News media

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican front-runner for Tennessee governor, has declined to debate or appear on stage with challengers, including Democratic nominee Jerri Green, and has largely avoided detailed press interviews ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Early voting is underway. Critics, including some traditional Republicans, describe growing "Blackburn fatigue," citing her reliance on front-runner status, close alignment with President Trump, and a reserved campaign style. Her August primary turnout of roughly 311,392 votes was down slightly from 2018. Green has cited polling showing a close race. Blackburn's campaign has answered written questionnaires but has not engaged directly with reporters or opponents on policy specifics.

Charleston County School Board member Darlene Roberson will face a hearing Sept. 28 in Columbia, South Carolina, in what officials describe as an unprecedented proceeding that could remove an elected school board member from office. The hearing follows an Aug. 27 Inspector General's report, requested by Gov. Henry McMaster, alleging Roberson wrongfully disclosed confidential information to media and district vendors, used her position for personal gain, and improperly billed the district as a vendor.

McMaster issued an executive order Sept. 1 outlining three charges: conflict of interest for helping her former campaign manager obtain district work, improper disclosure of executive session material, and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Roberson, represented by state Reps. Kambrell Garvin and Todd Rutherford, requested the right to be heard and will present arguments before a three-member panel appointed by McMaster—attorneys Thomas Limehouse Jr., Adair Boroughs, and Clarence Davis—who will determine hearing procedures and ultimately advise on her potential removal from office.

A South Carolina Office of Inspector General investigation into the Charleston County School Board has found evidence of "malfeasance, misfeasance, conflicts of interest, policy violations, misconduct in office, and neglect of duty" tied to an unnamed board member referred to as "Trustee X" in the 27-page report released Aug. 27. Gov. Henry McMaster had requested the probe in January, covering the period since November 2022.

The report alleges the trustee wrongfully disclosed confidential information to media and a district vendor, used the position for personal gain, and failed to report roughly $248,000 in taxable income earned as operator of Next Level Educational Services LLC — a company previously linked to board member Darlene Roberson, who confirmed being its CEO but denied conducting business in that role while serving on the board. The report also questioned the trustee's residency eligibility at the time of election.

Recommendations include board ethics training, a forensic audit of vendor payments, and consideration by the governor of removing the trustee. District officials and board chairwoman Pam McKinney called the findings serious and pledged cooperation with authorities.

California lawmakers approved Assembly Bill 2222, which would create refundable tax credits for local news organizations based on the number of journalists they employ, sending it to Governor Gavin Newsom for a decision by September 30. Introduced by Assemblymember Christopher M. Ward, the bill offers a "job retention credit" of $20,000 per journalist for up to five positions and $15,000 for each additional one, plus a $15,000 bonus per new hire, with part-time roles receiving half-credits. The state tax board estimates it would provide more than $40 million annually to newsrooms, making it the largest such relief effort in the U.S. to date.

The bill would be funded by aligning California's tax code with a federal provision eliminating deductions for executive salaries over $1 million. It passed despite opposition from the California Taxpayers Association and California Chamber of Commerce, which object to raising taxes on employers, and Newsom's own finance office, which flagged the lack of a cap on credits. It is backed by the California News Publishers Association and Rebuild Local News amid a broader decline in local journalism jobs and advertising revenue.