Briefs
Cooper tells NOAH no funds for criminal reform
Mayor John Cooper told a group of Nashville community leaders Sunday the city does not have the funds to address criminal reform. “I am sorry, and we would love to be able to do it but we have to accept that as a reality,” said Cooper. “The work is worthy, but we have to be able […]
Nashville mayor’s representative urges early voting
Although the lines continue to be long at many early-voting locations right now, waiting until Election Day is a risky plan, said a staff member for Nashville Mayor John Cooper. Rising COVID-19 cases and long lines for early voting may be turning away some potential voters, said Fabian Bedne in his weekly Spanish language press […]
Labor leaders address needs from presidential candidates
Nobody — teachers nor students — should set foot in classrooms until infrastructure has been fixed, class sizes are smaller and Metro Nashville hires more teachers, said Amanda Kail, president of the Metro Nashville Education Association Thursday morning. Kail was part of a coalition speaking to the needs of Tennessee workers in advance of Thursday […]
Towns to investigate Memphis poll worker incident
Rep. Joe Towns Jr., D-Memphis, will investigate whether an incident in which “Black Lives Matter” voters were turned away from the polls was not an isolated incident. Friday a poll worker was fired after turning away voters who wore t-shirts linked to the recent protests. The fired worker thought the slogans were tied to the […]
CARES Act grants now available for minority-owned businesses
Government-sponsored business grants are now available through the CARES Act for minority entrepreneurs and will be awarded through a first-come-first-serve basis. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville & Davidson County adopted Resolution RS2020-516 to distribute $2 million in CARES Act Funds to aid small businesses in Davidson County, according to Pathway Lending. About 30 percent of […]
Metro urges caution with traditional Halloween activities
Metro public health officials have asked citizens to avoid activities at high risk for COVID-19 and to find alternative ways to participate in Halloween 2020. According to CDC guidelines, many traditional Halloween activities are high-risk for spreading viruses, including trick-or-treating, crowded costume parties, indoor haunted houses, hayrides or tractor rides. Using alcohol or drugs can […]
Think tank panel urges media to calm voters’ fears
Voting-rights advocates are asking the media to settle absentee-voting fears in order to prepare voters for possible delays on Election Day. Data collected by the voting-advocacy group Voting Rights Lab found that an overwhelming majority of people expect glitches in the 2020 cycle. “They already expressed a lack of faith in the final results,” said […]
Be Better Belmont town hall urges school to cut ties from CoreCivic
The for-profit prison system is akin to slavery, said a speaker Wednesday during the meeting of a Belmont University student group urging the school to cut ties with CoreCivic. Be Better Belmont hosted a town hall meeting focused on the Nashville-based private correctional company and its financial contributions to Belmont University amid rising racial tensions […]
Rep. Cooper announces major early voting initiative
In what a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, says may be the first of it’s kind nationally, Cooper is urging local voters to head to the polls early with 14 days of themed voting events featuring community groups and celebrities. Cooper has long been a proponent of voting rights and VoteEarlyTN is the […]
COVID-19 vaccine trials need immigrant and minority participants
In preparation for the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine trials, officials from Meharry Medical College (MMC) are urging participation from Middle Tennessee’s immigrant and minority communities. In his Thursday press conference, Metro spokesperson Fabian Bedne urged minority groups to participate in the vaccine trials expected to start in October. For maximum efficiency, testing requires a diverse group […]
Two Tennessee communities rank among top 50 Trump donors
Two Tennessee zip codes rank among the top 50 in the U.S. in amount of donations given to President Donald Trump. Brentwood zip code 37027 came in at number 29, with 1,736 donations for a total of $198,279. The average donation in 37027 was $114.. Green Hills zip code 37215 ranked 24th, with 825 donors […]
Report ranks Tennessee one of top five for kids in state custody with COVID-19
More than 1,800 children and teens involved in juvenile justice systems across the nation and in Puerto Rico have tested positive for COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a report released Wednesday by The Sentencing Project has found. Tennessee is one of five states with the highest number of positive cases among kids in custody: 146 […]