Tennessee
Tennessee nonprofit faces financial uncertainty due to federal grant cut

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Museums, historic sites, colleges, and nonprofits across the country are facing financial uncertainty as a result of significant cuts to federal grants.
Among those hit is Humanities Tennessee, a nonprofit that has been serving the state for over 50 years, making the humanities accessible to Tennesseans through a range of cultural and educational programs.
The cuts come as part of the White House’s broader initiative to slash federal spending and reduce the national deficit.
For Humanities Tennessee, this means losing millions of dollars annually, including a critical $1.2 million grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
Tim Henderson, Executive Director of Humanities Tennessee, explained how integral this funding has been to the nonprofit’s operations.
“We’ve been around for 51 years now, serving the state of Tennessee with public humanities programs all over the state, communities in really every corner. We work in every district of the state and all the grand divisions,” Henderson said.
One of the nonprofit’s signature programs is the Southern Festival of Books, one of the state’s largest literary events.
In addition to this annual festival, Humanities Tennessee supports a variety of educational programs, such as high school writing workshops and a daily online literary publication distributed in newspapers throughout the state. However, without federal funding, these vital programs are now at risk.
Henderson stressed the importance of the NEH grant, stating that it covers roughly half of the nonprofit’s operating costs.
“It’s roughly half of what it costs us to do what we do, but it’s still a really important half. It’s a really important part of what makes these programs happen,” he said.
The NEH grant has been a consistent source of funding for Humanities Tennessee under both Democratic and Republican administrations, as well as throughout various congressional sessions. This marks the first time the nonprofit has not received this essential grant.
In response to the cuts, Humanities Tennessee is ramping up private fundraising efforts to help offset the financial loss.
However, Henderson stresses that these grants represent more than just financial support; they signify the federal government’s recognition of the cultural value of humanities programs.
“This is how we own our stories,” Henderson said. “If it’s not a huge financial investment, at least it’s a statement of the value of our culture to ourselves.”
As the organization faces an uncertain future, the staff remains hopeful that they can continue their work and keep the cultural programs alive, despite the loss of vital funding.
In the meantime, they are urging the community to support their efforts and help ensure that the humanities continue to thrive across Tennessee.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Kelsey.Gibbs@Newschannel5.com.
‘It wasn’t him’: Mother remembers Brentwood son after knife attack, shooting
A mother’s love. Nathalie Porter epitomizes the deep love mothers have for their children. And she bravely speaks out to confront stereotypes and bring awareness in the face of tragedy. I appreciated Amanda Roberts’ compassionate reporting of a heartbreaking situation.
-Carrie Sharp

Tennessee
Tennessee football sells out season tickets for third-straight year
Tennessee has sold out its football season ticket allotment for the third-straight year, the school announced Tuesday.
The ticket inventory totaled 70,500 and marks the fourth time in 24 seasons that the program has sold out. The current steak began in May 2023.
TALK ABOUT IT IN THE ROCKY TOP FORUM
“Vol Nation continues to lead the way as the best fan base in all of sports,” Tennessee athletics director Danny White said in a release. “In this era of college athletics, it is almost unheard of to sell out over 70,000 season tickets for three consecutive seasons. The Neyland Effect will be in full force on Rocky Top this fall!”
Tennessee has 20 consecutive home sell-outs, including an average of 101,915 fans and a combined attendance of 713,405 at seven home games during the 2024 season.
Both marks rank sixth nationally.
The Vols have been dominant on their home turf over the last three seasons, boasting an SEC-best 20-1 record with its lone loss to then-No. 1 Georgia in November 2022.
Tennessee has won multiple home games against rivals Alabama and Florida in 2022 and 2024 during that run.
The Vols, who are coming off of their first-ever College Football Playoff run, are set to open their 2025 season against Syracuse at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Aug. 31, before their home opener vs. ETSU on Sept. 6.
Tennessee will play seven home games with match ups against Georgia (Sept. 13), Arkansas (Oct. 11) and Oklahoma (Nov. 1) featured on the schedule.
Tennessee
BBB warns of online romance scams as West Tennessee women fall victim – WBBJ TV

JACKSON, Tenn. — Over the past three weeks, West Tennessee women have fallen victim to online romance scams, losing thousands of dollars to who they thought was their new found love.
Scammers stole a reported nearly $50,000 from two local women, just over the last month. That’s according to the Better Business Bureau, and recent reports from women — one as close as Hardeman County — who said they have been scammed out of nearly $24,000 each from an online love interest.
Both victims said the men they were talking to online told them they were in the military, claiming they couldn’t access their bank accounts due to being out of the country.
The BBB of the Mid-South says scammers often use “hard luck stories” to manipulate people into sending money.
“This is how the money becomes involved, so before moving on to asking you for money, the scammer may say, ‘Oh, I’m having some financial troubles. My heat may be getting cut off,’” said Toddnetta Trice, Communication Specialist for the BBB of the Mid-South.
Experts warn that many scammers steal photos from other social media accounts and pretend it is them. You can do a reverse image lookup using many sites like Google to see if the images are stolen from someone else.
Also, be wary of those who talk about the importance of trust. Experts say this will often be the first step to asking you for money.
“Unfortunately when it comes to the money aspect, a lot of the times that’s a lose-lose,” Trice said. “There is no way of getting your money back, but you definitely want to report it. You can always report it to our BBB Scam Tracker.”
The Scam Tracker is a free tool anyone can use to report scammers. Click here for more.
If you have lost more than $40,000 due to fraud, report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, another avenue for reporting online crimes. Click here for more.
For more local news, click here.
Tennessee
Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus cozy up on ‘Tennessee weekend’ after debuting romance

No more achy breaky heart.
Elizabeth Hurley and Billy Ray Cyrus looked very cozy on a ranch in new photos posted Sunday after going public with their romance.
The couple was seen smiling and cuddling up against a tree, while another shot showed them sitting in an off-road vehicle next to a black-and-white dog.
Hurley captioned the post, “Tennessee weekend ❤️.”
The pair hard-launched their relationship last week on Easter Sunday with a picture of Cyrus, 63, giving the actress a kiss on the cheek.
Days later, Hurley, 59, shared a video of the two riding off into the sunset on the ranch.
A source told Page Six that Cyrus and Hurley’s romance is “very new.”
“They’ve been friends for a long time and both found themselves single at the same time,” the insider said, admitting it was surprising they went public so soon.
“The romantic side started only a few weeks ago.”
Meanwhile, Hurley’s close friends, including Elton John, are said to be confused by her attraction to Cyrus.
“Liz’s friends think it must be a joke or madness, but they aren’t saying it to her,” a knowledgeable source told us.
“Elton may not understand this relationship, and is a bit bemused by it. But for all his faults, Elton is really loyal to Liz.”
However, an insider close to the “Austin Powers” star claims Cyrus is exactly who she’s been looking for.
“She’s been waiting a long time for romance,” a pal told Page Six, confirming Hurley traveled to the “Hannah Montana” alum’s Nashville property.
“I think she likes the whole cowboy thing.”
-
Culture6 days ago
New Poetry Books That Lean Into Calm and Joy Amid Life’s Chaos
-
News1 week ago
Harvard would be smart to follow Hillsdale’s playbook. Trump should avoid Biden’s. | Opinion
-
Politics1 week ago
Video: Hegseth Attacks the Media Amid New Signal Controversy
-
News1 week ago
Maps: Where Do Federal Employees Work in America?
-
Technology1 week ago
Pete Hegseth reportedly spilled Yemen attack details in another Signal chat
-
Politics1 week ago
Pope Francis and US presidents: A look back at his legacy with the nation's leaders
-
World1 week ago
New Zealand’s minor gov’t party pushes to define women by biological sex
-
Technology1 week ago
CATL’s new EV battery blows BYD’s speediest-charging cells out of the water