Clint Brewer: This Week’s Big Winner is the First Amendment, but a Languishing Speedway Project Puts Mayor Cooper on the Loser List Again

For this week’s installment of Clint Brewer’s Winners and Losers, the Nashville-area public policy expert and recovering journalist lauded the First Amendment as the big winner, while once again Nashville Mayor John Cooper makes the Loser list as the Speedway project flounders on Thursday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report’s with Michael Patrick Leahy.

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US Women’s Soccer Player Ignored the National Anthem as an ‘F-You’ to Trump

by Shelby Talcott   U.S. women’s soccer star Megan Rapinoe ignored the national anthem before the Women’s World Cup game against Thailand on Tuesday. Rapinoe, who is openly gay, had previously said she would never sing the national anthem again as an ‘f-you’ to President Donald Trump. She announced that she would “never put my hand over my heart” or sing the national anthem in an interview with Yahoo News in May. “I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart,” Rapinoe said in May. “I’ll probably never sing the national anthem again.” She was seen standing silently without her hand over her heart when the national anthem played on Tuesday while her teammates sang and placed their hands over their hearts, The Blaze reported. Many people took to social media in response showing both their support and disagreement with her decision. Megan Rapinoe is not singing the anthem (because she's not allowed to kneel) and I love her so much it hurts — Meredith Clark (@MeredithLClark) June 11, 2019 so weird to have a scowl while your national anthem, the one that gave you the freedom to pretty much actually PLAY in this game @mPinoe #USWNT — Swami (@SwamiG8R)…

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Haslam Family Buys Columbus Soccer Club to Keep Them in Ohio

Friday, Ohio soccer fans were relieved to hear that the Columbus Crew Soccer Club would remain in Ohio following the decision to transfer ownership to the Haslam and Edwards families. This decision comes after a year of uncertainty, fan outrage, and statewide protests. On October 17, 2017,  Precourt Sports Ventures, a group that has owned the Columbus Soccer Club since 2013, announced they were considering “remaining in Columbus at a new stadium or potentially relocating the Club to the city of Austin, Texas.” Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber supported the decision, noting that “the Club’s stadium is no longer competitive with other venues across MLS.” This announcement left many Columbus Crew fans stunned and infuriated. Many felt Precourt was attempting to extort a free, or heavily subsidized, stadium from the city with the threat of relocation. The hashtag “#SaveTheCrew” quickly went viral on social media platforms. Multiple public protests were held throughout Ohio. The backlash from fans was so extensive that Precourt Sports Ventures CEO Anthony Precourt made a public apology via Twitter: I really do feel for you Crew fans. Its an uncertain time I recognize, and I take full responsibility for the situation I have put us in.…

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The World Celebrates Thailand Cave Rescue Amid Fears of Disease and Infection

Thai Royal Navy

by Hanna Bogorowski   The world celebrated Tuesday as the last players of a youth soccer team and their coach were rescued from the depths of a flooded cave in Thailand after more than two weeks, but fears for their future health now surround the survivors. In addition to treating the boys for dehydration, malnutrition, oxygen deprivation and other conditions, doctors at the hospital in Chiang Rai are monitoring for symptoms of diseases caused by animals and fungi in the cave. Three boys who were rescued on Tuesday were brought to the nearby hospital to join the eight others already there in isolation wards. The last boy and his coach were treated on site at a medical center, CNN reports. [ RELATED: REPORT: All Boys And Coach Freed From Thai Cave ] The families of the boys have been allowed to see their sons through a glass window in the isolation units and were allowed to talk on the phone, Jedsada Chokedamrongsook, the Thai Health Ministry secretary said. “The reason they’re in isolation is, when your body is without natural light for that long – since you’re literally living in a cave – your body starts to change. Certain things get ramped up. Certain things…

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Nashville Investment Group Awarded Major League Soccer Franchise, Will Play in City Subsidized Stadium

In a lavish ceremony at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame Wednesday, Governor Bill Haslam, Mayor Megan Barry, and a slew of local dignitaries gathered on stage with a full house in attendance to hear Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Gaber announce that, after a long and arduous bidding and review process, Nashville has been awarded an MLS expansion club. Mayor Megan Barry’s Twitter feed broadcast the moment of the announcement : Did you hear us? It’s official everyone! #NashvilleMLS pic.twitter.com/h8QHUOj0EY — Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) December 20, 2017 “Nashville is the first of 12 cities that submitted formal bids in January to be awarded one of four available MLS expansion teams,” the MLS website stated. The investment group Nashville Soccer Holdings, LLC will form the ownership of the Nashville MLS team, which is led by John R. Ingram, the chairman of Ingram Industries Inc. “Ingram’s partners in the soccer club include Minnesota Vikings owners Mark, Zygi and Leonard Wilf, and the Turner Family, managing partners of Nashville-based MarketStreet Enterprises,” according to the MLS website. “Nashville continues its ascent as one of America’s most dynamic communities, with its incredible energy and creativity. For us, that makes it a perfect place for MLS expansion,” Commissioner Don Garber said.…

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‘Save Our Fairground’ Lawsuit to Stop Soccer Stadium Construction Dismissed

Chancery Court Judge Ellen Lyle agreed with the City of Nashville’s Motion to dismiss a lawsuit over the city’s plans for a Major League Soccer stadium at The Fairgrounds Nashville. The decision cleared the way for the professional soccer league to decide if, indeed, Nashville is to be included in its planned two-team expansion. The ruling comes as Save Our Fairground – represented by local attorney James Roberts – filed a lawsuit in late November arguing Metro Nashville’s plans to develop a professional soccer stadium and surrounding amenities would put in jeopardy the land’s original use, as defined in the city charter as modified by referendum in 2011. Metro Nashville lawyers answered with a motion to dismiss, saying the claims made by Roberts were either premature or did not have standing because even if the claims were true, they did not meet the standards requiring legal review. In a 10-page decision (see below), Judge Lyle agreed with the city, writing: After studying Tennessee law and the Amended Complaint of the Plaintiffs, and considering oral argument of the attorneys for each side, the court concludes Metro is correct. This lawsuit must be dismissed. “This decision affirms what we’ve known all along:…

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