Join us daily as we share a few HEADLINES from around the world, nation, state and area.
Readers should engage critically with the headlines by querying the search engine of choice (ex: Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo) and discover the truth behind the headlines, seeking reliable sources for the ‘rest of the story.’ Simply copy a headline and enter in the search engine to see all versions of the story.
World headlines:
Europe boycotting U.S. products
Tens of thousands of Europeans are boycotting American products in response to the U.S. tariffs on certain European products. Social media sites are pushing the boycott of companies such as Tesla, Amazon and popular U.S. brands such as McDonalds, Levi’s and WhatsApp with local equivalents.
Azerbaijan and Armenia have peace after over 30 years
Azerbaijan and Armenia have resolved their decades-long conflict, agreeing on a peace agreement. The Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, rooted in a dispute over sovereignty in the mountainous area of Nagorny Karabakh, has lasted for over three decades with mass displacement and a state of ongoing instability affecting the whole region.
National headlines:
Six-month spending bill passes, avoids shutdown
The Senate passed a six-month spending bill on Friday, hours before a government shutdown, with by a 54-46 vote. President Donald Trump has now signed the bill into law.
Three-tiered travel ban possible
The Trump administration is considering a travel ban targeting 43 countries with 11 banned from on all travel to the United States. The three tiers are red, orange and yellow. Countries including Iran, North Korea and Venezuela are among the 11 on the red list that would be barred from entering the U.S.
Countries including Russia, Pakistan and Haiti are among the 10 on the yellow list that would be required to have an in-person interview to receive a visa. Countries on the yellow list including St. Lucia and Cambodia among the total of 22 others would have 60 days to clear up issues with the United States such as failing to share information about incoming travelers, inadequate security practices for issuing passports, or the selling of citizenship to people from banned countries.
Stranded astronauts returning home
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore took off for a couple weeks in space to test Boeing’s new Starliner spacecraft and then come home. Nine months later, the NASA astronauts will finally return from the International Space Station after a replacement Crew-10 launched on Friday. The agency likes having seven astronauts on the space station and swaps out four every six months. Williams and Wilmore made it nine bodies to take care of on the space station. Live coverage of the Crew-10 broadcast is airing on NASA+. Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
State headlines:
State Route 81 reopens
On Friday, Tennessee Department of Transportation announced the reopening of State Route 81 in Washington and Unicoi counties which will eliminate a detour that added an hour of extra driving for more than 5,400 vehicles daily. A 1.1-mile section of SR 81 has been reconstructed, including guardrail installation, grade work and construction of rock buttresses, and final surface paving.
Local headlines:
Vols and Lady Vols head to NCAA Tournament this week + baseball is really good
The University of Tennesseee Vols Basketball team plays Wofford on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at 6:50 p.m. in Louisville. The Lady Vols play South Florida in Birmingham on Friday at 8 p.m. in the first round of the women’s tournament. The Vols baseball swept the Florida Gators this past weekend, beating them all three games at Lindsey Nelson Field and remaining undefeated at 20-0.
NIL deals for three Vol basketball players
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers announced a partnership awarding Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals to three Tennessee Volunteers, partnering with basketball players Tess Darby, Edie Darby and Zakai Zeigler to share their menu favorites on social media channels and the brand’s website. For more information, visit: here
Dogwood Arts ranked in Top 10 Best Art Festivals
The Dogwood Arts Festival has been ranked among the Top 10 Best Art Festivals in the U.S. in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. See here.
Larsen Jay kicks off mayoral campaign
Larsen Jay, a Knox County commissioner, kicked off his campaign for Knox County mayor Thursday afternoon at Bridgewater Place Event Center, running to replace Mayor Glenn Jacobs, who is term-limited in 2026. The primary is May 5, 2026. Read about Larsen Jay here.
Remember to, fact-check information:
- Snopes – One of the oldest and most well-known fact-checking sites
- FactCheck.org– A non-profit organization that monitors the factual accuracy of statements made by public officials.
- PolitiFact– Focuses on political claims and provides a “Truth-O-Meter” rating to assess their accuracy.
See previous article for more tips on how to assess reliability.
KnoxTNToday’s goal is to inform, uplift and entertain. Send stories or comments to news@knoxtntoday.com.
