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Nashville extends COVID-19 outreach to new Americans
Amid concerns that COVID-19 outreach would be halted to immigrant communities, Metro officials say services will be extended into 2021 while funds last. “[Metro Council] decided to allow Metro to continue to fund the COVID-19- related expenditures beyond Dec. 30, the end of the CARES Act funding. We expect to continue this route as long […]
Tennessee environmental groups, Cooper, release climate change report
A report released by U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper in collaboration with Tennessee climate-advocacy groups details the long-terms effects unchecked global warming will have on Tennesseans. On Nov. 4, President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, a unified effort from participating nations that focuses on mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas […]
Community mistrust of COVID-19 vaccine challenges health care officials
For many Tennesseans, the COVID-19 vaccine is a one-size-fits-all solution to returning to pre-pandemic normalcy, but for Black and immigrant Tennesseans, the trials and pending vaccinations are exposing long-standing health inequities in minority communities. The COVID-19 vaccine has arrived in Tennessee and is being distributed to health care workers first. It’s expected to become available […]
Data shows pandemic anxiety and depression impacts children as well as parents
Recent data showed that parents are experiencing high levels of anxiety and depression, which will ultimately impact children as well, according to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth (TCCY). The U.S. Census Bureau has been collecting information on households with children since the start of the pandemic, and over the summer Tennessee ranked second […]
Biden election gives hope for DACA, immigrant rights organizations
President-elect Joe Biden’s election win renewed hope for recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA,) but advocates with immigrant-rights organizations say there will still be many challenges in the next few months. During President Donald Trump’s tenure, DACA applications were closed as the administration sought to roll back the program. Although limited in its […]
Cooper passes Nashville flood prevention bill
In 2010, Tennessee experienced a devastating flood, and Friday the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Cooper to prevent future flooding in Nashville. “A decade ago, all of Nashville – East, West, South, and North Nashville – suffered a devastating flood, costing more than two dozen lives and billions of […]
West Tennessee housing attorney says eviction wave could start as early as Jan. 4
A West Tennessee housing attorney painted a grim picture of a coming wave of evictions in Tennessee when the federal moratorium on evictions ends Dec. 31. “I’m really scared about how many people are going to end up on the streets.” said Vanessa Bullock, a housing managing attorney at West Tennessee Legal Services. Bullock said […]
Fake COVID-19 cures, money mules and puppies: Scams on the rise
With a pandemic raging on and many folks working from home, it’s never been a better time to introduce a furry friend into the family, but the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) warns that scammers have adapted to the pandemic as well. Like many Americans this year, Kati Rager, 32, hoped to find a puppy to […]
Symphony agrees to provide furloughed musicians with stipend
In June, orchestral musicians learned they were furloughed from the Nashville Symphony Orchestra until mid-2021, but after months-long negotiations, the board of the organization has agreed to provide them with a stipend starting Jan. 3, 2021. “This agreement represents a vital first step in bringing the Nashville Symphony back from one of the most monumental […]
Nashville immigrant groups create social media platforms for sharing COVID-19 information
Nashville has a thriving immigrant community with residents speaking more than 130 languages. But that same diversity created challenges for Metro Nashville government officials when the COVID-19 pandemic reached Tennessee in March. Several of Nashville’s established immigrant communities either already had social media platforms or were in the process of developing outlets to be able […]
Forum addresses worries about COVID-19 effects on rare diseases
Rep. Harold Love, D-Nashville, said worries in the Black community about COVID-19 haven’t been only about the virus itself, but also about the effects it could have on patients with diseases like sickle cell disease. Love was one of several community leaders addressing the effect of COVID-19 in the Black community at a Saturday forum […]
Tax expert gives guidance on 2021 returns for small businesses with pandemic support
Citizens that haven’t received their federal stimulus check or missed the November deadline to apply can still declare it on their taxes for next year, tax expert Amy Paz said today. Paz spoke at a weekly press conference held by Fabian Bedne, who works on the staff of Nashville Mayor John Cooper. Bedne targets his […]