By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Lookout readers:
“It takes a village to raise a child” is a proverb meaning that children need a community of people to help them grow to productive adulthood.
That community includes schools and school nutrition, which for far too many kids, is the place they can expect to get a nutritious meals.
Cassandra Stephenson reports today that the 2025 cancellation of the Local Food for Schools program that connected public schools with fresh local produce left West Tennessee school districts stuck buying pre-processed commodities.
A new slate of programs, including one called “Harvest to Hallways,” was announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in August and as Stephenson writes, school nutrition directors anxiously await information about applying for the grants that would again allow them to provide kids with fresh food.
In other news:
Outspoken Tennessee Registry board leader Tom Lawless dies at 72. Tom Lawless, a Nashville attorney and veteran member of the Registry of Election Finance, died suddenly during a weekend trip to New York City at age 72, reports Sam Stockard.
Jane Fonda shakes the money tree for Pearson. Oscar-winning actor and political activist Jane Fonda is hosting a fundraiser for Rep. Justin Pearson, the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 9th Congressional District, in New York on Thursday.
Endorsement alert: Retiring Democratic state Rep. Johnny Shaw endorsed Andrea Bond Johnson, the Democratic nominee in the race to replace him in House District 80. Johnson faces Bolivar Mayor Julian McTizic.
Hottest ticket in Tennessee? A battle between U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican nominee for governor, and independent candidate David Hatley, is escalating. An ad that ran during the weekend’s prime time football and sponsored by a group called the Choose Freedom PAC aired laundry about Hatley’s past financial issues, including an IRS tax lien.
Hatley hit back. On Monday, Hatley fired off a press release that said “Clearly, the Blackburn campaign is seeing the same internal numbers we are — she’s falling further behind and Hatley is gaining ground.”
THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY
Tennessee schools are still feeling the loss of Local Foods for Schools funding eliminated by the Trump administration in 2025. The U.S. Department of agriculture recently announced a new 'Harvest to Hallways' initiative, which offers guidance and funding for equipment, among other things. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Cassandra Stephenson
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services announced a new slate of programs, including “Harvest to Hallways,” in late August aiming to bring more American agriculture products to school cafeteria trays.
NEWS AND NOTES
CNN, MS Now, Politico sue Trump over White House ban | Jennifer Shutt, States Newsroom
Trump administration says developers, loggers can kill endangered species | Alex Brown, Stateline
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
An August 2026 aerial shot of the Boring Company’s Music City Tunnel station under construction at the Tennessee State Capitol. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Adam Friedman
After a 10-day delay, Tennessee state officials approved a waiver to move forward with the next phase in finding a master developer for parking lots near the State Capitol.
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
The federal government has yet to confirm it will release COVID vaccines for low income children through its Vaccines for Children program this year, causing concern among healthcare providers in Tennessee where half of all children are vaccinated through the federal program. Pictured: Esmeralda Baravar, 18, winces as she gets her COVID-19 vaccine during a pop-up clinic at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in South Nashville in 2020. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Anita Wadhwani
The federal government has yet to release information on when — or whether — it will continue to provide COVID-19 vaccines to low-income children through a free immunization program, raising alarms among some Tennessee health providers ahead of this Fall’s respiratory illness season.
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
Rep. Justin J. Pearson, far right, talked about the importance of Black and independent media in a forum held during Congressional Black Caucus Week 2026. Pearson is running for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District. Also pictured from left is journalist Don Lemon, Lauren Williams, founder of Capital B news, journalist Joy-Ann Reid, Errin Haines, president of the National Association of Black Journalists and Alexis McGill Johnson, CEO of Planned Parenthood. (Photo: Angela Dennis for Tennessee Lookout)
by Angela Dennis for Tennessee Lookout
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson told some of the nation’s best-known Black journalists and media leaders Wednesday that national Democrats should not write off Black candidates running in the South, pointing to a recent poll showing him 4 percentage points behind in a congressional district Republicans redrew this year to favor their party.
ICYMI
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