TheVoiceOfJoyce Nashville wasn’t given all their Federal Money and they sued and now money is trickling in without conditions. Not all of it? They’re also testing making fresh food in school cafeterias. Fresh food would be tasty and nutritious.

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You power public media. Keep local reporting strong.Donate todayMonday, September 14, 2026Good morning! Catherine SweeneyNashville and the Trump Administration are fighting.

They have been at it since President Donald Trump took office last January. 

It’s all been over money. The administration went on a spree canceling federal grants. It then started attaching new conditions to money that had already been promised.

Metro’s legal department filed its first lawsuit in March of 2025. As of a few weeks ago, Metro is up to seven ongoing funding lawsuits.

WPLN’s Metro reporter, Cynthia Abrams, has covered each of these diligently. And she just did a round-up story, examining each and explaining the underlying trends. That came in a quote from Metro’s legal director, Tyler Yarbro.

“I cannot presume to know why the Trump administration continues to engage in the types of behavior that courts have repeatedly said is unconstitutional,” she said. “Of course, it seems like a broader tactic to impose its political agenda on every state and city across the country.“

This kind of ongoing, thorough, stick-with-it coverage is what Cynthia is best at. And sadly, this will be one of the last NashVillager newsletters to highlight her work. Cynthia is going on to new adventures as she leaves this week and starts a new chapter.

WHAT TO KNOW

The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Markwayne Mullin, is facing legal challenges in two of the seven lawsuits Nashville has filed against the Trump administration.
Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson / APThe first lawsuit was filed in March 2025. Metro was one of several governments that filed together, but Nashville’s portion focused on $14 million in canceled local transit funding. It was slated to, among other things, help the city install more electric vehicle chargers and bike lanes.

Since then, Metro has fought for:

💸 $6 million in public health funding, which Nashville was using for measles vaccine clinics, homelessness services, and the county’s public health lab

💸 $53 million in housing, transportation and health grants that were canceled over DEI language

💸 $1.5 million in grants to support fire department staffing, port and transit security, counterterrorism preparedness and hazard mitigation projects, also canceled over DEI language

💸 $11 million in grants to help secure housing for people with substance use disorder. The Administration wanted to change the program so it required sobriety before participants can get housing. That goes against the “housing first” philosophy, which argues it’s harder to get sober without stable housing. Metro filed a separate lawsuit for the next year’s funding in the same program.

💸 A variable amount of money for counter-terrorism programming. The Trump Administration made the money contingent on governments adopting controversial election security policies, which critics say would, among other things, target and intimidate legal immigrants. Nashville plans to use the money on things like armored vehicle and ballistic vests for its SWAT team; protective gear and bomb-sniffing dogs for its bomb squad; detectors for chemical/biological weapons; infrared technology for heat signatures to help search for people; an advanced cradle for helicopter rescues.

Thus far, the cases have seen some success, Cynthia writes. Metro has been able to recoup more than $50 million, with more on the way (Nashville’s Metro Council is set to consider a portion of a previously suspended grant this coming week). Preliminary injunctions have been widely granted, allowing for some dollars to come through, as well as pausing some of the new conditions attached to the grants. But preliminary injunctions aren’t definitive — many of the cases are still waiting for final rulings.
Dive into the full story

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On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast 
with host Nina Cardona 🎙️ 

Even if it becomes Dolly Parton International, Nashville’s airport will still be BNA. It’s a mixed nomenclature that hints at a long history. Plus the local news for September 14, 2026, and checking in on Nashville’s lawsuits with the federal government.

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MORE TO KNOW

  • BNA is one step closer to carrying Dolly Parton’s name. The airport authority board unanimously voted to get the re-naming process underway the facility. Officials say it’s a “first step in a multifaceted process,” and that they’ll have more details in the coming months. While they’re working to incorporate Parton’s name and legacy, they say they haven’t yet settled on exactly what the airport’s new name will be. [WPLN]
     
  • In more BNA news, Starbucks executives are considering an $18 million jet hangar project. It’s part of the company’s efforts to build a second corporate headquarters in Nashville, the Business Journalreports. That site is expected to employ 2,000 people. The state awarded Starbucks $30 million in economic development grants for the project.
     
  • Students in a Middle Tennessee school district will soon be eating lunches made from scratch. Franklin Special School District is planning to provide professional training and new equipment for its cafeteria staff so they can prepare school lunches with fresh ingredients. The Tennessean reports it’s the first school district in the state to install Firex automated electric tilting braising pans in every school kitchen. The equipment allows employees to cook large quantities of food without sacrificing quality and consistency. 

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