Laundering Hate
🔎 NC5's Phil Williams and the SPLC · Kratom banned · Warner Bros.' and Paramount · And much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Phil Williams relationship with the SPLC explains his recent turn... Op-ed: Warner Bros.’ Pivot to Paramount Is a Win for Tennesseans... Williamson get a seat on the NES board... And much more!
Early Voting You can vote early for Davidson County’s May 5 Primary Elections until April 30. Find the early voting schedule and sample ballot here.
The Undoing of the West Join us May 21st for a discussion with Vauban Books and writer Nathan Pinkoski for a discussion about French writer Jean Raspail's novel The Camp of Saints. (Buy Ticket)
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In light of Tuesday's indictment, Phil Williams close association with the SPLC deserves further scrutiny.
From Davis Hunt
Local gumshoe reporter for NewsChannel 5 Footman Phil Williams launched his Confronting Hate series nearly two years ago detailing the results of a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) study on racist flyering.
On the heels of yesterday’s grand jury indictment of the SPLC on eleven counts including wire fraud, false statements to a federally insured bank, and money laundering, it’s worth looking back at how intertwined Williams’ Confront Hate beat and his new Substack, Hate Comes to Main Street, is with the embattled organization.
The SPLC, a nonprofit self-styled “catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,” has nearly $1 billion in total assets under its control. The crux of the indictment rests on the SPLC paying out more than $3 million in donor funds to informants embedded in various groups between 2014 and 2023 behind the backs of their donors.
Part of the SPLC’s mission is the cataloguing of various “hate groups” across the country. In their reports, the classification system lumps ideologically disparate groups under "extremism,” throws them all into one interface, and tarnishes the reputation of a wide swath of organizations by association. For example, a group like Moms for Liberty, classified as an “antigovernment extremist group,” sits alongside the Ku Klux Klan.
In a press release on the indictment, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated, “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence. Using donor money to allegedly profit off Klansmen cannot go unchecked.” Capturing the spirit of the allegations, National Review pithily titled their article on the matter, ‘SPLC Indicted for Gain-of-Function Research into Racism.’
Williams’ evolution from a local, policy oriented, investigative reporter to an instrument of narrative creation did not occur in a vacuum. By his own telling on his Substack, Williams fell into it by accident after reporting on the trainwreck candidacy of Gabrielle Hanson in the Franklin mayor’s race.
What Horrors We Wrought In 1973, French writer Jean Raspail published one of the most controversial novels of the 20th century. His novel, The Camp of Saints, has been consistently censored throughout its history.
Vauban Books recently published a new translation of the French story, accompanied by a lucid introduction by writer Nathan Pinkoski. Join us as we discuss the legacy of this controversial novel and what it says about the West.
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer, Nashville, and priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free admittance.
Opinion: Warner Bros.’ Pivot to Paramount Is a Win for Tennesseans
From Brandon Smith
After months of courting a merger with Netflix, Warner Brothers Discovery changed course and accepted a competing offer from Paramount Skydance. That decision wasn’t just a business pivot, it was a clear demonstration that antitrust policy is working as intended.
Paramount’s completed offer will result in the combination of two smaller players, which, together, will be better positioned to compete with Netflix and the other industry leaders, both in streaming content and theatrical releases.
Unlike Netflix, whose chief executive called movie theaters “outmoded,” Paramount’s offer presents a stark contrast. Paramount pledged to underwrite at least 30 theatrical releases per year, a commitment that will help drive continued investment across the entertainment ecosystem.
Here in Tennessee, theaters are cornerstones of many local communities, driving business and economic activity into nearby restaurants and retail shops. Every dollar spent at a movie theater generates additional revenue for surrounding businesses. And, given Nashville’s ever-growing reputation not just as Music City, USA, but a creative town driven by music, along with other forms of entertainment, including TV shows and movies, we stand to benefit more than most cities in America.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 💰 Pro-Democrat PAC to spend unprecedented amount to unseat Ogles. The House Majority PAC will commit $1.56 million in initial television and digital advertising in Middle Tennessee in hopes of flipping the 5th District U.S. House seat held by Republican Representative Andy Ogles. (Axios)
- 🪑 Williamson gets a seat at the table. Williamson County will soon get a seat on the Nashville Electric Service board after a bill to expand representation passed the Tennessee Senate and House of Representatives this week. (Post)
- 💨 Legislature Bans Pot and Kratom, Blesses Ibogaine, Fumbles Vapes In the session's final days, lawmakers locked in July 1 bans on hemp-derived THC and kratom and cleared Tennessee research institutions to join Trump's federally funded ibogaine study. (WCYB)
- 🤡 Fugitive's Escape Plan Ends Through a Neighbor's Ceiling — Darrius Cane, 36, wanted on 19 outstanding warrants after a March traffic stop turned officer-striking pharmacy-on-wheels, was arrested Tuesday on Nashboro Boulevard after trying to flee MNPD through an adjoining attic and falling through the drywall into a neighbor's living room. (nashville.gov)
- 👨⚖️ Feds Appeal Abrego Garcia Injunction The Trump administration is appealing Obama-appointee Judge Paula Xinis's open-ended injunction blocking the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, kicking the long-running Salvadoran smuggling saga up to the Fourth Circuit and, likely, the Supreme Court. (Star)
DEVELOPMENT
- Vanderbilt University Selects DLR Group To Design 10-Story Research Facility (NowNext)
- Elm Hill Pike-area property sells for $24.93M (Post)
- Hillsboro-West End office building placed on market (Post)
THINGS TO DO
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
🎸 Gatlin @ The Blue Room, 7p, $28.60, Info
🪕 The Wheelhouse Roasters with Stumpbroke @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🥁 Live Jazz: Parker James, Paul DeFiglia and Anson Hohne @ Vinyl Tap, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’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 Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.