AGP Executive Report

Death Penalty Oversight: Tennessee’s botched lethal injection of Christa Pike has left her alive but in critical condition, prompting Gov. Bill Lee to suspend executions and order a third-party review—while Indiana says it will proceed with its own scheduled execution. Food & Family Support: Tennessee faces an estimated $220M in extra SNAP costs under new federal rules, tied to state payment error rates and higher administrative cost shares. Agriculture Funding: The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program opens its 2026-27 application window Oct. 1–7, adding a new Livestock Fencing cost-share program for eligible producers. Energy Prices: AAA reports Arizona gas prices fell week-over-week, but remain far above last year; national averages also eased as crude dipped. Nuclear & Power: TVA received approval to build its first BWRX-300 small modular reactor, signaling continued momentum in Tennessee’s nuclear pipeline. Business & Healthcare: newcleo reported first-half 2026 progress on its PRECURSOR reactor and regulatory steps, while Ensign Group announced facility expansions in other states.

Tennessee Agriculture: The Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program opens its 2026-27 application window Oct. 1–7, adding a new Livestock Fencing cost-share option and adjusting minimum requirements for hay and swine. Local Infrastructure: Chattanooga’s Walnut Street Bridge is set to reopen Saturday after an 18-month repair closure, with a public program and ribbon-cutting. Food Safety: A nationwide recall of Graziers raw milk cheeses linked to an E. coli outbreak includes Tennessee among affected states, prompting consumers to check product types and distribution. Energy & Industry Policy: Tennessee is pulled into the wider U.S. energy investment conversation as South Korea’s announced Alaska LNG and nuclear plans face political and implementation hurdles. Business & Jobs: Nashville’s new The Truth venue is set to host Miranda’s sold-out opening show, signaling continued momentum in local live entertainment. Legal/Healthcare Costs: A coalition of states is seeking court approval of a $400 million Sandoz settlement over alleged generic drug price-fixing, a reminder of ongoing pressure on medication costs. Education: Middle Tennessee State University named Brady Armstrong to the dean’s list, highlighting ongoing student achievement in the region.

Tennessee Energy & Industry: Volkswagen began production of the redesigned 2027 Atlas at its Chattanooga plant, signaling a bigger push on updated manufacturing and materials. AI & Data Centers: SpaceX’s xAI unit discussed leasing AI compute capacity to Microsoft, underscoring how Memphis-based Colossus data centers are turning into a major rental business. Manufacturing & Jobs: Ultium Cells is expanding Spring Hill operations with an additional $1B investment tied to future EV battery production. Legal & Consumer Protection: Tennessee’s Christa Pike survived two lethal-injection doses, prompting Gov. Bill Lee to halt executions and order an investigation into what went wrong. Healthcare & Public Health: TDH will offer free flu shots Oct. 20 at 200+ sites statewide. Real Estate & Fraud: EquityProtect reports deed-theft laws are expanding—12 states now have dedicated protections, but most still kick in only after fraud. Agriculture & Education: UT AgResearch named Jason Williams director of the AgResearch and Education Center in Milan, continuing row-crop research and field-trial operations. Business & Legal Services: Bass, Berry & Sims added three attorneys to expand its Nashville litigation and investigations team.

Prediction Markets: A federal appeals court ruled Kalshi can be regulated by Ohio and Tennessee under state gambling laws, deepening the fight over who oversees prediction markets. Energy & Industry: President Trump unveiled South Korea’s up-to-$200B push for U.S. energy projects, including eight nuclear plants with Tennessee in the mix, plus Texas power and an Alaska LNG pipeline. Healthcare Business: SpecialtyCare’s Nashville-based Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Training Program earned CAAHEP accreditation, while agilon health expanded its Senior Health Connect ACO partnership with The Jackson Clinic to support more Medicare patients. Workforce & Manufacturing: Fortune highlighted Ford’s push for skilled trades, with comedian Nate Bargatze pointing to a Tennessee theme-park plan as a sign of growing demand for hands-on careers. Logistics Tech: A warehouse AI startup says it can spot idle docks and congestion using existing cameras to recover lost capacity without new hardware. Local Watch: Tennessee’s execution of Christa Pike was allowed to proceed after the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a last-minute stay. Health & Consumers: ADP’s jobs report flagged continued shrinkage in financial and professional services even as overall hiring rose.

Nuclear & Energy: GE Vernova and Hitachi cleared a key NRC step for the BWRX-300 reactor at TVA’s Clinch River site, with construction approval coming in 14 months—another sign Tennessee’s nuclear pipeline is moving fast. Power Demand: TVA hit multiple all-time September power demand records during a historic heat dome, delivering 30,000+ MW on 17 days and setting a Sept. 3 peak of 33,270 MW. EV Batteries: Ultium Cells plans a $1B Spring Hill upgrade to make lithium manganese-rich (LMR) prismatic cells for future GM EVs, targeting completion in 2028 and adding 500 jobs. Data Centers & Grid Pressure: SpaceXAI is putting a Starship veteran in charge of Memphis data center compute buildout, while TVA is also shaping a data-center rate to ensure heavy users cover costs. Local Business & Tourism: Columbia tourism leaders won state hospitality awards, and Harriman’s Midtown Pizza earned “Breakthrough Business of the Year.” Logistics & Security: A national cargo theft crackdown recovered $635K in stolen freight, including 30 transformers. Public Safety/Infrastructure: Murfreesboro approved a flexible access road transfer for New Vision Church, shifting right-of-way and utility easements to improve safety.

FTC Settlement: The FTC and 44 states reached a proposed deal with Corteva to dismantle its pesticide “loyalty” program, aiming to curb anticompetitive tactics that kept generic options out and drove up costs for farmers. Education & Workforce: Hamilton County Schools opened a downtown Chattanooga Career Exploration Center for 6th graders, funded largely by Tennessee’s Innovative Schools Model grant and supported by partners including Volkswagen and EPB. Energy & Agriculture: Tennessee Valley farmers are feeling the squeeze as diesel prices rise, hitting equipment fuel costs and adding pressure on already-stressed margins. Consumer Protection: Tennessee’s AG urged eligible consumers to check for compensation tied to a prescription drug generic settlement, with restitution plans approved for affected buyers. AI Policy: A political split is forming over AI oversight, with Trump backing industry self-regulation while more candidates call for stricter guardrails. Local Business: A House Ways and Means field hearing is set for Oct. 6 at Orgill’s Innovation Center in Collierville, spotlighting small manufacturers and hardware/farm stores. Fuel Prices Watch: GasBuddy reported the lowest midgrade prices in Cannon County at $4.29 for the week ending Sept. 19.

Food Safety: FDA says four Graziers-brand raw-milk cheeses (medium cheddar, sharp cheddar, jalapeño Jack, Monterey Jack) are recalled after an E. coli outbreak sickened at least 13 people in nine states, including Tennessee. Behavioral Health Tech: SafeSpace Global says it has started paid deployment of its behavioral health safety platform at an Antidote facility in Tennessee under a 60-month statement of work. Energy & Nuclear Oversight: A TVA SMR construction permit is expected soon as regulators weigh a major step for Tennessee’s nuclear future, while environmental groups continue to press clean-air concerns tied to Kingston. Agriculture Costs: Tennessee Valley farmers are adjusting fall harvest operations as diesel and fertilizer costs climb, with some choosing not to raise prices to protect customers. Public Safety & Wildlife: TWRA reports 60 black bears were euthanized in Sevier County this year after conflicts with people, including bears entering homes and vehicles. Local Business & Growth: Nashville-area venue operator VENU’s CEO J.W. Roth was named to VenuesNow’s 2026 All-Stars list. Consumer/Health Policy: A new federal budget law is set to shift SNAP and Medicaid rules starting Oct. 1, raising state cost responsibility and changing eligibility requirements.

Cybersecurity & Workforce: MTSU broke ground on a $5.6M cyber range with IBM and AWS/Cloud Range tech, giving students, businesses, and government hands-on training against real-world attacks. Energy & Nuclear: TVA is set to receive a historic NRC construction permit for a 300-megawatt small modular reactor at its Oak Ridge site, with Gov. Bill Lee and Sen. Marsha Blackburn attending. Natural Gas Infrastructure: Kinder Morgan’s Southeast Connector pipeline is planned to cross western DeKalb County, with about 11 miles of pipe affecting roughly 50 landowners and aiming for service by 2029. Local Courts & Aviation: Judges will rule soon on motions in Chattanooga’s airport lawsuit over a state board change, with the FAA expected to weigh in. Fuel Costs Watch: GasBuddy price reports show diesel and midgrade prices varying widely by county, with Tennessee averages still elevated after spring volatility. Agriculture Policy: A Tennessee senator is pushing a temporary dyed-diesel exemption to protect harvest profits as diesel costs strain farm budgets. Business & Industry: Volkswagen will rebrand the next-gen ID.4 EV as the ID. Tiguan, rolling out in Europe first before North America. Education & Credentials: Putnam County colleges awarded 2,759 degrees and certificates in 2023-24, led by bachelor’s completions. Food Safety: A raw-milk cheese recall linked to E. coli has reached multiple states, including Tennessee.

Healthcare Policy: MGMA says Jan. 1, 2027 Medicaid work requirements and CMS limits on remote monitoring could squeeze access and force practices to rebuild staffing and prior-auth workflows. Supply Chain Tech: Bluegrass Supply Chain highlights an integration approach that supports both EDI and API so customers don’t have to change how they run orders to connect with 3PL warehouses. Food & Retail: Pretzelmaker and Frank’s RedHot launch Nashville Hot Pretzel Bites in a limited run, while Pretzelmaker brings back Creamy Jalapeño Ranch. Home Services: Angi data flags Memphis, Tennessee as among metros needing more fall maintenance prep, pointing homeowners to preventive fixes before colder weather hits. Pharma Access: Eton Pharmaceuticals relaunches IMPAVIDO (miltefosine) with Eton Cares support and centralized distribution via Anovo Specialty Pharmacy. Local Business: Midtown Pizza in Harriman earns “Breakthrough Business of the Year” recognition for its review score. Energy & Industry: TVA reports record-high demand during September heat, and the utility raises rates for data centers with new upfront fees.

Nuclear & Advanced Manufacturing: X-energy says it has finished the main structure of its Oak Ridge, Tennessee TX-1 advanced nuclear fuel plant, a 214,000-square-foot facility expected to produce about 700,000 TRISO fuel pebbles annually once fully operational. Energy & Data Centers: A pension fund-backed push for gas-powered AI data centers is drawing criticism for potentially crowding out renewables and locking in carbon risk. Workforce & Higher Ed: Austin Peay State University joins the Tennessee Technology Advancement Consortium, adding a commercialization counselor role aimed at moving research into the market. Immigration & Labor: USCIS reports Kansas approved 1,550 H-2B worksite-linked petitions in fiscal 2026 through June 30, with a 100% approval rate in that dataset. Food Safety: FDA-linked recall targets Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheeses after an E. coli outbreak tied to hospitalizations, including cases reported in Tennessee. Local Energy Prices: GasBuddy price checks show Tennessee counties seeing mixed fuel costs, with diesel and midgrade prices varying week to week across the state.

Mid-South Agriculture: Drought is worsening across Tennessee and the broader Mid-South as harvest ramps up, with farmers reporting lower yields and growing uncertainty at the Agricenter Farmers Market. Energy & Data Centers: A new look at AI’s power hunger says data centers already drive a big share of U.S. electricity use and could sharply expand demand in the coming years. Local Infrastructure: Chattanooga opened the Moccasin Bend Connector greenway, adding a safer 1.5-mile paved route for cyclists and pedestrians between the North Shore and Moccasin Bend. NFL (Tennessee): The Titans visit the Giants for Week 3 after Jaxson Dart’s season-ending knee injury; backup Jameis Winston is set to start as Tennessee looks for its first win. Policy & Courts: A federal appeals court ruling allows Tennessee to regulate Kalshi under gambling laws, keeping the fight over prediction markets alive. Business/Workforce: Stax Music Academy in Memphis hosted a hands-on workshop with Grammy winner James Faunt-Leroy, aiming to build the next generation of music producers.

Middle East Energy & Shipping: President Trump rejected Iran’s UN-backed proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end fighting, saying the terms are unacceptable and that the U.S. is “winning tremendously,” as the U.S. maintains economic pressure that has reduced shipping through the strait. Food Safety: FDA and CDC linked a multistate E. coli outbreak to recalled Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheese, with 13 illnesses and eight hospitalizations reported so far, prompting a voluntary recall. College Sports Business: NIL is reshaping college athletics into a patchwork of state laws, NCAA rules, school policies, and private contracts, changing recruiting, transfers, and the fan experience. Tennessee Public Works: Chattanooga completed the Moccasin Bend Connector Greenway with a “Roll and Stroll” ribbon-cutting, boosting safer multimodal access to the national park trails. Tennessee Energy Costs: GasBuddy reports show Tennessee fuel prices remain volatile, with county-level lows for regular, diesel, and E15 varying widely across the state. Entertainment & Local Economy: A bipartisan federal bill led by Rep. David Kustoff would create a 20% tax credit for qualified U.S. film and TV production, with higher incentives for rural and disaster areas, including Tennessee. Data Centers & Tech: X.AI was sued over alleged Memphis-area data center noise, adding to local pressure around growth of AI infrastructure.

Energy & Power: TVA says September heat smashed its own electricity demand record, hitting 33,270 megawatts on Sept. 3 and setting 12 all-time fall/spring demand highs, with Chattanooga logging a 147-year temperature record. Logistics & Fleet Tech: Clarios is bringing its Battery Manager battery-monitoring subscription to Europe, aiming to scale from about 1,100 connected vehicles in early September to 2,000 vehicles in October. Roads & Construction: TDOT laid out a busy Sept. 27–Oct. 3 schedule with lane closures and utility work across Middle Tennessee, including SR-13 24-hour single-lane closures and resurfacing/bridge work on major interstates. Workforce & Growth: A Middle Tennessee workforce piece points to low unemployment masking a participation gap, with many working-age Tennesseans still sidelined despite hiring demand. Data Centers & Local Impact: A debate over data centers’ land and water trade-offs is shaping voter sentiment ahead of fall elections. Diesel Prices & Policy: U.S. lawmakers weigh a possible diesel export ban as prices climb, with experts warning any supply squeeze could push costs higher. Local Industry & Community: Crossroads Mission Care’s “Chainsaws, Chili and Charred Wood” volunteer day is set for Oct. 3 at its Middle Tennessee retreat.

Food Safety: The FDA and CDC are investigating a multistate E. coli outbreak tied to Sierra Nevada Graziers raw milk cheese; 13 people in nine states are sick, including Tennessee, and the company has agreed to recall multiple cheese varieties. Energy & Environment: TVA says September heat shattered demand records, hitting +30K megawatts on 17 days, while a clean-air lawsuit targets TVA’s Kingston Gas Plant plans. Local Tech & Policy: Memphis City Council is set to vote Oct. 6 on a data center moratorium as leaders weigh health, environmental, and property-value impacts. Water & Research: University of Memphis researchers are drilling about 400 feet under Meeman-Shelby Forest to study faults that could affect the Memphis aquifer. Transportation Innovation: UTC won third place and $150,000 in a U.S. DOT AI transportation safety challenge for its PRISM platform. Business & Logistics: FedEx CEO Raj Subramaniam’s career path traces back to a roommate declining an interview—then he stepped in and got the job. Consumer Tech: Consumer Reports tested 13 e-scooters and says none are recommended, citing rising speeds and injury risk. Sports Spotlight: Trump’s planned Knoxville visit for Texas-Tennessee adds national attention to the SEC opener.

AI & Data Centers in Tennessee: Elon Musk outlined a major scale-up for the “Colossus 2” AI cluster in the Memphis–Southaven corridor, aiming to more than double Nvidia chips by end of 2026, with Google already contracted for massive compute. Energy & Infrastructure Funding: A Tennessee transportation report says the state faces a $400M highway gap and may need higher fuel taxes, new taxes, or borrowing. Nuclear Industry Watch: X-energy said TRISO-X President Joel Duling will retire Nov. 20, with interim leadership set as the TX-1 fuel fabrication facility work continues. Local Governance: Adairville council members debated data center rules, including adding noise concerns beyond water use. Workforce & Education: Vanderbilt will launch an Evening MBA in Fall 2027 for working professionals in the Nashville area. Public Safety & Justice: A Clarksville trial continued with body-cam footage in the case of a former paramedic accused in 2021 deaths. Healthcare Policy: A national PBM regulation fight highlights how ERISA limits state control over pharmacy reimbursement.

Consumer Protection: A proposed $167 million settlement would reimburse consumers for certain ATM fees tied to Visa and MasterCard access rules, with a Feb. 10 claim deadline. Energy Costs: A new report warns winter heating bills could rise about 8.7% nationally, with electricity users hit hardest as data centers boost power demand. Gas Watch (Tennessee): GasBuddy data shows multiple counties posting low regular prices around the Sept. 19 week, including Franklin ($3.69), Blount ($3.59), Roane ($3.69), Wilson ($3.44), and Hawkins ($3.69). Healthcare & Data Security: Labcorp reached a $2.3 million multistate settlement over a patient data breach tied to a medical debt collection vendor. Local Industry & Environment: Shelby County health officials say SpaceXAI is not among the top industrial polluters after an air quality assessment, potentially easing pressure on data center regulation. Film/Entertainment Policy: Bipartisan legislation would offer a federal film and TV tax credit (20%, with bonuses) to bring more production back to the U.S. Tech Surveillance: A new map claims Flock Security’s camera network is larger than previously stated, raising scrutiny of automated surveillance.