Inside Politics - NewsChannel 5 Plus Nashville

Randy McNally, 82 Year old and Lieutenant Governor will not seek re-election to his Senate seat. McNally compares today's political divide as Democrat vs. Republican while early 80's were mostly rural vs. urban. He believes bridging the gap requires reaching across the aisle. "One of the most important things I learned early in my political career was when I was in the house and running... I went door to door and found people were more interested in what they had to say to me than what I had to say to them...so to be able to listen to different people and a lot of times you found common ground in doing that. Also treat people with respect and when you can, help them. Just because they have a "D" or an "R" after their name or urban or rural or whatever, it doesn't matter, if you can help them with an issue, try to help them. " McNally also recounted his role in "Operation Rocky Top" an FBI covert corruption and bribery investigation involving lobbyists and elected officials. NewsChannel 5+ can be seen on Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn has gathered interviews and signatures from 400 families who allege that the Tennessee Department of Child Services (DCS) is systematically negligent and failures of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when caring for children in state custody. She has now filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Behn argues that DCS needs a complete overhaul. "I want to give a lot of credit to the legislators who have perennially filed legislation to hold them accountable for their negligence. But we are at a tipping point. Because I ran for Congress, I became a person that a lot of Tennesseans decided to reach out to because perhaps they looked at me as a fighter. Throughout the past few months, we collected dozens of testimonials from families alleging systematic negligence, and structural displacement of kids with disabilities, which we know is a federal issue. And these families felt like they have not been heard — not been heard by their state legislators or by their local leaders, so I decided as an organizer to move forward with the process of filing this complaint with the Department of Justice." Behn is also looking ahead politically — she plans to run again for State Representative in District 51. During this legislative session, she continues to champion her “Pot for Potholes” proposal and promote “Homes Not Hedge Funds,” following recent policy shifts: President Trump signed executive orders downgrading marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III and imposing stricter limits on private equity firms, barring them from owning more than 100 single-family homes. NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted.  See the video on our website at: https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/inside-politics This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not move forward with a detention center in Lebanon, Wilson County. Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto lays out the timeline, beginning with a call from a reporter."Maybe this is a thing that we can try to figure out more about," he said. Hutto, along with other county officials and concerned citizens, began their search for answers. Hutto and Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell met with the senior counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS confirmed they were looking at a facility in Wilson County, primarily in Lebanon. Hutto was concerned about the footprint of the facility so close to schools, churches and daycares."The safety factor was very much a problem. Then the workforce, the 16,000 people that would be detained there. They would need 4,000+ employees to be able to manage it. I'm the second lowest unemployment county in the state of Tennessee so I don't have the workforce," he said. Hutto said he was satisfied with the result."We saw no advantage to have this in the city. State, local and federal leaders listened. Even the people at DHS. They listened to what we said our community wanted."   NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During a spring rainstorm in May of 2025, The Tennessee Highway Patrol teamed up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to what was supposed to be a targeted effort to capture the worst of the worst illegal immigrant criminals. But what NewsChannel 5 Investigates reporter Levi Ismail found from going through 50 hours of law enforcement video may surprise you. "People were driving 18 miles, 20 miles over the speed limit (on city streets) were given warnings, to just move on with their day. Meanwhile someone who got pulled over for having their high beams on was taken away in handcuffs even though they presented documentation for their asylum documents. There was definitely a discrepancy there and the only difference we could make out was the fact that there was a racial component there." Ismail showed several instances of THP officers grilling minority drivers and passengers about where they were born, their social security number, and asking if they were in this country legally? ICE agents would step in if the driver or passengers were a minority or spoke Broken English.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After snow and ice melted and power was restored to most of Nashville-Davidson County, Metro Council Members Emily Benedict (D–District 7) and Courtney Johnston (R–District 26) filed a resolution calling for the Electric Power Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to terminate Nashville Electric Service (NES) CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin. Both council members represent districts that endured multiple days without power. They say the city’s preparation for the winter storm, as well as the handling of restoration efforts, was poorly managed — and that NES leadership must be held accountable. Benedict pointed to reduced tree trimming earlier this year as one of several contributing factors. "It's a complete failure of leadership for some time from vegetation management. There's a lot of things in the resolution that speak to the problems that led to the problem that we have." Johnston echoed the call for change. "People were affected in a very serious way and people want to see that we are listening to them and they want action taken now. The trust in the person leading this organization that is supposed to be providing reliable power to them has eroded." NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tennessee State Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari gives her response to the State of the State address on February 2nd.  Governor Lee says our economy is thriving, but Akbari says the cost of electricity, housing and groceries are higher than it's ever been. "About 50% of those who live in the state are really struggling to even pay their regular bills." She hopes that our state can keep up with our 8 surrounding states when it comes to legislation that helps the average Tennessean. Topics discussed: to greatly reduced or eliminate the grocery tax to offset higher prices of food, additional funding for our public schools, helping our farmers after devastating tariffs halted or slowed selling their crops abroad, immigration laws, and waiting for data on public vs. private school metrics before doubling the Education Freedom Scholarships to 40,000 instead of 20,000 at $7295 per student going directly to private schools.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton lays out the priorities of the Republican Super Majority. Main bills will address the budget, infrastructure, 3-strike legislation to the criminal code for career criminals, expedited specialized teaching degrees for K-6 grades as well as tougher immigration laws. "We need more data, more transparency about how many illegals we have in the state. There's a whole host of bills dealing with that." Sexton continues, "What costs are associated? ...Hospitals? Prisons? Education? How do we determine that?" Sexton has met with Stephen Miller, US Homeland Security Advisor at the White House for several meetings. Sexton remarks, "They see Tennessee as a leader. They talk to other elected officials, they talk to the governors, and they talk to other speakers and say "well TN is doing this..." and so I think they feel very happy about how TN is moving." This program was recorded Jan. 22, 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In October 2025, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett sent out a letter to all 181 public libraries calling for an immediate age appropriateness review of all materials in their juvenile/children's sections. While some libraries complied, others had questions about censorship and first amendment issues. In the wake of some school districts banning classic literature and and books about gender identity, some public libraries were looking for futher guidance. "The goal of the letter, Secretary Hargett stated, "was to make sure our book collections were curated properly according to their own community standards and be able to provide a report back that they did do that." The deadline stated in the letter is January 19, 2026. With about half the libraries sending in their lists, Secretary Hargett updates what are some of the books on those lists and what libraries are going to do with them. Secretary Hargett also answers questions about the 2026 election year.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the recent military action in Venezuela, what is America's current approach to foreign policy?  Thomas A. Schwartz, Ph.D. Vanderbilt University Professor of Political Science and US Foreign Relations joins host Ben Hall as they discuss how this current action by the Trump administration is different from the Cold War and H.W. Bush's approach in the first Iraqi War.  Schwartz compares Bush engaging with the United Nations to sanction a united coalition under UN law to invade Iraq while Trump "doesn't worry about international law, getting international approval and just acts on the basis of the president's sense of national interest."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A comment about a private Facebook post after Charlie Kirk's death causes a UT professor to be suspended. Tamar Shirinian, M.A., Ph.D. thought the University of Tennessee at Knoxville would protect Freedom of Speech as they had done for other employees and protest groups in the past including controversial words spoken by Charlie Kirk earlier in the year. The school is taking action to fire her after public officials have called for her termination. Shirinian's lawyer, Robb Bigelow thinks there is a double standard when it comes to freedom of speech. Shirinian says she has heard from colleagues around the world who are concerned. "This could happen to any body because if you have opinions that the government of Tennessee in someway, doesn't like, you could lose your job at a government institution. That's scary to a lot of people. It's terrifying to my colleagues across the country and frankly across the world." Inside Politics is a half-hour current events show that centers around the news of the week hosted by Ben Hall.  The format allows for a deeper dive into a specific topic or topics with news significance.  The show airs weekly Friday evenings at 7pm on Newschannel 5+ and throughout the weekend, then is posted to our website and is also available as a podcast.   We record the show Friday morning or the later part of the week.  Newschannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Political Strategist Tucker Karnes, Public Affairs for Cooley Public Strategies breaks down the highly contested TN-07 Congressional Race.  Karnes joins host Ben Hall to analyze the dramatic numbers from the special election comparing them to the November 5, 2024 race between Democrat Megan Barry and Republican Mark Green.  With Megan Barry pulling in over 120,000 votes just a year earlier, the Aftyn Behn campaign's primary mission was mobilizing Democratic voters. What other critical factors contributed to a 13 point swing from Republicans in 2024 to 2025?  Which counties delivered the biggest impact?  Will this voting pattern reshape the 2026 mid-terms? What does this mean for District 5's U.S. House seat up in 2026?    Newschannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on Newschannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The fiercely competitive TN-07 Congressional race with Democrat Aftyn Behn and Republican Matt Van Epps is underway. But 4 other names will be on the ballot for the General Election, December 2nd. We continue our coverage by introducing you to 3 of the 4 Independent candidates who want your vote to represent District 7 in Washington. Teresa "Terri" Christi, Jon Thorp and Bobby Dodge join host Ben Hall to tell us why you should vote for an Independent candidate. Robert James Sutherby declined our invitation due to a scheduling conflict. All candidates on set believe that most Americans align with their values but Independents are under represented. The 3 candidates tend to skew conservative, but each candidate have distinct differences. All three candidates are disillusioned by a 2 party system and feel those parties have lost touch with constituent issues. Plus hear one candidate's issue with PAC support that he didn't ask for or knew about and who may be behind it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In January 2025, Club for Growth a Washington D.C.-based political action committee issued a stark warning to all State Republicans to support Governor Bill Lee's School Freedom Act. State Representative Jody Barrett who represents Dickson, Hickman and Lewis Counties chose to stand by his constituents and voted "no". Barrett says he is pro-school choice, but "I just didn't like this particular plan. It wasn't going to do enough for the amount of money it was going to cost the state. There were a lot of fiscally responsible questions and responsibility questions." When Barrett ran for the U.S. Representative seat left open by Mark Green, Club for Growth/School Freedom Fund ran approximately $2.5 million dollars in attack ads against Jody Barrett and over $1 million against 3 other anti-school freedom Republicans in Tennessee Legislative primaries. Club for Growth President David McIntosh is taking credit for Jody Barrett's loss in the TN-07 Republican Primary. Barrett warns about the Washington D.C. PAC meddling in Tennessee affairs. "The mask is off. The threat that was made is a clear and open threat that you're gonna do what we tell you to do because we have more resources than you do to make sure you are beat."   Newschannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on Newschannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

District 15 State Senator Paul Bailey (R) sent out a press release urging Governor Lee to fund SNAP benefits for Tennesseans after the federal government shutdown, which halted payments November 1st, affecting more than 690,000 Tennesseans - including 20,635 constituents in district 15.   Bailey's concerns stem from a firsthand look at the crisis during an October visit to a local food bank, where he witnessed empty shelves and overwhelming demand. "Tennessee had reached crisis mode before November 1st." Bailey highlighting how "the elderly and working-class families struggling to make ends meet," and relatives raising children not their own have already exhausted local food pantries.  Tuesday, Governor Lee announced he is directing $5 million dollars in state funding to food banks across Tennessee, with funding coming from TennCare. Previously, the federal government covered half of the $128 million in administrative costs and allocated $145 million in monthly cash benefits to the state.  Under the Big Beautiful Bill Act, Tennessee will now shoulder half of the administrative costs and a portion of the benefit expenses. Bailey acknowledges the $5 million allocation is a good start, but warns it may take up to 2 weeks to fully restore SNAP benefits once the federal shutdown ends.  Tennessee is currently conducting budget hearings to identify spending reductions to comply with the Big Beautiful Bill Act.  Beyond TennCare/Medicaid cuts and the elimination of the ACA healthcare premium subsidies, the most significant federal funding cuts will impact the TANF program which helps low-income families meet basic needs and move toward self-sufficiency, also programs in the Department of Aging and Disability.   Newschannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on Newschannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Republican Primary Winner Matt Van Epps will face Democrat Aftyn Behn December 2nd in the General Election for U.S. Representative for the TN-07 Congressional District. Matt Van Epps returns to Inside Politics to answer more question from host Ben Hall. Van Epps says his experience in the military and small business while still serving National Guard helped him win the primary. Van Epps says his goals if elected will be multifaceted. "Driving down the cost of living, driving our economy, decreasing inflation are all incredibly important and will be a priority on day one." He will also prioritize the military and veterans. "The first bill will be a bill for veterans." He also answered questions about his allegiance to Donald Trump and a possible 3rd term as president, the impact of tariffs on Tennessee farmers, his view on the Epstein files, ACA subsides and SNAP benefits. When asked about his war chest and PAC money, he said he is honored by the support.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democratic Primary Winner Rep. Aftyn Behn will face Republican Matt Van Epps Dec. 2nd in the General Election for U.S. Representative for theTN-07 Congressional District.  Aftyn Behn returns to Inside Politics to answer more questions from host Ben Hall.  Behn touts her campaign as "grassroots energy and not taking Corporate PAC money."  She considers herself an angry social worker who will fight for Tennesseans.  Behn said, "This race is not about left vs right but top vs. bottom."  She is running to "make life affordable for Tennesseans and reverse cuts from the Big Ugly Bill."  Behn says her main priority if elected will be increasing wages, decreasing costs and ensuring and improving our quality of life in Tennessee.  She will work to bring back ACA Marketplace subsides for over 600,000 Tennesseans, restore TennCare, and roll back tariffs that are squeezing farmers to bankruptcy.  Behn says, "If you think things are going well, I'm not your candidate.  If you are upset with the cost of living and the chaos of our federal and state government, then I am your candidate because I will go to Washington to fix it. "See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As Chief Development Officer Bob Mendes wraps up his political career in Nashville government, he's taking stock of the key projects that have reshaped Music City over the past decade and a half. The numbers tell a compelling story: the Nashville area generates an approximate 40% of Tennessee's income—a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by state lawmakers creating ongoing tension between state and city on major development projects. Mendes sees striking parallels between today's East Bank development and The Gulch's transformation. Mendes sees the pace of East Bank's economic development as fast compared to Nashville's historically measured approach, he points to The Gulch as proof that patience pays off. He suggests the East Bank could follow a similar trajectory. During his conversation with host Ben Hall, Mendes touched on several pivotal projects shaping Nashville's future, including the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), Oracle's continued presence in the city, the East Bank Development Authority Board's ongoing work, and the ambitious Music City Loop transit project.   This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nashville’s Chief of Police, John Drake, grew up in Nashville and became a patrol officer in 1988. He has watched how the job has evolved—from the types of crimes patrol officers investigate to the tools they use to make arrests. Drake says his main priorities are reducing crime while maintaining public trust and protecting citizens’ rights. He also weighs in on using the National Guard in American cities to address crime. Overall, Drake notes that crime in Nashville has fallen significantly, with homicides down 30% and nonlethal shootings down 40%. He also discusses the use of license plate readers, the rise in juvenile crime, and the culture within the Nashville Police Department. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the federal government grinding to a halt, Republican Senators and President Trump have not reached a funding deal with Senate Democrats over Healthcare premium subsidies being extended. Congressman John Rose of TN-06 gives us his opinion why the Federal government shutdown occurred. Host Ben Hall also questions him about releasing the Epstein files and his reaction to President Trump saying that the military should use American cities as training grounds. Rose also spoke about his bid for Tennessee Governor in 2026. Rose commented on Marsha Blackburn not accepting his invitation to debate him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With President Trump ordering the National Guard to Memphis to solve the crime problem, questions about how to best use this resource and who will be in charge arise. Representative Antonio Parkinson for Dist. 98 Shelby County gives insight to who is involved with making decisions, what military presence will look like in the city and how the Guard will be used.  Plus, Representative Parkinson also discusses the impact of the Big Beautiful Law on SNAP benefits, housing and state budget.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.