Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, known for penning hits including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a small-engine plane crash on Thursday, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was 57.A plane registered under James’ name reportedly crashed into a field in Franklin, North Carolina, about 270 miles southeast of Nashville, around 3 p.m. Thursday, according to data from FlightAware and a statement from the FAA. Three people were on board the plane, according to the FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating.CNN has reached out to Macon County Sheriff’s Office for further information.James, who worked with megastars like Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Keith Urban, won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2006 for co-writing “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He also wrote on Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and was regarded as one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators.His more than 500 songs have appeared on albums with combined sales of over 110 million copies, according to the Nashville Songwriters Association International.In 2020, James was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also owned the publishing company Cornman Music and served on the board of the Country Music Association and as a national trustee of The Recording Academy, according to the Nashville Symphony.“Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters,” the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said in an Instagram post announcing James’ death.“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” country musician Dierks Bentley wrote on Instagram.
FRANKLIN, N.C. —
Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James, known for penning hits including Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” died in a small-engine plane crash on Thursday, according to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was 57.
A plane registered under James’ name reportedly crashed into a field in Franklin, North Carolina, about 270 miles southeast of Nashville, around 3 p.m. Thursday, according to data from FlightAware and a statement from the FAA.
Three people were on board the plane, according to the FAA, and the National Transportation Safety Board said it is investigating.
CNN has reached out to Macon County Sheriff’s Office for further information.
James, who worked with megastars like Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi and Keith Urban, won a Grammy for Best Country Song in 2006 for co-writing “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” He also wrote on Kenny Chesney’s “Out Last Night,” and was regarded as one of the industry’s most sought-after collaborators.
In 2020, James was elected to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also owned the publishing company Cornman Music and served on the board of the Country Music Association and as a national trustee of The Recording Academy, according to the Nashville Symphony.
“Brett was a trusted collaborator to country’s greatest names, and a true advocate for his fellow songwriters,” the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers said in an Instagram post announcing James’ death.
“Rest in peace pal. Total stud. Fellow aviator. One of the best singer-songwriters in our town….total legend,” country musician Dierks Bentley wrote on Instagram.
Another school shooting has unfolded, this time in Minnesota, as a new school year gets underway in many towns and cities across the United States.
Two children — an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old — were killed and 17 others, including 14 children, were hurt when a gunman opened fire through the windows of a church during a Mass service at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, according to Minneapolis Police.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gunman was in his early 20s and armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. O’Hara told reporters at a press conference that police believe the shooter fired from all three weapons.
The suspect died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said, adding that they are still investigating a possible motive behind the attack.
Law enforcement officers set up barriers after a shooting at Annunciation Church, which is also home to a an elementary school, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 27, 2025.
People gather at a vigil tonight at Lynnhurst Park after a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Bruce Kluckhohn/AP
Read on to see six tips from experts on how to discuss school shootings with kids.
1. Be proactive in talking with kids.
Dr. Mona Potter, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, said that when a tragedy happens, parents should “avoid avoiding” when it comes to talking about it with their kids.
“Rather than try to protect them, it’s really important to think about how do we prepare them for the world,” Potter told ABC News. “And that’s going to be different for the little ones, from the middle schoolers, from the high schoolers, but really being attuned to what your kids need, and making sure that you’re encouraging brave behaviors. Break it down into small steps and really encourage them to take on the world, and help them feel like you trust them and you know that they can do it.”
Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a board-certified family physician and resilience expert, also said parents and caregivers should consider their child’s age and situation when deciding how to talk with them about events like school shootings.
“The first thing to think about is how old is my kid, and are they gonna hear about [the school shooting] anyway,” Gilboa told “Good Morning America” in 2023, after six people were killed at The Covenant School in Nashville. “So if they’re going to hear about it anyway, or they’re over the age of 8, it’s an important conversation to know how to have with your child.”
Gilboa said parents and caregivers can start the conversation with a question, like, “Have you heard about this?”
The next step, according to Gilboa, is to thoughtfully listen to a child’s reply.
“We really listen to their answer before we flood them with more information,” Gilboa said, adding that adults should refrain from telling kids how or how not to feel. “[Telling a child] ‘there’s nothing to be afraid of,’ doesn’t really help.”
2. Be truthful about what happened.
Dr. Melissa Brymer, director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, said parents and caregivers should be truthful with kids in an age-appropriate way.
“For our young kids, they don’t need to have all the details,” Brymer told ABC News in 2022. “Many times they’re going to be worried about their safety, your safety as a parent or caregiver or their family members’ safety, so we want to reiterate what’s being done to help them right now.”
Brymer said parents should be prepared for teenagers to want a “much more in-depth conversation.”
“How do we talk about what this event has meant that might have impacted our value system?” Brymer said of a potential conversation starter with a teen. “Can you encourage your kids to think about is there a club or some type of activity that they can do within their schools to show and create change? In these times, many of us start to feel lonely. How do we reach out to those that might not have someone in their life?”
3. Take care of yourself as a parent or caregiver.
Gilboa said the “first step” a parent or caregiver should take before talking with a child is to make sure their own emotions are in check and that they feel supported too.
“We can’t come to our kids and have the conversation if we’re a wreck,” Gilboa said. “Then, they’re going to feel like they need to take care of us.”
Brymer also suggested parents and caregivers take a “pause” so they can be ready to talk to their kids.
“Sometimes we don’t have the words right away,” Brymer said. “We might need to reach out to our own support systems and have those conversations, and then we can have them with our kids.”
If a child’s stress levels or response to a mass shooting are hard to manage, experts say parents and caregivers shouldn’t hesitate to seek guidance from their pediatrician, a school counselor, social worker or other mental health experts. Parents should also seek out professional mental health help if they are struggling.
4. Keep an eye out for changes in kids’ behaviors.
Psychiatrist and author Dr. Janet Taylor said children may respond to disturbing news about mass shootings in different ways, and parents and caregivers should pay attention to see if their child’s behaviors change.
Children may experience problems focusing, have difficulty sleeping or become more irritable, according to Taylor.
“If you have younger children and they suddenly get more clingy or want to sleep in bed with you, pay attention to that and cuddle them as they need it,” Taylor told “GMA” in 2022, after 21 people were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. “Older kids may become more isolated or feel that they have to solve things by themselves.”
Gilboa said parents and caregivers should also watch for kids who may develop a fear of going to school, who look for reasons to stay home and who withdraw from activities.
“Ask them, ‘Hey, tell me more about what’s going on.’ Don’t just assume it’s because they have a test they don’t want to take or something like that,” Gilboa said. “And make sure that if you’re really worried about them, you’re reaching out to their doctor or to their guidance counselor, their school counselor to get a little bit of extra support for you and for them.”
5. Remember to keep checking in with kids.
Instead of discussing a school shooting only once, Robin Gurwitch, a licensed clinical psychologist and retired Duke University professor, said it’s crucial to continue the conversation over time.
“A one-and-done conversation is not sufficient,” Gurwitch told ABC News in 2018, after 17 students and teachers were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. “Let your child or teenager know that ‘I really do care about you and I am open to having this discussion.’”
Gurwitch added, “It is really important to check back in tomorrow, to check back in the next day, to find out, ‘What are your friends talking about related to this school shooting?’”
6. Offer kids a chance to help.
Gilboa said that helping kids focus on a sense of purpose after tragedy can help protect their mental health.
She said parents and caregivers should ask a child if there is something that they can do together to help, or a way they can make a difference, either on the issue at hand or something else to make the world better.
“That teaches kids that they matter, that their actions matter and they can have positive impact, and mattering improves their mental health,” Gilboa said. “If we have empathy for their feelings, ask them how they’re doing and involve them in making a difference, we’re giving them the best shot we can of having stronger mental health through some unbelievable stressors.”
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers comprehensive resource guides for parents, caregivers and educators to support students. Click here for resources related to school shootings.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
Editor’s note: This report was originally published on March 28, 2023.
Decapitated human remains found in a wooded area near a Nashville Waffle House and McDonald’s have police investigating searching for clues as to what happened.
The discovery was made by a woman who called authorities on Friday morning, according to reports. Police told local station WZTV that the skull was found 100 yards away from the body near a wood line by the restaurants.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) has not identified the victim, and is looking into how long the remains were there.
“Given the heat and the woods and the nature of how this person was found it’s extremely difficult for officers to see and for our CSI team to photograph and capture,” a police spokesperson said, according to the New York Post.
The human remains were located on Friday near the Waffle House and McDonald’s on Dickerson Pike in Nashville, Tennessee, according to reports. (Google Maps)
MNPD did not immediately respond to a Fox News Digital inquiry.
An aerial view of the McDonald’s, Waffle House and wooded area nearby where decapitated skeletal remains were found on Aug. 22, 2025, reports said. (Google Maps)
“It’s pretty gory. That’s crazy. I don’t even know what to say,” local worker Tom Keesee told WSMV.
A human skull and other remains were found Friday, August 22, 2025, near a McDonald’s location in Nashville.(iStock)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Daryl Hall and John Oates have resolved their dispute over a Hall & Oates business partnership through arbitration, reaching a private ending after details of their rift went public in court documents filed in a 2023 lawsuit by Hall against Oates, according to a court filing Monday.
In Monday’s status report, attorneys for Hall noted the case received a final judgment in arbitration and they filed a proposed order for the judge, Nashville Chancellor Russell Perkins, to dismiss the case. In mid-July, Perkins ordered Hall’s attorneys to offer an update in the case, which had last seen a public filing in December 2023.
It’s unclear when the arbitration process was finalized. And details were not revealed about the arbitration outcome between the duo who made music together for more than a half century, including hits in the 1970s and ’80s such as “Maneater,” “Rich Girl” “Kiss on My List” and “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).”
Robb Harvey, an attorney for Hall, declined to comment. Representatives for Oates did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
In 2023 filings in the case, Hall accused Oates of blindsiding and betraying him, saying their relationship and his trust in Oates have deteriorated. Oates replied that he was “deeply hurt” that Hall was making “inflammatory, outlandish, and inaccurate statements” about him.
The judge had paused the sale of Oates’ stake in Whole Oats Enterprises LLP to Primary Wave IP Investment Management LLC. Whole Oats includes valuable Hall & Oates materials such as trademarks, personal name and likeness rights, record royalty income and website and social media assets, a court declaration says.
The dispute went public in November 2023, when Hall filed the lawsuit asking the judge to stop the sale by Oates so private arbitration could begin.
Hall gave a scathing account of their relationship in early November 2023 during arbitration, and it was made public later in the month in the lawsuit. It alleges that Oates and his team engaged in the “ultimate partnership betrayal” by pushing to sell his share while telling Hall’s associates that he wanted to maintain his ownership.
In his own declaration, Oates expressed disappointment with his longtime partner’s words, saying Hall’s accusations that Oates went behind his back and breached their agreement aren’t true. Oates declined to go into specifics, saying he’s obligated to keep details private, even if Hall didn’t.
Last year, Oates told The Associated Press that he’s had “no communication” with Hall and declined to discuss the legal proceedings. He did not see a Hall & Oates reunion in his future.
“I personally don’t see it happening. It’s not in my plans at all. You can ask Daryl Hall what he thinks. But for me personally, no,” he says.
“That ship has gone to the bottom of the ocean,” Hall told the news outlet. “I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life, disappointments, betrayals, so I’m kind of used to it.”
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Maria Sherman in New York contributed to this report.
Ever since we had family move down to Nashville, it has become one of our absolute favourite places to visit. With direct flights from Montreal, we flew down for a week and stayed in a small area just outside the city. From eating our way across town to exploring the incredible Gaylord Opryland Resort, there’s something for everyone in this amazing place, whether you have little ones, a tween (like me), or you’re aiming for more of an adults-only kind of vacation.
The Gaylord Opryland Resort has everything you’d want in a great destination, and you can just stay put! Explore the history of country music in one of the country’s most iconic spots, or dine at more than 20 amazing restaurants on-site (there are options for Italian, Mexican, American, steakhouse, and Southern cuisine, as well as a Jack Daniel’s restaurant, a personal favourite). You can wander around this massive hotel for hours – there are over 50,000 tropical plants spread throughout the hotel’s indoor gardens and atriums, including the Garden Conservatory, the Cascades, and the Delta. The resort’s horticultural displays are considered among the most exquisite in the world, with a wide variety of tropical, international, and Southern species. And then there’s SoundWaves, an upscale, indoor/outdoor water attraction with a variety of water features including waterslides, a lazy river, and both indoor and outdoor pools. We spent an entire day there – there are food and drink options, lots of seating, endless ways to cool off, and even cabanas you can rent.
Nashville’s downtown strip on Broadway, also known as the Honky Tonks, is a great area to explore with the family during the day, and when night falls, it definitely has a more grown-up vibe (that’s wildly fun!). Live music plays all day from the various bars (some of which allow kids in the daytime), there’s amazing food options (like the infamous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken), souvenir shops, boot stores, candy and ice cream, and much more.
History abounds in Nashville too, with various landmarks to check out such as Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, and Belmont Mansion.
For the kids (and kids at heart), there’s definitely no shortage of fun things to do, from go-carting and mini putt to escape rooms, Nashville Zoo, Madame Tussauds, and Adventure Science Centre. The Nashville Farmers Market is always a hit with families.
If the sites don’t win you over, the people will. They ooze friendly southern charm and hospitality, and are super welcoming.
There’s always something to do in beautiful Nashville, and we can’t wait to go back!
WASHINGTON (AP) — Investigators said Wednesday that air traffic controllers cleared an Alaska Airlines jet to take off from Nashville last month after telling pilots of a Southwest Airlines jet to cross the same runway.
Pilots of the Alaska plane aborted their Sept. 12 takeoff at Nashville International Airport, applying the brakes so hard that the tires deflated as they are designed to do when they get too hot.
The National Transportation Safety Board gave a timeline of the incident as part of a brief preliminary report. The agency said it is continuing to investigate the incident. The board usually issues a probable cause for accidents and close calls after lengthy reviews.
There were 176 passengers and crew members on the Alaska jet and 141 on the Southwest plane. No injuries were reported, according to the NTSB.
The agency said it listened to conversations between pilots and controllers and retrieved flight data recorders from both planes. Investigators got the cockpit voice recorder from the Alaska Airlines jet, but the recorder on the Southwest plane was overwritten after the plane took off.
The NTSB said that a controller told the Alaska crew to line up on runway 13 and wait for permission to take off. About a minute later, a controller told the Southwest pilots to cross runway 13 on their way to another runway, and 15 seconds after that, a controller cleared the Alaska plane for takeoff.
The Alaska plane started down the runway before the pilots cut short their takeoff. Fuse plugs deflated on all four tires on the main landing gear, the NTSB said.
Amazon has revealed new technology that it says will help delivery drivers avoid organizing packages at stops or manually check to see if they have the right parcel for each delivery.
The technology – called Vision-Assisted Package Retrieval, or VAPR – is intended to cut down on the time and effort it takes drivers to retrieve packages, Amazon’s retail chief Doug Herrington said at a company event in Nashville on Wednesday.
Amazon expects to put 1,000 delivery vans that contain the technology on the road by early next year.
The company says VAPR essentially works like this: Once an Amazon delivery van arrives at a customer’s location, it will project a green “0” on packages that need to be dropped off, and a red “X” on those that should remain in the van.
The technology will also use audio and visual cues to let drivers know they have found the right package, Amazon said.
The Seattle company has been testing the new feature with its Delivery Service Partners, the businesses that deliver packages across the country for Amazon.
It said early tests have showed the technology helped reduce “perceived physical and mental effort” for drivers and saved them more than 30 minutes per route.
NASHVILLE, Tenn., October 14, 2024 (Newswire.com)
– Country music recording artist and songwriter Monique McCall’s orchestral version of her new original song, “No Better Place,” is in consideration for a Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Solo Performance Category.
“I am honored and elated to announce that my Orchestral version of my new patriotic single, “No Better Place,” is on the Grammy ballot for Best Pop Solo Performance this year for consideration for a Grammy nomination. I am so super proud of this version and the message of this song,” said McCall.
“I was inspired to write this song after performing at a political convention in Washington, DC, where I heard one of our nation’s leaders powerfully remind us that no matter what is happening in our country and around the world, there is truly no better place to live and prosper than the United States,” said McCall. “With my heartfelt thanks to all who have come before us and continue to protect and serve our beautiful nation, I am eternally grateful for their sacrifice for our freedoms and proud to call myself an American,” said McCall.
McCall added, “A special thank you to my team and all who made this rendition possible. A special thank you to Andrew Joslyn for an incredible collaboration.” Joslyn has worked with Macklemore, Kesha, Judy Collins, Leslie Odom Jr., Kygo, ODESZA, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses), The Seattle Symphony, and more.
“Working with Monique McCall on this project was an amazing collaboration. She is a consummate professional and a great talent,” said Andrew Joslyn.
“Destined to become a quintessential patriotic song for the ages, ‘No Better Place’ truly reflects the greatness and beauty of our country,” added Warren Wyatt, President & CEO of the WorldSound Group. “No Better Place” was released by McCall’s label imprint Living & Loving and distributed by WorldSound through Virgin Music Group/UMG – the radio version has over 1 million streams.
“No Better Place is the perfect patriotic song penned in perfect timing for our country to hear from the perfect artist,” said “Mama” Jan Smith, Owner, Jan Smith Studios/Mama’s Music House.
McCall’s previous single, “2nd Chance,” peaked at #21 on The Top 40 New Music Weekly Chart. Co-written and produced by Grammy winner Skidd Mills and Grammy-nominated producer Mama Jan Smith, “2nd Chance” debuted as the soundtrack for the best-selling and seven-time award-winning book Live Like Sean, written by TJ Nelligan.
It’s performed by Monique McCall, written by Monique McCall, Chip Rives, Adrienne Jean Follese & Keith Folles, produced by Nick Brown, and mixed by Mark Needham.
In addition to her music, McCall hosts a successful podcast, “Living & Loving with Monique McCall.” She will soon be a published author with the release of her first children’s book, Before My Eyes, a lullaby picture book with a downloadable songinspired by her eldest daughter. For more information, visit Moniquemccall.com.
Singer Jon Bon Jovi helped bring a woman back off the ledge of a pedestrian bridge in Nashville on Tuesday night, police said, in an incident captured on video.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said on social media Wednesday that the musician and his team helped a woman on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge.
“A shout out to Jon Bon Jovi and his team for helping a woman in Nashville,” the police said in a post on Facebook. “Bon Jovi helped persuade her to come off the ledge over the Cumberland River to safety.”
A shout out to Jon Bon Jovi and his team for helping a woman in #Nashville on the Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge Tuesday…
The rocker behind hits like “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive” was on the pedestrian bridge filming a music video when he saw the woman holding on to the railing over the river, according to a source close to Bon Jovi.
In a security camera video taken on the bridge, shared by police but later taken down from YouTube, the woman is seen holding on to the railing. Then Bon Jovi and a woman with the film crew slowly approach her as the rest of the crew stands back. After a brief conversation, Bon Jovi and his colleague help pull the woman back over the railing to safety. A portion of the video can be seen in reporting from CBS Nashville affiliate WFTV.
Bon Jovi, a 2018 inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, is also involved in the work of his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, which focuses on assisting people struggling with poverty, hunger and homelessness.
Bon Jovi the band has sold over 120 million albums and performed more than 2,600 concerts around the world, according to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The Grammy Award-winning band released its 16th studio album, “Forever,” earlier this year.
Elias Lopez is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. He covers a variety of news events and works with reporters on developing stories in politics, international news and more.
Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump walks off stage after speaking at a campaign rally at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on July 20, 2024.
Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images
NASHVILLE — Former President Donald Trump said that if he were returned to the White House, he would ensure that the federal government never sells off its bitcoin holdings. But he stopped short of proposing a formal federal reserve of digital currency.
“For too long our government has violated the cardinal rule that every bitcoiner knows by heart: Never sell your bitcoin,” Trump said during his keynote speech at this year’s Bitcoin Conference in Nashville, the biggest bitcoin conference of the year.
The former president’s remarks cameas the race to capture the votes and the campaign cash of America’s frontline fintech adopters takes center stage in the 2024 presidential contest.
“This afternoon I’m laying out my plan to ensure that the United States will be the crypto capital of the planet and the bitcoin superpower of the world and we’ll get it done,” Trump said.
But Trump’s pledge to simply maintain the U.S. government’s current bitcoin holdings was a less radical pitch to the crypto crowd relative to other proposals at the conference.
Third-party candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for instance, during his Friday Bitcoin Conference speech promised to launch a reserve of 4 million bitcoin, starting with the bitcoin holdings that the U.S. government already has stockpiled from criminal seizures. Kennedy said he would mandate the government purchase 550 bitcoin a day until the reserve reached 4 million.
Shortly after Trump’s speech, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wy., read out her own legislative proposal to amass an official U.S. federal reserve of 1 million bitcoin over five years.
“It will be held for a minimum of 20 years and can be used for one purpose: Reduce our debt,” Lummis said.
The price of bitcoin briefly dipped during Trump’s speech, but recovered and was up slightly for the day, as of 5:15 p.m. E.T.
Throughout his remarks, the former president worked to draw contrasts between the Republican Party’s growing embrace of crypto versus the hardline regulatory approach that has characterized the Biden administration.
“The Biden-Harris administration’s repression of crypto and bitcoin is wrong and it’s very bad for our country,” Trump said. “Let me tell you if they win this election, every one of you will be gone. They will be vicious. They will be ruthless. They will do things that you wouldn’t believe.”
Trump went on to list a series of crypto-friendly promises to a crowd of cheering bitcoin supporters, promising to dismantle what he called the “anti-crypto crusade” of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
“On day one, I will fire Gary Gensler,” Trump said, referencing the Biden-appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission who has taken an aggressive approach to crypto regulation.
The president does not have the power to fire appointed commissioners. Even if Trump were to appoint a new SEC chairman, Gensler would remain a commissioner on the independent agency.
The former president also pledged to create a “bitcoin and crypto presidential advisory council.”
“The rules will be written by people who love your industry, not hate your industry,” Trump said.
The Republican presidential nominee also held an accompanying fundraiser in Nashville, with tickets topping out at $844,600. In June, BTC Inc. CEO David Bailey, who organized the conference, pledged to raise $100 million and turn out more than 5,000,000 voters for the Trump re-election effort, as the bitcoin sector increasingly turns to the Trump camp for support.
Trump taking the main stage to directly address the bitcoin community is the latest in a months-long campaign to appeal to the crypto contingent, including accepting donations in virtual tokens, pledging to end President Joe Biden’s “war on crypto,” and advocating that all future bitcoin be made in America. It is also quite the about-face by the Republican presidential nominee.
Trump very publicly dismissed bitcoin when he was in the White House. In July 2019, he said he was “not a fan” of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. He said that tokens aren’t money, that their value was “based on thin air,” and warned that unregulated crypto assets could help facilitate the drug trade, among “other illegal activity.”
“Bitcoin just seems like a scam,” he told Fox in a phone interview in 2021. “I don’t like it because it’s another currency competing against the dollar.”
“I want the dollar to be the currency of the world, that’s what I’ve always said,” continued Trump in his conversation with Fox.
But five years, a lost presidential election, and millions of dollars from the crypto lobby later, the Republican presidential nominee sung the praises of the digital currency at the biggest bitcoin conference of the year in Nashville, which kicked off on Thursday.
“Bitcoin stands for freedom, sovereignty and independence from government coercion and control,” Trump said during his keynote speech.
Trump’s shift on bitcoin comes as the Republican Party pledges to lift the red tape of the Biden-Harris administration, working to turn crypto regulation into a voting issue for November, especially as inflation consistently ranks as a top voter priority in polls.
As crypto lobbyists and supporters become more of a presence in Washington, it raises questions on whether the Democratic Party will dig into the hardline regulatory approach of the past several years or ease its position.
“Every presidential candidate needs to understand, digital asset, pro-innovation voters are here to stay,” Democratic Rep. Wiley Nickel of North Carolina told CNBC in an interview, adding that crypto regulation should not become a “partisan political football.”
“I want to keep this as a bipartisan issue. I don’t want Donald Trump to politicize this issue,” Rep. Nickel said.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Ca., echoed Rep. Nickel’s sentiment, saying that crypto should not turn into a partisan talking point but will require regulation like any technology.
“I don’t really see why it’s partisan. Being against bitcoin is like being against cell phones. It’s like being against AI. It’s like being against laptops,” Khanna told CNBC. “It’s a technology. Have thoughtful regulation on the technology, but it’s a technology that has appreciated from about $10,000 to $80,000.”
Reps. Khanna and Nickel were two of the only Democrats to attend the Bitcoin Conference.
Bitcoin 2024 conference organizers say they were briefly in talks to have Vice President Kamala Harris appear at the conference, though she ultimately declined. But billionaire businessman Mark Cuban posted on X that the Harris campaign had reached out with questions about crypto, so it appears the vice president is looking into this space and potentially figuring out where her policies, if elected president, could land.
“I think we’re going to hear from Vice President Harris soon on this. And I’m very optimistic we’re gonna get a reset. And that I think, will matter in a major way,” Rep. Nickel said. “This issue isn’t going anywhere. And we’ve got to make sure we continue to embrace this in bipartisan way.”
Harris’ team has already begun to reach out to people close to crypto companies to set up meetings, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.
The recent thaw in Trump’s sentiment for the digital asset space has coincided with a sudden influx of interest and cash from the country’s top tech talent.
He has raised more than $4 million in a mix of cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, ether, the U.S. dollar pegged stablecoin USDC, and various memecoins, with contributors hailing from 12 states, including a few battlegrounds.
Crypto billionaire twins and venture investors Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss led the charge, each contributing 15.57 bitcoin, or just over $1 million at the time of their donation, according to a filing with the Federal Election Commission — though they received a partial refund, because contributions surpassed the $844,600 limit.
There are a number of other venture capitalists who are pro-crypto, and they’ve pledged millions to the Trump campaign, as well.
Venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz told employees of Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) that they plan to make significant donations to political action committees supporting Trump’s campaign. The partners of Sequoia Capital are backing Trump, as is venture investor David Sacks, who helped the former president raise $12 million at a fundraiser he hosted in his San Francisco home. The chief legal officers for centralized crypto exchange Coinbase and blockchain giant Ripple were both there.
These members of the tech elite are also heavily contributing to pro-crypto super PACs like Fairshake, which has raised more than $200 million dollars to elect pro-crypto candidates up and down the ballot, and on both sides of the aisle.
But reporting from NBC News finds that the vice president’s team is looking to win over support from some of big tech’s undecided donors, many of whom remained on the sidelines while President Joe Biden remained in the race. Their tune may be changing now that the vice president is the de facto nominee for the party.
It helps that Harris has a long track record in California.
She has been fundraising in the tech community for years, including from those working at Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft and Apple.
“The pivot that has occurred in the last three days is dramatic,” Steve Westly, a venture capitalist and one-time gubernatorial candidate for California, told NBC News. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a surge of enthusiasm in any campaign I’ve been involved with.”
This comes as Trump’s running mate for vice president, JD Vance, is set to hold a fundraiser of his own in Palo Alto on Monday.
— CNBC’s Rebecca Picciotto contributed to this report.
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attends a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., June 22, 2024.
Shannon Stapleton | Reuters
Former President Donald Trump will headline a campaign fundraiser in Nashville on the sidelines of the Bitcoin Conference, where the top ticket is going for $844,600 per person.
According to an invitation shared with CNBC, the July 27 event will coincide with Trump’s expected keynote speech at the conference, the country’s biggest gathering of cryptocurrency fans.
The top-tier tickets, which include a seat at a roundtable with Trump, are priced at the maximum donation amount permitted for individuals to give to Trump and the Republican party’s largest joint fundraising committee, known as the Trump 47 Committee.
A next level down includes a photo with the former president at $60,000 per person or $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation.
Trump signed on to headline the Music City Center gathering shortly before he survived an attempted assassination on July 13.
A spokesman for the Trump campaign did not respond to a request for comment on his Nashville appearances.
In recent months, Trump has positioned himself as the pro-crypto candidate for president, a reversal from his previous stance during his time in the White House.
In April, Trump launched his latest non-fungible token collection on the solana blockchain in April and has been making increasingly bullish comments on crypto since then.
The Trump campaign team is accepting digital currency donations, and he has personally pledged to defend the rights of those who choose to self-custody their coins, meaning that they don’t rely on a centralized entity like Coinbase to hold their tokens and instead, do it themselves in personal crypto wallets, which are sometimes outside the reach of the Internal Revenue Service.
Trump also vowed at the Libertarian National Convention in Washington in May to keep Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and “her goons” away from bitcoin holders.
Meanwhile, following a meeting at Mar-a-Lago with about a dozen bitcoin mining executives who pledged cash and votes to him, Trump declared that all future bitcoin will be minted in the U.S., should he return to the White House.
On Monday, the Republican presidential nominee named Ohio Senator JD Vance as his running mate — a move viewed by many as a net win for the crypto sector. Vance has advocated for looser regulation of crypto and disclosed in 2022 that he personally holds bitcoin.
It comes in stark contrast to the Biden White House, which has taken a consistently skeptical approach to crypto regulation. Under Biden, the Securities and Exchange Commission has dialed up actions on the sector.
In the absence of hard-and-fast rules from Congress, the U.S. has proven to be one of the most active enforcers of penalties and legal challenges against crypto companies.
Read more about tech and crypto from CNBC Pro
This election cycle, the crypto contingent has become a key pipeline for cash — and votes.
One day after Trump named Vance to his ticket, venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz told employees of Andreessen Horowitz that they plan to make significant donations to political action committees supporting Trump’s campaign.
“They’re losing almost all these lawsuits, but the problem is that when you’re a startup, you don’t have the money to fight the U.S. government. And so they’re kind of nuking the industry in that way,” he said.
Fairshake, a super PAC backed by crypto’s top companies is now one of the top-spending PACs in this election cycle. Of the $160 million in total contributions it has raised, 94% can be traced back to just four companies: Ripple, Andreesen Horowitz, Coinbase and Jump Crypto.
Kristin Cavallari had a reality TV reunion with her old Laguna Beach co-stars! And she introduced them to her new BF!
On Monday, the 37-year-old took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos of worlds colliding — her old reality crew, and her current boy toy Mark Estes! The first picture of the bunch showed off the happy group, including Kristin and Mark, Jason Wahler, his wife Ashley, as well as Alex Hooser — who now goes by Lauren, Alex Murrel, and Jessica Smith. She went on to share looks at her weekend in Nashville with the girls and her love.
She also shared pics with The Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe and Mark’s TikTok group the Montana Boyz. She captioned the post:
“When all the worlds collide”
See (below):
Wow!
Mark is clearly being super cool around the classic reality stars. But then again, he likely never saw the show… as he was 4 years old when it was on. Just sayin’!
Everyone seemed to have a blast. In the comments, Jason gushed over their night, writing:
“Let’s go!!! Love when we all get together!!”
Lauren added:
“Best weekend ever”
Fans also loved the reunion, writing things like:
“Love seeing you all together!”
“That first pic is CHAOS!”
“Cannot wait for the podcast episode about this”
“The best of the bests”
“Obsessed”
What are YOUR reactions to these worlds colliding, Perezcious readers?? Let us know down in the comments!
“I think in Game 1, we didn’t give him a lot of chances to make quality saves,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson told me before Colorado and Georgie wiped out the Whiteoot in Winnipeg with a 6-3 victory late Tuesday. “I felt like a lot of (shots) were going in from the backside or (to) his right, which is tough.
“And then that can rattle your confidence a little bit. But he’s stepped up and just playing like how he can.”
He grounded the Jets for four straight games. He won twice in Manitoba. He rose to the moment. He blocked out the jeers. He stiffed the haters.
Forgive me, Georgie.
This is how Lord Stanley comes home.
Down 3-1 in a best-of-seven series Tuesday, Winnipeg threw everything at the crease that wasn’t nailed down. The Jets blistered Georgiev with 19 shots in the second period alone. They came away with one goal to show for it.
Game 1: Seven goals against. Games 2-5: Eight goals. Combined.
Forgive me, Georgie.
This is starting to look familiar.
Remember that opening-round whupping of Nashville two years ago? The one where the Avs outscored the Predators 21-9 in four games? The one that got Colorado’s Stanley Cup party train off the platform and rolling toward Union Station?
As first impressions go, this series victory was the more impressive of the two.
Winnipeg had home ice. Winnipeg had momentum. Winnipeg had mojo. Winnipeg had arguably the top team defense in the NHL. Winnipeg had the best goaltender in the Western Conference. The ’22 Preds were forced to roll out rookie backup Connor Ingram to defend the net, effectively ending that fight before it ever really got started.
The Stanley Cup champs two years ago averaged 5.25 goals in smashing Smashville. Against Connor Hellebuyck, the Vezina Trophy finalist who’d shut them out on April 13 at Ball Arena, they averaged 5.6 goals per game.
Forgive me, Georgie.
This stuff is historic.
The Avs became just the fourth team in NHL history to notch at least five goals in the first five games of a series. The Jets became the first club to ever allow five or more games in each of their opening five playoff tilts.
Cynics will cite the bloody cut last week that knocked Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon out of the series. They’ll point to the nasty shot that Winnipeg center Vladislav Namestnikov took to the head, shelving him for Game 5.
Yet they were both good to go in Game 1. The Avs scored six.
They looked fine in Game 2 and Game 3. The Avs scored five. Then six again.
Forgive me, Georgie.
This is deep.
Every line brought the heat. And a mean streak. Precedent says Colorado’s Stanley Cup run will probably go as far as the bottom-six forwards can carry it. If Tuesday was any harbinger of what’s to come, best find a comfy chair.
About five-and-a-half minutes into the second period, the score tied at 1-all, fourth-line center Yakov Trenin put down a marker and laid down the law. Trenin was one of GM Chris MacFarland’s under-the-radar deadline pickups, a banger from Nashville, a 6-foot-2 grinder who got swept away by the Avs two years ago.
The Russian pretty much single-handedly badgered his way from behind the net to the corner of Hellebuyck’s left eye, out-hustling at least two Jets defenders to a loose puck, staying with the play through contact, and whipping the biscuit past Bucky for a 2-1 Colorado lead.
Forgive me, Georgie.
This is how you flip the script.
Steel between the ears.
Stone between the pipes.
“Have you ever seen a guy flip a switch in just a few days the way Georgiev has?” a reporter asked Manson after Game 4.
He pondered for a second.
“I don’t think so.” Manson replied. “I think that’s a really tough job for goalies to have to do that. And kudos to him.”
DETROIT — 275,000 fans packed the area around Campus Martius Park in downtown Detroit for night one of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Atlanta Voice was there for the record-breaking moment and more.
By 6:30 PM, the crowd rivaled the scene in Nashville from 2019. More than 200,000 people crowded Broadway for the NFL Draft on night one. It was the last draft held before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I heard there’s close to 150,000 (people) already outside, waiting to get in,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said.
At the end of Day Two of the NFL Draft, Goodell said that 230,000 people are there for night two. Plus, that Detroit is only 100,000 people away from breaking the all-time NFL Draft attendance record. Nashville drew 600,000 fans over the three days of the NFL draft in 2019.
It was also a great night in the television ratings department. The NFL reported Round 1 coverage of the 2024 NFL Draft was seen by audience of 12.1 million people. The number combines viewers on linear and streaming platforms. The event was broadcast on ESPN, NFL Network, ABC, and ESPN Deportes. Ratings are up 6% compared to Round 1 of the 2023 NFL Draft (11.4 million). It was the highest Round 1 viewership since 2021.
Marvin Harrison, Jr., speaks to reporters after being selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 4th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
Detroit is bouncing back
It was an opportunity that Detroit and the state of Michigan could not pass up. The last time Detroit hosted an event of this magnitude was Super Bowl XL in 2006. Visit Detroit VP Claude Molinari estimated Wednesday the economic impacts in the Motor City could be north of 175 million to $200 million during the weekend.
Friday, Goodell admitted on The Pat McAfee Show there are cities seeking to host the NFL’s springtime football festival. However, Michiganders knew this was the opportunity to show up and let America know Detroit is a proud city and is making a comeback.
“I think the exciting thing about hosting the NFL, and the Lions in particular, is they really are emblematic of who we are. We’ve been knocked down, but we get back up,” Whitmer said. “And we get back up stronger than ever.”
Next year, the NFL draft will move to Green Bay. Initial expectations are attendance will rival what was seen in Nashville and Detroit, respectively.
Quarterback Caleb Williams speaks to reporters after being selected by the Chicago Bears with the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25, 2024. (Photo: Itoro N. Umontuen/The Atlanta Voice)
After a deadly school shooting tragedy in Nashville in March of 2023 that took six lives, the Tennessee House is looking at passing a bill that would let teachers carry a concealed gun this week.
Staff members in both private and public schools would be allowed carry if they take part in a 40-hour training session and then get a stamp of approval by authorities.
But surprisingly, some teachers and mothers want to stop this bill. One specific teacher’s arguments against the bill are going viral for being utter nonsense.
Watch:
Nashville Covenant school teaches speaks against bill to arm teachers:
“I simply cannot imagine how I could have pulled out a gun with 10 children under foot and in my arms. I think of all the terrible things that could have gone wrong had I had a gun.” pic.twitter.com/usS0HbeBVg
School Mothers Against Teachers Using Concealed Carry
Tennessee’s WSMV 4 reports, “On Monday, Melissa Alexander came to the Cordell Hull Building with her son, a Covenant School student, for a press conference about the bill. ‘My son is sitting right here because he was protected by his teacher that day,’ she pointed out. She, along with Mary Joyce, was there to advocate not only as parents but also for educators.”
They read a statement from a Covenant School teacher to try and stop the bill.
“I simply cannot imagine how I could have pulled out a gun with 10 children underfoot and in my arms,” Alexander read from the statement.
The words are from a preschool teacher who watched over 13 students in a small closet the day of the shooting.
“As we heard shots over and over, we worked to comfort the frightened children,” read Alexander.
According to the moms, they believe teachers should stay with the students to help calm them down in the event of such an emergency.
“It is only because of their teacher that the students remained quiet and watched the shooter’s feet walk right past the door,” said Alexander.
Bogus Argument?
“What if she hadn’t been there to help the children and went after the shooter?” she added.
Joyce worried that the legislation did not address if parents and most staff would even know if a teacher was armed until an emergency happened.
“With no time to prepare they would watch their teacher run off down the hallway while they had to lock their door, pull down the shade, take shelter in the hard corner of the classroom and stay quiet and calm without any supervision,” said Joyce.
The arguments seem to claim that armed teachers must all “run off after” a gunman, which seems like a strawman. An armed teacher would stay put where they are, in the event a shooter entered their classroom. As exactly what happened during the Covenant shooting.
No one is calling for teachers to stack up and go on search and destroy missions. They’re just calling for a teacher to have a firearm in the event a shooter is at the door.
What “terrible things” would have gone wrong if that teacher was holding a pistol while calming her students?
The horrible, honest question is, “What would have happened if the shooter entered her classroom and she was unarmed, as happened in other classrooms?”
Sadly, we have too many examples to list to know the answer to that question.
While you don’t quite need a six-figure salary, it comes close.
Nashville, TN, is not just the Music City; it’s also home to a thriving real estate market that’s seen significant growth in recent years. For many, buying a home in Nashville is a dream come true, but it’s also important to know how it will impact your finances. From down payments to monthly mortgage payments, there’s a lot to understand before buying your first home
So whether you already live in Music City or are looking to relocate to the area, here’s a breakdown of the income you’ll need to purchase your first home in Nashville.
How much income do you need to buy a starter home in Nashville?
The median sale price of a starter home in Nashville is $315,000. In order to afford this, first-time homebuyers in Nashville should make $98,314 per year, up 7% from 2023. However, the median income in Nashville is $91,252, meaningthe typical resident often can’t afford a starter home.
As expected, starter homes in Nashville are much more affordable than the average home (all price brackets combined; see methodology for details). In order to afford any median-priced home in the area, you’ll need to make $124,095 (as of October 2023).
Nationwide, you need an income of $75,849 to afford a typical starter home, which costs an average of $240,000. The average U.S. household earns an estimated $84,072.
First-time homebuyers’ guide to the Nashville housing market
Nashville has seen tremendous growth recently – especially since the pandemic – as people have been looking for sunshine and affordability. In fact, the city has been among the most popular migration destinations since 2021. This influx has boosted house prices by nearly 30% since January 2021, from $335,000 to $475,000 in April 2024.
The city is home to many world-class amenities located throughout its diverse neighborhoods. Some popular neighborhoods in Nashville include East Nashville, Germantown, and Midtown. From the Parthenon and the Grand Ole Opry to Music Row and the Ryman Auditorium, there are so many great reasons to call Nashville home.
What does a typical down payment look like for a starter home in Nashville?
Here are some common down payment amounts for a typical $315,000 starter home in Nashville:
Down payment percentage
Down payment amount
3% down payment
$9,450
3.5% down payment
$11,025
5% down payment
$15,750
10% down payment
$31,500
15% down payment
$47,250
20% down payment
$63,000
Down payments can range from 0% to 100% of the total house price, depending on your budget, loan type, and long-term priorities. While experts have historically recommended budgeting for a 20% down payment, the increasing cost of homes and continued sluggish wage increases has led to a 15% down payment becoming more common.
Some loan types allow for lower down payment amounts. For example, a Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan requires just 3.5% down, while the lowest possible down payment for a conventional loan is 3%. These amounts typically depend on your credit scores, so buyers with higher credit scores may qualify for lower down payments.
What is the typical mortgage payment for a starter home in Nashville?
The typical monthly mortgage payment for a starter home in Nashville is $2,458. This assumes you put 3.5% down and have around a 7% interest rate.
If this payment sounds too high, you could consider renting an apartment in Nashville. The average rent price is $1,923, possibly making it a better option while you save for a down payment on a house. You can also use an affordability calculator to see what you can afford based on your income and down payment.
What should you do next?
If you’re in the market for your first home in Nashville, it’s important to understand how much house you can afford. Take your annual income, credit score, the current mortgage rates, and local market trends to make a decision that works best for you.
From there, a Nashville agent can help you navigate the entire home buying process and provide valuable local expertise. To learn more about how to buy a home, check out Redfin’s First-Time Homebuyer’s Guide.
Methodology
Redfin defines “starter homes” as homes whose sale price fell into the 5th-35th percentile of the Redfin Estimate tier. For context, Redfin divides all U.S. properties into five buckets based on Redfin Estimates of homes’ market values. There are three equal-sized tiers, as well as tiers for the bottom 5% and top 5% of the market.
We calculated the annual income needed to afford a starter home by assuming a buyer spends no more than 30% of their income on housing payments. Housing payments are calculated assuming the buyer made a 3.5% down payment and also take a month’s median sale price and average mortgage-interest rate into account.
The national income data is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. 2024 income is estimated based on projections from the U.S. Census Bureau’s (ACS) 2022 median household income using the 12-month moving average nominal wage growth rate. The rate was compiled from the Current Population Survey and reported by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
We assume housing payments include the mortgage principal, interest, property taxes, homeowners insurance, and mortgage insurance (when applicable).
All data sourced February 2024 unless otherwise stated.
One year after Tennessee school shooting, thousands join hands to honor victims of gun violence
Updated: 8:37 PM EDT Mar 27, 2024
In Nashville, one year after a shooting at a private school took six lives, thousands came together to honor victims of gun violence and provide a visible demonstration in support of reform.As of early Wednesday, about 13,000 people were expected to form a four-mile human chain beginning at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where some of the victims of the shooting were taken a year ago. It will lead to the state Capitol.The nonprofit Voices for a Safer Tennessee was organizing the event to honor the victims of The Covenant School shooting, including three 9-year-old children, and the hundreds of other lives lost to gun violence in the last year, a national crisis showing few signs of slowing down.A 17-year-old gunman killed a sixth-grade student and wounded five others this January at an Iowa high school. Shootings at birthday parties, graduations, parades and more have contributed to gun violence being the top killer of children in the U.S.There have been 83 mass shootings across the nation this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.Formed in the days following the school shooting, the nonprofit organized its inaugural human chain – more than 10,000 people and three miles long – a year ago to advocate for common sense gun laws. The group has since advocated for legislation aimed at strengthening background checks, requiring secure storage for firearms and allowing the temporary transfer of firearms away from people who pose an imminent risk of danger.The Covenant School shootingLast March, a former student broke into the private Christian school and began shooting with an assault-style rifle.The victims included three 9-year-old students, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. Head of the school, Katherine Koonce, 60; custodian and father of seven Mike Hill, 61; and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, were also killed.The shooter, Audrey Hale, 28, was gunned down by police. Authorities believe the six victims were shot randomly.Related video below: Should you talk about school shootings with your kids? An expert weighed in after the shooting at The Covenant SchoolHale left behind writings about the planned attack, which have been the center of a heated legal battle between those who want the writings released as evidence and victims’ parents, who said releasing the writings would contribute to further trauma.Images of the shooter’s writings were released online by a conservative political commentator in November. Police said they have exhausted all avenues in their effort to track down those responsible for the leak.
As of early Wednesday, about 13,000 people were expected to form a four-mile human chain beginning at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where some of the victims of the shooting were taken a year ago. It will lead to the state Capitol.
The nonprofit Voices for a Safer Tennessee was organizing the event to honor the victims of The Covenant School shooting, including three 9-year-old children, and the hundreds of other lives lost to gun violence in the last year, a national crisis showing few signs of slowing down.
A 17-year-old gunman killed a sixth-grade student and wounded five others this January at an Iowa high school. Shootings at birthday parties, graduations, parades and more have contributed to gun violence being the top killer of children in the U.S.
There have been 83 mass shootings across the nation this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.
Formed in the days following the school shooting, the nonprofit organized its inaugural human chain – more than 10,000 people and three miles long – a year ago to advocate for common sense gun laws.
The group has since advocated for legislation aimed at strengthening background checks, requiring secure storage for firearms and allowing the temporary transfer of firearms away from people who pose an imminent risk of danger.
The victims included three 9-year-old students, Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney. Head of the school, Katherine Koonce, 60; custodian and father of seven Mike Hill, 61; and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, 61, were also killed.
The shooter, Audrey Hale, 28, was gunned down by police. Authorities believe the six victims were shot randomly.
Related video below: Should you talk about school shootings with your kids? An expert weighed in after the shooting at The Covenant School
Hale left behind writings about the planned attack, which have been the center of a heated legal battle between those who want the writings released as evidence and victims’ parents, who said releasing the writings would contribute to further trauma.
Images of the shooter’s writings were released online by a conservative political commentator in November. Police said they have exhausted all avenues in their effort to track down those responsible for the leak.
Nashville police say they have found missing college student Riley Strain’s debit card on an embankment of the Cumberland River. The 22-year-old was visiting Nashville from Missouri on March 8 when he got kicked out of a bar with his friends and he hasn’t been seen since. CBS News’ Janet Shamlian reports.
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A former college football star is under arrest and charged with murdering his girlfriend and their unborn child with poison.
Blaise Taylor had a stellar career as a defensive back playing major college football at Arkansas State University before graduating in 2017. Then the 27-year-old rose through the coaching ranks, as he was hired for pro scouting and defensive analyst positions with the NFL‘s Tennessee Titans and Utah State University. And a few weeks ago, he was hired by college football powerhouse Texas A&M University, per ESPN.
But that’s all over now. According to multiple media reports, the former standout defensive back was arrested in Utah by US Marshals on Thursday night. He’s charged with poisoning girlfriend Jade Benning and her unborn fetus in an incident that occurred in late February of last year at her Nashville apartment. Taylor had been working as a scout for the Titans at the time; after Jade’s death, he took the Utah State job and spent this past season with that school’s team.
While Taylor was in Utah for the past year, cops in Nashville were hard at work investigating Jade’s untimely death. The tragedy unfolded on the night of February 25, 2023. Per arrest records, Taylor was visiting Benning, who was five months pregnant, in her Nashville-area apartment that evening. Just after 9:30 p.m. local time, he called 911 and informed dispatchers that Benning was having what appeared to be an allergic reaction to something.
Paramedics rushed to the scene and immediately transported Benning to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in critical condition. However, she fell into unconsciousness before she could speak with EMTs or responding police officers. Two days later, her baby — who is believed to have been fathered by Taylor, per WSMV News — died in utero. Then a little more than a week after that, on March 6 — which also happened to be Benning’s 25th birthday — she succumbed to the effects of the poisoning, too.
At the time, though, authorities weren’t sure it was a poisoning yet. Taylor was not arrested, and Benning’s death was initially thought to be an allergic reaction or some other medical issue. That detectives were never able to interview her before she died made things even more complicated. Soon thereafter, Taylor left the Titans, moved out of Nashville, and took a job with Utah State’s football program as a senior defensive analyst for this past season.
But Benning’s story didn’t end there. Per WSMV News, the Metro Nashville Police Department assigned Homicide Unit Detective Adam Reese to look deeper into the case. While working alongside medical examiners and doctors from the coroner’s office, Reese was able to uncover evidence that suggested Benning was poisoned. The indictment against Taylor alleges he poisoned Benning and her unborn baby without her knowledge on the night of February 25 prior to calling paramedics.
Now, instead of going to work alongside his dad Trooper Taylor, the associate head coach at Texas A&M, Blaise is facing justice. He has officially been charged with two counts of first-degree murder — one for Benning and another for her unborn baby. Per the US Sun, Nashville cops are working with the US Marshals and authorities in Utah to have Taylor extradited back to Tennessee.
