<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NASHVILLE, Tenn. — While Tennessee leads the nation in many ways, it often ranks as one of the unhealthiest states in the country. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tennessee Republican leadership hope to address that issue within the boundaries of traditional American liberty. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy stopped by the Tennessee state capitol on Wednesday for a meeting with Governor Bill Lee and other GOP leadership as part of his Take Back Your Health tour. During his speech, Kennedy spoke about various initiatives the Trump administration had launched to invest in rural health care, remove harmful additives from food, increase pricing transparency, and study the dramatic increase in autism. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“President Trump told me that [he] wants to make the American public, every patient, the CEO of their own healthcare [so] that you can make good decisions and that you’ll have access to your own information,” Kennedy said. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy’s speech was given in the old chambers of the Tennessee Supreme Court to a packed crowd of lawmakers and invited guests. He received a warm welcome from the crowd, but was met with a few hecklers outside the room who were upset about some of Kennedy’s positions on vaccines. </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1038869" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1038869" class="size-full wp-image-1038869" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1928" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-300x226.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-765x576.jpg 765w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-768x578.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-1536x1157.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/PXL_20260204_174719331.TS-000-2048x1542.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1038869" class="wp-caption-text">Kennedy in Nashville: Daily Wire.</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kennedy was introduced by state GOP leadership that included Lee and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin).</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Tennessee is leading the nation in many ways, and there’s a lot of things we can brag about. But when we’re doing that, you should also acknowledge areas where we need to do better. And one of those is with regards to our health outcomes,” Johnson said, noting that the Volunteer State had comparatively high rates of infant mortality, obesity, and diabetes </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to HHS, Tennessee <a href="https://mchb.tvisdata.hrsa.gov/Narratives/Overview/fc0324d9-ccb8-42a7-b333-66546446cc61">ranks</a> 44th in the nation in terms of overall health due to drug overdoses, chronic health problems, smoking, physical inactivity, premature death, obesity, and preventable hospitalizations. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Part of reversing this trend is eating better food, one of the reasons why Kennedy’s HHS </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-flips-the-food-pyramid-and-announces-massive-changes-to-dietary-guidelines"><span style="font-weight: 400;">flipped</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> the food pyramid last month to recommend whole foods, prioritizing healthy fats and protein, and limiting or avoiding ultra-processed foods.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Our job is not to tell Americans what to eat. It’s to tell them what’s good for them and to give them good information. If you want to drink a Coca-Cola or eat a Krispy Kreme donut, you live in America, you ought to be able to do that. But we’re going to tell you what the cost is. It seems cheap at the grocery store but the long term costs may not be worth it,” Kennedy said Wednesday. </span></p>
<p>Kennedy said that the government spends about $405 million per day to subsidize meals through school lunch programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and other government programs. Kennedy said that raising the standard for the food paid for in these programs would &#8220;transform&#8221; the quality of the food the people were getting through the programs and help the farmers produce &#8220;real food.&#8221;</p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rep. Bryan Terry, the chair of the Tennessee House Health Committee, told The Daily Wire that sometimes poor health outcomes were the result of bad choices. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“In Tennessee, we’re not banning Big Gulps,” he said, noting that Tennesseans value individual liberty and that “sometimes that liberty that you have leads to bad choices.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But that doesn’t mean the government will fund unhealthy decisions. In December, Lee led Tennessee to join a handful of other states that ban Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients from using the money given to them by the government to buy soda, energy drinks, and candy.</span></p>


Presidential Candidate Robert F. Kennedy Delivers Remarks In Phoenix, Arizona

RFK Tells Tennessee Lawmakers Trump Will ‘Transform’ The Health Of The Nation

RFK Makes MAHA Stop In Tennessee, Says Trump Reforms Will 'Transform' The Nation

Department of Health and Human Services

Health

Nashville

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Tennessee

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anti-ICE activists pressure businesses to “pick a side,” the House looks to vote on reopening the government, and thousands of Americans demand answers as the lights remain off after Winter Storm Fern.</span></p>
<p>It’s Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:</p>
<p><iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/anti-ice-protests-grow-storm-response-scrutiny-2-3-26/id1576594336?i=1000747837185" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Left-Wing Activists Pressure Businesses To Dump ICE</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Businesses that don’t even have ties to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-deploying-body-cameras-to-every-federal-immigration-agent-in-minneapolis?author=Jennie+Taer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+%E2%80%98Deploying+Body+Cameras+To+Every%E2%80%99+Federal+Immigration+Agent+In+Minneapolis">ICE</a> are under pressure to take an explicit stance against the federal agency. Currently, Target is the main mark for demonstrators. Over the weekend – similar to the protest that included the storming of Cities Church in St. Paul – dozens of activists marched through Target stores all over Minneapolis. Left-wing activists want the company to publicly condemn ICE and </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/target-protests-immigration-minneapolis.html"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ban</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> agents from conducting operations on Target property, or even entering stores. Activists even went to Target headquarters in Minneapolis on Monday and called out its new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, who officially stepped into the top job on Sunday.</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Government Shutdown Is On</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been working frantically to end the government shutdown before its effects are felt. President Donald Trump </span><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-seeks-quick-end-to-shutdown-no-changes"><span style="font-weight: 400;">says</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> he wants to move forward with the federal government spending package without any changes, as the government has remained shut down since last weekend. He wrote on Truth Social, quote: “There can be NO CHANGES at this time.” The president says that he wants the bill to be signed into law right away, and that he’s “working hard with Speaker Mike Johnson.”</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><b>Outrage Over Nashville Storm Failures</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The response to the crippling power outages from Winter Storm Fern has frustrated many communities across the country – including here in the Nashville area. It’s been more than a week, and more than 20,000 residents are still without power in the Music City in a situation declared “unacceptable.” The Nashville power outage fiasco has made national news as Reese Witherspoon, John Rich, and other celebrities have spoken out about their Tennessee neighbors living in the dark. The Nashville Electric Service’s lack of preparation is <span style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-electric-ceo-touted-tree-hugging-over-aggressive-trimming-months-before-massive-ice-storm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most frustrating</a> to residents</span>. Last summer, the CEO, Teresa Boyles-Aplin, focused on saving Nashville&#8217;s tree canopy instead of cutting down the trees that clearly were overtaking power lines. On top of that, Nashville started the power restoration with around 100 linemen – far too few for such a widespread outage. Other regional utilities had 500-600 linemen ready.</span></p>


MW_260203

Morning Brief: Anti-ICE Activists Attack Target, Shutdown Scramble, & Nashville Storm Failures

Donald Trump

Government Shutdown

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Morning Wire

Target

<p>Nashville Democratic Mayor Freddie O&#8217;Connell blasted the city&#8217;s electric service over the weekend just days after praising its efforts to restore power to residents left in the cold.</p>
<p>O&#8217;Connell said that he met with Nashville Electric Service (NES) leaders on Sunday and told them that the agency&#8217;s response and messaging around widespread power outages has been &#8220;unacceptable.&#8221; Tens of thousands of Nashville residents have gone nine days without power following a massive ice storm that ripped down trees and power lines across the city. At least four deaths have been <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2026/01/30/victims-suspected-winter-storm-related-deaths-across-nashville-identified/">linked</a> to the storm and ensuing power outage in Nashville.</p>
<p>&#8220;What I learned today is that NES is unequipped to communicate about a crisis,&#8221; O&#8217;Connell <a href="https://x.com/peytonTVkennedy/status/2018298760242033103">said</a> after the meeting. &#8220;Nashvillians can&#8217;t get the last week back—nights huddled under blankets, unplanned shelter or hotel stays, the uncertainty and fear of not knowing what&#8217;s happening and how long it will take to simply return home. And that&#8217;s why it&#8217;s so troubling that details NES leadership shared about their internal outlook—that they hadn&#8217;t previously shared with us—would&#8217;ve had a huge impact on the public guidance we gave from the beginning of the crisis. That is unacceptable.&#8221;</p>
<p>The mayor&#8217;s statement following the meeting marked a change in tune from when O&#8217;Connell defended the Nashville Electric Service last week as residents grew frustrated with the agency&#8217;s response.</p>
<p>&#8220;Let’s be clear about what this is — it is a historic ice storm. This is the largest single outage in NES history. We do not have these kinds of weather events all the time,&#8221; O&#8217;Connell said at a press conference last Tuesday.</p>
<p>On Thursday, O&#8217;Connell suggested that the Nashville Electric Service&#8217;s response was a &#8220;success.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The fact that this is their largest ever number of line crews out with line workers and vegetation support ever, I think that&#8217;s a sign of their success,&#8221; he <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-mayor-freddie-oconnell-nes-power-outages-changes-tune-says-he-is-not-satisfied-tennessee-winter-storm">said</a>, according to Fox 17 Nashville. Later during Thursday&#8217;s briefing, O&#8217;Connell said he was &#8220;not satisfied&#8221; with the power restoration efforts.</p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service is led by a CEO, but it also has a five-member board that is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the city council. Two of the current NES board members have been <a href="https://nashvillebanner.com/2026/02/02/nashville-ice-storm-recovery-nes-criticism/">appointed</a> by O&#8217;Connell. The Daily Wire reached out to the mayor&#8217;s office and asked if O&#8217;Connell met with NES leaders before the storm hit on January 24 to discuss the city&#8217;s response.</p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service has faced increased criticism as over 20,000 homes and businesses remain without power in the Music City on Monday. The agency deployed only 200 linemen at the beginning of the storm to repair downed lines, far below the total number of linemen that would eventually be needed. NES officials said over 1,000 linemen are now working on restoring power in the city.</p>
<p>&#8220;Progress has been made with power restored to 80% of our customers who had outages,&#8221; NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin <a href="https://x.com/NESpower/status/2017753965769732192">said</a> on Saturday. &#8220;By Tuesday, 90% will be restored, and by Sunday, February 8, 99% of our customers will have power back.&#8221;</p>
<p>She added that extensive damage in some areas means it will take the electric service more time to get power restored.</p>
<p>Broyles-Aplin&#8217;s past <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-electric-ceo-touted-tree-hugging-over-aggressive-trimming-months-before-massive-ice-storm">comments</a> on tree maintenance have also come under scrutiny. Last August, the NES leader stressed the importance of saving Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; and avoiding aggressive trimming practices. Some Nashville tree service professionals argued that the Nashville Electric Service doesn&#8217;t do enough to keep trees away from power lines.</p>
<p>Tennessee Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-senator-declares-war-on-woke-nashville-power-company-after-week-long-outage?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Tennessee+Senator+Declares+War+On+%E2%80%98Woke%E2%80%99+Nashville+Power+Company+After+Week-Long+Outage">ripped</a> the electric service for spending time focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI-related training sessions by the end of 2024. They should’ve been using those resources to trim trees and bury utilities. This is what happens when companies put woke politics over the needs of the people they serve,&#8221; Blackburn said on Sunday.</p>
<p>Last week, the Tennessee Star <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/politics/letter-from-nashville-electric-service-ceo-shows-utility-company-held-102-dei-training-sessions-by-end-of-2024/tpappert/2026/01/29/">highlighted</a> a 2024 NES &#8220;community investment&#8221; <a href="https://www.nespower.com/-/media/project/nes/common/pdfs/annual-reports/2024/nes-esg-2024-report-interactive.pdf">report</a>, which stated, &#8220;To foster a culture of civility and belonging within our organization with the hopes of extending that dynamic beyond our walls, NES’ Human Relations Department implemented Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, &amp; Belonging (DEIAB) trainings, hosting a total of 102 sessions in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024 for both organization-wide education and nuanced resources for leadership positions.&#8221;</p>
<p>Blackburn argued that while linemen are working hard to restore power to Nashville residents, leaders are botching the response.</p>
<p>&#8220;The linemen who are on the ground making repairs and working in the frigid temperatures to restore power are the unsung heroes of the response to this horrible winter storm,&#8221; Blackburn said. &#8220;So grateful for these men and women.&#8221;</p>


Freddie O’Connell

Nashville’s Dem Mayor Slams Electric Service He Just Praised As City Hits 9 Days Without Power

Severe Weather

U.S.

Winter storm

<p>Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is gunning for the Nashville Electric Service (NES) as thousands of Nashville residents remain without power — more than a week after Winter Storm Fern wreaked havoc on the area — and some may not see their power restored for another ten days.</p>
<p>Blackburn argued that NES had spent more time focusing on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives than on the kind of preparation that could have helped them manage a massive winter storm more efficiently.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Nashville Electric Service held 102 DEI-related training sessions by the end of 2024. They should’ve been using those resources to trim trees and bury utilities. This is what happens when companies put woke politics over the needs of the people they serve,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/2018009739926605839">posted</a> on Sunday.</p>
<p>Blackburn also sent a letter directly to NES demanding answers regarding the still unfolding situation in her home state — as well as a detailed plan explaining how the company planned to prevent anything similar from happening again.</p>
<p>&#8220;The failure to adequately prepare for Winter Storm Fern is precisely the reason line crews are working overtime and citizens are clearing limbs and debris at great risk to their own safety to help friends and neighbors,&#8221; Blackburn wrote in the letter. &#8220;This disruption (crew members in the field) are working to correct reflects a failure of leadership and planning, one that could have been mitigated with thoughtful preparation ahead of the storm. You owe your customers transparency, accountability, and a clear explanation of how this breakdown occurred and how you will prevent this from happening in the future.&#8221;</p>
<p>Blackburn gave NES a deadline of February 2 and laid out six key questions she wanted addressed. She posted the letter itself on X, adding, &#8220;By failing to properly prepare for Winter Storm Fern, @NESpower put Tennesseans in harm’s way. NES owes its customers transparency, accountability, and a clear explanation for why thousands of people remain without power. I’m demanding answers to ensure this can’t happen again.&#8221;</p>
<ol>
<li>&#8220;According to reporting by The Tennessean, experienced linemen offered to aid with storm recovery, but Nashville Electric Service declined the offer, stating it already had sufficient resources. Why did NES turn down that offer for additional personnel during a widespread outage of this magnitude?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Given the lessons learned from past devastating storms, such as Nashville’s 1994 ice storm, why was NES not adequately prepared for Winter Storm Fern, despite ample warning and clear historical precedent?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Forecasts warned days in advance that this would be a generational severe weather event. Why were recovery operations and service restoration plans not fully prepared and mobilized ahead of time?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Why has there been such inconsistency in power restoration updates, with many customers being told their power has been restored when it has not, particularly given NES’s acknowledgment that it recently implemented a new outage notification and tracking system?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Residents in some areas have been told they may be without power for up to two weeks. How does NES consider that timeline acceptable, especially for residents who rely on electricity for life-sustaining medical equipment and other critical needs?&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;Due to extended outages, many residents had no choice but to seek temporary lodging. Will NES be reimbursing customers for expenses incurred during this period?&#8221;</li>
</ol>
<p>NES responded to Blackburn&#8217;s letter on Saturday, and the Tennessee Senator posted that letter as well — and said that their answers were not good enough.</p>
<p>&#8220;@NESPower&#8217;s response to my letter is entirely insufficient. The company refused to take any accountability and is forcing Tennesseans to wait another week for full restoration of power. This is unacceptable. Whoever is responsible for this breakdown should be fired,&#8221; she said.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/NESpower?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NESpower</a>’s response to my letter is entirely insufficient. The company refused to take any accountability and is forcing Tennesseans to wait another week for full restoration of power.</p>
<p>This is unacceptable. Whoever is responsible for this breakdown should be fired. <a href="https://t.co/ptaDtZC9mi">pic.twitter.com/ptaDtZC9mi</a></p>
<p>— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/2017996925975609468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>In the letter, NES explained that half of the people in their entire service area (about 230,000) had lost power when the storm first hit, and that power had been restored to all but 44,000 of them. The remaining homes without power, NES assured Blackburn, would be back online within another week.</p>
<p>But some individual cases may prove to be more difficult, as one local investigative reporter described a situation currently affecting a viewer who had written him: &#8220;Wow! From viewer regarding Nashville Electric Service issue: &#8216;We can’t report an outage at a single residence after others around us have been restored. We report it, and the system immediately responds that it has been restored. Neighbors have power, but we have not due to a line down in the back yard. If it doesn’t stay on the NES list as needing repair, we may never get power restored. We have been in our house for 6+ days without power, like the rest of Nashville. It’s 38-40 degrees in the house. We run a generator intermittently, and we are doing better than most. But to not be able to reliably report an outage is absurd.'&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Wow! From viewer regarding Nashville Electric Service issue: “We can’t report an outage at a single residence after others around us have been restored. We report it, and the system immediately responds that it has been restored. Neighbors have power, but we have not due to a… <a href="https://t.co/bH9E6k7JLm">pic.twitter.com/bH9E6k7JLm</a></p>
<p>— Phil Williams (@PhilNvestigates) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilNvestigates/status/2017399479444365402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2026</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Blackburn made it clear on Sunday that she was frustrated with the leadership at NES, not the rank and file employees.</p>
<p>&#8220;The linemen who are on the ground making repairs and working in the frigid temperatures to restore power are the unsung heroes of the response to this horrible winter storm. So grateful for these men and women,&#8221; she said.</p>


Marsha Blackburn

Tennessee Senator Declares War On ‘Woke’ Nashville Power Company After Week-Long Outage

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Electricity

Politics

Power

Wokeness

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NASHVILLE—A man accused of raping a teen girl in Nashville on New Year’s Eve is an illegal alien from Egypt who entered the country through a diversity lottery program now paused by the Trump administration, The Daily Wire has learned. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed an immigration detainer on 31-year-old Mena Mohsen Farez Nmn Awad after he was arrested by law enforcement in Louisville, Kentucky, for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in Nashville. The girl said that she awoke in the early hours of December 31 to find Awad raping her. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Awad, who has a lengthy </span><a href="https://sci.ccc.nashville.gov/Search/CriminalHistory?P_CASE_IDENTIFIER=MENA%5EAWAD%5E08221994%5E576023"><span style="font-weight: 400;">criminal history</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, entered the country in 2017 through the Diversity Lottery program. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-stops-diversity-program-that-allowed-brown-university-shooter-into-u-s">paused</a> the program in December and called on Congress to pass legislation to permanently shut it down. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Horrendous immigration policies allowed this monster into our country and made victims of children and families,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told The Daily Wire. “This child rapist was allowed into our country by the Diversity Lottery program. Secretary Noem paused the diversity lottery to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program. ICE lodged an arrest detainer to ensure he is not released onto our streets to victimize more children.” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The “diversity visa” program allowed up to 55,000 immigrants from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States into the country every year, according to the State Department. Awad lost his legal status after a previous criminal conviction. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Awad is currently behind bars in the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville. He is charged with aggravated rape, two counts of aggravated burglary, and one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to the girl, she was sleeping in bed with her nephew when she woke up around 6:00 a.m. on December 31 to find Awad raping her. She repeatedly asked him to stop and was afraid because he had a handgun in his waistband, the police report <a href="https://www.wsmv.com/2026/01/22/child-rape-suspect-returned-nashville-officially-charged-following-arrest-kentucky/">obtained</a> by WSMV 4 showed.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Awad left the apartment, and police identified him as a homeless man who lived behind a market in southeast Nashville, the report said. Police in Louisville arrested him at a hotel on January 16 before he was extradited to Nashville. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Court records show that Awad has a lengthy criminal background, including assault with a deadly weapon in 2018, convictions for domestic assault in 2020, driving without a license, and other driving violations in 2023. Awad had another domestic assault charge dismissed in 2023. </span></p>


MixCollage-30-Jan-2026-03-09-PM-8240

ICE Takes Action Against Egyptian Illegal Immigrant Accused Of Raping Nashville Girl

Child rape

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Kristi Noem

Trump Administration

<p>As thousands of Nashville residents in Davidson County remain in the cold and dark without power as single-digit temperatures fast approach this weekend, many, including country star John Rich, are now wondering what went wrong. Friday will be day six without power for 71,000 Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers after Winter Storm Fern.</p>
<p>The singer, who cofounded the duo Big &amp; Rich, said what&#8217;s happening in Nashville is &#8220;very California.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;This is incompetence on a level kind of like what you saw in California when they didn&#8217;t have enough water to put out the fires,&#8221; Rich said on <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/video/6388545727112">Fox News</a> Friday morning.</p>
<p>California had fire hydrants running dry during the devastating wildfires in 2025, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-12-17/la-fires-water-system">reported</a>. For many, that failure fell squarely on California leadership.</p>
<p>NES CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin said last August she was focused on saving Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; instead of trimming trees that were too close to power lines. Yet another example of leadership failure as Davidson County continues to have the highest power <a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/tennessee">outages</a> in the state.</p>
<p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-electric-ceo-touted-tree-hugging-over-aggressive-trimming-months-before-massive-ice-storm">Nashville Electric CEO Touted Tree-Hugging Over Aggressive Trimming Months Before Massive Ice Storm</a></strong></p>
<p>Rich made it clear during his interview that he is thankful to the lineman working to help restore power. His anger is directed at Nashville&#8217;s Democratic mayor, Freddie O&#8217;Connell.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have a mayor here in Nashville, a hard-core leftist guy, and they&#8217;ve decided that they aren&#8217;t going to do any interviews or press conferences through the weekend as the temperatures go down to four and five degrees,&#8221; Rich said.</p>
<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve just reminded a lot of my Democrat friends &#8230; I said, well, &#8216;You get what you vote for here in Nashville. Maybe next time you put some people in office who actually think ahead.'&#8221;</p>
<p>NES said Friday morning that more than 1,000 linemen are working to restore power for more than 70,000 households still in the cold and dark. To put it in perspective, Duke Energy deployed 18,000 crew members to respond to power outages in <a href="https://wlos.com/news/local/winter-ice-storm-looms-duke-energy-deploys-18000-crews-100-trucks-asheville-western-north-carolina-safety-power-electricity-heating-technology-community-hurricane-helene-grid">North Carolina</a>, bringing in linemen from as far as Canada.</p>
<p>An anonymous member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17</a> in Nashville that, at a minimum, NES should have 2,000 crew members working to restore power.</p>
<p>NES was pressed on Thursday about the number of linemen working while other cities with fewer outages have larger crews.</p>
<p>&#8220;This storm is different,&#8221; NES Executive Vice President Brent Baker said. &#8220;This ice storm is significant. This is the most people NES has ever onboarded onto the system. This storm was bigger than what was even expected &#8230; Nashville was slammed. Poles were broken like toothpicks. Trees exploded, landing on top of our infrastructure, on top of the wires.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Daily Wire has reached out to NES for an estimate of when power will be restored.</p>


Credit: Jason Kempin via Getty Images

Country Star Compares Nashville Power Outage Fiasco To California’s Awful Wildfire Response

Country Star Compares Nashville Power Outage Fiasco To California's Abysmal Wildfire Response

John Rich

Music

News

Winter Storm Fern

<p>The top official at the Nashville Electric Service touted her effort to save Nashville&#8217;s tree &#8220;canopy&#8221; last August instead of aggressively trimming trees away from power lines. Nashville Electric Service CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin&#8217;s past comments have now come under scrutiny after an ice storm wrecked Nashville, bringing trees down onto roads and power lines and resulting in the worst power outage in the city&#8217;s history.</p>
<p>The Tennessee Star <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/culture/woke-nes-ceo-on-tree-trimming-i-dont-want-us-out-destroying-the-canopy/khousler/2026/01/29/">reported</a> on Thursday that Broyles-Aplin, who took over as CEO of the electric service in 2022, touted her tree-hugging efforts during an August appearance on &#8220;<a href="https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/urban-league-live/nashville-electric-service">Urban League Live</a>&#8221; on NewsChannel 5 Nashville.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have customers sometimes that are concerned that we may be trimming aggressively and not taking into account the health of the trees, and that couldn&#8217;t be further from the truth,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We do species-specific trimming that is intended to ensure the health of the tree. &#8230; I think most people don&#8217;t realize that we go to that depth of effort, and we have arborists on our staff &#8230; that oversee the planning and the post-cutting inspections, so we take a lot of pride in making sure that we are cutting the trees in a healthy fashion.&#8221;</p>
<p>“We care about the [tree] canopy. We have to live here, too,” Broyles-Aplin said. “And so I don’t want us out destroying the canopy.&#8221;</p>
<p>The Daily Wire reached out to the Nashville Electric Service for comment.</p>
<p>While Broyles-Aplin assured people last August that the electric service takes extreme care in its trimming, some Nashville tree service owners told <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2026/01/29/nes-nashville-power-outage-ice-tree-experts/88409270007/">The Tennesseean</a> that the Nashville Electric Service wasn&#8217;t properly keeping up with tree maintenance.</p>
<p>“If they maintained it better, there would be less power outages, at the end of the day,” said Lucas Crenshaw, but he also acknowledged that &#8220;you can only prepare so much.&#8221;</p>
<p>Meagan Cowles, another tree service owner, told the Nashville outlet, &#8220;I am very confident in my opinion to say that NES does not follow the proper cutting procedures to follow the standards.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tree cutting professionals told The Tennessean that the Nashville Electric Service should expand how far it cuts trees from power lines to ensure that falling trees don&#8217;t crash into the lines. They also suggested that homeowners should trim or cut trees on their property that could pose a risk to the power lines near their homes.</p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service is the 11th largest public utilities agency in the country. The service&#8217;s five-member board is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by Nashville&#8217;s Metro Council. The Nashville Electric Service has been criticized over its preparedness and response to the winter storm that pounded the city with snow and ice last weekend. Tens of thousands of Nashville residents have gone without power for five days as the city also faces extremely cold temperatures.</p>
<p>Along with facing scrutiny over its tree trimming strategy, the agency has also been slammed by many residents who say there is a lack of manpower in the field to address the vast power outages. The Nashville Electric Service had around 200 linemen prepared to work on downed lines, and the agency has nearly quadrupled the number of linemen in the field since the weekend, relying on help from other states.</p>
<p>One lineman told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17 Nashville</a> that he doesn’t think Nashville has deployed enough workers to address the widespread outages, adding that the city needed &#8220;a minimum of 2,000&#8221; linemen. The lineman said he believes the electric company didn’t want to pay union wages for outside help.</p>
<p>Broyles-Aplin released a <a href="https://x.com/NESpower/status/2016901409342374389">statement</a> on Thursday morning addressing the ongoing power outages.</p>
<p>&#8220;Many of you are waking up to day #5 without power, which is a significant hardship. It’s our job at NES to keep the power on, and we will not stop until every household in Nashville has power again,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This storm was unprecedented for Nashville and our country, affecting almost half of the U.S. Its icy layers caused widespread damage across our service area to transmission lines, substations and distribution networks.&#8221;</p>
<p>Broyles-Aplin said that around 230,000 residents lost power at the peak of the outages, but it was around 230,000 <em>homes and businesses</em> without power at the peak. Since multiple people reside in many homes, the outages likely affected far more than 230,000 people.</p>
<p>&#8220;Today, we have less than 90,000 homes remaining without electricity. NES has brought in partners from around the country to engage additional available, qualified crews,&#8221; Broyles-Aplin added.</p>
<p>The utilities CEO said that some Nashville residents should be prepared for the power outages to continue &#8220;through the weekend or longer.&#8221; Temperatures are expected to plunge again in the Music City this weekend, with lows nearing 10 degrees.</p>


Nashville Electric CEO Touted Tree-Hugging Over Aggressive Trimming Months Before Massive Ice Storm

<p>Over 100,000 homes and businesses in Nashville are still without power after a nationwide winter storm slammed the city with ice over the weekend.</p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service, which serves the vast majority of the metro Nashville area, said in a Wednesday afternoon update that a total of 109,000 customers remain without power, while around 121,000 customers have had their electricity restored. The slow progress after the massive winter storm has put many Nashville residents on edge as they wait for the power to come back while battling extreme cold, with temperatures plunging to below 10 degrees earlier this week.</p>
<p>The storm, which brought snow and nearly an inch of ice in some areas, resulted in the biggest power outage in the history of the Nashville Electric Service.</p>
<p>&#8220;We have deployed more than 900 lineworkers who are continuing restoration efforts and help our customers. These lineworkers are joining us from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana and from different areas in Tennessee,&#8221; the Nashville Electric Service said in its most recent update. &#8220;Additionally, 215 vegetation management team members as well as supplemental contract teams have been deployed to complement restoration efforts and ensure lineworkers can continue reaching their sites efficiently.&#8221;</p>
<p>A major issue slowing down crews is the heavy damage caused by the storm, which brought down trees, limbs, and road signs, blocking roads. Ice from the storm also coated roads and highways, impeding travel, but many residents are questioning why the electric company didn&#8217;t prepare before the storm to send more linemen into the field, especially since weather forecasts predicted a potentially devastating ice storm.</p>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pictures-ice-wreaks-havoc-on-nashville-leaving-thousands-without-power">RELATED: PICTURES: Ice Wreaks Havoc On Nashville, Leaving Thousands Without Power</a></strong></p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service addressed the frustrations over its response, saying on Wednesday, &#8220;We’ve heard from our customers and know that many are feeling frustrated right now. We understand that being without power is a significant hardship. Our crews are working around the clock to navigate complex damage, and we remain fully committed to restoring service as safely and quickly as possible for everyone still affected.&#8221;</p>
<p>Tennessee National Guard troops were <a href="https://x.com/peytonTVkennedy/status/2016588155512668357">reportedly</a> en route to the Nashville area on Wednesday to help clear fallen trees. Residents were also outside with chainsaws early Wednesday morning, trying to clear debris for linemen, Fox 17 Nashville <a href="https://x.com/FOXNashville/status/2016557127444087157">reported</a>.</p>
<p>The electric company has gradually increased the number of linemen in the field as workers from other states have joined the effort to restore power to Music City. The Nashville Electric Service, however, has been accused of refusing extra help and working with significantly fewer linemen than the neighboring Middle Tennessee Electric.</p>
<p>One lineman told <a href="https://fox17.com/news/local/nashville-electric-service-accused-of-rejecting-help-amid-massive-power-outages-nes-winter-storm-middle-tennessee-union-memebers">Fox 17 Nashville</a> that he doesn&#8217;t think Nashville has deployed enough workers to address the widespread outages, adding that the city needed &#8220;a minimum of 2,000&#8243; linemen. The lineman said he believes the electric company didn&#8217;t want to pay union wages for outside help.</p>
<p>The Nashville Electric Service denied claims that it has refused extra help and said that it doesn&#8217;t avoid paying union wages.</p>
<p>“As far as we know, no,” Nashville Electric Service spokesman Brent Baker said when asked if the company refused extra help. “We are sticking to the path of bringing on the crews that we have partnered with and through the mutual aid &#8230; NES currently has crews from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi and states across the United States and especially the region. As we continue to scale up and grow the workforce, we were accepting workforce from all of those agreements.&#8221;</p>
<p>Hotels in Nashville quickly filled up with people escaping the cold while they waited for their power to return. Some church buildings, community centers, and homeless shelters were also <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/weather/2026/01/26/how-to-stay-warm-find-shelters-in-nashville-during-winter-storm-cold/88360325007/">open</a> to the public in the city, and free hot meals were available for residents at the fairgrounds on Tuesday and Wednesday.</p>


The Daily Wire

Nashville Reaches 5th Day Of ‘Historic’ Power Outages, Over 100K Still Have No Electricity

<p>Nashville, Tennessee, where The Daily Wire is headquartered, is covered in a massive sheet of ice.</p>
<p>A weekend of freezing rain coated every surface in Music City and surrounding areas of middle Tennessee with an inch-thick layer of ice, causing massive power outages and dangerous structural damage. With temperatures hovering in the teens, there is no thaw in sight.</p>
<p>The main culprit has been downed trees, which are blocking roads and taking down power lines all around the Nashville area.</p>
<p>Below are some of the scenes, collected by our staff.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1033759" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033759" class="wp-image-1033759 size-full" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_3737.jpeg" alt="" width="900" height="506" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3737.jpeg 900w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3737-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3737-768x432.jpeg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033759" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033761" style="width: 910px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033761" class="wp-image-1033761 size-full" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/unnamed-1.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="506" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/unnamed-1.jpg 900w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/unnamed-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/unnamed-1-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033761" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1033625" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033625" class="wp-image-1033625 size-large" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1000011407-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/1000011407-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/1000011407-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/1000011407-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/1000011407-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033625" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033627" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033627" class="size-large wp-image-1033627" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_2380-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2380-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2380-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2380-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2380-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033627" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033629" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033629" class="size-large wp-image-1033629" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_2398-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2398-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2398-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2398-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2398-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033629" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033631" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033631" class="size-large wp-image-1033631" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_2617-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_2617-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033631" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033633" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033633" class="size-large wp-image-1033633" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5014-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5014-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5014-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5014-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5014-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5014.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033633" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033635" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033635" class="size-large wp-image-1033635" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_5016-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5016-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5016-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5016-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5016-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_5016.jpg 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033635" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033637" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033637" class="size-large wp-image-1033637" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_6214-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6214-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6214-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6214-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6214-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033637" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033641" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033641" class="size-large wp-image-1033641" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_6450-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033641" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033683" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033683" class="wp-image-1033683 size-large" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_0972-432x576.jpeg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0972-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033683" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033685" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033685" class="size-large wp-image-1033685" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_3475-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3475-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3475-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3475-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_3475-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033685" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033691" style="width: 778px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033691" class="wp-image-1033691 size-large" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_7723-768x576.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_7723-768x576.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_7723-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_7723-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_7723-2048x1536.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033691" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033693" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033693" class="wp-image-1033693 size-large" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_0967-432x576.jpeg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-432x576.jpeg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-225x300.jpeg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-768x1024.jpeg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-1152x1536.jpeg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-1536x2048.jpeg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_0967-scaled.jpeg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033693" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_1033699" style="width: 334px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033699" class="wp-image-1033699 size-large" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_8573-324x576.jpg" alt="" width="324" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-324x576.jpg 324w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-169x300.jpg 169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-864x1536.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_8573-scaled.jpg 1440w" sizes=" (max-width: 324px) 100vw, 324px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033699" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033641" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033641" class="size-large wp-image-1033641" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_6450-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_6450-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033641" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033701" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033701" class="wp-image-1033701" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_9022-324x576.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="1067" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-324x576.jpg 324w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-169x300.jpg 169w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-768x1365.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-864x1536.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_9022-scaled.jpg 1440w" sizes=" (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033701" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div id="attachment_1033695" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033695" class="size-large wp-image-1033695" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_1237-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/IMG_1237-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033695" class="wp-caption-text">Daily Wire</p></div>
<div class="mceTemp"></div>


IMG_3475

PICTURES: Ice Wreaks Havoc On Nashville, Leaving Thousands Without Power

Snow

Weather

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">NASHVILLE — Hundreds of thousands remain without power in Tennessee after a crippling snow and ice storm swept through the region. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At least 238,999 customers were out of power by midday on Monday, including over 150,000 near Nashville, </span><a href="https://poweroutage.us/area/state/tennessee"><span style="font-weight: 400;">according</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to a power outage tracking website. Most of those outages were caused by fallen utility poles and trees weighted down by ice falling on power lines. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Photos and videos of the aftermath of the storm show whole roads blocked by downed power lines and fallen trees. The ice has also led to hazardous road conditions with portions of the interstate blocked by crashes. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The National Weather Service </span><a href="https://x.com/NWSNashville/status/2015853603328819268"><span style="font-weight: 400;">estimated</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> that Nashville received about two inches of snow and .42 inches of ice, which is enough to cause significant disruption. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nashville Electric Service, which provides power for much of the area, said Monday that it had already restored power to over 68,000 customers who lost electricity over the weekend. The company said it had deployed 300 linemen working 14-16-hour shifts to restore power. They said that over 140 utility poles had been reported down in the wake of the storm. </span></p>
<div id="attachment_1033719" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1033719" class="size-full wp-image-1033719" src="https://drwordpress.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/GettyImages-2257657519.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 25: Fallen branches and trees lay across roadways and utility lines during a winter storm on January 25, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. A massive winter storm is bringing frigid temperatures, ice, and snow to millions of Americans across the nation." width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2257657519.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2257657519-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2257657519-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2257657519-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><p id="caption-attachment-1033719" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)</p></div>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nashville Office of Emergency Management Director William Swann said Monday that people should “plan for this as a long haul of being out of power&#8221; and that it could take multiple days for power to be restored. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parts of the interstate have also been shut down due to accidents caused by icy road conditions. A part of I-65 in south Nashville was shut down after a tractor-trailer jackknifed into a sign hanging over the road, knocking it down. Nashville police have told drivers to treat all intersections as four-way stops due to lights being out of power. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I-65 N at I-440 is presently shut down due to this situation. Roads, particularly in neighborhoods, are icy and hazardous. A number of traffic lights are out. Treat those intersections as 4-way stops. <a href="https://t.co/DcYOvqEU5B">pic.twitter.com/DcYOvqEU5B</a></p>
<p>— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) <a href="https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/2015819337441911147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2026</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, authorizing FEMA “to identify, mobilize and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Many throughout the South have lost power due to the ice storm. Over 45,000 customers in Texas, 117,000 in Louisiana, and 145,000 in Mississippi were without power as of Monday afternoon. </span></p>


Massive Winter Storm Creates Havoc Across Large Swath Of US

Nashville Braces for Extended Power Outages After Devastating Winter Storm

winter weather

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 28-year-old transgender-identifying woman who murdered six people at a Christian school in Nashville in March 2023 hated white people and religion, portions of her newly released writings reveal. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The FBI <a href="https://vault.fbi.gov/nashville-covenant-school-shooting/nashville-covenant-school-shooting-part-06/view">posted</a> more of the disturbing ramblings of The Covenant School attacker on December 22, including notes that suggest she purchased the weapon used in the killings using federal financial aid. The writings were published after a judge ordered the agency to release documents related to the attack. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The latest release includes 230 pages of the shooter’s notes and plans leading up to the mass murder. On March 27, 2023, she entered the school and killed three young children and three adults before she was fatally shot by Nashville police officers. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Among the pages published by the FBI, the attacker listed “advantages” of targeting The Covenant School, where she had attended for a few years. She noted that the school was a “predominantly white school (white pple I hate)” and that it was a “Christian school (hate religion).”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The writings also reveal that the attacker considered targeting a middle school in the Nashville area, but leaned against it because a higher percentage of black students were enrolled there. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The shooter wrote that school would be in line with her goals because a “massacre” there would be “more notorious/prolific.” Still, she said the “disadvantages” were that it was a “predominantly black school (black people I love),” adding that it would put “black people in dispair + suffering (I don’t want to cause that).” </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Also in the writings, included references that she appeared to use student loan money to purchase the gun used in the attack. In a section of the writings labeled “Account Savings Record,” she listed off various sources of income, including “FASFA [sic] grant checks started at $2,050.86,” followed by entries like “$2,656.87 (x3 checks from Nossi)” and “+$530.00 (x1 check Nossi) ($3,186.87).”</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The shooter appeared to be referencing checks from her time at Nossi College of Art and Design in Nashville and from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Those entries followed a list of gun and ammo expenses. The attacker’s parents previously told investigators that she bought the firearm she used in the massacre with Pell Grant funds. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Most of the newly released pages focus on different types of guns, ammunition, and local gun stores and ranges. Receipts included indicate that just months before the attack, she took several gun classes at the Royal Range in Nashville. She also expounded on “Biden’s horrible gun plans.&#8221; </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The writings also included many references to previous mass shooters and noted the number of victims in each incident. </span></p>
<p>The Nashville police department <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nashville-police-in-final-report-downplay-covenant-shooters-transgender-identity-hatred-of-christianity?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Nashville+Police+In+Final+Report+Downplay+Covenant+Shooter’s+Transgender+Identity%2C+Hatred+Of+Christianity">released</a> its final report on the attack in April and downplayed the shooter&#8217;s transgender identity and documented animus toward Christianity, white people, and the wealthy. Instead, the department said that she wanted to gain notoriety.</p>
<p><b data-stringify-type="bold"><a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale &#8211; Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a></b></p>
<p>This final report didn’t appear to fully take into account the attacker’s transgender identity, which dominated her life.</p>
<p>In journal entries previously published by The Daily Wire, she wrote just weeks before the deadly shooting about her fantasy of having an “imaginary penis” and said that it was a “f***ing curse” that she was born a woman.</p>
<p>“I want to know what that’s like, but I never will because I was damned to be born this way,” she wrote in the journal of her desire to have a penis. “I swear to f*** I hate it so goddamned much. It’s a f***ing curse.”</p>


3 children, 3 teachers fatally shot in US city of Nashville school shooting

The Covenant School Killer Hated ‘Religion’ And ‘White People,’ FBI Files Reveal

Christianity

Mass Shooting

The Covenant School

Transgender

<p>NASHVILLE—It was freezing and windy with the occasional snowflake, and no, we aren&#8217;t talking about the libs. Election Day in Tennessee was cold, but the race between Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps is hot.</p>
<p>Voters hit the polls in District 7 on Tuesday with certain issues top of mind. Tennesseans told The Daily Wire that the economy was the issue that hit home.</p>
<p>The Daily Wire talked to one woman who said affordability is what she wants to see in Tennessee.</p>
<p>&#8220;For me, it&#8217;s affordable housing, that&#8217;s a part of our country that needs a lot of help.&#8221;</p>
<p>Both candidates have focused on economic issues throughout the race. Van Epps <a href="https://www.mattfortn.com/issues">said</a> he backs President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;America First&#8221; agenda. His plan for the economy is to partner with Trump to rebuild the economy by bringing manufacturing back to U.S. soil, unleashing American energy, and creating jobs. Behn argues that Trump&#8217;s tariffs are hurting the U.S. economy and has raged against &#8220;tax cuts for billionaires.&#8221; She also claims that she would push to make healthcare more affordable for people in Tennessee.</p>
<p>After speaking to voters on Tuesday, it&#8217;s clear that dollar signs are on their minds.</p>
<p>&#8220;We want economic change, and we want to feel like our taxes are going to things that matter,&#8221; one voter said.</p>
<p>Other voters expressed border security and abortion as top concerns. One voter told The Daily Wire that Behn&#8217;s leftist views, especially on abortion, were too radical for middle Tennessee.</p>
<p>&#8220;The abortion, it&#8217;s a human life. I can&#8217;t vote for it,&#8221; the voter said. &#8220;Some of Aftyn Behn&#8217;s views aren&#8217;t what I want in this district.&#8221;</p>
<p>President Donald Trump and Republican leaders have also ripped Behn for her radical leftist views, urging conservatives to hit the polls hard.</p>
<p>“This is a big deal, because right now we’re like, three votes up on the radical left, and this would be a wonderful victory for us,” Trump said, according to the New York Post. “It’ll be really a positive sign.”</p>
<p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-big-deal-trump-calls-on-tennessee-republicans-to-surge-to-the-polls">‘A Big Deal’: Trump Calls On Tennessee Republicans To Surge To The Polls</a></strong></p>
<p>Behn has come under fire for saying that she hates Nashville, parts of which she&#8217;s running to represent. In a clip from a podcast appearance in 2020, Behn said, &#8220;I hate the city, I hate the bachelorettes, I hate pedal taverns, I hate country music.&#8221;</p>
<p>Behn walked back her past comment, saying in a video after the clips resurfaced that she does not hate the city she wants to represent. But is that enough for Music City residents?</p>
<p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t look good for sure,&#8221; a voter told The Daily Wire.</p>
<p>But some voters didn&#8217;t care that Behn had said some negative things about their city.</p>
<p>&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t bother me. I think there&#8217;s a lot of people that are not comfortable with the city,&#8221; a woman said.</p>
<p>One Van Epps supporter, however, didn&#8217;t hold back his feelings for Behn.</p>
<p>&#8220;This girl is as dumb or maybe dumber than AOC.&#8221;</p>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRxwAu6krcm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div style="flex-direction: row; align-items: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div>
<div style="height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div>
<div style="flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px;"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;"></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px;"></div>
<div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent;"></div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRxwAu6krcm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by The Daily Wire (@realdailywire)</a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Leftist New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez got behind Behn during the special election campaign and spoke during a virtual rally for the Tennessee Democrat on the eve of the election.</p>
<p>Behn is just two points behind Van Epps, a former Army helicopter pilot. Trump won Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district  by 22 points in 2024, and Republicans have breezed to victories in House elections in recent years. Most Republicans aren&#8217;t expecting that big of a victory on Tuesday night, but President Trump is hoping Van Epps will outperform expectations.</p>
<p>“I want Matt to do better than me, even,&#8221; Trump said on Monday.</p>
<p>Polls close in Tennessee&#8217;s 7th district at 7:00 p.m. CT.</p>


Menu