By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Lookout readers:
Today’s top story comes from Memphis, where, for the second time this week, a person has been shot and killed by agents with the Memphis Safe Task Force, the collaboration of state and federal agencies called by President Donald Trump and backed by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.
Senior Reporter Anita Wadhwani reports that the shooting is one of eight use-of-force incidents — seven of which have been shootings, four of which have been fatal — under investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Wednesday’s shooting came when multiple local and federal agents were attempting to serve a warrant for felony drug charges, according to a spokesman for the U.S. Marshal’s Service. This begs the question of why serving a warrant, typically handled by local cops, now needs multiple agents and federal ones at that, but we could ask the same question about traffic stops.
Frustrations with the task force, which in September will mark its 1-year anniversary, continue to rise and spilled over at a Wednesday town hall meeting on public safety sponsored by state Sen. London Lamar, who is running for the Democratic nomination to the 9th Congressional District. Members of Indivisible Memphis, a progressive organization, said they felt misled as Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis, who was scheduled to attend, was not present.
Coming up Roses? The gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep. John Rose released internal polling data showing the Cookeville Republican has made gains over the last month while U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, long thought to be the frontrunner in the GOP primary, has lost ground. Rose has been running ads for more than a month while the Blackburn campaign just released their first — third party groups have paid for other Blackburn ads — which could at least partially account for the Rose upswing.
Coincidentally, Blackburn, who has shied away from media interviews, this week gave an interview to Action5 News in Memphis, the NBC affiliate.
Meanwhile, in Congressional District 7: Darden Copeland, a Nashville businessman and candidate for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 7, has polling data that shows him within 5 percentage points of incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps. According to the Copeland poll, conducted by Impact Strategies, the firm used by former President Barack Obama among others, Van Epps is polling at 49%, Copeland at 44%. Copeland is in a four-way primary with Rep. Vincent Dixie, former Metro Nashville Councilmember Saletta Holloway and Cheatham County teacher Joshua Sales.
The Trump bridge. A host of Tennessee lawmakers, including Blackburn and U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally will join U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at 11 a.m. EST today for the christening of a bridge on !-40 in Jefferson County as the “President Donald J. Trump Bridge.”
THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY
A Memphis man died Wednesday in the fourth fatal shooting by agents assigned to the Memphis Safe Task Force Officers since it was launched via executive order by President Donald Trump in September 2025. Pictured: task force agents conduct a traffic stop in January. (Photo: Karen Pulfer Focht/Tennessee Lookout)
by Anita Wadhwani
A man was killed in Memphis Wednesday after one or more members of the Memphis Safe Task force opened fire while attempting to serve a warrant, according to the U.S. Marshals Service and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. It is the second fatal shooting in Memphis this week involving members of the task force, a multi-agency law enforcement operation.
NEWS AND NOTES
Graham Platner drops out of Maine U.S. Senate race | Emma Davis, Maine Morning Star
Metro Council Moves Forward With Crackdown on Data Centers | Julianne Akers, Nashville Scene
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
Results from the yearlong probe into MSCS’ finances and operations come less than a month before the first day of classes. (Andrea Morales / For Chalkbeat)
by Bri Hatch, Chalkbeat
Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said an audit of Memphis-Shelby County Schools that identified over $54 million in MSCS spending as evidence of potential fraud, waste, or abuse shows not one-off mistakes but “systemic failures” in district management from 2021 to 2024.
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
President Donald Trump faces a decision by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, July 11, on a bipartisan housing bill passed by large majorities in Congress. In this photo, Trump attends a meeting at the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
by Jacob Fischler
President Donald Trump is running out of time to decide what to do with a bipartisan bill meant to lower housing costs by making it easier to build. Trump has said he would not sign the bill to pressure the U.S. Senate to pass an unrelated election security measure he considers a higher priority.
ICYMI
Asbestos exposure a concern after historic former elementary school burns in Fayette County | Cassandra Stephenson
Census data model: Nearly 50K Tennessee households may not have access to air conditioning | Cassandra Stephenson
Federal employment discrimination watchdog sues Toyota Boshoku Jackson over sexual harassment claims | Cassandra Stephenson
COMMENTARY
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