Pappert Flags ‘Absurd’ Conflict of Interest Concerns Over Bredesen Leading NES Review

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 20, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, sharply criticized Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell over his decision to appoint former Governor Phil Bredesen to chair the city’s 2026 Winter Storm Response Commission tasked with studying Nashville Electric...

‘Helping NES Hide’: Pappert Blasts Utility’s Growing PR Machine

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 12, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, is questioning Nashville Electric Service’s (NES) decision to retain multiple communications vendors amid mounting scrutiny over its response to Winter Storm Fern. During a Wednesday appearance on The Michael Patrick...

Michael Patrick Leahy Calls for the Firing of Nashville Electric Service CEO

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 5, 2026 | News, Politics, Tennessee, The Michael Patrick Leahy Show, The South, TN LEAD

The Tennessee Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy and Lead Reporter Tom Pappert on Wednesday sharply criticized Nashville Electric Service (NES) leadership, calling for the immediate firing of CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin and resignations from the...

Elon Musk’s xAI Donates 500 Generators to Assist with Ongoing Outages in Nashville

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 2, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South

Elon Musk, CEO of the artificial intelligence company xAI and electric vehicle company Tesla, has donated 500 generators to the Nashville area as tens of thousands of households remain without power following last week’s Winter Storm Fern. The generator donations are...

Calls Grow for Tennessee General Assembly to Take Over NES Board Amid Winter Storm Outage Crisis

by Kaitlin Housler | Feb 2, 2026 | News, Policy, Tennessee, The South, TN LEAD

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Tennessee Deputy Director Michael Lotfi has suggested Republican leaders in the Tennessee General Assembly “take over” the Nashville Electric Service (NES) Board of Directors amid the utility’s ongoing power outage crisis following...

Hotels Across Nashville Offering Discounted Rates for Locals Amid Widespread Power Outages, Dangerous Cold Temps

by Kaitlin Housler | Jan 30, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South

Hotels throughout the Nashville area are offering discounted rates to local residents as widespread power outages persist and dangerously cold temperatures are expected through the weekend. As of press time on Friday, the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp....

73,000+ Nashvillians Still Without Power Friday as National Weather Service Issues Cold Weather Advisory for Area

by Kaitlin Housler | Jan 30, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South

On the sixth straight day of widespread power outages across Music City, more than 73,000 Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers entered Friday without electricity, as the National Weather Service warns of “dangerous cold temperatures” through the weekend. At 8:00...

Woke NES CEO on Tree Trimming: ‘I Don’t Want Us Out Destroying the Canopy’

by Kaitlin Housler | Jan 29, 2026 | Culture, News, Tennessee, The South, TN LEAD

As Nashville Electric Service (NES) continues to face criticism for its storm preparedness and widespread power outages amid Winter Storm Fern, the utility’s President and CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin just months ago praised the company’s prioritization of preserving...