Well said! This is exactly why communities need to view homelessness as a part of an entire poverty spectrum. When we separate homelessness from poverty (which governments tend to do), we won't see the entire picture and overlook important pieces to helping people stabilize their housing.

Today, in my excitement to get to Furball Friday, I scrolled passed it and panicked! How can it be? I barely got through the holidays! But then, the shock woke me up & I found it. Phew! Keep those photos coming! It's the only way to start Friday right! Email your pet pics to [email protected]

ICYMI: Before the Tennessee General Assembly convened on Tuesday, House Speaker Cameron Sexton confirmed he has been working with the Trump administration to craft a package of laws targeting immigrants.

On Wednesday, leaders of the Tennessee Department of Human Services told lawmakers that the state’s reserve for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, now stands at $305 million with a plan in place to expend the excess funds--down from $732 million. From @anitawadhwani.bsky.social.

Want to get top notch analysis of the first week in Tennessee's legislative session? Tune into @wpln.bsky.social at noon for "This is Nashville" with Senior Reporter Sam Stockard.

It is more important than ever that you select your trusted local news to stay informed. To stay updated on statewide TN news, follow @tennesseelookout.com, subscribe to their daily newsletter (tennesseelookout.com/subscribe/), and consider donating - this is a free online nonprofit news outlet.

A lot can happen when you get involved actively in local government. You may be a part of having a say in how you want your city and community to grow. If you have not listened to the podcast of @citycastnash.bsky.social lately, here is a good one.

The lists included in the daily newsletter from @citycastnash.bsky.social are just excellent. Sign up for the free newsletter (or better yet as a member) and plan ahead: Whether it's indoor activities for your kids or, like today, events to celebrate MLK Day. link.citycast.fm/view/6604644...

I am proud that Metro joined the national lawsuit to fight HUD on its abrupt changes in homelessness funding. The judge granted a preliminary injunction. HUD has meanwhile reissued the FY24-25 NOFO. It is complex, and while this is a temporary reprieve, we expect big funding changes in the future.

@TheContributor's Q&A with @whittlz.bsky.social is now available to read online. It was a great year-end interview that I highly recommend.

Furball Friday is B AAAA C K !!!! Thank you, @citycastnash.bsky.social

Start reading the newsletter from @citycastnash.bsky.social, if your New Year's resolution is to exercise more and you don't want to renew your gym membership (like the one you did not use bit twice last January). In today's newsletter, you'll find suggestions for 5 affordable workout options.

“Nearly four in five sleep-related deaths were deemed “preventable” by teams of experts who review child deaths,” writes @anitawadhwani.bsky.social in her article in @tennesseelookout.com about infant mortality rate in TN, which remains significantly higher than the national average.

Pick up The Contributor from a vendor for my interview with @whittlz.bsky.social! It's the best year-end Q&A you'll find in Nashville because her answers are honest and real - with a healthy lack of the usual, obligatory political year-end speeches we have become used to seeing in other outlets.

Every time I read this, a cold shiver runs down my back.

If you've got children, you want to sign up for the daily newsletter of @citycastnash.bsky.social. Today, for example, they list free indoor play areas for kids. Perfect during winter time! They always list upcoming events and things to check out, which includes family-friendly stuff.

Our favorite photos of 2025.

Pictures in @nashvillebanner.bsky.social capture main events of 2025 in Nashville.

It has been a monster year of news for Europe. But there were a couple of stories in particular that shook the continent — and piqued our readers’ interest. Here are our 20 most-read stories of the year 👇

I guess I'll spend most of the rest of the day scrolling through Pictures of the Year lists. I love nature photos and news photos like the list from @apnews.com, which also serves as a reminder of major happenings around the world in 2025.

I love year-end lists. I repost this particular book list because I want to encourage you to read "There is No Place for Us" by @brian-goldstone.bsky.social as part of your New Year's resolution! Seriously, please take the time to read about how your fellow Americans struggle and why.

This year, I am weirdly onsessed with the year-ends most read news stories. You can find them in different outlets like @nytimes.com or @nashvillescene.com. My link features the best local stories of 2025 that @dpatrickrodgers.bsky.social put together for us. Have a great New Year's Eve!

Do you like thrifting or want to start it in 2026? Listen to the @citycastnash.bsky.social podcast.

Very timely conversation following Nashville’s Homeless Memorial. Luckily temperatures are a little higher this week. @citycastnash.bsky.social , @opentablenashville.bsky.social

This is an important ruling for homelessness agencies that were under threat of losing funding, which could have resulted in thousands of Tennesseans to lose their housing.

Don't miss the last Friday news roundup of 2025 from @citycastnash.bsky.social

Furball Friday on @citycastnash.bsky.social features Max today! And now, you have a chance to submit your pet in her/his best Christmas outfit! (Email [email protected]) I can't wait to see what the Christmas Furball will look like!

It would be!!

Members of Congress of BOTH PARTIES are disturbed that HUD policy changes, that risk the housing for tens of thousands of people, were pushed through without the required Congressional approval. What can you do? Call your representatives and demand that funding is restored to keep people housed.

Even though I had a late start today, listening to Friday's news roundup is a must! - especially when the discussion is between @marielovesdolly.bsky.social , @whittlz.bsky.social , and @startleseasily.bsky.social! Consider becoming a @citycastnash.bsky.social member.

Why are our politicians concerned with restricting SNAP benefits rather than PAYING WORKERS A LIVING WAGE? Follow @tennesseelookout.com and @citycastnash.bsky.social and consider a free year-end contribution to support your local newsrooms.

Wishing you a supercute, heartmelting Furball Friday ! (brought to you by @citycastnash.bsky.social)

I highly recommend you read this book and truly learn about how our systems are not focused on preventing homelessness. Rather , in too many cases, they PUSH the working poor into homelessness.

Oh the choices I have to make! Right now it’s between posting a cute dog picture or calling a government official out about their wrongful facts, faulty data, and consistent incompetence. Which gov official? I bet you can think of one that fits that pattern! But… they got their propaganda down!

If we want to end homelessness, we'd better start focusing on families as soon as they lose their housing, or better yet, when they start struggling with the rent, so we can keep them in housing. Watch this short video by @iaindejong.bsky.social that tells you succinctly why this is so important.

In this column, I focus on the 100+ PSH units Nashville stands to lose. By now, the city is finally in contingency planning mode. I wrote this prior to the filing of the federal lawsuit Nashville joined against HUD and prior to HUD's withdrawal of the NOFO, which can be reissued at any time.🦞

Elections have consequences. A man like this never belonged near the levers of power. Not the first time. And certainly not this second time when everything was knowable. We are trapped in a tragedy and must fight our way out.

Great article in the @nashvillebanner.bsky.social that shows how impactful eviction prevention is/could be. I can’t wait to learn more about the local legislation Councilmember Zulfat Suara will propose.

The thing is we've known that housing the homeless is cheaper than neglect, we've known that Ubi is effective at eliminating poverty, we've known that heavily subsidized housing and education leads people into the middle class, we've known all of these things in some cases for 70 years.

Hi friends! As you know, we’re in a long cold stretch of winter. It’s warmed up a tad but the low on Friday is currently 14 degrees. We go out whenever the Metro shelter is open to give rides & supplies to our neighbors. We go through a lot & could use a restock! www.amazon.com/gp/registry/...

Hypocrite.

Friday's @citycastnash.bsky.social podcast is a must-listen-to for Nashvillians who want to stay informed about local politics. It's only about 30 minutes and fund to listen to - and you stay abreast of what's happening in Nashville that may affect you directly.

Metro Council deferred a bill that would require departments to conduct anonymous employee surveys. In my experience, only third-party surveys would be truly anonymous.

Furball Friday is back! It was indeed a black day for me last week without Furball Friday! Submit you pets to @citycastnash.bsky.social by emailing a photo and description to [email protected]

Today @citycastnash.bsky.social reports on a $15M grant from the state to the Downtown Partnership. Listen and learn why there is still confusion. Plus, whenever governments nowadays claim there is much "misinformation," it often indicates there was not enough transparent information to start with.

Congrats to the City of Nashville for joining a national lawsuit that was filed today to fight the administration on HUD funding that moves $s away from permanent housing. Here is a link to the lawsuit: democracyforward.org/wp-content/u...

What is she thinking?

It bugs me when people don't like me. Yet, telling the truth and giving different views to the government narrative has become more important than ever. As I get older, I take the risk of being intimidated and slandered by the government officials whose actions/inactions harm people and are NOT OK.