The Best of 2025

1. ICE Comes to Town: This May, Metro officials pushed back against the Department of Homeland Security’s immigration enforcement operations in Nashville. Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz assured locals that MNPD had nothing to do with the operations but clarified that the city could not interfere with any immigration enforcement actions. Meanwhile, Mayor Freddie O’Connell launched the Belonging Fund alongside the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC), Conexion Americas, and Tennessee Justice For Our Neighbors to help support immigrants affected by the operations. 

In the weeks following, Congressman Andy Ogles accused Mayor O’Connell of endangering ICE agents by including their personal information on the official Metro Nashville Government website and requested a federal investigation into his conduct surrounding the immigration enforcement in Nashville.  

2. Boring Co. Announces the Music City Loop: The mayor’s office and local council members  continue to send mixed signals regarding the Boring Company’s Music City Loop project, which will establish a direct, underground transit solution for travel between the airport and downtown. This month, the council will be voting on a resolution opposing the Music City Loop. The legislation condemns “the company's lack of transparency, inadequate community and Metropolitan Council engagement, and troubling labor and safety practices.” According to the company, the Music City Loop will be complete in the spring of 2026.

3. Property Tax Increase: Nearly 20,000 people across Nashville have filed informal appeals following a 45 percent median rise in property values across the county. According to Fox17, two-thirds of the requests were denied reappraisals by the County Assessor’s Office. Paired with the mayor’s property tax increase passed by the council, local home and business owners are feeling the pinch.

4. Nest 2.0: Metro council passed three upzoning bills, despite lack of public support and no infrastructure study data. Many Nashville residents got déjà vu as members worked to rush the passage of the bills, mirroring the council’s attempt to ramrod the NEST upzoning proposals through the docket back in 2024.

5. The Rise of the Progressive Council: The current Metro council has been touted as the most progressive council in Nashville’s history, and they’ve lived up to their name. Along with filing a number of resolutions pushing back against the state and federal governments, one member also allegedly stalked ICE agents and another subtly compared Elon Musk to a cannibalistic serial killer. 

As far as policy, the council rubberstamped Councilmember Rollin Horton’s proposal which upzoned the Nations. While “YIMBYs” and others who support increased density in Nashville cheered, residents in the area jeered. Horton has since survived a recall effort and ethics complaint.

The Men Behind the Machine We hear endless warnings about the existential dangers of transhumanism and artificial intelligence, but almost none about the individuals and interests behind their advance. What do they believe? What does their vision for the future of humanity look like? How does this affect how they organize and lead their companies?

On Thursday, January 15th, Joe Allen will join us to discuss just that. Allen is a writer and Bannon's War Room correspondent. His 2023 book, Dark Aeon, chronicles the rise of artificial intelligence and transhumanism, arguing that unchecked technological advancement poses a threat to humanity.

This is the second in a series of monthly lectures we'll be hosting. These events are for the benefit of The Pamphleteer. Every dollar earned goes toward supporting our operations and planning future events.

Paying Bard-level subscribers receive free access to this and future events. (Buy Tickets)

• ⚖️ Budget cuts, tax breaks and school vouchers 2.0: The Tennessean breaks down what to watch for during this year’s General Assembly.

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• 🍾 More than 200,000 people rang in 2026 at Nashville’s Big Bash.

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• 🏢 There are 5,300 vacant apartments in Nashville, yet developers keep building.

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• 🏎 Laborers Union opposes a charter amendment referendum to ban racing from the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway and seeks certain guarantees.

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• 🗑 Nashville's trash pickup schedule changes in 2026: What to know.

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“He effed around and he found out." — Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said of Venezuela’s long-time dictator, Nicolas Maduro, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday.

• 439-Unit Development Reaches Final Planning Stage In North Nashville

  Now Next

• HCA acquires Century Farms property for $14.9M

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• Condo building eyed for Music Row

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• One Bellevue Place changes hands for $90.3M

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• Downtown Greyhound property sees $15.4M sale

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• Weiss Liquors site on city’s east side sells for $4.4M

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• 📅View our calendar for the week here. Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
• 🎧On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
• 👨🏻‍🌾Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.

Tonight Mon, Jan 5

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.