Welcome to the Dog Days of summer, where it’s constantly hot, humid and the storms are scattered. Heat, humidity and chances of scattered storms continue. It’ll be gross-sticky this afternoon. Storms could arrive at night. Rinse and repeat for Saturday. Then it’ll be in the low 90s on Sunday. [NashSevereWx]
Amid the nation’s growing healthcare affordability crisis, the federal government has warned more than 500 hospitals across the country for failing to comply with hospital price transparency requirements, including 9 hospitals in the Nashville area. The federal government argues that the lack of transparency is fueling high healthcare prices in the U.S., and if the requirements are not met, hospitals could be subject to penalties as high as $2 million annually. [The Tennesseean]
Well, well, well, Tennessee is finally average at something. U.S. News has ranked Tennessee as the most average state in the country, giving the Volunteer State the 25th position. The TL;DR: 40th for Crime & Corrections, 31st for Education, 39th for Health Care, 34th for Natural Environment, 13th for Economy, 5th for Fiscal Stability, 17th for Infrastructure, 22nd for Opportunity. [U.S. News]
Of course drones are great tools for emergencies but playing fast and loose with privacy should be a no-go zone. Metro Council approved on first reading Tuesday, August 4, a bill creating stricter rules for surveillance technology, including drones. The ordinance would require council approval and a public hearing for routine or long-term drone operations. It would also limit emergency drone deployments to 30 consecutive days without additional council approval. [News Channel 5]
Marsha Marsha Marsha is out here spending millions on television ads that no one on earth wants to see. Marsha Blackburn raised more than $1.2 million since the beginning of July while spending more than $4.5 million during the past month. More than $4.3 million of that spending went toward television and media. John Rose outspent Blackburn during the same period, reporting nearly $5 million in expenditures, including roughly $3.9 million on television and digital advertising. [WKRN]
This is what happens when you allow the far-left to become as unhinged as the far-right. Bell Bird Books appears to have caved to antisemitism and is seemingly revealing that its operators are fine with it because actions speak louder than words. You’ll want to go read what Alyssa Rosenheck has to say about the ordeal and maybe ignore the apologists at the paper who suggest antisemitism is but a political disagreement… knowing fully well they’d lose their marbles if someone suggested any other form of racism is a mere political disagreement. Pro-tip: if you do or say antisemitic things, you’re an antisemite. Left or right, doesn’t matter. [Alyssa Rosenheck]
If you missed it last night, here’s a replay of the WPLN election night liveblog. Marsha Marsha Marsha won because of witchcraft, we hear. Allegedly. She also allegedly has Mitch McConnell’s spirit trapped in a jar. And Andy Ogles got the boot. [WPLN]
Vanderbilt will require SAT or ACT scores from first-year and transfer applicants seeking fall 2029 admission and beyond, ending its 8-year test-optional policy. The announcement reverses the test-optional policy first implemented for new applicants in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy was later extended for those applying in 2025, 2026 and 2027. [Vanderbilt Hustler]
Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse for Marsha Marsha Marsha. Senator Ron Wyden revealed that Marsha Marsha Marsha Blackburn “declined to support Wyden’s effort to subpoena Epstein bank records … refused to cooperate with his investigation into financing Epstein’s sex trafficking.” Of course, she blamed Democrats. [Press Release]
WeGo Public Transit and Choose How You Move are expanding the list of programs that qualify for Journey Pass, Nashville’s largest-ever fare-free transit program, opening free rides to more eligible Davidson County residents. Journey Pass is now accepting twice as many eligibility documents at WeGo’s weekly registration events. The new documents come from the following programs: Housing Choice Voucher Program (HCVP); Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP); Tennessee Assistance for Needy Families (TANF); TennCare Medicaid; and Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program. [Tennessee Tribune]
From foodie to tootie… Christina Hart has spent the past several months introducing thousands of people to locally owned businesses across Middle Tennessee. Then, seemingly overnight, everything stopped after Hart contracted Cyclospora, a parasite responsible for a nationwide outbreak that has sickened thousands of people across the United States. [WZTV]
Two years after signing a huge lease in a Music Row office building, TikTok has closed the office and laid off all of its Nashville staff. This move is part of more than 250 layoffs for the controversial company. [Billboard]
Middle Tennessee weather can be unpredictable — and dangerous. When things get iffy, a trio of “suburban dads” keeps the information flowing. But once the watches turn to warnings, they really get serious: That’s when they start livestreaming on YouTube, tracking storms in real time and letting their audience know when to shelter and when it’s safe to carry on. [Nashville Banner]
Maybe it’s time to get them the flock out of here. The Greenbrier Police Department is addressing questions about its use of Flock Safety cameras, saying the license plate readers are an investigative tool — not speed cameras, red-light cameras, facial-recognition systems or ticket-generating devices. [WSMV]
These folks thought locals would fall for their shenanigans of trying to stick a massive data center right beside protected and endangered wildlife? The Nashville Zoo has declined an offer that included a significant downsizing of plans and around 13 acres of free land from the developer planning a data center project next door. Here’s a breakdown of the olive branch DC Blox extended, and what they wanted from the zoo in return. [Nashville Business Journal]
The West Point engineer who built Tennessee football. That catch your attention? Go to this event on Saturday. Robert Neyland was not your typical college football coach. A graduate of West Point and veteran of both world wars, Neyland often played a dual role as both an army officer and football coach, shifting seamlessly between the two professions. [Visit Music City & Tennessee State Museum]
