Author

Adam Friedman is a reporter with the Tennessee Lookout. He has a particular love for data and using numbers to explain all kinds of topics. If you have a story idea, he'd love to hear it. Email him at [email protected] or call him at 615-249-8509.
New Titans stadium to get a public hearing before a final vote next week
By: Adam Friedman - April 19, 2023
In the early hours of Wednesday, the Tennessee Titans’ new $2.1 billion stadium cleared its second of three hurdles from the Metro Nashville Council. The vote was 25 for the stadium and 11 against. (Note: See vote breakdown at the bottom) But before the council’s final vote on April 25, the body will hold a […]
Tennessee House Speaker’s multiple homes raise questions about per diem
By: Adam Friedman - April 18, 2023
As the national media spotlight focuses on Tennessee Republicans, House Speaker Cameron Sexton is drawing attention for having multiple homes and using his per diem expenses for a Nashville house. Popular Information, a progressive news outlet on Substack, published several document-backed articles showing Sexton’s wife purchased a $600,000 home in Nashville around the same time the […]
Titans stadium deal opponents slip in language to redirect funds to taxpayers; pandemonium ensues
By: Adam Friedman - April 17, 2023
Nashville’s sports and concerts lobbying groups are aggressively trying to remove an amendment that opponents of the new $2.1 billion Tennessee Titans stadium project pushed through in the late hours of a Metro Council meeting two weeks ago. The amendment — proposed by council member Brandon Taylor and passed with a narrow 19-18 vote at […]
Shelby County Commission reappoints Justin Pearson to state House seat, days after expulsion
By: Adam Friedman - April 12, 2023
The Shelby County Commission voted unanimously to reappoint Justin Pearson to the state House seat Republicans expelled him from six days ago. House Republicans kicked out Pearson, D-Memphis, and Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, for violating the chamber’s rules on decorum when the two men took over the chamber’s speaking podium to protest a lack of […]
Metro Nashville Council reappoints Justin Jones to seat he was expelled from just four days ago
By: Adam Friedman - April 10, 2023
The Metro Nashville Council voted unanimously to send former Rep. Justin Jones back to the Tennessee House. He was sworn in among a huge crowd on the steps of the State Capitol and returned to the House floor by 5:30 p.m. Monday. “I want to welcome the people back to the people’s house. I want […]
Court grants injunction, putting Metro Nashville Council cut on pause
By: Adam Friedman - April 10, 2023
Republican legislation to cut the Metro Nashville Council in half was temporarily stopped Monday after a panel of judges ruled the bill likely violated state law. The three-judge panel overhearing the case between the Metro Nashville government and the State of Tennessee said Nashville was “likely to succeed on the merits” of its argument that […]
‘An abomination:’ TN House expels two Dems over gun protest, despite removal looking temporary
By: Adam Friedman - April 7, 2023
In a move without precedent, Tennessee House Republicans expelled two Democrats but failed to find the votes to kick out a third for violating the House rules on proper decorum. Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, were removed from the state House, while, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville remains. The Republican supermajority accused the three […]
Tennessee House Republicans expel two Democrats, keep one, over gun floor protests
By: Adam Friedman - April 6, 2023
The Tennessee House of Representatives voted along party lines to expel two young Black lawmakers, Democrats Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from its body for leading a floor protest over gun violence one week ago, but Rep. Gloria Johnson survived expulsion by one vote. The expulsion vote against Jones, D-Nashville, was 72-25, and 69-26 […]
Shooting targets founder of progressive news site Tennessee Holler
By: Adam Friedman - April 5, 2023
The founder of the Tennessee Holler, a progressive news site, posted on Twitter Wednesday that several shots were fired at his home over the weekend. Justin Kanew said several bullets struck his Williamson County home while his family was asleep Saturday night. “Someone targeted our home,” Kanew said in a statement. “This violence has no […]
FAA expresses strong concerns over airport board bill, warns of a financial impact, MNAA fires back
By: Adam Friedman - April 3, 2023
The Federal Aviation Administration expressed strong concerns over state lawmakers’ attempt to change the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority board and warned it could impact its financial future. The FAA raised these concerns in a letter sent last week to Nashville Airport CEO Douglas Kreulen. “The FAA has not yet been contacted by any state representatives […]
House Speaker equates Nashville’s peaceful protests against gun violence with Jan. 6 insurrection
By: Adam Friedman and Sam Stockard - March 31, 2023
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to better reflect Sexton’s comments. The top Republican in Tennessee’s House called Thursday’s protests over gun violence at the Tennessee Capitol an “insurrection,” drawing comparisons to the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, made the comments during an appearance on the […]
From grief to action in Nashville, protesters demand change at the state capitol
By: Adam Friedman - March 30, 2023
Less than 16 hours after a muted vigil, a grieving city turned to protest, and crowds took to the halls of the Tennessee Capitol Thursday, demanding action on gun violence after six were killed at the Covenant School, marking Nashville’s third mass shooting since 2017. Hundreds gathered outside the city government building Wednesday evening to […]