A new proposal seeking to crack down on the influx of abortion pills into Tennessee would treat abortion as murder under state law. 
The bill from state Rep. Jody Barrett and Senator Mark Pody <a href="https://x.com/AbolitionistFAA/status/2021945840332308900">says</a> that unborn children are entitled to equal protection under the 14th Amendment and that all laws protecting life in the state should apply to them. The bill would punish anyone involved in taking the life of an unborn child, including the person who provided the pills and the woman who took the pills with the intention of ending the life of her unborn child. 
Barrett told The Daily Wire that his legislation “extends equal protection rights to unborn children” so that the same laws in the criminal code against homicide would apply to people in the womb. 
The proposal comes as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/despite-dobbs-more-babies-are-still-being-aborted-in-the-united-states">data shows</a> that thousands of abortions have taken place in Tennessee despite a trigger law that went into effect after Roe v. Wade was overturned. In 2024, there were at least 5,870 abortions facilitated through abortion pills sent into the state in violation of laws making medication abortions illegal. 
“We don&#8217;t ban abortion, we have banned the practice of abortion by medical professionals. There is no crime in Tennessee for anyone else other than a medical professional that performs an abortion,” Barrett said. 
He believes his proposal, which would criminalize abortion for everyone involved, would help crack down on the abortion pill problem, which has so far stumped pro-life states. Many traditional pro-life groups have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/best-of-2025-inside-the-conservative-debate-on-criminalizing-abortion">voiced opposition</a> to laws that would criminalize abortion for the mother. 
Barrett says he wants to start a conversation with his proposal and that the numbers show the traditional approach has not worked. 
“My goal in presenting the bill and having it heard is for us to start having that conversation and have a deeper discussion about this topic and where our shortcomings are currently in the law that they&#8217;re preventing us from stopping this completely and ridding this practice completely from our society,” he said. 
Local media outlets have emphasized the possibility that a woman could be given the death penalty for having an abortion. Barrett noted that the death penalty has been sparingly used over the last few decades and said that it would be unlikely a woman would be sentenced to death under his proposal. A jury would still have to find a woman guilty and then unanimously agree to give her the death penalty. 
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
Barrett crafted the legislation with the help of the Foundation to Abolish Abortion, a group that seeks to expand equal protection laws to the unborn.
“The equal protection legislation in Tennessee affirms this simple biblical and constitutional standard by making murdering anyone illegal for everyone,” Bradley Pierce, the group’s president, told The Daily Wire. “All image-bearers of God, whether born or preborn, must be treated by our laws as equally valuable and worthy of protection.” 
The legislation was backed by Clint Pressley, the president of the Nashville-headquartered Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. 
“Tennessee now has the opportunity to set an example of how states can protect the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death,” he <a href="https://x.com/pastorclint/status/2024555347709399522">said</a>. “I am urging the Tennessee legislature to move these bills forward this legislative session. It’s both pro-life and consistent!”
The abortion pill problem has plagued pro-life states for years, with data showing that abortions increased in 2025 from 2024. Some advocates have pinned the blame on a Biden-era Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy that allowed abortion pills to be dispensed through the mail without an in-person doctor’s visit.

Anti-Abortion Activists Protest Against Abortion Pill Sales At Pharmacies

Tennessee Bill Would Classify Abortion As Murder

Abortion Would Be Treated As Murder Under Tennessee Bill

Abortion

Abortion drugs

Nashville

Tennessee

Just a few years after boasting about how transgender surgeries were “huge money makers,” Vanderbilt University Medical Center will no longer perform the procedures.
The Nashville-based health care center confirmed to The Daily Wire that the surgeries, which include procedures like crafting pseudo-genitalia for gender-confused individuals and removing the breasts of women who identify as men, were being phased out for logistical reasons.
“Due to operational limitations and lack of surgical coverage, Vanderbilt Health will cease providing gender-affirming plastic surgeries for adults,” a spokesman for the hospital told The Daily Wire. “Vanderbilt Health continues to provide nonsurgical gender-affirming care for adults 19 years and older. Vanderbilt Health does not provide any gender-affirming care for patients younger than 19.”
Vanderbilt University Medical Center, also known as Vanderbilt Health, is a separate entity from Vanderbilt University.
The hospital’s transgender medical program first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/huge-money-maker-video-reveals-vanderbilts-shocking-gender-care-threats-against-dissenting-doctors">faced criticism</a> in September 2022 when Daily Wire host Matt Walsh published videos highlighting comments from Dr. Shayne Sebold Taylor discussing how lucrative transgender surgeries were.
“It’s a lot of money,” said Taylor, the program’s director at the time. “These surgeries make a lot of money.”
Taylor discussed how “chest reconstruction” could bring in $40,000 per patient and described “female-to-male bottom surgeries” — where a fake penis is constructed by taking skin from the forearm, abdomen, and thigh — as “huge money makers.”
“These surgeries are labor intensive, there are a lot of follow-ups, they require a lot of our time, and they make money,” Taylor said. “They make money for the hospital.”
Vanderbilt Health&#8217;s transgender center opened in 2018, and Taylor <a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/health/2018/08/21/vanderbilt-transgender-health-clinic-nashville-tennessee/1054571002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> its purpose was “to coordinate” patients&#8217; “care wherever they are in the transition process.”
Taylor has since left VUMC and now runs a primary care center in Massachusetts and <a href="https://www.bluecanyonprimarycare.com/about">describes</a> herself as an expert in “general LGBTQ Health and Adolescent Medicine.”
The investigation from Walsh prompted a statewide probe from Republican officials who moved quickly to pass a ban on transgender procedures for kids. That ban was challenged by the ACLU, but was upheld in June 2025 by the Supreme Court.
Over two dozen states have passed laws to shield minors from transgender surgeries and hormonal procedures. The Trump administration has come down hard on hospitals that offer transgender procedures to kids, pulling federal funding and initiating investigations into hospitals across the country.
One <a href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB2498&amp;GA=114">bill</a> currently making its way through the Tennessee legislature would prohibit dollars from TennCare, the state’s health funding program for impoverished people, from funding transgender procedures.

Four Surgeons discuss each Other Surgical Precision and Healthcare Expertise  before the Operation case

After Boasting About $40K Trans Surgeries, Vanderbilt Health Reverses Course

Social Issues

Transgender

transgender surgery

U.S.

NASHVILLE — California’s Democrat governor and potential 2028 presidential candidate Gavin Newsom began his nationwide book tour in a red state on Saturday night, but he didn’t use the night to continue his move to the center.
The event was moderated by Justin Kanew of the leftist media outlet the Tennessee Holler, whose disdain for the Trump administration and conservative policies was also made evident multiple times. Throughout the evening, the Newsom weaved back and forth between discussing the book and his life journey and raging against President Donald Trump and Republicans.
Newsom spent much of his time pushing the typical Democratic talking points, such as calling out Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and criticizing Republican-led efforts to pass strict voter ID requirements through the Save America Act. But the governor also echoed some rhetoric from the far-Left wing of the party, saying that America&#8217;s economic system &#8220;fundamentally has to be reformed.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;re talking about trillionaires now, not billionaires, so this isn&#8217;t working for enough folks. If you&#8217;re 30 years old, you&#8217;re the first generation in American history that&#8217;s not doing better than their parents,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;So Bernie [Sanders] is right in that respect. Donald Trump was right, but he exploited it, and he has not done a damn thing to solve it and he&#8217;s just making it worse.&#8221;
&#8220;So the system fundamentally has to be reformed,&#8221; he added.
Newsom also agreed with Kanew that the next Democratic president should be more aggressive with executive actions.
&#8220;We are capable of doing much more,&#8221; he said.
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;"><iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/dli9J00daBSEOL46019ImUIrmYt6x025F601?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=bed0ce19-fd54-46f9-b0ea-66ffd7e18365&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=26-02-21%3A%20Newsom%20on%20Economy&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F6f70ba50-a6f7-4a6a-a994-3feead8c03b1.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
The evening, which focused on Newsom&#8217;s new memoir, &#8220;Young Man in a Hurry,&#8221; drew hundreds of people. It also allowed Newsom an opportunity to inform Democratic voters about his background and personal life. The California governor remains the betting favorite to win the 2028 Democratic nomination.
Newsom touted his own record on the economy as governor and boasted about signing legislation that is set to increase the minimum wage in California to $20 per hour for fast food workers and $25 per hour for many health care workers. He then blasted other states, hinting at Tennessee, for not raising their minimum wages. Newsom did not address <a href="https://epionline.org/release/new-data-staggering-16000-jobs-lost-under-newsoms-20-fast-food-wage-law/">data</a> that shows that numerous restaurants in California cut thousands of jobs and raised prices after the minimum wage hike.
Newsom expressed concern that Trump is attempting to hijack the 2026 midterm elections through his push for redistricting, ICE operations, and the Save America Act, but he remained optimistic that Democrats would take control of the House after the midterms.
&#8220;Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency de facto ends as we know it in November of this year when Speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries gets the gavel. It does. That&#8217;s going to happen,&#8221; he said.
The moderator then asked Newsom, &#8220;Are the elections going to matter? Is [Trump] going to steal the election? He&#8217;s going after the Georgia ballots, he&#8217;s already planning to surround the polls with ICE, so obviously voter suppression is on his mind because he knows he can&#8217;t necessarily win.&#8221;
Newsom agreed with the concerns brought up by Kanew and mentioned how former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has called for ICE agents to surround polling places in November. Bannon, who is now a podcast host, has not advised Trump since 2017. Acting ICE director Todd Lyons <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgE7QZnfBLQ">told</a> Congress earlier this month that &#8220;there&#8217;s no reason to use ICE officers&#8221; in that situation.
The governor&#8217;s criticism of ICE again on Saturday night comes a month after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/months-after-violent-riots-newsom-claims-that-california-cooperates-with-ice">admitted</a> to Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro that it was &#8220;fair&#8221; to criticize his office for calling ICE agents terrorists.
Newsom’s admission came after Shapiro told the governor that accusing ICE of terrorism “makes our politics worse” and “our ICE officers are obviously not terrorists.”
Newsom stated bluntly on Saturday that he opposes the Republicans&#8217; Save America Act, which would require voters to provide proof of citizenship when they register to vote. The governor suggested the Save America Act would prevent Americans from voting because many people don&#8217;t have a passport or their birth certificate.
&#8220;It&#8217;s not about voter ID, the Save Act is not about that. It&#8217;s about registration. It&#8217;s about proving your citizenship with a passport. Not everyone has a passport,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know where &#8230; do you know where your birth certificate is? I lost that at seven. I don&#8217;t even know where to begin to get it back.&#8221;<iframe style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; max-width: 100%; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/NuWCjZUU5HcPe7Ha2Xx6n8QNPAYHCWXY?metadata-video-content-type=embed_video&amp;metadata-video-id=6df59e3f-eeca-485c-a714-f8fb159d69dd&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=26-02-21%3A%20Newsom%20On%20Voter%20ID&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fembedded-videos%2F18fd6908-01d7-4810-a482-ceb5ab3abdf7.png&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The crowd, which gathered at an event space in west Nashville, consisted mostly of middle-aged and elderly people.

Gavin Newsom

In Tennessee, Gavin Newsom Sprints To The Far-Left

California

Lights! Camera! How-dee!
The city of Los Angeles is losing film and TV productions at an alarming rate. That opens up new opportunities for cities to prove that La La Land can hunker down just about anywhere.
Take Nashville, for instance. Other non-L.A. destinations have made their mark as production hubs — think Atlanta, Georgia, and Toronto. Now, it may be Nashville’s turn in the spotlight.
The Tennessee locale is known as a country music Mecca. More recently, it’s welcomed a growing group of filmmakers who clamor for its talented locals, rich cultural history and, yes, a lower price tag than the City of Angels.
Think “9-1-1: Nashville,” Showtime’s “George &amp; Tammy,” Nicole Kidman’s “Holland” and the upcoming “Scarpetta” (Prime Video), Netflix’s “Ruth &amp; Boaz,” and a film opening Feb. 20, “I Can Only Imagine 2.”
<div id="attachment_1047423" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047423" class="size-large wp-image-1047423" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-864x576.jpg" alt="Ryan Murphy Television. User Error Productions. 20Th Television." width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Nashville-911.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Nashville 911. Ryan Murphy Television. User Error Productions. 20th Television.</div>
The sequel to the sleeper 2018 hit revisits how MercyMe became a Christian music sensation, and the struggles lead singer Bart Millard (John Michael Finley) had following his breakthrough hit.
Co-Founder of Kingdom Story Co. and co-director of the film Andrew Erwin, a pioneer in the faith-based film space, tells The Daily Wire why he tackled the sequel.
“It’s the movie that you didn’t know you needed,” he says. The first film appeared to wrap Bart Millard’s story up, but the singer and his fellow musician Tim Timmons — played by Milo Ventimiglia in the film — suffered subsequent tragedies that made a follow-up film make sense.
<div id="attachment_1047439" style="width: 875px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047439" class="size-large wp-image-1047439" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-865x576.jpg" alt="Photo by Jake Giles Netter/Lionsgate/Jake Giles Netter/Lionsgate - copyright 2026 Lionsgate" width="865" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-865x576.jpg 865w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-768x511.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Milo-Mercy-Me.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 865px) 100vw, 865px" />Jake Giles Netter/copyright 2026 Lionsgate</div>
And Nashville has proven to be particularly welcoming to Christian artists. That wasn’t the case back in Los Angeles, Erwin said.
“There’s a group of us that started doing faith stories 15, 20 years ago, and we were all struggling to get our feet under us,” Erwin says. “We could literally end any dinner party in L.A. by saying we were faith film guys. They would instantly get a fake phone call and walk out of the meeting.”
Entertainment culture started to swing in their spiritual direction.
“Something has shifted in the past 10 years, particularly in the last five … there has been an appetite for hope. Stories of faith were considered cheesy. Now, they’re counter-culture, rebellious. It’s kind of punk rock.”
<div id="attachment_1047343" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047343" class="size-large wp-image-1047343" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-384x576.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 12: Andrew Erwin attends the &quot;I Can Only Imagine 2&quot; Nashville Premiere at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on February 12, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261337233.jpg 683w" sizes=" (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />Jason Kempin/Getty Images</div>
What better place than Music City to sing from their storytelling hymnals?
“There’s been a real freedom here,” says Erwin, who even bumps into fellow filmmakers at church. “You don’t have to apologize for us being able to do things that we believe.”
“For whatever reason, a group of actors and writers and directors and producers are all finding (Nashville),” he continues. “I can’t give a reason why … we just feel like we’re supposed to be here.”
“I Can Only Imagine 2” filmed exclusively in Nashville, save a critical sequence shot at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater. The veteran filmmaker was initially hesitant to lean so heavily on Nashville, but the film’s team assuaged those fears.
“We had been worried if the crews were strong enough … it was the best crew I ever had … the most cheerful, the most team-oriented, the least amount of divas, blue collar, everything you aspire to,” he says.
He still wants the state to beef up its incentive programs to grow that crew base and keep it steadily employed.
Nashville has an Oscar-winning benefactor on its side: Kidman is eager to make movies closer to her <a href="https://www.realtor.com/news/celebrity-real-estate/nicole-kidman-keith-urban-kids-divorce-custody-home/">Tennessee home</a>. 
<div id="attachment_1047431" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047431" class="size-large wp-image-1047431" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1024x425.jpg" alt="Photo by Courtesy of Prime/Courtesy of Prime - copyright Amazon Content Services LLC" width="1024" height="425" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1024x425.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-300x125.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-768x319.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland-1536x638.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/Kidman-holland.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Courtesy of Prime/Courtesy of Prime &#8211; copyright Amazon Content Services LLC</div>
Plus, newer studio space is helping smooth this transition. <a href="https://www.nashvillescene.com/arts_culture/coverstory/nashville-film-industry/article_b76671a9-cee1-44e5-84cb-6f30cf4fa99a.html">Recent Nashville-area additions</a> include Vu Studios in West Nashville, Worldwide Stages in Spring Hill, and Skyway Studios.
Erick Goss, CEO of the Christian streaming platform Minno, says Nashville has a cultural advantage.
“People recognize there’s a real creative community here in Nashville [already] with Christian and country music, a real appreciation of the arts,” says Goss, who established his kid-focused company in the city seven years ago.
“It’s not like institutions have moved here, but talent has moved here,” Goss says. “It’s different than Seattle or L.A. There’s a real sense of pride and civic nature here … people love what Nashville stands for and want to be a part of it.”
Some pieces of the Hollywood-like puzzle are still missing, he says.
“There are really world-class storytellers here in Nashville. They don’t necessarily have access to capital in the way they need,” he says.
Goss brings a wealth of experience to Minno, including time spent at Amazon and in the U.S. Military. He praises Nashville as having the “highest caliber” of talent he’s seen. What’s missing? Major tech companies that can complement the city’s blossoming production.
<div id="attachment_1047341" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1047341" class="size-large wp-image-1047341" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-864x576.jpg" alt="NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - FEBRUARY 13: (L-R) Tim Timmons, Milo Ventimiglia, Bart Millard, John Michael Finley and Trace Adkins attend Lionsgate's &quot;I Can Only Imagine 2&quot; Night at The Grand Ole Opry on February 13, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Lionsgate)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/GettyImages-2261145346.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Lionsgate</div>
“What company will aggregate and bring that talent together?” he asks. “We need more talented operators coming into the systems, creating companies that execute really well,” he says, noting that Erwin’s “I Can Only Imagine 2” arrives courtesy of his partnership with Lionsgate, an established film studio.
The key to creating the next L.A.-style production hub is simple, Goss says.
“Get the best projects, the best people, and the best money together. That’s happening. We’re beginning to see these things coalesce [in Nashville],” he says.
Erwin says it helps to believe in both the city and a Higher Power.
“There’s an emboldening that happens when you realize you’re not alone. I can really stay true to the stories I’ve felt called to tell and not have to apologize for it because there are a lot of others who believe what I believe,” Erwin says. “It’s been amazing to see people of faith just find Nashville.”
* * *
Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. Follow him at <a href="https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HollywoodInToto.com</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
This article has been updated for clarity.

Only Imagine

Hollywood Heads South: Music City’s Faith-Based Film Boom

Bible

Entertainment

Faith

Film

Hollywood

Movies

“Got Woke? Knoxville Symphony does.” 
That message will be emblazoned on a mobile billboard and greet attendees of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra as they arrive for a romantic date night featuring Valentine’s Day-themed music on Thursday and Friday. 
The mobile billboard seeks to spotlight a renowned clarinet player&#8217;s fight to remove DEI from the world of professional music and arrives courtesy of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, a conservative nonprofit. James Zimmermann, the clarinetist, filed a lawsuit in December, accusing the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra of refusing to hire him based on his opposition to DEI. 
Zimmermann told The Daily Wire he won a blind audition for the principal clarinet position in September 2025 and was told by staff he would soon be on salary, only to have that opportunity fall away a few days later once the orchestra learned of his <a href="https://freebeacon.com/culture/how-racial-anxiety-conquered-an-orchestra-and-crushed-a-career/">previous DEI battle</a> with the orchestra in Nashville. 
“This whole scenario is much bigger than just me and this one little job in Knoxville. It&#8217;s the demoralization that every white guy feels that, ‘Hey, these orchestras don&#8217;t want me.’ They have openly stated, ‘We need our orchestras to be more diverse.’ All that means is they want fewer white guys in the orchestra. It&#8217;s very obvious,&#8221; Zimmermann told The Daily Wire. 
Images shared with The Daily Wire by the Coolidge Reagan Foundation show the multiple messages that will appear on mobile billboard vehicles outside the Tennessee Theater from 3-11 p.m. On both days, the orchestra is performing a concert called “Star-Crossed Lovers” at 7:30 p.m.
The images include statements such as “DEI ≠ Fairness,” “Go Woke, Lose Talent,” and “Your Tax Dollars Fuel Woke DEI Policies at the Orchestra.” The Coolidge Reagan Foundation also launched a <a href="https://www.wokesymphony.com">website</a> to highlight Zimmermann&#8217;s story. 
<div id="attachment_1042819" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1042819" class="size-full wp-image-1042819" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="2560" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-46-PM-4128-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Coolidge Reagan Foundation.</div>
According to a lawsuit filed by Zimmermann in Tennessee’s Sixth Judicial Circuit, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra refused to hire him based on his politics. Zimmermann is suing for compensation he would have earned had he been given the job. 
“The Orchestra engaged in racial discrimination against Mr. Zimmermann, violating the results of its own screened audition, in violation of the Tennessee Human Rights Act,” a copy of the lawsuit shared with The Daily Wire said. “Had Zimmermann not been a white male, particularly a white male who had previously expressed opposition to DEI initiatives, the Orchestra would have proceeded with hiring him consistent with the result of its screened auditions.”
<div id="attachment_1042821" style="width: 2570px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1042821" class="size-full wp-image-1042821" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="2560" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-300x300.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-576x576.jpg 576w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-150x150.jpg 150w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-768x768.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/02/MixCollage-11-Feb-2026-04-47-PM-8822-2048x2048.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" />Coolidge Reagan Foundation.</div>
After advancing through the screened audition process for the clarinet position, Zimmermann said Knoxville Symphony Orchestra personnel manager Mark Tucker informed him he had won, would soon be “on the payroll,” and would call him to follow up on September 17, 2025.
Instead, on September 18, Zimmermann says he received a phone call from the symphony&#8217;s CEO, Rachel Ford, who mentioned his previous musical job working for the Nashville Symphony. 
An email from Ford to Zimmermann, obtained by The Daily Wire, confirmed Zimmermann’s account. 
Ford told him in the email that “based on a number of items which have come to the attention of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra regarding your employment with the Nashville Symphony, I regret to inform you that the [Knoxville Symphony Orchestra] has decided not to move forward with offering you a contract of employment.”
She added that there would be no further discussions on the matter. 
“We wish you the best in the future. Please know our decision is final and we will not participate in any ongoing communications related to this matter,” she wrote. 
Neither Ford nor Tucker responded to requests for comment. 
The controversy referred to by Ford erupted roughly six years ago when Zimmermann started speaking out against DEI measures at the Nashville Symphony. Eventually, he was fired after two minority musicians, oboe player Titus Underwood and Emilio Carlo, <a href="https://freebeacon.com/culture/how-racial-anxiety-conquered-an-orchestra-and-crushed-a-career/">accused</a> him of harassing them and making threatening and racially charged comments to them.
In the end, Zimmermann was fired after 12 years as the lead clarinet player. Six of his colleagues would later defend him in interviews with the Washington Free Beacon. Zimmermann acknowledges that he was not perfect throughout the situation, but said his firing was prompted, in large part, by politics. 
As that played out, both Underwood and Carlo got a Davidson County judge to issue temporary restraining orders against Zimmermann. Zimmermann has called those restraining orders “bogus” and noted that they were not later renewed.
Carlo and Underwood did not respond to requests for comment. In a <a href="https://www.wbir.com/article/news/local/knoxville/james-zimmermann-sues-knoxville-symphony-orchestra-for-alleged-discrimination/51-59429c8d-5d6b-4aa9-86a3-6815006f322b">statemen</a>t to local outlet WBIR, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra cited the restraining orders. 
&#8220;The KSO made the decision to reject the Audition Committee’s recommendation and not hire Mr. Zimmermann due to legitimate safety concerns as confirmed by the Nashville Symphony,&#8221; the statement said. 
Zimmermann said that Ford did not mention the restraining orders during her call with Zimmermann, but instead said there were &#8220;items of interest&#8221; that he knew about. Zimmermann said he was never given a chance to explain his side of the story. 
“I have nothing bad to say about the people running the [audition]. It&#8217;s just about the CEO, who made the decision to not hire me, not ask me anything about the past, not ask my side of the story,” Zimmermann told The Daily Wire. “This is supposed to be the land of opportunity, and a blind audition gives you a chance to prove your skills, independent of your political views and race and gender and sex and all that.”
Zimmermann says he has heard from musicians all across the country who agree with him and have told him they hope the orchestra world abandons DEI once and for all.
Dan Backer, the president of the Coolidge Reagan Foundation, is a counsel for Zimmermann during the suit. 
“I&#8217;m just glad Coolidge Reagan is able to be there and keep the pressure on and make sure that everybody knows that when you set foot in Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, you&#8217;re not listening to the best music you could get, you&#8217;re listening to the wokest music you can get.”
On its website, the Knoxville Symphony <a href="https://knoxvillesymphony.com/aboutkso/history-mission/#:~:text=In%20May%202016%2C%20Aram%20Demirjian,Center%20and%20Washington%20Performing%20Arts.">boasts</a> that its programming emphasizes “music by living composers” and “artists from underrepresented groups.”
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra <a href="https://knoxvillesymphony.com/support-the-kso/corporate-partners/#:~:text=generations%20to%20come.-,Sponsorship%20Opportunities,of%20concertgoers%20across%20East%20Tennessee.&amp;text=Knoxville%20Symphony%20Orchestra%20concerts%20and,%2C%20and%20Arts%20&amp;%20Culture%20Alliance.">receives</a> local and state taxpayer funding through the city of Knoxville, Knox County, and the Tennessee Arts Commission. It is unclear exactly how much the orchestra gets in grants. 
Neither the Nashville nor the Knoxville symphony orchestras responded to requests for comment.

hands playing clarinets in orchestra

He Won The Blind Audition — Then Woke Culture Took The Baton

Woke Music? Tennessee Orchestra Accused Of Targeting Clarinet Player Over DEI Stance

Classical Music

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Music

A Tennessee court has overturned a judge’s decision to block the release of writings by the transgender-identifying woman who killed three children and three adults during an attack on a Christian school in Nashville in March 2023.
The Tennessee Court of Appeals <a href="https://www.tncourts.gov/sites/default/files/OpinionsPDFVersion/Majority%20Opinion%20-%20%20M2024-01139-COA-R3-CV.pdf">said</a> Wednesday that the city of Nashville must allow inspection of the writings of The Covenant School attacker under public record laws. In August 2024, Davidson County Judge I’Ashea Myles <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/conservative-publisher-appeals-decision-to-block-release-of-covenant-attackers-writings?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Conservative+Publisher+Appeals+Decision+To+Block+Release+Of+Covenant+Attacker%E2%80%99s+Writings">ruled</a> that copyright claims put on the writings preempted public records requests.
“Construing the [Tennessee Public Records Act] broadly to promote access to public records, as we are required, we conclude that under these particular circumstances, the only overt action Metro must take to meet its obligation is to allow Petitioners access to the records for personal inspection,” the judges wrote. “Simply put, so long as Metro maintains the records, it must allow Petitioners access … for personal inspection.”
The writings of the shooter include journal entries made in the months leading up to the March 27, 2023, attack. After the attack, the Nashville Police Department refused to release the writings, citing an ongoing investigation. A group of parents whose children attended The Covenant School also intervened to block the release of the writings, citing a copyright claim to the materials granted by the attacker’s parents.
The parents and the school also said that releasing the attacker’s writings would cause school safety concerns, a position that Myles agreed with in her ruling.
“This conclusion strains credulity, and we are neither willing nor able to make the blind logical leap the Covenant Intervenors ask of us,” the appeals court said, noting that many of the writings were made years before the attack.
The judges also said that there was no school shooter manifesto exemption to public records law because of fears about the writings inspiring future attacks.
“Respectfully, this argument is rooted in speculation about potential future events, not facts present in the record before us. This is a policy debate not contemplated by, or anywhere mentioned in” public records law, the judges said.
The parties who sued for access to the writings included Tennessee Star publisher Michael Patrick Leahy, the Tennessee Firearms Association, The Tennessean, and the National Police Association. Leahy was represented by the America First Legal Foundation.
“This unanimous ruling by the Tennessee Court of Appeals is a major victory for freedom of the press, the people of the State of Tennessee, and The Tennessee Star,” Leahy <a href="https://tennesseestar.com/covenant-school-shooting/court-of-appeals-gives-the-tennessee-star-major-victory-in-covenant-manifesto-case/tpappert/2026/02/04/">said</a> of the ruling. “It is in the public interest for all of these documents to be released to us expeditiously, as the Court of Appeals ruled.”
Despite these efforts, portions of the shooter’s writings have already been released through the FBI and through media reports, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/covenant-journal-revealed-my-imaginary-penis?author=Brent+Scher&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=COVENANT+JOURNAL+REVEALED%3A+Shooter+Said+Being+Female+Was+A+‘F***ing+Curse%2C’+That+She’d+‘Kill’+To+Have+Had+Puberty+Blockers">including</a> The Daily Wire. Ramblings of the shooter posted by the FBI in December 2025 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-covenant-school-killer-hated-religion-and-white-people-fbi-files-reveal?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Covenant+School+Killer+Hated+‘Religion’+And+‘White+People%2C’+FBI+Files+Reveal">revealed</a> that she hated white people and religion.

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

Court Says Nashville Cannot Block Access To Covenant Shooter’s Writings

Courts

School Shooting

The Covenant School

Tennessee&#8217;s Republican congressman John Rose was originally a “no” vote on a move to get the spending package up for a final vote before going to the president to end the government shutdown. In the room with leadership, he switched his vote to “yes.”
It wasn&#8217;t due to a change in heart on the spending proposal, according to Republican congressman with knowledge of the conversation. Rose, according to the Republican colleague, planned to vote &#8220;no&#8221; in protest of positive comments that Trump made about his gubernatorial primary opponent, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn.
The congressman, who provided details of the situation on background, said Rose &#8220;was just mad because the president had not endorsed him.”
The congressman said that Rose was able to leverage his stance into a meeting with Republican leadership, which CNN also confirmed with Rose directly. Rose said the meeting centered on his frustrations that the SAVE Act not be tacked onto the package, but also said that the gubernatorial race was discussed.
“John is engaged in a tight race for the governorship of Tennessee,&#8221; House Speaker Mike Johnson said.
&#8220;He’s thoughtful about that and he wants a fair fight there and so that&#8217;s what we discussed, but no promises,” Johnson continued when reporters asked about Rose’s flip on Tuesday, according to a CNN clip.
&#8220;You can imagine what that means,” Rose told <a href="https://x.com/elliskkim/status/2018773546835546410?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> in response to Johnson’s “fair fight” comments.
A White House official confirmed to The Daily Wire on background that the president and Rose “did not speak” on Tuesday.
The president has yet to make an official endorsement in the race, but the recent positive comments about Blackburn fueled endorsement speculation, including in the <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/politics/2026/01/29/trump-praises-blackburn-for-governor-raising-speculation-of-endorsement/88398974007/?gnt-cfr=1&amp;gca-cat=p&amp;gca-uir=true&amp;gca-epti=z11xx65p118950c118950v11xx65d--39--b--39--&amp;gca-ft=203&amp;gca-ds=sophi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Knoxville News Sentinel</a>.
“Marsha Blackburn is an incredible person. Unfortunately, she is running for governor. She is running for governor of Tennessee,” the president said at the Trump Accounts summit last week.
“I’d love her not to, I begged her, I said Marsha, &#8216;Don&#8217;t, we don&#8217;t want to lose you in the Senate,’ but I have to say, they&#8217;re lucky. They&#8217;re lucky to get you. Because you&#8217;re a talent and a great person, and you&#8217;ve been with me all the way, and I appreciate it, and you&#8217;re a very special person. Marsha, stand up, please,” he continued.
The Republican congressman said Rose “took that as an endorsement.”
The procedural vote ended up squeaking by with just 217 votes, as Republicans hold a narrow 218 majority. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) voted against the rule, along with all Democrats. The actual spending package vote passed with 217, but with bipartisan support and opposition. Rose voted to reopen the government.
The Daily Wire reached out to Rose’s office and his campaign for comment.
A January poll of 559 Republican primary voters shows Blackburn leading Rose with 56% compared with his 9%, according to The Beacon Center of Tennessee. The Cook Political Report ranked the general election race as “Solid Republican.”
Rose was part of the group of GOP lawmakers that wanted the act included in the spending package as a way to get it up for a Senate vote. The legislation, which would require nationwide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, has already passed the House but has yet to be voted on in the Senate.
On X, Rose wrote that Senate Majority Leader John Thune “is already backtracking on what he reportedly told some House Republicans: that if we reopened the government, he’d keep his word and bring the SAVE Act to the floor.”
“House Republicans MUST hold the line and refuse to fold on something as fundamental as election integrity. The SAVE Act belongs on must-pass legislation,” he added.
The House voted to end the shutdown on Tuesday afternoon, as Congress gears up for a battle over Department of Homeland Security funding, which was only approved through Feb. 13.

TrumpJohn Rose Split (getty)

Tennessee Republican Threw Wrench Into Shutdown Vote Because He Was ‘Mad’ At Trump, Congressman Says

Congress

john rose

Marsha Blackburn

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Conservative leaders, lawmakers, and activists will gather in downtown Nashville on Friday as The Daily Wire and Young America’s Foundation launch the ‘Freedom at 250’ national tour, an event aimed at celebrating constitutional governance amid national unrest.
The rally, titled the “Freedom at 250: Its Defense Requires Action” tour kickoff, is expected to draw a capacity crowd of young conservatives and will feature remarks headlined by Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee and Daily Wire host Michael Knowles.
Organizers say they intend to emphasize support for constitutional government, the rule of law, and civic responsibility amid a wave of protests and unrest that has erupted in cities across the country in recent weeks. Young America’s Foundation President and former Wisconsin GOP Governor Scott Walker said the event is meant to serve as a response to what he described as “well‑funded left‑wing agitation,” citing recent protests in Minnesota that have disrupted federal immigration enforcement operations.
“As America approaches its 250th anniversary, this rally stands as a call to uphold the rule of law and the timeless principles our Founding Fathers fought to establish,” Walker said, adding that the Nashville event would highlight “ordered liberty, civic responsibility, and a nation grounded in law.”
Local left-wing activist groups have announced plans to stage a counter-protest, underscoring the sharp political divide surrounding the event.
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, one of the headline speakers of the rally, said the gathering reflects a broader effort to equip young conservatives to confront what he characterized as ideological intimidation on college campuses and in public life. 
“The radical Left has stopped trying to win arguments and started relying on intimidation and outright violence,” Knowles said. “That’s why it matters that students are equipped with the intellectual tools they need to prevail in a hostile culture.”
Knowles referenced prior disruptions at his events by left-wing activists, saying he would continue to speak publicly despite threats of protest. 
The Nashville rally marks the first stop on a yearlong tour combining Young America’s Foundation’s campus outreach efforts with The Daily Wire’s media platform. Organizers say future events will focus on engaging young Americans on issues of constitutional governance, American history, and cultural influence.
In addition to Gov. Lee and former Gov. Walker, speakers scheduled to appear include Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan; filmmaker and activist Robby Starbuck; former Green Beret Nick Freitas; and country music artist Lee Greenwood. Daily Wire Senior Editor Cabot Phillips will serve as emcee.
Ahead of the rally, Young America’s Foundation is also hosting a free student-activist training session aimed at equipping conservative students with organizing and advocacy skills.
The Nashville Freedom Rally will take place on Friday from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. CT.

MixCollage-29-Nov-2023-04-02-PM-8528

The Daily Wire, Young America’s Foundation Set To Celebrate ‘Freedom At 250’ In Nashville On Friday

Lee Greenwood

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Robby Starbuck

The Daily Wire

Young America's Foundation

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. 
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. 
“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. 
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. 
<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" />Kennedy in Nashville: Daily Wire.</div>
Kennedy was introduced by state GOP leadership that included Lee and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin).
“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 
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. 
Part of reversing this trend is eating better food, one of the reasons why Kennedy’s HHS <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rfk-flips-the-food-pyramid-and-announces-massive-changes-to-dietary-guidelines">flipped</a> the food pyramid last month to recommend whole foods, prioritizing healthy fats and protein, and limiting or avoiding ultra-processed foods.
“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. 
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;
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. 
“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;
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.

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

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

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.
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:
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">Left-Wing Activists Pressure Businesses To Dump ICE</h2>
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 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/us/target-protests-immigration-minneapolis.html">ban</a> 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.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Government Shutdown Is On</h2>
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been working frantically to end the government shutdown before its effects are felt. President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-seeks-quick-end-to-shutdown-no-changes">says</a> 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.”
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Outrage Over Nashville Storm Failures</h2>
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 <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. 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.

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

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Government Shutdown

Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Morning Wire

Target

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.
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.
&#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;
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.
&#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.
On Thursday, O&#8217;Connell suggested that the Nashville Electric Service&#8217;s response was a &#8220;success.&#8221;
&#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.
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.
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.
&#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;
She added that extensive damage in some areas means it will take the electric service more time to get power restored.
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.
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.
&#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.
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;
Blackburn argued that while linemen are working hard to restore power to Nashville residents, leaders are botching the response.
&#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;

Freddie O’Connell

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

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Winter storm

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.
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.
&#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.
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.
&#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;
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;
<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>
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.
&#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.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<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.
This is unacceptable. Whoever is responsible for this breakdown should be fired. <a href="https://t.co/ptaDtZC9mi">pic.twitter.com/ptaDtZC9mi</a>
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarshaBlackburn/status/2017996925975609468?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2026</a></blockquote>
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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.
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;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
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>
— Phil Williams (@PhilNvestigates) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilNvestigates/status/2017399479444365402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 31, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Blackburn made it clear on Sunday that she was frustrated with the leadership at NES, not the rank and file employees.
&#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.

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

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