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Sarah Grace Taylor

@sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social
3.7K followers 317 following 281 posts

Back home covering TN state government for the new Nashville Banner. Previously at POLITICO, Seattle Times, Chattanooga TFP.

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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 20h
District 59 may be the most interesting state legislative race on the ballot and is kind of a litmus test for which issues actually sway not super partisan voters. Plus the potential for a Republican in Nashville’s delegation.
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
New from colleagues at the Banner on the 911 calls from the Nashville prison where Christa Pike was surviving her lethal injection: nashvillebanner.com/2026/10/12/c...
nashvillebanner.com
9-1-1 calls reveal chaos after Christa Pike execution attempt - Nashville Banner
Records of 9-1-1 calls reveals chaos and confusion in the moments Christa Pike's botched execution as officials struggled to verify the emergency.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
Christa Pike has been discharged from the hospital and brought back to the women’s prison in Nashville where she was incarcerated for more than 30 years before her failed execution. nashvillebanner.com/2026/10/10/c...
nashvillebanner.com
Christa Pike back in prison after failed lethal injection - Nashville Banner
Christa Pike has left Nashville hospital and returned to prison, where she will continue to receive medical care, after surviving a lethal injection.
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Holly McCall @jhollymc.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Two Democratic governors--both thought to be contenders for the 2028 presidential nomination-- are spending money and time in Tennessee to boost the party’s U.S. House candidates ahead of the November midterm election. @friedmanadam5.bsky.social reports.
tennesseelookout.com
Out-of-state Dem Govs with 2028 ambitions are working to boost TN U.S. House candidates • Tennessee Lookout
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s PAC, Ready for the Fight, has bought around $1.6 million in television ads attacking Tennessee GOP candidate Brent Taylor.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Congressman Matt Van Epps is using congressional staff for campaign staff, raising an ethics complaint from his competitor Darden Copeland. There’s no concrete proof that Van Epps broke any laws, but Copeland wants it investigated. ✍️ @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Copeland files ethics complaint against Rep. Van Epps - Nashville Banner
Democrat Darden Copeland filed an ethics complaint against Republican Rep. Matt Van Epps, alleging misuse of taxpayer funds for campaign activities.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In a stunning announcement Tuesday afternoon, Christa Pike’s attorneys said she is “conscious and speaking” almost a week after surviving Tennessee’s attempt to execute her. ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Christa Pike is awake, talking days after botched execution - Nashville Banner
Christa Pike is conscious and speaking following a failed lethal injection execution attempt last week, lawyers say. Her long-term prognosis remains unclear.
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In a release to media, Christa Pike’s attorneys say she is now “conscious and speaking” almost a week after the state of Tennessee failed to execute her by lethal injection.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In the South, Black birth workers are fighting poor birthing outcomes to create a better maternal health ecosystem. ✍️ @ejturner02.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Midwives, doulas fight to reduce Black maternal mortality - Nashville Banner
Black doulas and midwives across the South work to overcome systemic bias, doctor shortages, high maternal mortality and misinformation about their expertise.
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Ken Schwencke @schwanksta.com · 06/10/2026
A year ago, @propublica.org told you immigration agents had detained more than 170 U.S. citizens. We’ve updated our count, and we’ve got all the receipts. The tally: At least 506 citizens detained. Sometimes held at gunpoint, handcuffed, or even deported. projects.propublica.org/american-cit...
projects.propublica.org
More Than 500 U.S. Citizens Have Been Detained, Including Handcuffed or Held at Gunpoint, in Trump’s Immigration Crackdown — ProPublica
The government doesn’t track how often immigration officers detain U.S. citizens. So ProPublica did. We’ve found more than 500 Americans who were held against their will during this Trump administrati...
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Steve Haruch 오용찬 @steveharuch.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Some of you know I've been working on this for a while ... a new limited series from @nashvillebanner.bsky.social starts Oct. 11. Hosted by Kashif Andrew Graham + edited by the multiple award winning @andreatudhope.bsky.social Listen to the trailer! nashvillebanner.com/2026/10/04/s...
nashvillebanner.com
Introducing Staking Our Claim, a new podcast from the Banner
A new limited series follows 7 Nashville families as they navigate the current climate of exclusion and fear. Hosted by Kashif Andrew Graham
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Davidson County Election Commission @davidsonvotes.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
TODAY (Monday, October 5) is the DEADLINE to register to vote in the November 3 election! Submit your application at ovr.govote.tn.gov or stop by our office at 1281 Murfreesboro Pike (open until 4:30pm). #RegisterToVote #VOTE
ovr.govote.tn.gov
:: Tennessee Election Division ::
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Freedom of the Press Foundation @freedom.press · 03/10/2026
"How much does it cost to get more information about a cop who punched someone in the face? If you guessed anything lower than $2.5 million, you’d be wrong — at least according to the city of Eugene." More from FPF's @laurenleharper.bsky.social in @theintercept.com:
theintercept.com
Oregon Police Are Charging a Local News Outlet $2.5M for Records About One Cop
Eugene-based Double Sided Media requested police officer Justin Peckels’s records. The city slapped the publication with an exorbitant fee.
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Anita Wadhwani @anitawadhwani.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Tennessee faces estimated $220M in extra SNAP costs under new federal rules tennesseelookout.com/2026/10/02/t... @cstephenson.bsky.social @tennesseelookout.com
tennesseelookout.com
Tennessee faces estimated $220M in extra SNAP costs under new federal rules • Tennessee Lookout
Tennessee may have to use an additional $220 million next year to continue funding the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Rep. Andy Ogles lost his primary in August, scrambling the race in Tennessee’s redrawn 5th Congressional District. ✍️ @stelliott.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
With Ogles ousted, Hatcher and Molder face off in 5th district - Nashville Banner
Charlie Hatcher and Chaz Molder face off in Tennessee's 5th Congressional District following redistricting and Andy Ogles' primary defeat.
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Spivey, who was by Pike’s side during the preparation for lethal injection, says executioners struggled to get IV access. He says he counted 7 needles used, including one that appeared bent when it was pulled out.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Christa Pike, who was supposed to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years, is still alive after the state tried and failed to execute her on Wednesday. TDOC officials refused to comment after the state’s second failed execution this year. nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/30/c...
nashvillebanner.com
Christa Pike survives botched lethal injection attempt - Nashville Banner
Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike for a 1995 murder, but the lethal injection failed. Pike survives and was moved to a medical facility.
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Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Nashville Banner reporter Steven Hale, describing how prison officials kept drawing the curtain to hide how badly they were botching this: “A lot of this execution — or attempted execution, whatever it was — happened when we could not see what was going on.”
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I got back home a bit ago from Tennessee's execution of Christa Pike. We sat in the witness room for nearly 2 and a half hours as she received two rounds of pentobarbital. She was taken away in an ambulance shortly after that and I can't say for sure if she is dead or alive at this moment.
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Steve Cavendish @scavendish.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
A lawyer for Christa Pike confirmed to the Banner that she had been administered both doses of pentobarbital and was still alive. It appears the State of Tennessee has another botched lethal injection.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Two different letters sent by faculty at Belmont’s Medical School have raised questions about recent decisions at the school about admissions, personnel and grading. ✍️ @genuinehumandk.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Frist Medical School faces allegations from anonymous faculty - Nashville Banner
Anonymous letters from faculty at Belmont's Thomas F. Frist College of Medicine allege leadership failures and other issues amid accreditation struggles.
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2026
In response to our reporting, Susan Collins has mustered a defense that is full of incorrect and misleading claims. We’ve reviewed FBI evidence, examined thousands of pages of records and interviewed dozens of people. Here are the receipts.
propublica.org
ProPublica Debunks Susan Collins’ Claims About FBI Anti-Corruption Probe
ProPublica revealed that the FBI was circling Sen. Collins over a defense contractor’s donations — until President Trump gutted the unit in charge. Collins has since mustered a defense with a series o...
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The Tennessee Supreme Court denied a stay this evening for Christa Pike, the woman Tennessee is set to execute on Sept. 30. I wrote about her childhood, the murder that sent her to death row, and who she and her victim’s family are today: nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/14/c...
nashvillebanner.com
As Christa Pike execution's draws near, lawyers point to her past - Nashville Banner
Tennessee is set to execute Christa Pike on Sept. 30 for the 1995 murder of Colleen Slemmer, which would be the state's first female execution in over 200 years.
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Stop interviewing the fake lady
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In short, always take polling with a grain of salt and take the framing of poll results shared by campaigns with a lot more than that.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The “independent” claim is also a bit flimsy because the poll was paid for by a PAC that was just formed this year and has solely funded Green. So that gets an asterisk too.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The numbers in Green’s post come from a non-ballot question and are taken out of context. Here’s the question I’m talking about:
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Green, however, posted this, claiming to be narrowly beating Blackburn in the new, “independent” poll, while soliciting donations
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
On the ballot question, which is who respondents plan to vote for and what you’re used to hearing about in terms of polling, Blackburn leads Green by 9 percentage points in the new poll. This alone would have been big news for Green, a big underdog in the red state.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Jerri Green may be within single digits of Marsha Blackburn for TN governor, according to a new poll. But Green’s campaign also shared some misleading takes from the poll. 🧵 nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/18/j...
nashvillebanner.com
New poll says Jerri has closed on Marsha Blackburn - Nashville Banner
A new poll shows Democrat Jerri Green closing the gap on Republican Marsha Blackburn in the Tennessee governor's race. A PAC that supports Green funded the poll.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Hot tub salesman Dave Hatley says he wants to fix Tennessee’s economy as governor, despite his own history of bank fraud, bankruptcy and tax debt. Republican Marsha Blackburn is attacking him despite his unlikely odds. ✍️ @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Independent David Hatley talks about his run for governor - Nashville Banner
Independent David Hatley touts his business background and self-funds his campaign for governor, has a history that leaves him open to attacks.
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Julia Métraux @juliametraux.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
It's Disability Voting Rights Week! In 2024, for @motherjones.com, I reported on accessibility issues for churches being common polling locations. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
Churches don't have to be accessible. That's a voting rights problem.
In 2024, millions of people will vote at religious sites. What if you're disabled?
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 14/09/2026
In states with abortion bans, medical providers are hesitating or flat-out refusing to terminate ectopic pregnancies, lawsuits allege. “I genuinely thought I was going to die,” said Kyleigh Thurman, who couldn’t get care in Texas.
propublica.org
Ectopic Pregnancy Deaths Have Nearly Doubled. It’s Worse in States With Abortion Bans.
With prompt and appropriate medical care, experts say, people shouldn’t die from an ectopic pregnancy. Women in Texas and Oklahoma have sued over delays in care, which, coupled with our new analysis, ...
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Here’s what Blackburn’s opponents — none of whom are socialists, btw — said about her refusing to debate, again. @nashvillebanner.bsky.social nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/11/m...
nashvillebanner.com
Opponents blast Marsha Blackburn's refusal to debate - Nashville Banner
Sen. Marsha Blackburn said she will not debate Democratic nominee Jerri Green, drawing a strong response from Green as well as independent candidates.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Nobody covering metro like @stelliott.bsky.social
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
But to answer your actual question, every newsroom I’ve ever worked in but one has had editors in glass offices. And that has been true in a number of office sizes/regions.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Realizing you meant the movie, which is fantastic, and not the new show by the same name.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I’m watching The Paper as a “journalism people” and parts of it are good, but I don’t think I’ve seen one episode without a major, career-ending ethical issue.
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Holly McCall @jhollymc.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
In a declaration filed in federal court by the ACLU, Memphis resident Hunter Demster says agents from the Memphis Safe Task Force harass him for taping their activities and that they are abusing Tennessee's "Halo" or buffer law. @tennesseelookout.com is part of a coalition challenging the law.
tennesseelookout.com
ACLU claims Memphis Safe Task Force harassing plaintiff • Tennessee Lookout
Memphis Safe Task Force agents continue to intimidate people who record their activities, says the American Civil Liberties Union in a lawsuit
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Steven Hale @iamstevenhale.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Marsha Blackburn says if she's elected governor she wants TN to execute more people more quickly and use the electric chair. But the design of the state's death penalty machine means she can't make that happen on her own. Me and @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social: nashvillebanner.com/2026/09/10/m...
nashvillebanner.com
Blackburn wants to alter Tennessee's death penalty approach - Nashville Banner
Gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn wants expedited executions and an electric chair option, if elected, but the office does not have such authority.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Wanted to know if what Blackburn was saying about executions was possible or not, and luckily I work with the guy who quite literally wrote the book on Tennessee executions @iamstevenhale.bsky.social
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A new charge letter alleges that John Honeysucker, a top Metro official under federal investigation, traded favors with Nashville developers with whom he had sustained personal and financial relationships. Honeysucker retired ahead of a disciplinary hearing in the matter. ✍️ @stelliott.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Records reveal Metro's charges against former MWS official - Nashville Banner
Documents detail allegations that former Metro Water official John Honeysucker misused his role to aid developers currently under federal investigation, others.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Life is worth living
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Most importantly, we shout out The Brave Little Toaster, one of the most underrated animated movies of our time.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The voters I talked to at Pinkston’s event are really skeptical about an independent candidate winning, but even more reluctant to vote for Blackburn or Green.
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
After a white nationalist spouted anti-Muslim remarks outside the Islamic Center of Nashville, the surrounding community and neighbors responded in waves. The mosque has a long history as one of the neighborhood’s anchors. ✍️ @mikeiereiland.bsky.social and @andreatudhope.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Community support bolsters Islamic Center of Nashville - Nashville Banner
Nashville neighbors rallied in support of the Islamic Center in multiple ways after a white nationalist targeted the historic mosque with a hateful message.
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The New York Times @nytimes.com · 26/08/2026
Dolly Parton's voice was angelic not because it possessed some kind of divine perfection or unattainable beauty, but because it seemed to be personally invested in the well-being of anyone and everyone who listened to it, illuminated from within with an almost otherworldly benevolence.
nyti.ms
Dolly Parton Had the Voice, and Concerns, of an Earth Angel
Parton gave hopeful expression to songs she wrote about the hard times and hard-won triumphs of her life.
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Kristi Yamaguccimane @wapplehouse.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
RIP Dolly. I hope the wigs and tits in heaven are even bigger 😢
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Nashville Banner @nashvillebanner.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Nashville police made two arrests last week that highlight the way generative artificial intelligence technology is supercharging the sexual exploitation of children online. ✍️ @iamstevenhale.bsky.social
nashvillebanner.com
Recent arrests show rising CSAM threat from generative AI - Nashville Banner
Two arrests in Nashville show how generative AI is being used to supercharge the online sexual exploitation of children, and how authorities try to combat it.
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Sarah Grace Taylor @sarahgracetaylor.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Good to see you! Tying this into a story later in the week, but there will be blurb in Monday’s Flyer: nashvillebanner.com/newsletters/
nashvillebanner.com
Newsletters - Nashville Banner
Sign up for our free daily newsletter. Start each day with a rundown of the most important stories impacting our city and state.
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