Our Progressive Metro Council is no More Committed to Free Speech or Fairness than any MAGA State Legislature.

Why did the Metro Council quietly reject a partnership with Liberty University?

by Megan Podsiedlik, The Pamphleteer, Feb 4, 2026- Last night, the council decided to reject a benignbill that would have created an agreement with the Office of Family Safety to provide fieldwork experience for students enrolled in Liberty University's social work programs. There’s no fiscal note; the arrangement is mutually beneficial. Metro has made similar arrangements with multiple universities in the past, so why reject Liberty?

Liberty University is widely understood to be a conservative institution rooted in evangelical Christian beliefs. Frankly, the rejection felt political. For onlookers paying attention, it’s hard to ignore the implications of the rejection and easy to come to the conclusion that, at the very least, the members were making a statement. 

From performative resolutions to defund police sentiments to blatant favoritism, we’ve seen it all from the most “progressive council in Nashville's history.” A council whose members rejected Morgan Wallen’s permit to put up a neon sign for his bar simply because they don’t like him. And the pettiness isn’t cheap. It costs a pretty penny, as was the case two years ago when the council selectively settled up one lawsuit regarding First Amendment rights and rejected a reasonable settlement for another, all in the name of identity politics—a $1.8 million mistake taxpayers will shoulder.

During last night’s docket, heard alongside a toothless resolution denouncing Elon Musk’s underground transit project in Nashville and other token gestures, the council rejected Liberty University without discussion.

Perhaps they're taking cues from the mayor, who often projects a particular about-face depending on which groups he's speaking to. In front of the mainstream, he often masks the intentions behind his decisions or indecision. When amongst his progressive cohort, he smooths any ruffled feathers with a wink and a nudge. Of course, this is mere observation. All very easy to plausibly deny. So, council members, was it political?

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Rod's Comment: Unfortunately, both MAGAs and Progressives share similar views. Free Speech is for my team, but not your team. Fairness is for my people, but not your people. It seems that power and tribalism are the driving forces. Each side will excuse whatever is done by their team, but attack the other team for similar actions. Trump has done bad things on a much greater magnitude than Democrats have ever done, but of a similar kind. Trump is the biggest crook we have ever had in office, but we should not forget the Biden family's China dealings and Hunter's corrupt practices. While Trump has trampled the rule of law to a greater extent than ever before, we should not forget that the Biden administration pressured universities to deny due process to men accused of sexual harassment. The Obama administration pressured the IRS to deny tax-exempt status to conservative non-profits with "patriot" or "tea party' in their name and Trump has threatened the tax-exempt status of liberal churches. One has little moral authority to criticize Trump's use of the IRS for political revenge unless they so criticized the Obama administration. 

Our progressive Metro Council is no more committed to free speech or fairness than any MAGA state legislature. 

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Kid Rock is the Perfect Alternative Artist for the MAGA Half-time Show. His Values Align With Trump's. Enjoy the Show.

Dear MAGA friends and family, 

I hope you all enjoy the Super Bowl today. Thankfully, for the half-time show, you will have an alternative to that disgusting Hispanic pervert called Bad Bunny. You can instead watch the wholesome, patriotic alternative show featuring Kid Rock. He is White and he doesn't cross-dress. 

I had never heard of Bad Bunny until recently, but then I'm not very hip and tuned into contemporary culture. The Super Bowl folks, however, I don't think, just picked him at random to piss off MAGA folks and offend Christians. He is a global music phenomenon and one of the world's biggest pop stars, having been named Spotify's top global artist four times (2020-2022, 2025) with over 100 billion total streams. That's pretty impressive, you've got to admit. He has won the 2026 Grammy for Album of the Year. 

I know he sings in Spanish and has brown skin, but he is an American. No, I know some people assume he is an immigrant or a foreigner and was picked to do the half-time show just to poke MAGA folks in the eye, but he is an American. He's from Porto Rico. Porto Rico is part of America. Really, I'm not making that up. Porto Ricans are Americans. 

Kid Rock is very much pro-Trump, and he will probably say some pro-Trump, maybe even some anti-immigrant things during his show. He can be pretty outrageous, so who knows what he will say. He has a Rheinstone suit patterned on the U.S. flag. Maybe he will wear that. 

I think he is the perfect entertainer to represent the MAGA crowd. His values align with what I perceive to be Trump's values, as expressed in the lyrics of this song he wrote and recorded. 

Enjoy the Super Bowl. 

Rod

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Columbia Mayor Molder holds financial advantage in 5th District race

 Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, shown hugging a supporter
at his congressional campaign kickoff, holds a financial
advantage in the Tennessee Congressional District 5 race.
(Photo: Holly McCall/Tennessee Lookout)

 By J. Holly McCall, Tennessee Outlook, February 4, 2026 - Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder holds a whopping financial advantage over other candidates running for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, including incumbent U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles, campaign finance disclosures show. 

According to end-of-year reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Molder raised $412,000 in the last quarter of 2025. Since announcing his candidacy for the seat in September, the Democrat has raised more than $1.2 million and has $978,000 cash on hand. 

Ogles, a second-term Republican who has been the subject of campaign finance investigations, reported raising $151,300 during the same period. This brings Ogles’ total for the two-year election cycle beginning after the 2024 elections to $317,000. 

Both Molder and Ogles must survive primary elections to make it on the final ballot.

Charlie Hatcher

Former Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher will take on Ogles in the Republican primary. Hatcher has raised $411,000 since entering the race in September, with notable donors including former U.S. Sen. Bob Corker with a $2,000 contribution, former Gov. Bill Haslam with $3,500, and Haslam’s father and brother — James Haslam, II and James Haslam, III, respectively — each donating $3,500.

Molder faces opposition from three Democrats, including first-term Metro Nashville Councilmember Mike Cortese. Cortese raised just over $100,000 in the final quarter of the year for a cumulative fundraising total of $263,000. Two other candidates, Jim Torino and Joyce Neal, have raised less than $20,000 combined. 

Notable donors to Molder include former Tennessee Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh and Loren Chumley, who served as commissioner of revenue under former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, both with $1,000 contributions. John Ingram, businessman and owner of the Nashville Soccer Club, has kicked in $7,000 to back the second-term mayor. 

National Democrats look at Tennessee’s 5th District as an opportunity to flip the seat, which was held by Democrats for nearly a century before Republican legislators redrew district lines during 2022’s redistricting process. 

Prior to 2022, the district was composed of Davidson County and portions of Cheatham County. Redistricting divided Davidson County into three portions — the other parts are in the 6th and 7th Congressional Districts — and the 5th District now includes all of Maury, Lewis and Marshall counties and parts of Davidson, Williamson and Wilson Counties. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the seat and lists it as one of its “Districts in play.” The Cook Political Report, which provides independent, non-partisan analysis for federal and gubernatorial races, has shifted its predictions for the seat from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican.”

Ogles won the seat in 2022, beating state Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Nashville Democrat, by 13 percentage points. He defeated nine other candidates in the Republican primary, including former Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell. 

In 2024, Ogles handily defeated Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston in the primary election.

U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles

But Ogles has faced criticism since his election for claims of resume inflation, has been the subject of an FBI fraud investigation, and faced calls for investigation into his campaign finances from the U.S. House Ethics committee. He has been highly critical of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell over his opposition to a federal sweep of South Nashville streets for immigrant residents in May and in December said judges in Nashville should be impeached.

Ogles received an endorsement from President Donald Trump in each of his congressional campaigns. After Hatcher announced in September he would challenge Ogles in the 2026 Republican primary, Trump endorsed Ogles again, calling him a “conservative warrior.”

In Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District, Van Hilleary, who represented Tennessee’s 4th District from his 1994 election through 2002, is running in the Republican primary to replace U.S. Rep. John Rose, who is running for governor. 

Also running in the GOP primary is Goodlettsville Republican Rep. Johnny Garrett. Garrett is sitting on $1 million cash on hand, having loaned himself $600,000 in addition to more than $590,000 he has raised so far. 

Hilleary, who is chief of staff for Rose, has raised a total of $840,716. 

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For more information on Charlie Hatcher or to make a donation, follow this link. 
For more information on Chaz Molder or to make a donation, follow this link. 

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David French in Nashville: "Five Constitutional Amendments to Save America."

by Rod Williams, Feb. 7, 2026- David French is teaching a class in Nashville on the topic of Five Constitutional Amendments to Save America. This is part of David Libscomb's Lifelong Learning program. One does not have to be an alumnus or otherwise associated with David Libscomb to attend this class. The fee for the five-class course is only $80.

I had this on my list to sign up for, but time slipped by me, and I missed the first one. However, I just registered today, so as of now, space is still available. I will be able to watch the missed class on my computer. If interested, I encourage you to sign up now. Follow this link. Click on "Class Offerings," and then click on "Tuesday."

This will be the third time I have taken a course taught by David French. Last year I took one on "Freedom of Speech," and the year before I took one on "The Second American Revolution," dealing with the 14th, 15th, and 16th Amendments. His classes are stimulating, informative, and thought-provoking, and David French is an excellent teacher. 

If you consume much news, you have probably read David French's column in the New York Times or The Atlantic or seen him on podcast such as The Bulwark, The Dispatch or as a member of guest panels on network news programs. Here are excerpts from his Wikipedia bio:

David Austin French (born January 24, 1969) is an American political commentator and former attorney. He is a columnist for The New York Times and a visiting professor of public policy at Lipscomb University. He was formerly senior editor of The Dispatch, a fellow at the National Review Institute, and a staff writer for National Review.

Early life and education : French was born on January 24, 1969, in Opelika, Alabama. His parents were students at nearby Auburn University.[2] He grew up in Georgetown, Kentucky.[3]

French graduated from Lipscomb University in 1991 with a BA, summa cum laude.[4][5] He then attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1994 with his JD, cum laude.[6][7][8]

Career: French has served as a senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice and the Alliance Defending Freedom,[9] has lectured at Cornell Law School, and spent much of his career working on religious rights issues.[10] He served as president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), now known as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).[7] French retired from FIRE in 2005, citing plans to serve in the United States Army Reserve as a judge-advocate general officer.[11][12] He left the legal practice in 2015, and became a staff writer for National Review from 2015 to 2019,[13][14] and a senior fellow at the National Review Institute.[15]

French has authored several books,[7] including the non-fiction Divided We Fall (2020).[16][17]

French is a former senior editor of The Dispatch,[18] and occasionally a contributing writer for The Atlantic. French is a distinguished visiting professor of public policy at Lipscomb University, his alma mater.[19]

French became a New York Times columnist in January 2023.[18]

In December 2019, French joined The Dispatch's Advisory Opinions biweekly legal podcast as a permanent guest contributor alongside host, Sarah Isgur.[20]

Military service: French is a former major in the United States Army Reserve[27] and a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom.[7] French was deployed to Iraq in 2007 during the Iraq War, serving in Diyala Governorate as squadron judge-advocate.[28] He was awarded a Bronze Star.[27]

Personal life: French is married to author Nancy French.[36] He and his family live in Franklin, Tennessee.[37] They have three children, including a daughter adopted from Ethiopia.[38]

French was until 2024 a member of the Presbyterian Church in America. Due to conflicts with his church and its members over political issues, and after personal attacks against him and his family, they switched to another church in Nashville.[39]

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Marsha Blackburn Outrage of the Day: Feb. 7, 2026

 

1. Sen. Blackburn demands a probe of Ketanji Brown Jackson for attending the Grammys.

2. US Sen. Marsha Blackburn faces allegations that she and her campaign engaged in "flagrant violations" of federal and state law by using donations from her Senate campaign for her gubernatorial race.

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The Trump Outrage for the Day: Feb. 7, 2026

1. Racist Truth Social Post depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as

apes.

2. Trump will provide Federal funding of badly needed NY-NJ tunnel and subway extension if Penn Station and Dulles airport be renamed as Trump Station and Tump Airport

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81% of Tennesseans Want Limits on Property Tax Increases

 

by Rod Williams, Feb. 6, 2026- A new poll from The Beacon Center shows that 81% of Tennessee voters believe there should be a limit on how much property taxes can increase in any single year. The poll was conducted in conjunction with Targoz Market Research and polled 1200 residents. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.77%.

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67% of Tennessee Voters Favor School Choice

by Rod Williams, Feb. 6, 2026- A new poll from The Beacon Center reveals that 67% of Tennessee voters have a favorable opinion of school choice, supporting Governor Lee's statewide educational choice program. The poll was conducted in conjunction with Targoz Market Research and polled 1200 residents. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 2.77%.

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It Is Now Official: Nashville is Not a Sanctuary City.

DHS Secretary Kirsti Noem Press Conference
Nashville ICE field office, Nashville, May 2026

by Rod Williams, Feb. 5, 2026- The Trump Injustice Department has issued its official list of sanctuary cities, and Nashville is not on the list. We have only been a "scantuary city" for two months of our existence as a city, and are not one now, despite some people saying we are. Sanctuary city is a label or a perjorative so if one wants to call Nashville a sanctuary city, then they can but we are not officially designated as such. 

Last year, after immigration and Customs Enforcement raids took place in Nashville and our mayor was critical of ICE, many Facebook friends, talk radio host and callers, and other members of the public started criticizing Nashville as a sanctuary city. Rep. Andy Ogles accused O'Connell of obstructing federal authorities, endangering agents by publishing their names, and fostering a "sanctuary city" environment. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was also very critical of Mayor O'Connell and said his actions were shameful and he did not deserve to be mayor.

The actions Noem spoke of were that O'Connnell updated a longstanding policy requiring city personnel to report interactions with federal immigration agents to the mayor’s office. The change required notice within 24 hours instead of the three days required under the previous policy. 

Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration also published records documenting Metro Nashville Police Department interactions with federal immigration officials following the ICE raids in Nashville. This data, intended for transparency under an executive order, included locations and, in error, the names of federal agents carrying out the raids. In addition, O'Connell urged people to contribute money to a fund set up to help the families of those impacted by having a family member deported. 

These actions did get Nashville listed as a sanctuary city for a short while, from May 30, 2025, to August 6, 2025. If you make Donald Trump or Kristy Noem mad, you can get listed as a sanctuary city. The governor and our senators sweet-talked Trump and apparently convinced him we were not really a sanctuary city and Mayor O'Connell grovelled a little bit, saying, “By definition, Nashville is not a sanctuary city. We do not, nor have we ever, had a policy that violates the state law. As we have stated several times in recent weeks, Metro does not have any legal authority as it relates to immigration enforcement, and we do not impede federal law enforcement actions. In fact, we regularly partner with state and federal law enforcement agencies to take violent criminals off our streets.” That worked. After only two months on the list we were removed from the list.

The Federal government does publish a list of the "characteristics of a scantuary city", but it is kind of vague. Here it is:

Sanctuary Jurisdiction characteristics include:

Public Declarations: Cities, states, or counties that publicly declare themselves a sanctuary jurisdiction or equivalent, with the intent to undermine federal immigration enforcement.

Laws, Ordinances, Executive Directives: Cities, states, or counties that have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other formalized practices that obstruct or limit local law enforcement cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Restrictions on Information Sharing: Cities, states, or counties that limit whether and how local agencies share information about immigration status of detainees with federal authorities.

Funding Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that prohibit local funds or resources from being used to support federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Non-cooperation with Federal Immigration Enforcement: Cities, states, or counties that provide training to city employees and police on enforcing sanctuary policies and declining to respond to ICE requests for information.

Limits on ICE Detainers: Cities, states, or counties that refuse to honor ICE detainer requests unless there is a warrant signed by a judge.

Jail Access Restrictions: Cities, states, or counties that restrict ICE agents’ ability to interview detainees absent detainee consent.

Immigrant Community Affairs Offices: Cities, states, or counties that create dedicated offices to engage and advise illegal alien communities on evading federal law enforcement officers.

Federal Benefit Programs: Cities, states, or counties that circumvent federal laws prohibiting the provision of federal benefits to illegal aliens and provide them with access to benefits, including health care assistance, legal aid, food and housing assistance, and other subsidies. This includes cities, states, or counties that establish stand-alone benefit programs or equivalents. 

I think if Donald Trump wants you on the list, you are on the list. Some of these things Nashville clearly never did, some of them are kind of murky. I guess we walk a fine line. If we had a Democrat governor and were in a state that voted for Democrats, and our mayor was more combative in tone, we would be on the list.  

If one says Nashville is a sanctuary city, that is a label and an opinion, not a fact. I am pleased we do the bare minimum necessary to avoid the designation. I do want the city to do such things as honor detainer requests and allow ICE agents to interview retainees in our jail. I want violent criminals removed from our city, but I do not want the city cooperating in ICE raids on schools, Home Depot parking lots, and other actions that are cruel and inhumane and violate the Constitution. 

 

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Justice Department Publishes List of Sanctuary Jurisdictions

Press release, Office of Public Affairs, U. S. Department of Justice, Aug. 4, 2026 – Today, the Justice Department published a list of states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.

“Sanctuary policies impede law enforcement and put American citizens at risk by design,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “The Department of Justice will continue bringing litigation against sanctuary jurisdictions and work closely with the Department of Homeland Security to eradicate these harmful policies around the country.”

On April 28, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14287: Protecting American Communities from Criminal Aliens. The Executive Order recognized that “some State and local officials . . . continue to use their authority to violate, obstruct, and defy the enforcement of Federal immigration laws” and “[i]t is imperative that the Federal Government restore the enforcement of United States law.” The Executive Order directed the Justice Department, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security, to publish a list of such jurisdictions. Accordingly, the following states, cities, and counties have been identified as sanctuary jurisdictions:

STATES:

• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Illinois
• Minnesota
• Nevada
• New York
• Oregon
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington

COUNTIES:

• Baltimore County, MD
• Cook County, IL
• San Diego County, CA
• San Francisco County, CA

CITIES:

• Albuquerque, NM
• Berkeley, CA
• Boston, MA
• Chicago, IL
• Denver, CO
• East Lansing, MI
• Hoboken, NJ
• Jersey City, NJ
• Los Angeles, CA
• New Orleans, LA
• New York City, NY
• Newark, NJ
• Paterson, NJ
• Philadelphia, PA
• Portland, OR
• Rochester, NY
• Seattle, WA
• San Francisco City, CA

In recent months, the Justice Department has filed several lawsuits against sanctuary jurisdictions seeking to compel compliance with federal law, including one against New York City on July 24th. Recently, the Mayor of Louisville agreed to revoke their sanctuary policies following a letter from the Justice Department threatening legal action.

Read more about the sanctuary jurisdiction list and the criteria for inclusion here. This list is not exhaustive and will be updated as federal authorities gather further information. The federal government will assist any jurisdiction that desires to be taken off this list to identify and eliminate their sanctuary policies, so they no longer stand in opposition to federal immigration enforcement.

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Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis

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