💰 AI lobbyists target state lawmakers

🗳️ Andrew Jackson’s Big Feelings

The race for the next Tennessee governor is heating up. Democratic candidate Jerri Green asked Independent Lauren Pinkston to drop out of the race, while Pinkston went online claiming that if Andrew Jackson had learned to talk about his feelings, he might not have removed Native Americans from Tennessee land. Meanwhile, fellow independent David Hatley is trying to entice Republican candidate Sen. Marsha Blackburn into a debate by promising to donate $1 million to charity. We’re talking about those and more hot topics from the week on today’s Friday News Roundup. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

⚡ NES Is Behind on Tree Trimming???

Nashville Electric Service says it’s behind on tree trimming, which the utility ramped up this year after Winter Storm Fern left so many without power. Its goal was to have trimmed 2,200 vegetation miles by now, but NES has only finished 89 acres. The board has agreed to allow NES to spend up to $15 million to hire additional tree-trimming crews. However, many Nashvillians and local tree experts say the utility’s aggressive trimming this year has already done enough damage. [WSMV]

🍽️ So Long, Dalts

While Dalts’ new owners promised to preserve the beloved diner when they purchased the property last year, they’ve now decided to demolish the building. “[O]nce we got in there, we found a lot of issues,” said co-owner Ben Goldberg. The owners say they will preserve the restaurant’s spirit and plan to reopen in early 2027. [Nashville Scene]

✈️ BNA Police Use AI Facial Recognition

Nashville International Airport’s contract with Clearview AI ends in December, but unless BNA or Clearview cancel it, the contract will automatically renew. The controversial facial recognition AI scrapes images from the internet and social media, and has faced several lawsuits. BNA shares Clearview AI data with law enforcement across the U.S., including the Metro Nashville Police Department. [Nashville Scene]

• Amid data center pushback, several artificial intelligence companies have hired Tennessee lobbyists ahead of the state’s 2027 legislative session. [Tennessee Lookout]
• Meanwhile, Democratic candidates' midterm campaigns are targeting Republican opponents for their support of AI data centers. [Tennessee Lookout; Nashville Banner]

📚 Fired Library Director Fights Back

Former Rutherford County Public Library director Luanne James, who was ousted for refusing to remove books from the children’s section, is suing the county’s library board. Her lawsuit claims her termination was a civil rights and employee discrimination violation, and also violated the First Amendment. The board is currently interviewing candidates for her replacement. [WSMV]

• James also refused a board member’s request to provide information about patrons who had checked out books targeted for banning. We have the full story here. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

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