UT Alum to Command Moon Mission

A University of Tennessee Space Institute graduate has been selected to command NASA’s most ambitious moon mission since Apollo.

NASA has named retired Marine Colonel Randy Bresnik as commander of the Artemis III mission, making him one of the most prominent Tennessee names in the modern space program.

Bresnik will lead a crew of four astronauts into orbit, where they’ll practice docking the Orion capsule with two lunar landers, providing a critical dry run ahead of humanity’s first return to the lunar surface since 1972. The mission sets the stage for a crewed lunar South Pole landing planned for 2028. 

Bresnik earned his Master of Science in Aviation Systems from UT Space Institute in 2002 and is one of nine astronauts to graduate from the Tullahoma-based satellite campus.

Admin Warns 16 Tennessee Hospitals

The Trump administration has warned 16 Tennessee hospitals to comply with federal price transparency rules, or face fines of up to $2 million a year.

The warnings, which the administration sent to more than 500 hospitals nationwide, are part of a broader crackdown targeting hospitals that have failed to publicly post clear pricing data. 

The effort expands enforcement of a 2019 price-transparency order and is aimed at helping patients, employers, and insurers compare healthcare costs before receiving treatment.

The administration argues the lack of disclosure keeps healthcare costs artificially high for patients who can’t shop for better deals.

The World Cup Lands in Tennessee

The FIFA World Cup opens tonight, and two of the world’s top soccer nations are calling Tennessee home during the competition.

Spain has been training at Chattanooga’s private Baylor School, perched along the Tennessee River. La Roja had a hectic lead-up weekend but is now settled and locked in ahead of their group stage opener.

Japan, meanwhile, chose Nashville SC’s training center in Antioch as its base camp, with fans turning out all week to watch the squad prepare.

Reports say that Knoxville wanted in on the action, too, but couldn’t meet the complex facility, security, and scheduling demands, which one local tourism official called a “really slow and sad decision.”

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➤ Statewide: Power has been restored for most residents after severe storms swept through Middle Tennessee Tuesday night, knocking out power lines for thousands. (More)

➤ Memphis: The Tennessee Democratic Party voluntarily dismissed its federal lawsuit challenging the state’s new congressional maps, citing the court’s denial of expedited relief. (More)

➤ Also Memphis: The city’s Animal Services is calling for volunteers, including fosters and dog walkers, to help care for roughly 7,000 animals in its shelter. (More)

➤ Blountville: A massive sinkhole, roughly 20 feet long, forced the closure of Tri-Cities Airport’s main runway on Tuesday, disrupting flights. (See Details)

➤ Chattanooga: Tennessee Highway Patrol cited the driver of a fireworks trailer that caught fire on I-75 for multiple commercial vehicle and hazmat violations. (More)

➤ Knoxville: Local elementary students have reached the national finals of the Presidential AI Challenge in Washington, D.C., competing among the top young teams in the country. (More)

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➤ Tennessee high school sports are facing a growing shortage of officials, with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association reporting roughly 5,000 registered referees statewide. (More)

➤ Tennessee freshman golfer Chase Kyes qualified for the U.S. Open this week after shooting 11-under at a qualifying site in Georgia. He told a reporter afterward that he didn’t realize the tournament was next week. (More)

➤ Nashville SC is hosting free World Cup watch parties and concerts at Geodis Park throughout the tournament, starting with the USA-Paraguay match tomorrow night. (More)

➤ Tennessee softball hired Ehren Earleywine away from Texas as their new hitting coach, just one week after the Longhorns knocked the Lady Vols out of the Women’s College World Series semifinals. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ New documents reveal DC Blox plans to add a second data center next to the Nashville Zoo that would be nearly three times larger than its originally proposed facility. (More)

➤ East Tennessee’s housing market is keeping pace with a national rebound as the Knoxville metro report shows positive May sales figures. (More)

➤ Nolensville’s Smucker Farms says a scammer stole its name and logo to defraud customers, leaving the owner urging buyers to verify contacts before paying. (More)

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➤ A Chattanooga fisherwoman and tattoo artist is representing Tennessee on Netflix’s new season of Outlast: The Jungle. 16 contestants must survive in the Panamanian jungle to compete for a $1 million prize. (See Details)

➤ Nashville SC and the Nashville Public Library have teamed up on a limited-edition, club-colors library card tied to the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge. (More)

➤ Zoo Knoxville’s new Summer Concert Series kicks off next Thursday at the Boyd Foundation Boardwalk, with three evenings of live music running through July 2. (See Details)

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