Six mothers died during pause in probation officers’ in-person visits<a href="[link removed]><img src="[link removed]" alt="" border="0" /></a>

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The Big Story
November 11, 2025 · View in browser <[link removed]>

In today’s newsletter: A blind spot in Tennessee’s probation department supervision leaves domestic violence victims at risk <[link removed]>; inside a Texas church’s training academy <[link removed]> for Christians running for office; and more from our newsroom.

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How a Gap in Tennessee’s Probation System Leaves Domestic Violence Victims in Danger <[link removed]>

Over nearly three years, ProPublica research reporter Mariam Elba <[link removed]> and I have examined hundreds of fatal domestic violence shootings in Tennessee. We set out to understand how often they are committed by someone legally barred from having a gun and the gaps victims fall through in the system.

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Paige Pfleger, WPLN reporter <[link removed]>

We found that roughly 1 in 4 domestic violence homicide victims in Tennessee’s five biggest cities were allegedly shot by a suspect who was barred from having a gun. And some suspects were being monitored by probation officers before the homicide.

But there’s a gap in Tennessee’s probation system: If a suspect commits a new crime while on probation, face-to-face supervision of that person stops until a warrant can be served for their arrest. Sometimes that gap is a few days long. Other times, it can last more than a year.

Between 2019 and 2022, we found that at least six young Black moms were allegedly killed by suspects who were on probation but not being monitored in person because of a warrant out for their arrest. Their deaths left 12 children without mothers.

The Tennessee Department of Correction said it works closely with law enforcement to aid with arrests. But the department confirmed that all in-person supervision stops until the warrant is served.

I invite you to read the full story. Thank you.

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Texas

 
An illustration of a pastor standing at a podium in front of a large colorful projection of the White House floating on a bed of clouds. <[link removed]>
A Texas church’s online class trains Christians to run for office. Now it may go national. <[link removed]>

Fort Worth Report journalists Marissa Greene and Cecilia Lenzen investigated Mercy Culture Church’s effort to raise up so-called “spirit-led candidates” through a training program for Christians running for office. They identified at least 10 people who completed its training academy — including the Texas GOP chairman, an unsuccessful Dallas City Council candidate and Tarrant County Republican precinct chairs. (None returned the Fort Worth Report’s requests for comment).

What else you need to know:

Training Candidates: At the core of Mercy Culture’s program is the idea that there is no separation between what happens within the church and in the government.

Christian Conservative Beliefs: The training is run by a group that supports candidates “willing to do whatever it takes to protect our God-given liberties and take a stand for Biblical Justice!”

Growing in Reach: The church is looking to expand its candidate training academy to other states.

Some leaders from the church and the course also did not return requests for comment.

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More from the newsroom

 

“No Separation Between Church and State”: Inside a Texas Church’s Training Academy for Christians Running for Office <[link removed]>

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Alaska’s Public Schools Serve as Emergency Shelters. Those Buildings Are Also in Crisis. <[link removed]>

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Foreign Food Safety Inspections Hit Historic Low After Trump Cuts <[link removed]>

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Trump’s VA Made It Harder for Male Veterans to Get Treatment for Breast Cancer. Lawmakers Want to Fix That. <[link removed]>

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Tech Billionaire Marc Andreessen Bet Big on Trump. It’s Paying Off for Silicon Valley. <[link removed]>

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