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Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler has signaled a potential bid for a local school board seat in Tennessee on the heels of its new policy mandating masks to curb the spread of the coronavirus amid the ongoing pandemic. Cutler, who retired years ago after playing for the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears, has indicated a possible run for a spot on the Williamson County Board of Education in a number of tweets recently after members of the body drew heat from parents for backing a mask mandate. (Folley, 8/16)

Jay Cutler, the former NFL quarterback and former reality TV star, was dropped from an advertising campaign, and he says Uber Eats’ decision is because of his opposition to mask mandates for schoolchildren during the coronavirus pandemic. “Lost a commercial with Uber Eats partnering with the NFL,” Cutler tweeted Friday. “Was going to film in LA, ‘views aren’t aligned.’ Guess they don’t like future School board members. Frees up my weekend.” Uber Eats confirmed Cutler’s views are at odds with those of the company. (Boren, 8/16)

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Monday letting parents opt their children out of coronavirus-related mask mandates in K-12 schools, after a few school districts issued mask requirements for students and others. With the move, Lee also said he will not call the broad special legislative session requested by Republican House lawmakers to limit the authority of local officials to make rules aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19, which has seen a resurgence in Tennessee via the delta variant. (Mattise and Sainz, 8/17)

9,074 school-aged children in Tennessee have now tested positive for COVID-19 the last 14 days, an increase of 2,370 cases in one week and 8,210 in just over one month. ith schools back in session, the number of 5 to 18-year-old children testing positive the last 14 days has increased by 950% compared to just over one month ago. On July 12, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) reported 864 total cases among the age group, a number which has continued to sharply increase in August. (Mojica, 8/16)

Students across Shelby County have returned to schools this fall during local COVID-19 conditions that are expected to surpass last winter's surge. How will families and the public learn about outbreaks? Likely, what is known about the extent of cases connected to classrooms will vary by the protocols of each school. The county and state do not require that schools or districts publicly report any data, nor are schools required to follow uniform communication protocols with their students' families and staffers. (Testino, 8/16)

A Tennessee investigation found evidence that the state's fired vaccine chief, Michelle Fiscus, purchased a dog muzzle that she previously claimed someone had mailed in an attempt to intimidate her. Fiscus, who denied sending herself the muzzle in a Monday tweet, has characterized her firing as a political move driven by Republican state officials after she shared a memo citing state law about whether adolescents can seek medical care, including a COVID vaccine, without their parents' permission. (Rau and Tamburin, 8/16)