www.thecentersquare.com – By Kim Jarrett | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-05-14 10:29:00
Tennessee families can begin applying for 20,000 Education Freedom scholarships, worth \$7,295 each, starting Thursday. The scholarships, approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, are divided into two categories: half for low-income families (earning 300% below federal lunch guidelines) and half as “universal” with no restrictions. The program, costing \$146 million in its first year, has sparked criticism from Democrats, who argue it diverts funds from public schools. Despite opposition, a January poll showed strong public support for the initiative, with 67% of Tennesseans backing the plan, including 73% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats.
(The Center Square) – Families can begin applying for 20,000 school choice scholarships on Thursday.
The Tennessee General Assembly approved the $7,295 Education Freedom scholarships in a January special session called by Gov. Bill Lee. The program is facing criticism.
Lee posted a video to social media this week encouraging parents to apply for what he calls a “life-changing program.”
Half of the 20,000 scholarships available in the initial year of the program are based on income. The household income must fall 300% below the federal free or reduced-lunch price guidelines, which is $173,160 a year for a family of four, according to the department.
The remaining 10,000 scholarships are “universal” with no restrictions. Nearly 200 schools signed up to participate, Lee said last month.
The scholarships will cost the state nearly $146 million in the first year and $188 million in future years, according to the fiscal note on the school choice bill.
Families must prove that the student is a U.S. citizen or is lawfully in the country, according to the guidelines. And while paper applications will be available in Chinese, Arabic and Spanish, they must be filled out in English, according to the website.
Democrats opposed the school choice package. Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, said Wednesday the scholarships are a “billion-dollar boondoggle that shortchanges Tennessee’s public school students and teachers.”
“If wealthy families want to send their kids to private schools, that’s their right,” Lamar said in a statement. “But they shouldn’t expect the public to foot the bill. Tennessee’s public tax dollars belong in public schools – where those funds are subject to accountability, oversight and where every student is welcome.”
One poll showed that Tennesseans support school choice. A January survey of 1,200 registered voters by the Beacon Center said 67% back the plan, including 73% of Republicans and 51% of Democrats. Just 13% said they opposed, and 20% were not sure.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Centrist
The article primarily reports on the school choice scholarship program in Tennessee, providing factual information about the program’s details, cost, eligibility, and political context. It includes statements from both supporters, such as Gov. Bill Lee, and critics, such as Democratic Senator London Lamar, without favoring either side. The inclusion of a poll showing support across party lines further demonstrates an attempt at balanced reporting. The tone remains neutral and does not employ loaded language or editorializing, indicating that the article focuses on presenting information rather than promoting an ideological stance.
SUMMARY: Nationwide protests titled “Good Trouble Lives On” are planned for July 17 to oppose President Donald Trump’s administration, coinciding with the anniversary of civil rights leader John Lewis’s death. Organized by groups including the 50501 Movement, the demonstrations emphasize nonviolent resistance and challenge perceived attacks on civil and human rights. Over 400 events are scheduled across all 50 states, including major cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Organizers highlight threats to voting rights, social services, and free speech, urging Congress to protect rights and ensure fair elections. The movement aims to unite people to create meaningful change through peaceful action.
U.S. Democratic lawmakers filed a legal brief challenging President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose sweeping emergency tariffs, arguing it violates Congress’s constitutional authority to regulate tariffs and commerce. Nearly 200 Democrats claim the tariffs represent an unlawful tax increase causing economic chaos and price hikes nationwide. The U.S. Court of International Trade struck down the tariffs in May, but an appeals court allowed them to remain pending further litigation. Trump’s tariffs, reaching up to 145% on some countries, have sparked widespread controversy and legal battles, especially among small businesses and states.
WASHINGTON — U.S. Democratic lawmakers argued in a new legal filing this week that President Donald Trump’s sweeping emergency tariffs usurped congressional power, and they urged a federal appellate court to strike down the duties on foreign imports.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit is set to hear oral arguments over some of Trump’s tariffs after a lower court blocked them in May. Despite being tied up in court, Trump continued threatening tariffs Wednesday on numerous trading partners, including a 50% import tax on goods from Brazil.
Nearly 200 lawmakers signed onto the amicus brief Tuesday, asserting that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, under which Trump triggered the duties, “does not confer the power to impose or remove tariffs.”
The lawmakers argued that Trump’s unprecedented use of IEEPA violates Article I of the U.S. Constitution that authorizes Congress to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises” and “regulate commerce with foreign nations.”
“This reflects the Framers’ interest in ensuring the most democratically accountable branch — the one closest to the People — be responsible for enacting taxes, duties, and tariffs,” wrote the 191 Democratic members of Congress, citing the Federalist Papers, in their 65-page brief.
Congress has “explicitly and specifically” delegated tariff-raising powers to the president, but not under IEEPA, according to the lawmakers.
“Unmoored from the structural safeguards Congress built into actual tariff statutes, the President’s unlawful ‘emergency’ tariffs under IEEPA have led to chaos and uncertainty,” the lawmakers wrote.
‘Economic chaos,’ price hikes cited
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, top Democrat on the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, co-led the brief with Oregon’s Sen. Ron Wyden, top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also co-led, along with Reps. Gregory Meeks of New York, Joe Neguse of Colorado, Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Richard Neal of Massachusetts.
In a statement Wednesday, Shaheen said Trump’s “reckless tariff agenda has caused economic chaos and raised prices for families and businesses across the country at a moment in which the cost of living is far too high.”
“The Trump Administration’s unlawful abuse of emergency powers to impose tariffs ignores that he does not have the authority to unilaterally impose the largest tax increase in decades on Americans. This brief makes clear that IEEPA cannot be used to impose tariffs,” Shaheen said.
May decision
The U.S. Court of International Trade struck down Trump’s emergency tariffs in a May 28 decision, following two legal challenges brought by a handful of business owners and a dozen Democratic state attorneys general.
Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon were among the states that brought the suit.
The lead business plaintiff is V.O.S. Selections, a New York-based company that imports wine and spirits from 16 countries, according to its website. Other plaintiffs include a Utah-based plastics producer, a Virginia-based children’s electricity learning kit maker, a Pennsylvania-based fishing gear company, and a Vermont-based women’s cycling apparel company.
Following an appeal from the White House, the Federal Circuit allowed Trump’s tariffs to remain in place while the case moved forward.
Triple-digit tariff
Trump used IEEPA to declare international trade a national emergency and announced tariffs on nearly every other country on April 2 in what he dubbed as “Liberation Day.”
Tariffs reached staggering levels on major U.S. trading partners, including 46% on Vietnam, 25% on South Korea and 20% on the European Union.
The announcement wiped trillions from markets, which have largely recovered. Trump delayed all but a 10% base tariff for 90 days on every country except China. Trump fueled a trade war with the massive Asian nation, peaking at a 145% tariff rate, but then temporarily settling between 10% and 55%, depending on the good.
Even before Trump shocked the world with his “Liberation Day” announcement, small business owners from around the U.S. told States Newsroom they were bracing for potentially devastating economic effects.
The trade court’s ruling — a pending appeals litigation — does not apply to tariffs Trump imposed under other statutes, including national security-related duties on foreign automobiles, as well as steel and aluminum. Some of the steel tariffs, imposed during Trump’s first term, were left in place under former President Joe Biden.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.
Political Bias Rating: Center-Left
This article primarily presents criticism of Donald Trump’s tariff policies, focusing on legal challenges brought forward by Democratic lawmakers and the economic consequences they highlight. The coverage features quotes and legal arguments from Democrats that emphasize constitutional concerns and the negative impact tariffs have on American families and businesses. While it provides factual descriptions of tariffs and court actions, the choice to foreground Democratic perspectives, characterize Trump’s actions as reckless, and highlight economic harm suggests a center-left leaning bias. The piece is critical of Trump’s unilateral use of emergency powers and appears aligned with views favoring congressional oversight and more restrained trade policy, typical of a center-left stance.
SUMMARY: Memphis police are searching for a man who violently attacked a 68-year-old woman sleeping on a bench in the usually safe Cooper-Young neighborhood. Security footage shows the suspect approaching the woman, striking her on the head with a metal trash can lid, then fleeing and returning to steal her backpack. Neighbors were shocked, as the woman frequently sleeps there and such violence is unexpected in the area. The suspect was last seen heading east on Young Avenue toward East Parkway. Police urge anyone with information to call 901-528-CASH. Authorities continue to investigate the motive and relationship between the two.
