Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga Will Receive Federal Funds Through Bloomberg’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative to Lobby for Billions from Biden’s Federal Slush Fund

Mike Bloomberg

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced on Tuesday that three Tennessee cities will take part in an initiative that would use federal funds provided by the Biden administration.

Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga were selected for the organization’s American Sustainable Cities Initiative, which stated its focus would be on creating economic equity and green energy jobs, according to a Tuesday news release from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Mike Bloomberg, the former Democratic New York Mayor, founded Bloomberg Philanthropies.

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Nashville Mayor Reportedly Committed to Funding Transportation Plans with Sales Tax Increase

Freddie O'Connell

A report released on Wednesday claims Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is committed to funding his proposed transportation initiative with an increase to the city’s sales tax.

O’Connell and his administration are reportedly “leaning toward a half cent sales tax” as the primary funding source of the transit referendum he plans to take before voters in November, a News Channel 5 report claims.

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Davidson County Republican Party Applauds Trump’s Primary Win in Tennessee

Lonnie Spivak

The Davidson County Republican Party (DCRP) congratulated former President Donald Trump’s victory in the Tennessee presidential primary election on Tuesday.

“We congratulate President Trump on his strong victory yesterday as we look forward to seeing the completion of the primary process and move toward a decisive November election victory – all toward a stronger, more prosperous America,” DCRP Chairman Lonnie Spivak said in a statement. “During President Trump’s first term, America’s economy grew, our border was secure, we projected strength abroad in support of our global allies, and good leaders were appointed to key positions while the swamp was draining. In the years since, the Biden regime has reversed what they can of that good work and made our country weaker. It is time for America to continue doing what is right for all under a steady hand and sound leadership.”

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Roger Simon Says Trump Is a ‘Force of Nature’ Following Nashville Speech

Donald Trump Speaking

Roger Simon, the co-founder of PJMedia and current columnist for The Epoch Times, attended former President Donald Trump’s speech at the National Religious Broadcasters International Christian Media Convention in Nashville on Thursday,

Simon, noting how Trump was nearly two hours late to the event after having delivered a speech at an earlier fundraiser event, said the former president was a “force of nature,” proving those who believe he has “lost a step” wrong.

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Nashville Mayor O’Connell Announces November Transportation Referendum but Offers No Plan Details

Nashville Transit

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell officially announced Thursday that there will be a public transit referendum on the November 5 ballot, however, did not reveal any specifics to his awaited transportation plan.

“After getting the green light on both legal and financial aspects of the process, the administration is putting a referendum in front of the voters on November 5,” O’Connell’s office said in a press release.

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Gun Thefts from Nashville Vehicles Down 43 Percent for First Six Weeks of 2024

The number of gun thefts from vehicles in Nashville for the first six weeks of the year decreased 43% from 2023, according to a press release from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

So far, 90 guns have been stolen from Nashville cars compared to last year’s 158. Gun thefts from cars comprise 72% of all gun thefts in Nashville so far for 2024.

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Carol Swain Reflects on ‘Be the People’ Conference, Reveals Jill Biden’s ‘Discreet’ Meeting Next Door

Jill Biden

Dr. Carol M. Swain said First Lady Jill Biden held a “discreet” meeting at the Richland Country Club at the same time Swain’s nonprofit organization Be the People’s American Dream Conference was taking place on Friday evening in Nashville.

Biden initially traveled to Franklin for a “political event” reportedly occurring at the home of country music star Brad Paisley, however, also held an unannounced event at the Richland Country Club on Friday, according to Swain.

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Metro Councilman Jeff Eslick Says He Expects Nashville Mayor O’Connell’s Multimodal Plan to Be ‘Bus Intensive’

Jeff Eslick

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined Thursday’s edition of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss what may be included in Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s anticipated multimodal transportation plan.

O’Connell, who was elected mayor in last year’s runoff election, vowed during his campaign to address Nashville’s “infrastructure and transit concerns” and is expected to release a multimodal plan in the near future.

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Nearly 600 Illegal Aliens May Be Transported to Middle Tennessee, DHS Notice Says

A notice from last September by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that a total of 573 “noncitizens” from Guatemala, Venezuela, Honduras, and Mexico intended on traveling to Franklin, Nashville, Davidson County, and Murfreesboro following their release from DHS custody.

The notice, dated as the week ending September 16, 2023, is titled “Intended Destination of Noncitizens Processed at the Southwest Border.”

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Stevie Giorno Discusses Plot to Oust Him from Belmont University’s Student Government Association Presidency Nearly Four Years Ago

Stevie Giorno

Chairman of the Tennessee Young Republicans and former Belmont University study body President Stevie Giorno recently joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss how students at Belmont University bullied him during the time he served as the school’s student body president.

While serving as Belmont University’s student body president in 2020, Giorno acknowledged the Fourth of July holiday with a post on Instagram that read, “Proud to be an American, celebrating the sacrifice of those that gave their all so that we may have freedoms and liberties intended for us on this day in 1776.”

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Music Spotlight: Ashley Anne

Occasionally, you meet an artist, and you know they were born with a gift. At age 17, Ashley Anne wrote/released her first single, “Dear Dolly,” a song that she penned entirely on her own.

And while Dolly Parton is arguably the most popular country star on the planet, most people of Anne’s peer group only know “Jolene” and probably don’t realize that Parton wrote “I Will Always Love You” and may not have ever heard Whitney Houston’s version of it.

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Vanderbilt University Has One Administrator for Every Two Students: Analysis

Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University employs more than one full-time administrator for every two students, a College Fix analysis found.

During the 2021-22 academic year, the most recent for which data are available, the private Nashville university employed 3,516 full-time administrators and support staff, according to information the school filed with the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

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From Tinseltown to Tennessee: Roger Simon Shares His Own Journey as an ‘American Refugee’ on the Eve on New Book Release

Roger Simon

Roger Simon joined host Michael Patrick Leahy and original all-star panelist Crom Carmichael in-studio on Friday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy to discuss Simon’s new, highly-anticipated book, American Refugees.

The Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Epoch Times columnist shared personal details about his own journey to Nashville, including the city he almost moved to before settling on Music City.

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Metro Nashville Public Schools Unveils Potential Changes for One of District’s Highest Performing High Schools

Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) is considering making changes to Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School (MLKAMS), one of Nashville’s highest-performing high schools.

At Tuesday’s school board meeting, district Superintendent Dr. Adrienne Battle unveiled plans to move seventh-grade and eighth-grade students to Head Middle School and rebrand that school as Head Middle School at MLK. If MNPS goes forward with its plans, MLKAMS will become a traditional high school serving ninth-grade to 12th-grade. MLKAMS currently teaches students from seventh-grade to 12th-grade.

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Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick Exposes Shocking Drop in Law Enforcement Downtown

Metro Nashville Council Member Jeff Eslick joined The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Thursday to detail his discoveries into the precipitous drop in law enforcement and its effect on the state of public safety downtown on the heels of the city announcing the Hermitage homeless encampment will be taken down in January.

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Nashville Police Charge Muslim Family with Beating Son After He Converted to Christianity

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) charged three members of a Muslim family with the alleged beating of their juvenile son and brother on Monday, and police records reportedly reveal the violence was sparked by the victim’s recent conversion to Christianity.

Police arrested Rawaaa Khawaji, Nick Kadum, and John Kadum, who are reportedly the mother, father, and older son of the juvenile victim discovered by law enforcement, according to police documents reviewed by Fox 17.

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Report: Tennessee Transit Lacks Dedicated Funding Sources

Music City Star

Tennessee has two of the four among the largest 50 metro cities that doesn’t have set tax funding for transit agencies, according to a new report.

ThinkTennessee found Nashville and Memphis join Orlando and Hartford as the only four that don’t have dedicated transit funding. The report showed that 39 of those cities collect sales tax to fund transit with those taxes ranging from 0.375% to 2% bringing in an average $394 million annually.

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Anti-Israel, Pro-Palestine Rally Planned for After Dark in Nashville on Saturday

Another pro-Palestine, anti-Israel rally will be held in downtown Nashville this Saturday after the sun goes down, according to the new self-described “abolitionist” group Palestine Hurra Collective Nashville.

The “Shut It Down For Palestine” march will be held at 5:00 p.m. at the Fred D. Thompson U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in Nashville, according to the group, which said the demonstration will be part of a “global mobilization for Palestine.”

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Nashville Mayor O’Connell Releases Policy Proposals from Transition Committees, Including East Bank Funding

Metro Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released three policy proposals from his transition committees on Tuesday, more than two months after he assumed office.

O’Connell released documents provided by three transition committees he created to examine how his government can serve residents of Nashville, better its infrastructure system, and encourage economic and population growth in the city.

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‘Known Street Racer’ Arrested After Meetup Causes $100,000 in Damages

A street racer has been arrested after a meetup that he allegedly organized caused more than $100,000 in damage to a Nashville street. 

“A known street racer has been charged with felony vandalism after allegedly facilitating an unsanctioned meetup earlier this year on Airpark Center Drive East that caused more than $100,000 in damages,” the city of Nashville said in a press release. “Austin Scott, 25, of Murfreesboro was arrested by [Tennessee Highway Patrol] in Rutherford County on the outstanding warrant after being identified as a suspected lead organizer for Night Riderz.”

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FACT CHECK of Tennessee House Speaker Sexton Claim that Alleged Killer of Belmont Freshman Would Have Been in Custody Had State Senate Acted: FALSE

In an in-depth interview on Friday, WTN SuperTalk 99.7 afternoon host Matt Murphy spoke with Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton about the shooting and death of Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig. The Tennessee Star conducted a FACT CHECK of Speaker Sexton’s claim in that interview that Shaquille Taylor, the alleged killer of 18-year-old Belmont University Jillian Ludwig, who was shot in the head on Tuesday and died on Thursday, would have been in custody if the Tennessee State Senate had passed legislation in the August Special Session that the House had passed. The Star determined that Sexton’s claim is FALSE. The transcript of that interview and the corresponding FACT CHECKS conducted by The Star can be seen below. ——————- Matt Murphy: So, obviously, we’ve been covering this very difficult story involving the passing of a Belmont University student by the name of Lillian, or Jillian, pardon me, Jillian Ludwig, who died Thursday, yesterday morning after being shot in the head while walking near campus Tuesday. EDITOR’S NOTE: Prior to allegedly shooting Belmont University freshman Jillian Taylor in the head on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Shaquille Taylor was deemed incompetent to stand trial for aggravated assault with a deadly…

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Second Bystander Shot in Nashville Hours After Death of Belmont University Student

A Nashville man remains hospitalized after he was shot following an apparent fight to which he was not a party, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department. The shooting occurred less than one hour after the death of Belmont University freshman Jillian Ludwig, another innocent bystander who was allegedly shot in the head by Shaquille Taylor on November 7.

Police initially described the victim as man in his 50s who was shot after a fight between two men ended in gunfire in North Nashville, according to WSMV. Police Spokesman Don Aaron told The Tennessee Star the victim is expected to survive, and will be interviewed to ascertain the circumstances that led to the shooting after he recovers.

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