evacuation, and in that time, Esai, who loves soccer and is mischievous, hasn’t been able to talk to his adoptive mother in the U.S. or his two older brothers who live with her as internet connections and other logistics falter.
“Clearly, this is an emergency,” said Michelle Reed, a 51-year-old teacher and single mother who lives in Florida.
Reed’s is one of 55 families from Tennessee to California asking the U.S. government for humanitarian parole for some 70 children they’re adopting. It was an opportunity the U.S. granted to more than a dozen other children earlier this year when gangs attacked key government infrastructure and forced Haiti’s main international airport to close for nearly three months, prompting evacuations of dozens of U.S. citizens and 39 children from March to May who had final adoption decrees.
Reed and other families said they were initially told they would be part of the evacuation group, but the U.S. government later said that “despite intensive efforts,” it had not found a solution to allow children without adoption decrees to leave Haiti and enter the U.S., according to a letter from The Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State.
“We understand that this update will be disappointing for both you and your child(ren),” the office wrote.
Reed and other families warned that completing the adoption process in Haiti instead of in the U.S. as requested forces the children to travel to Port-au-Prince, which is largely under siege by gangs, to obtain a visa, passport and medical exam.
“Why aren’t they doing that for our kids?” asked Emmerson, who lives in the U.S. and requested that his last name be withheld for safety since he and his wife, who are adopting his niece and nephew, have family in Haiti.
Reed noted that the Haitian Central Adoption Authority has given the families permission for the children to leave the country and complete the adoption in the U.S.
But a State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press that other Haitian authorities overseeing the adoption process do not agree. It added that it’s working with the Haitian government “to move adoptions forward as quickly as possible” while ensuring that laws, regulations and obligations are met.
“The Department is working to expedite final processing steps for additional children,” it said, adding that all Haitian government offices that process adoptions are open, “although some offices could be intermittently closed or operating at limited capacity due to localized violence.”
The department said it “understands and empathizes with the concerns and frustration of U.S. families adopting from Haiti.”
Stéphane Vincent, director of Haiti’s Directorate of Immigration and Emigration, did not return messages for comment.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told the AP that consideration for parole applies “to a very limited number of Haitians adoptees” who have reached a specific stage in their process. It said that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “is working tirelessly” with U.S. government partners “to navigate the current circumstances.”
Aside from the dangers of being in Port-au-Prince, families note their cases could be further delayed because Haitian judges have been on strike while others have left the country because of the violence.
The U.N. noted in a recent report that ever since Haiti’s judicial year started in October 2023, “courts have been operational for barely ten days.”
Backing the families in their push to obtain humanitarian parole are lawmakers including U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, who have written the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security on their behalf.
Haiti has been under a state of emergency for several months, and the Department of State has long upheld a “do not travel” advisory, warning of kidnappings, killings, sexual assault and other crimes, adding that “the U.S. government is very limited in its ability to help U.S. citizens in Haiti.”
From April to June, at least 1,379 people were reported killed or injured, and another 428 kidnapped, according to the U.N., which noted that 88% of those crimes were in Port-au-Prince.
Meanwhile, gang violence has left at least 700,000 people homeless in recent years, half of them children, William O’Neill, the U.N. independent human rights expert on Haiti, said Friday.
“All indicators remain extremely worrying,” he said during his visit to Haiti. “The first and most concerning of them, insecurity.”
Meanwhile, Kenyan police who arrived in late June as part of a U.N.-backed mission to help quell gang violence only recently launched joint operations with Haiti’s police and military as the U.S. ponders a U.N. peacekeeping operation after warning that the current mission lacks resources.
“The children are at great risk,” said Diane Kunz, executive director for the New York-based nonprofit Center for Adoption Policy. “You have the State Department saying they can’t guarantee the protection of their own people.”
In Florida, Reed worries about Esai as she tries to comfort his brothers, ages 8 and 10, who were physically and sexually abused at the orphanage and were sick and malnourished when she adopted them nearly two years ago.
“The boys are afraid for him, and they don’t want to talk about it,” she said, adding that no one told her they had a brother when she adopted them.
Reed recalled how, after arriving in the U.S., her two older sons slept in a single twin bed despite having two available and held each other through the night.
“Nighttime was scary for them,” Reed said. “They had nightmares for a long time.”
Fighting alongside Reed is Emmerson and his wife, Michelle, who also asked that her name be withheld for safety.
Emmerson’s mother was in Haiti looking after his niece and nephew when she had a heart attack after gangs raided their neighborhood, located near where a young U.S. missionary couple was killed earlier this year.
“They were shooting, and she passed away,” he said. “The kids were traumatized.”
After speaking with his brother, who has health issues and struggles to care for his five other children, they agreed adoption was best. But Emmerson and Michelle have not been able to visit Haiti in nearly a year given the ongoing violence.
Gangs forced the children to relocate to southwest Haiti, where their family is running low on food and other basic supplies. Gunmen control the main roads leading in and out of Port-au-Prince, on occasion firing on those passing through.
The boy is 6 years old and extroverted, and his sister is “like a little old lady in a 3-year-old’s body,” Michelle said. They worry what will happen to them if they’re forced to travel to Port-au-Prince to finalize the adoption, with Emmerson recalling how his brother’s twins were kidnapped in the capital and later released, with the boy’s face slashed by gangs.
“We just don’t want that for our kids,” he said.
Angela, who lives in California and asked that her last name be withheld for safety, said she and her husband are trying to adopt a 5-year-old girl who — like Reed’s youngest son — has been evacuated from orphanages three times.
Angela recalled how she was on the phone with an orphanage worker and her daughter when gunfire erupted.
“Quite honestly, I didn’t know if she was going to be killed right then and there,” she said. “Gunfire was penetrating the walls.”
She said it’s terrifying to think that her daughter, who is shy and loves to read books, will have to travel to Port-au-Prince to complete the required paperwork after violence forced her to flee the city.
“It’s just not right for these children to be thrown into the war zone to meet requirements that could easily be waived,” Reed said. “We are not looking to bypass any part of the adoption process. We want our children evacuated to safety so we have children to adopt. We don’t want them to die in Haiti.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Rising fertilizer costs and global supply concerns could affect Tennessee farmers and eventually push food prices higher, according to a recent MarketWatch analysis and agricultural data.
An American Farm Bureau Federation survey of more than 5,700 farmers found that about 70% said they may not be able to afford all the fertilizer they need this year.
Tennessee farmers could feel those pressures as well. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture reports the state is a major producer of crops such as soybeans and corn, both of which rely heavily on fertilizer.
Higher costs for farmers can ripple through the food supply. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has previously reported that increases in production expenses, including fertilizer, can contribute to higher food prices for consumers.
Nationally, food prices remain elevated. Grocery costs are still rising, with the USDA predicting an overall price increase of 2.9% this year.
The issue is tied in part to possible global factors. Fertilizer prices have risen amid geopolitical tensions and supply constraints, including disruptions linked to international conflicts and competition for key materials used in fertilizer production, according to a report out of the University of Illinois.
While U.S. agriculture remains stable overall, analysts warn that reduced planting or higher input costs in 2027 could tighten supply and put additional pressure on prices.
For Tennessee, where agriculture remains a key part of the economy, the impact could be felt both on farms and at the checkout line.
The Tennessee Volunteers were well represented when it came to the NFL Draft. They had multiple selections during the draft, and multiple players signed with a team following the draft, but one player had to compete for a roster spot during a mini camp, as he was invited to mini camp to make a name for himself.
That player is former Tennessee Vols running back Star Thomas, who left for the NFL after just one season with the Vols due to his loss of eligibility. Thomas was a split backup for the Vols, and he finished with 564 yards, as he was the No. 2 and No. 3 at different points throughout the season. The only running back he fell behind entirely was DeSean Bishop, who led the pack between Thomas, Peyton Lewis (who transferred to Virginia), and himself.
Tennessee Football RB Star Thomas Receives His NFL Fate After Tennessee Titans Camp
Thomas was invited to stay inside the state of Tennessee and compete with the Tennessee Titans in their mini camp for a chance to stay on the roster and be signed, but unfortunately enough for him, he didn’t receive a contract and will not sign with the Titans, as they are now moving on from him. While this can be viewed as shocking that he isn’t with an NFL team, it also makes sense as to why the Titans will not have him on the roster.
The Titans are already loaded at the RB position, as they have built a deep and reliable running back group. They will be starting with Tony Pollard in the lineup, but he will be backed up by Rookie Nick Singleton, Tyjae Spears, Michael Carter, Julius Chestnut, and Kalel Mullings. If they were to add a guy like Thomas, he would never find his way onto the field, and it would be holding the Titans back from adding a player to a position of need.
Thomas’s future in the NFL remains uncertain, as no teams have contacted him for a second chance, which leaves Thomas with very few options. He could be looking to find a new home elsewhere, or could be trying to get himself into a different league and be a star there. If the talented prospect is given a chance for a team that needs a running back, then things could be different, but it will depend on what the roster looks like and what type of player a team is looking to bring in.
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Tennessee
Tennessee Republicans will consider redrawing US House district covering majority-Black Memphis
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — As civil rights advocates protest, Republican lawmakers in several Southern states are seizing on the opportunity afforded by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to redraw congressional districts ahead of the November midterm elections.
The latest state to jump on the redistricting bandwagon is Tennessee, where a special legislative session is to begin Tuesday, a day after a similar session kicked off in Alabama. In Louisiana, lawmakers are making plans for new U.S. House districts after the Supreme Court last week struck down the state’s current map.
The high court’s ruling said Louisiana relied too heavily on race when creating a second Black-majority House district as it attempted to comply with the Voting Rights Act. The ruling significantly altered a decades-old understanding of the law and provided grounds for Republicans in various states to try to eliminate majority-Black districts that have elected Democrats.
Its impact on congressional representation, specifically for Black Americans, is threatening to undo decades of progress to ensure minority voting rights.
President Donald Trump has been encouraging more states to join in redistricting as Republicans seek to hold on to their narrow House majority in this year’s elections.
Alabama special session draws protests
Several hundred people protested on Monday shortly before Alabama’s special session began, including some carrying signs declaring “No new map” and “We fight back! Black Voters Matter.”
Opponents of the redistricting session gathered across the street from the historic Alabama Capitol, where the Confederacy was formed in 1861 and where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed a crowd of thousands after the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery voting rights march.
“Much blood, sweat and tears was shed in an effort for us to gain the right to vote,” said Sheyann Webb-Christburg, who as a child participated in the 1965 Bloody Sunday voting rights march in Selma. “In 2026, there are still people who are still not exercising that right to vote, and we are still fighting today, even in an effort to keep our right to vote.”
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session to consider contingency plans for special primary elections in hopes the U.S. Supreme Court will let Alabama switch congressional maps ahead of the November midterms.
A three-judge federal panel previously ordered Alabama to use a court-selected map — with a second district that has a substantial number of Black voters — until a new map is drafted after the 2030 Census. Alabama appealed that decision and has asked the court, in light of the Louisiana ruling, to let it revert to a 2023 map drawn by Republican state lawmakers. That map could give Republicans a better chance of winning at least one of the two seats currently held by Black Democratic lawmakers.
“This is the voice of the people,” Alabama House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter said while promoting the Republican plan. “We had three judges determine how five million people were supposed to vote, and I don’t think that’s the way.”
At a town hall held by a pro-Democratic group, Doug Jones, a former U.S. senator who is running for governor as a Democrat, said Alabama was “ground zero for voting rights, and we are going to be ground zero to make sure we retain those voting rights.”
Tennessee plan targets Memphis district
Republican Gov. Bill Lee called Tennessee lawmakers into a special session to consider a plan that could break up the state’s lone Democratic-held U.S. House district, centered on the majority-Black city of Memphis. The move comes after pressure from Trump.
The candidate qualifying period in Tennessee ended in March, and the primary election is scheduled for Aug. 6. Lee had said.
Clergy members concerned about plans to split Memphis’ congressional district came together Monday to denounce the move.
“This latest attempt at redistricting is not just about lines on a map. It is about misrepresentation,” said the Rev. Earle Fisher, a pastor at the Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church and the founder of Up the Vote 901, referring to the Memphis area code. “It’s about whether the voices of Black people in this state will be heard or hidden.”
Advocates urge Louisiana voters to cast ballots
After last week’s Supreme Court decision, Louisiana moved quickly to delay its May 16 congressional primary to allow time for lawmakers to approve new U.S. House districts.
Louisiana state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, a Republican who chairs a Senate committee tasked with redistricting, told The Associated Press that his committee plans to hold a public hearing Friday on congressional redistricting. Kleinpeter said lawmakers are still weighing their options, including bills that would eliminate one or both of the state’s two majority-Black Congressional districts
Democrats and civil rights groups have filed several lawsuits challenging the suspension of the state’s congressional primary, including another filed Monday in federal court. They are encouraging people in Louisiana — where early voting already is underway — to go ahead and cast votes in the congressional primaries in case courts later allow them to be counted.
A national redistricting battle expands
Legislative voting districts typically are redrawn only once a decade, after a census, to account for population changes. But 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, and then other states joined in.
Florida became the eighth state to enact new House districts ahead of the midterm elections when Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday he had signed a redrawn map passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature. It could help Republicans win as many as four additional House seats. The new map was immediately challenged in court as a partisan gerrymander that violates a Florida constitutional provision against drawing districts that favor one political party over another.
All told, Republicans think they could gain as many as 13 seats from new congressional districts in five states, while Democrats think they could pick up as many as 10 seats from new districts adopted in three states. The newly proposed redistricting in Southern states could add to the Republicans’ tally.
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Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama, and Lieb from Jefferson City, Missouri. Associated Press writers Jack Brook in New Orleans and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.
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