By J. Holly McCall | Editor-in-Chief
Good morning, Lookout readers.
It’s the height of growing season in the Volunteer State: agriculture remains one of Tennessee’s top industries and soybeans the king of agricultural exports.
But as Cassandra Stephenson has been reporting, the last couple of years have been rough for the state’s soybean farmers, what with unpredictable weather (always an issue in farming) and President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, the biggest buyer of U.S. soybeans.
A little good news has lifted the industry: today, Stephenson reports exports are up this year from 2025. Still, experts say, soybean farmers aren’t out of the woods as export levels haven’t reached pre-trade war levels. One expert says “The long-term outlook, it’s daunting.”
And from our friends at KFF Health News, a story about ivermectin, the anti-parasitic drug that gained popularity during the COVID era, with proponents claiming it cures everything from cancer to diabetes. (It does not.)
With the input of an East Tennessee doctor who said she’s taken “bucketloads” of ivermectin, the Tennessee legislature passed a law in 2022 allowing the drug to be sold over the counter. Now, ivermectin is being sold statewide through agreements the physician has inked with pharmacies to distribute high-potency pills.
THE LOOKOUT’S TOP STORY
Exports of soybeans, Tennessee’s top crop, have improved from the last year but still lag prior years. (Photo: John Partipilo/Tennessee Lookout)
by Cassandra Stephenson
Crops are in the ground, the weather is cooperating, soybean prices are up slightly from 2025, and China is once again placing orders after a trade agreement ended the country’s purchasing freeze last fall — but U.S. Department of Agriculture data shows there is still a long way to go before China’s purchases reach pre-trade war levels.
NEWS AND NOTES
Republicans in US Senate left in dark by Trump on Iran deal, but want details and a vote | Jennifer Shutts, States Newsroom
Local election officials reel over ‘logistical nightmare’ of Trump’s vote-by-mail order | Jonathan Shorman, States Newsroom
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
Compound Rx, in Cookeville, Tennessee, is one of dozens of pharmacies in the Volunteer State that offer ivermectin without patient-specific prescriptions. Some pharmacies advertise the drug as available over the counter, even though customers technically have to request it from a pharmacist. (Brett Kelman/KFF Health News)
by Brett Kelman and Rachana Pradhan, KFF Health News
Four years ago, Tennessee became the first state to allow adults to buy the antiparasitic drug ivermectin from a pharmacy without first seeing a doctor. Pharmacies can use a pre-written, blanket prescription to sell to just about anyone who walks through their doors. The drug is now marketed and sold across the state — in high potency doses — in roadside shops and small-town strip malls with little oversight from health authorities.
FEATURED IN THE LOOKOUT
Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer, a Democrat indicted on corruption charges, has frequently classed with Republican lawmakers.
Shelby County Clerk Tami Sawyer indicted by U.S. DOJ for using $44k in public funds for personal use
by Adam Friedman
Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer was indicted Monday in a public corruption case brought by the U.S. Attorney in West Tennessee. The U.S. Department of Justice alleged Sawyer carried out a “scheme” to move $44,607.35 in public funds for her own use.
COMMENTARY
John Cole's Tennessee: Try THAT in a small town. Communities across Tenessee are pushing back on proliferating data centers, issuing moratoriums to halt construction.
ICYMI
Local Tennessee officials are putting data center plans on ice to consider regulations | Cassandra Stephenson
COMMENTARY
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