Tennessee
Judges dismiss suit alleging Tennessee's political maps discriminate against communities of color
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judicial panel has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that Tennessee’s U.S. House maps and those for the state Senate amount to unconstitutional racial gerrymandering.
“In sum, the complaint alleges facts that are consistent with a racial gerrymander,” stated the ruling, which was issued Wednesday. “But the facts are also consistent with a political gerrymander.”
The complaint was the first court challenge over a 2022 congressional redistricting map that carved up Democratic-leaning Nashville to help Republicans flip a seat in last year’s elections, a move that critics claimed was done to dilute the power of Black voters and other communities of color in one of the state’s few Democratic strongholds.
The lawsuit also challenged state Senate District 31 in majority-Black Shelby County, including part of Memphis, using similar arguments and saying that the white voting age population went up under the new maps. A Republican now holds that seat.
However, the three federal judges who wrote the ruling argued there was another clear motivation behind Tennessee’s Republican state legislative supermajority by pointing to “naked partisanship” as the likely “straightforward explanation.”
In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that disputes over partisan gerrymandering of congressional and legislative districts are none of its business, limiting those claims to state courts under their own constitutions and laws. Most recently, the high court upheld South Carolina’s congressional map in a 6-3 decision that said the state General Assembly did not use race to draw districts based on the 2020 Census.
In Tennessee’s case, the plaintiffs included the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP, the African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee, the Equity Alliance, the League of Women Voters of Tennessee and several Tennessee voters, including former Democratic state Sen. Brenda Gilmore.
After Nashville was splintered into three congressional districts, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper of Nashville declined to seek reelection, claiming he couldn’t win under the new layout. Ultimately, Rep. John Rose won reelection by about 33 percentage points, Rep. Mark Green won another term by 22 points, and Rep. Andy Ogles won his first term by 13 points in the district vacated by Cooper.
Tennessee now has eight Republicans in the U.S. House, with just one Democrat left in Memphis Rep. Steve Cohen.
In the original complaint, the plaintiffs argued that all three of the “candidates of choice” for minority voters lost their congressional bids in the Nashville area in 2022.
The judges countered that the lawsuit had to “more than plausibly allege that Tennessee’s legislators knew that their Republican-friendly map would harm voters who preferred Democratic candidates—including the higher percentage of minority voters who preferred those candidates.”
The judges did reject Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s argument that the plaintiffs had waited too long to file their challenge and also declared that the plaintiffs did not have to come up with their own map in their legal challenge. In their dismissal, the judges said the complaint could be refiled over the next 30 days as long as it was amended to “plausibly disentangle race from politics.”
Republicans celebrated the ruling, with House Speaker Cameron Sexton’s office issuing a statement saying they were “happy to have resolution on this matter so that we can focus on what’s ahead for Tennessee.”
Notably, the ruling briefly weighed in on ongoing controversies that have surrounded the Republican-dominant Statehouse, where Democrats have alleged racial discrimination in both the legislative policies enacted and actions that their GOP colleagues have taken recently.
Ranging from the brief expulsion of two young Black Democratic lawmakers to passing legislation aimed at slashing the left-leaning Nashville’s city council, the plaintiffs’ complaint provided several examples that they claimed as evidence of a “discriminatory motive.”
The court countered that the examples had “little to do with redistricting” but did note that they suggest the “possibility of misconduct.”
Meanwhile, Tennessee’s state legislative maps still face another lawsuit on state constitutional grounds.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee but agents didn’t have a warrant, according to court documents filed by this week her lawyer.
Estefany Rodriguez Flores, a reporter for Spanish-language news outlet Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of ICE, was arrested Wednesday during a traffic stop and is being detained by ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, according to documents filed in federal court in Nashville. Her lawyers called for her immediate release.
Rodriguez, a Colombian citizen, entered the U.S lawfully and has been living in the U.S. for the past five years, court records filed by her lawyer show. She has a valid work permit, and she has applied for political asylum and legal status though her husband, who is a U.S. citizen.
Rodriguez was with her husband in a marked Nashville Noticias vehicle when it was surrounded by several other vehicles and she was taken to a detention center, the news outlet said in a statement.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
ICE scheduled a meeting with Rodriguez on her case but it was rescheduled twice, first because the office was closed during a winter storm and the second time because an agent couldn’t find her appointment in the system, her lawyers said in court documents.
A new meeting was then set for March 17.
When she was arrested, Rodriguez was not shown any arrest warrant, only an immigration document telling her to appear before ICE. Her lawyer, Joel Coxander, has spoken to an ICE agent who indicated that there was no arrest warrant for her at the time of her arrest, her lawyer said in court documents.
Rodriguez joined Nashville Noticias in 2022, covering social, family, health, police and immigration issues, the news outlet’s statement said.
“She needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law,” the statement said.
Read the full statement:
“Official Statement from Nashville Noticias Regarding the Detention of Our Colleague Reporter Estefany Rodríguez by ICE Agents
On March 4, Estefany Rodríguez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias and Univision 42 Nashville, was with her husband, Alejandro Medina III, outside the gym located at 2615 Murfreesboro Pike, when the vehicle they were traveling in (marked with the Nashville Noticias logo) was surrounded by several other vehicles. Several men got out and demanded that our colleague be taken into custody for reasons that the legal team will specify at a later date.
Estefany Rodríguez was taken to a detention center.
Estefany Rodríguez holds a degree in journalism from Colombia, her native country, where she has worked for several years at various news outlets. She joined the Nashville Noticias team in 2022, covering social, family, health, police, and immigration issues.
Nashville Noticias LLC expresses its respect for the laws of the United States and hopes that this situation will be resolved favorably for our colleague so that she can be released soon, as she needs to reunite with her young daughter and husband to continue her legal process within the framework permitted by law. Her legal team at MIRA Legal, as well as the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Coalition (TIRRC), are providing legal representation in the case and will have details on the progress and responses from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Tennessee Federal Court.
Nashville Noticias will also be providing updates on its social media platforms and website, nashvillenoticias.com.
We trust in the justice system of the United States of America.
Respectfully,
Nashville Noticias LLC
March 5 2026″
GREENVILLE, SC – Lady Vols basketball had an underwhelming showing against Alabama, and it led to a winless trip to the SEC Tournament.
No. 6 seed Tennessee (16-13) never led in the second-round matchup with No. 11 Alabama (23-9) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 5, and extended its losing streak to seven games with the 76-64 loss.
Janiah Barker led the Lady Vols with 20 points on 6-for-14 shooting, five rebounds and a steal, but also had seven turnovers. Zee Spearman added 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting with six rebounds, an assist and two blocks.
Talaysia Cooper, the team’s leading scorer, did not play in the game after 6:27 left in the third quarter. She had four points on 1-for-4 shooting with two assists, two steals and a rebound in 12 minutes.
The Lady Vols tied the game 12-12 in the first quarter, and by halftime they trailed by double digits – they never came back within single digits after halftime. Their defense didn’t show any improvement as they allowed Alabama to shoot 50% from the field and gave up 19 points off their 18 turnovers. Tennessee only scored 11 points off 13 forced turnovers.
The Lady Vols fell behind early when Alabama destroyed their press, passing through it for easy buckets to build a lead. When Tennessee stopped pressing, it still couldn’t get enough stops in the halfcourt. Alabama outscored UT 36-24 in the paint.
Freshman guard Deniya Prawl, who was listed as out on the SEC availability report, was not on the bench with the team.
Watch Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama
Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama: Live score updates
Tennessee got outscored 22-17 in the third and Alabama took a 61-46 lead into the fourth quarter. The Tide shot 55% from the field in the third.
Tennessee’s defense couldn’t get a stop on defense, and it wasn’t even pressing much anymore. Alabama went on a 6-0 run to take a 17-point lead before Zee Spearman hit a layup to cut it to 15, and Tennessee trailed 53-38 at the media timeout with 4:55 left in the third quarter.
Alabama outscored Tennessee 8-3 to open the third quarter, and after five straight points for the Tide that included a late closeout by Talaysia Cooper and a turnover on the inbound by Janiah Barker, Kim Caldwell called timeout with 8:47 left in the quarter.
Caldwell was not happy and yelled, “wake up!” as she walked onto the court to meet her team. Alabama led 47-32.
Tennessee’s defense got better in the second quarter, and it held Alabama to 14 points. However, its shotmaking did not improve and it committed eight turnovers. The Tide scored 12 points off Tennessee’s 12 turnovers.
The Lady Vols only scored 11 points in the second. Janiah Barker led the team with nine points on 3-for-6 shooting with two rebounds in the first half. Zee Spearman added seven points on 3-for-4 shooting with four rebounds, an assist and a block.
The Lady Vols regrouped between quarters and outscored Alabama 5-2 in the first three minutes of the second. Nya Robertson hit a 3-pointer and Zee Spearman scored off an offensive rebound to cut Alabama’s lead to 27-23 with 6:47 left in the quarter.
Alabama passed through Tennessee’s press with ease and immediately retook the lead. The Lady Vols weren’t hitting shots and couldn’t get a stop defensively, either. The Tide shot 55% from the field and scored 18 points in the paint.
Alabama also scored seven points off of Tennessee’s four turnovers and outrebounded UT 11-8.
Alabama jumped out to a 12-7 lead, but then Zee Spearman scored five straight points to tie the game 12-12. Then Tennessee was two seconds away from trapping the Tide in the backcourt before Kristy Curry had to call timeout with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
Janiah Barker also had five early points for the Lady Vols.
Deniya Prawl out on SEC injury report
Freshman Deniya Prawl was listed as out on the SEC student-athlete availability report on March 4.
The 6-foot-2 guard has been a solid piece of the rotation for Tennessee this season. Prawl has averaged 3.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and a steal in 15.4 minutes per game while shooting 40.4% from the field.
When does Lady Vols basketball vs. Alabama start?
- Date: Thursday, March 5
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina
What TV channel is Lady Vols vs. Alabama on today?
Lady Vols basketball 2025-26 schedule, TV times
- Nov. 4: NC State 80, Tennessee 77
- Nov. 7: Tennessee 97, ETSU 47
- Nov. 9: Tennessee 72, UT Martin 61
- Nov. 13: Tennessee 68, Belmont 58
- Nov. 20: Tennessee 85, MTSU 41
- Nov. 23: Tennessee 88, Coppin State 35
- Nov. 30: UCLA 99, Tennessee 77
- Dec. 3: Tennessee 65, Stanford 62
- Dec. 14: Tennessee 112, Winthrop 40
- Dec. 20: Louisville 89, Tennessee 65
- Dec. 22: Tennessee 89, Southern Indiana 44
- Jan. 1: Tennessee 76, Florida 65
- Jan. 4: Tennessee 73, Auburn 56
- Jan. 8: Tennessee 90, Mississippi State 80
- Jan. 11: Tennessee 85, Arkansas 50
- Jan. 18: Tennessee 70, Alabama 59
- Jan. 22: Tennessee 60, Kentucky 58
- Jan. 29: Mississippi State 77, Tennessee 62
- Feb. 1: UConn 96, Tennessee 66
- Feb. 5: Tennessee 82, Georgia 77
- Feb. 8: South Carolina 93, Tennessee 50
- Feb. 12: Tennessee 98, Missouri 53
- Feb. 15: Texas 65, Tennessee 63
- Feb. 17: Ole Miss 94, Tennessee 81
- Feb. 19: Texas A&M 82, Tennessee 74
- Feb. 22: Oklahoma 100, Tennessee 93
- Feb. 26: LSU 89, Tennessee 73
- March 1: Vanderbilt 87, Tennessee 77
Cora Hall is the University of Tennessee women’s athletics reporter for Knox News. Email: cora.hall@knoxnews.com; X: @corahalll; Bluesky: @corahall.bsky.social. Support strong local journalism and unlock premium perks: subscribe.knoxnews.com/offers
Gas prices on March 5 have gone up 27 cents in both the U.S., and in Tennessee compared to one week ago, which likely relates to the war in Iran, according to AAA – The Auto Club Group.
The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline is $3.25. Tennessee’s average on March 5 is $2.84, according to AAA.
The last time the national average made a similar weekly jump was back in March of 2022 during the start of the Russia/Ukraine conflict, AAA said.
“Oil prices are rising largely due to growing instability in a region that is essential to global energy markets,” AAA spokesperson Megan Cooper said. “Although the U.S. does not import oil from Iran, the country remains a major producer, supplying nations such as China and India. Any potential disruption to Iranian oil infrastructure can influence global supply expectations.”
Middle Tennessee county averages include:
- Davidson County: $2.90
- Williamson County: $3.12
- Rutherford County: $2.87
- Wilson County: $2.88
- Sumner County: $2.89
- Robertson County: $2.90
- Cheatham County: $2.92
- Maury County: $2.85.
Crude oil pricing correlates to about 60% of what consumers pay at the pump, Cooper said. Recent global tensions tied to the conflict with Iran are adding upward pressure on crude oil prices, according to AAA.
Also, the Strait of Hormuz is a critical connection for the Persian Gulf to open waters as a shipping lane for crude oil. Because oil is traded globally, a shortfall in one region can impact prices throughout the world.
Tennessee and the southeast portion of the U.S. consistently rank among the least expensive markets for fuel. Proximity to refineries and pipeline infrastructure are major reasons for less expensive gas, according to AAA.
Tennessee is currently the fourth least expensive market in the U.S. for gas. The last time Tennessee’s average was over $3 per gallon for regular unleaded gas was August 2024.
Refineries are also starting the process of producing summer-blend gasoline. which contains additives to help reduce evaporation during warmer months and adds to the cost. Gas demand generally increases with the spring break season and the expectation of more road trips.
Disclaimer: This story was created by reporter Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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