News
Hispanic community leaders: More outreach needed for COVID education
With COVID-19 disproportionately affecting members of Tennessee’s Hispanic community, leaders say there’s a need for greater education on preventing the spread of the virus. Hispanic organizations have been central in helping government officials reach local Hispanic communities. Journalist Veronica Salcedo is often contacted through Facebook and asked to visit impacted areas to hand out personal […]
As pandemic recovery trudges on, questions of transparency emerge
Members of Congress are pressing the Department of Treasury and the Small Business Administration to disclose statistics for how many small, women-owned and minority-owned businesses received paycheck protection loans as part of the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act set aside $659 billion in low interest loans for small businesses that […]
House Democrats tout infrastructure benefits, but Republicans wary
There are countless ways that a $1.5 trillion federal infrastructure package drafted by U.S. House Democrats would affect Tennessee if it ever becomes law, but U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper said there’s one big change residents in his Nashville-area district would see quickly: fewer freight trains causing big traffic jams on major roads. Right now, idle […]
Equity Alliances staffs up
The Equity Alliance, a statewide non-profit focused on the civic and economic empowerment of the Black community, announced today the addition of seven new staff members to assist the organization as it expands its operations. The staff additions will add capacity to The Equity Alliance’s community organizing, voter outreach and Covid-19 response efforts. Charlane Oliver, […]
COVID-19 cases spike in Department of Children’s Services facilities
At least 164 children living in facilities operated or licensed by the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services have tested positive for COVID-19 — the biggest outbreak in the nation linked to a single child welfare agency. The children, both boys and girls, tested positive inside county juvenile detention centers licensed by DCS, in 49 residential […]
Back the Badge, Black Lives Matter groups meet in Nashville
A group of law enforcement advocates held a Back the Badge demonstration in Nashville Sunday, coming face to face with Black Lives Matter protesters who have occupied War Memorial Plaza for over two weeks. Cars, many of which apparently supported the BLM group, circled the block, blowing horns and holding signs that read “Blue Lives […]
Nashville Health Board makes masks mandatory; details to come
Expressing concern that Nashville’s COVID-19 case count has been rising in recent weeks, the Metro Board of Health passed a policy at an emergency meeting on Friday requiring that people in Davidson County wear masks in public. The board voted to direct the Metro Legal Department to work with the Health Department officials to develop […]
Support your local cheesemaker
Restaurants are making a slow comeback and grocery store shelves are beginning to fill again, albeit slowly. But there are industries that continue to suffer due to the COVID-19 pandemic, among them: locally made cheese. “It’s been challenging during the pandemic for farms that produce cheese products to move large quantities through grocery and restaurant […]
Nashville leaders urge minority census participation
In a Thursday press conference organized by Nashville Organized for Action and Hope (NOAH) Davidson County community leaders emphasized the need for census participation from Nashville’s minority population. The census deadline, originally July 31, has been pushed back to Oct. 31. The typical door-to-door approach is too risky, given the COVID-19 threat, but leaders hope […]
Finance director accuses Hospital Authority of hiding $9.4M in federal funding
The Hospital Authority failed to disclose $9.4 million in federal CARES Act funding to Mayor John Cooper’s administration in fear that its operating subsidy could be reduced, according to documents obtained by the Tennessee Lookout. Finance Director Kevin Crumbo, one of Cooper’s top aides, blasted the Hospital Authority for not keeping the administration in the […]
Ruling on ‘heartbeat bill’ will come after Lee signs
A federal judge in Nashville on Wednesday said he will wait to rule on a request by Tennessee’s abortion providers to temporarily halt a new ‘heartbeat’ abortion measure until it is signed by Gov. Bill Lee. The measure, approved by state lawmakers last week, bans most abortions after the point a fetal heartbeat is detected, […]
Latino-serving organizations to Lee: We need a robust plan
A coalition of Latino-serving organizations from across Tennessee is urging Gov. Bill Lee and local government leaders to take specific and immediate steps to address the increasing spread of COVID-19 among the state’s Hispanic residents. In an open letter to Gov. Lee, 18 groups, among them the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee […]