Conversation with Children’s Advocate Mayra Alvarez School lunch programs – an essential lifeline during the pandemic — are going broke, and a 2020 Census undercount will damage them even more, says children´s advocate Mayra Alvarez. School lunch programs, which fed nearly half of American’s schoolchildren before the Coronavirus, have turned into a lifeline for families hit by unemployment and rising food prices during the pandemic. Many of those programs are now going broke, and their very existence over the next decade depends on the population numbers being gathered by the U.S. Census in communities that are considered “hard to count,” …
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Governor Bill Lee speaking in front of Nashville General Hospital at the unveiling of two emergency COVID-19 wards on June 5. NASHVILLE, TN – Latest figures from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics show Tennessee failed to meet the federal payment standard in March, April, and May. “We have consistently exceeded the requirement of the federal government on the days it takes to pay a claim. The requirement is 87% of claims being paid within 21 days or less and we have exceeded that throughout the pandemic,” Lee told reporters on June 5. That could be true if you don’t…
Provided by Statista NASHVILLE, TN – At a press briefing last week, Governor Lee talked about efforts his administration is taking in Chattanooga to test more Hispanics because of a recent spike in cases there. He was asked why the state has hired just 700 contract tracers when public health experts estimate the state needs about 2,000. “We just had the highest day of case that we have had since the pandemic began. There is a genuine understanding that COVID-19 is a serious public health crisis for our state. And we take it seriously every single day,” Lee said. Tennessee…
Chancellor Ellen Hobbes Lyle ordered the Sports Authority to give five days notice before voting again on the soccer stadium construction contract. NASHVILLE, TN – Chancellor Ellen Hobbes Lyle has invalidated the $218 million soccer stadium construction contract between Metro and Mortenson/Messer. The deal was approved at a meeting of the Sports Authority in August 2018 with just 48 hours notice. Five days notice is required so the public can comment. Unlike re-bidding the construction contract, which Lyle did not order, the “do-over” is just an inconvenience to plans to build a MLS stadium at the Fairgrounds. The lack of…
Nearly four years after Obama’s two-term presidency, the political promise he represented might finally be fulfilled. By Uwe Bott and Stephan Richter The Globalist During the 2008 presidential primaries, one of then-Senator Barack Obama’s lines gained prominence: “Change is coming to America.” And yet, after President Obama had ended two terms in the Oval Office, people felt underwhelmed with the progress that had been made during that time. Reservations, reservations Some felt that much of Obama’s presidency had been undermined by obstructionist Republicans. They even denied him the right to get approval for a Supreme Court nominee almost a year before his second term ended, a…
NASHVILLE, TN — Mayor John Cooper today announced the appointment of Robert Fisher, M.S. Ed., MPP as Senior Advisor for Education effective Monday, June 22, 2020. In his role at the Mayor’s Office, Mr. Fisher will work with Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) and with business, nonprofit, and community groups to improve outcomes for Nashville’s children. In addition to working closely with MNPS, Mr. Fisher will focus on promoting Nashville’s literacy and workforce development efforts, among other policy initiatives. “Robert is an intelligent, dynamic professional with a heart for public education,” said Mayor Cooper. “Our public students deserve a world-class…
NASHVILLE, TN — Mental Health America of the MidSouth (MHAofMS) named Nashville Repertory Theatre their “Collaborative Nonprofit Partner of the Year” at MHA’s annual meeting and awards ceremony on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. The event, held virtually via Zoom, honored “individuals and organizations that promote mental wellness” in the community. “We are proud to be a partner of MHA, and we are honored by the recognition,” said Drew Ogle, executive director of Nashville Repertory Theatre. “Now more than ever, it is vital to support the mental health of our community and to help people discover the resources that are available…
WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump has extended a pause on some green cards and suspended visas for other foreign workers until the end of 2020. High-skilled tech workers, non-agricultural seasonal helpers, au pairs and top executives will be affected. The White House said the move will create jobs for Americans hurting economically due to the pandemic. But critics say the White House is exploiting the coronavirus pandemic to tighten up immigration laws. • Trump’s bid to end immigration policy ‘unlawful’ • Immigration to US to be halted due to virus – Trump • Trump’s ‘wealth test’ begins for US…
By Greg Nash/Pool/AFP Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., has a rising national profile. She had a prominent role in President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial. Before coming to Congress in 2017, she was the first woman to lead Orlando’s police force. And now, with the widespread demonstrations over the deaths of George Floyd and other African Americans at the hands of officers, Demings, a black woman, has been outspoken on the need for police reform and her support of the protesters. “I am very proud of the persons who are demonstrating in the street,” she says. “They should be demonstrating police misconduct.”…
KNOXVILLE, TN — The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Directors former first Vice President, Carol Stiff, is officially the new board President replacing Danielle Donehew whose three-year term ended on June 13, 2020. Stiff will serve in this new position on the board for the next two years. “I am thrilled to take on this new role with the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Board,” said Stiff. Danielle has done a tremendous job as president and I look forward to continuing that work as we all strive to persistently grow the Hall of Fame and the sport of…