How To Hail a Robotaxi & Other Useful Information
🤖 MNPD takes on MS-13 · Dolly makes a deal · Your Lyft driver could be a robot · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Day one of early voting in the special election primaries for the 7th U.S. Congressional District drew 2,419 voters. Of that total, 1,315 pulled a Republican ballot and 1,104 pulled a Democratic ballot. In Davidson County, 65 Republican ballots and 375 Democratic ballots were filled out. Get information about candidates and early voting schedules here.
MNPD assists the DEA in detaining dangerous MS-13 gang members... Dolly Parton wants to make a deal with Metro... Your Lyft driver could be a robot... And much more!
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🚨 Trouble In Gangland The Metro Nashville Police Department helped pick up MS-13 members in Nashville on Tuesday as part of a nine-month probe coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. MNPD worked alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, and Tennessee Highway Patrol, and at least 17 gang members and associates were detained in Tennessee, California, and Oklahoma during the operation.
"MS-13 has left a trail of violence and devastation across communities nationwide," said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole in a press release. "The residents of Nashville are safer today now that these dangerous individuals will be held accountable for their destructive actions. Today’s enforcement actions are not the last. More will follow, and we will not stop until MS-13 is no longer able to inflict harm on our communities.”
During immigration enforcement operations conducted in Nashville this May, ICE reported that they arrested both MS-13 and Tren de Aragua gang members. At the time, Mayor O’Connell questioned the credibility of the arrests, but the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations has been keeping a close eye on the growing presence of gangs like Tren de Aragua in Tennessee for some time.
Last November, the TBI requested more state funding for resources and personnel to combat the brazen Venezuelan gang. At the time, TBI Director David Rausch expected the violence to escalate. “Recently, there was a video that they shot where they shot an individual—a cartel member—31 times, broad daylight, on video, and posted it to social media,” he said, highlighting Tren de Aragua’s involvement in human trafficking. “They are here, and they’re here in numbers.”
🦋 Dolly Would... Dolly Parton is one council vote away from sealing a land-swap deal with Metro. The bill that would allow the country music legend to build a hotel gift shop on Metro-owned land in exchange for an agreement to build an underground facility for the Nashville Fire Department passed its second reading this week. According to a report by the Banner, Parton took a page from Elle Woods’ book and had thank-you notes “printed on shiny paper” delivered to council members on Tuesday.
This isn’t the first time a country crooner has worked closely with Metro. Garth Brooks was involved with a few new downtown safety and traffic monitoring initiatives in 2022. As he was gearing up to open his watering hole on Broadway, Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk, he agreed to develop a special operations center within his downtown property that’s now used by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Nashville Department of Transportation. Brooks’ 411 LLC pays all real estate taxes and covers the general liability insurance connected with the properties used for the Metro outpost.
🤖 Driverless Miss Daisy Waymo robotaxis are coming to Music City, and driverless vehicles will be cruising down Broadway starting next year. Yesterday, the leading autonomous vehicle company announced that it will be partnering with the ride-hailing company Lyft to provide driverless transportation in Nashville.
"Waymo has proven that its autonomous technology works at scale," said Lyft CEO David Risher in a press release. "When combined with Lyft's customer-obsession and world-class fleet management capabilities, it's two great tastes that go great together."
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana agreed. “Lyft’s extensive fleet management capabilities through Flexdrive make them an ideal partner for expanding to Nashville,” she said.
🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.
THINGS TO DO
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TONIGHT
🎸 Ada Lea @ The East Room, 8p, $19.26, Info
🎸 The Beaches @ Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, 8p, $44.15+, Info
🪕 Green River Revue @ Station Inn, 9p, $20, Info
🍀 Live Irish Music @ McNamara’s Irish Pub, 6p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelly’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 Open Mic @ Fox & Locke, 6:30p, Free, Info
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.