NASHVILLE (Tenn.) — John Lozier, in a burgundy-colored booth at a restaurant, leant forward, lower his voice, and asked a friend the question that he had been carrying for almost two weeks.
Lozier said, “Joe we’ve never talked about the time they arrested you.”
A man at the other table shook his head. His dark sunglasses covered his eyes. Menus in plastic wrappers were still open.
They tased me? Lozier pressed.
Joseph Lamont Williams (49), swigging coffee, replied “Yeah”.
Williams, who has been homeless for several years in Nashville’s public park, was arrested for refusing to leave and facing a criminal charge for sleeping on public land.
National Homelessness Law Center reports that eleven states have banned homeless campers from camping in public over the past four years. More than 300 cities have adopted the ban on sleeping or camping in the public space two years after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it was legal. These laws are supported by those who say that they allow public officials to enforce existing rules and encourage unhoused individuals to find shelter. Opponents call these laws cruel, and claim that arrest records make it difficult for people experiencing homelessness in finding a job or home.
Tennessee’s maximum punishment for criminal camping is six years of prison. Williams was able to plead guilty and be released after just nine days.
Williams stated that “the slickest part was to ask me what my plea was.” I’m trying to plead my way out.
Lozier, an elderly social worker and neighbor who had befriended Williams while walking through South Inglewood Park with his dog, told him he was picking Williams up from prison. Lozier thought that it would be nice for Williams to see a familiar person, someone who can take him wherever he wants to go.
Williams did not want to stay in a hotel, a shelter, or go anywhere else. Lozier was told to bring Williams back to East Nashville.
He was back under the pavilion by nightfall.
Anti-camping laws are being passed in more states
Williams is one of the two individuals arrested on the 28th June and charged with violating Tennessee’s law against camping on public land. This is the only state in the nation that makes sleeping in a park a crime.
Advocates for the homeless say that the law has never been used in this way before, despite the fact it was enacted in 2022.
Lindsey Krinks is the co-founder and director of Open Table Nashville. The nonprofit organization supports homeless individuals. She said that this was a further escalation of government policies, which have been aimed to push homeless people from public view for years.
Krinks stated, “Welcome, to Nashville where every block is being built with luxury condominiums, while those living under them are left behind and can freeze to death, or get heatstroke and die on the streets.”
Homelessness is on the increase in Nashville, says the Homelessness Planning Council of the city. In December 2025, the council estimated 4,300 homeless people in Nashville, a rise of over 30% in less that a year.
Homelessness in the United States has decreased slightly since 2024, when it reached record highs. According to data for 2025 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, chronic homelessness is on the rise. HUD’s latest count of Americans who are chronically homeless found that there were more than 155,000.
State-by-state, camping bans vary. Some allow the state to impose penalties on cities who refuse to enforce it. Others make it easier for the law to forcefully commit homeless people. But the general principles are similar. There is no sleeping or camping on public land.
Cicero Institute is a conservative think-tank founded by billionaire technologist Joe Lonsdale. Many state lawmakers have borrowed legislation language or taken inspiration from it. Lonsdale, a cofounder of Palantir whose data-mining software is used by federal and local law enforcement including the CIA and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has been a key figure in Lonsdale’s career.
Cicero called for greater accountability, and methods to encourage homeless individuals, under the threat of arrest, to seek out agencies who provide social services such as shelters, addiction and mental health treatment, and places to sleep on state-run or county campsites.
Devon Kurtz is the Cicero homelessness and safety policy manager. He has criticized Housing First as ineffective. Housing First is a program that has been long promoted by homeless outreach workers and experts. Its goal is to place unhoused individuals in stable housing first before trying to meet other needs such as drug and alcohol abuse or mental illness.
Cicero, earlier this summer, supported a Louisiana law that made public camping a misdemeanor punishable with a maximum $500 fine or six months imprisonment. The law states that those charged can avoid jail time by agreeing to participate in a substance abuse treatment program or mental health care. They could be liable to pay the state for such costs, either by cash or performing unspecified work.
North Carolina passed legislation that outlawed public camping, and allowed residents or businesses to sue the State if a camp was not removed within five working days. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the bill. Josh Stein, a Democrat, though lawmakers in the Republican-controlled legislature have vowed to force the law through.
Kurtz stated, “I hope that nobody is ever found guilty under these bans on camping.” The intention was not to imprison people. “I’ve said that it’s important that, sometimes, law enforcement have the capability to jail people because it could save lives.”
Krinks of Open Table Nashville said that Tennessee has simplified the process for clearing homeless camps.
Old Tent City in Nashville, the oldest homeless community, was disbanded by last year. More than 100 homeless people lived along the Cumberland River. The area is now enclosed by fencing and signs prohibiting trespassing. Krinks stated that the camp had existed since the 1980s.
Krinks says that benches have been removed from the streets of downtown Nashville and more cameras are being installed in public parks. She said that the no-camping law only worsens things for Nashville’s homeless population.
Krinks said that using the police and punishing individuals to combat homelessness will only make the situation worse and prolong the experience of people who are homeless. She also assisted in the founding of the Housing for All Tennessee coalition, a statewide organization. Most people who are experiencing homelessness I have met want freedom, agency and to feel their dignity recognized. “Jail undermines a person’s ability to make decisions.”
A changing neighborhood
Williams will say that he does not think about it in this way. He says it’s not living. He says it’s just a place to go because he feels like he’s got nowhere else.
Williams was offered a place to sleep at the Nashville homeless shelter. Over the years, he’s received numerous calls from service providers. He doesn’t like the organizations and does not want to move from his neighborhood. He sleeps across wooden picnic tables and heats up his food in the sunlight.
The park isn’t home. The aging public housing compound just over the hill is where Williams grew up. Williams can view it from the picnic tables. There is no one living there anymore.
East Nashville, a community historically dominated by African Americans, has seen a rapid gentrification over the past two decades. Many of its Black inhabitants have left.
Williams, a Black man, said: “It’s changed so much.” Let’s be honest, the color boundary has changed. More housing, and other stuff. “We’re knocking down some of the old ones.”
Alex Bilbrey moved to a new house about three months ago. It was located on a large lot directly across from the park. He was attracted to the area, partly, by the amount of greenery — hiking trails, wildlife, picnic tables, grills and pavilions.
Bilbrey said he noticed the man who lived under the pavilion but did not think too much about it.
I’ve been around homeless people in the past. Bilbrey said to NPR that it’s not a big deal. When it gets to be a major issue, I begin to notice things …”.
Bilbrey says that after dark the park changes: cars pull in and drive out suspiciously often. Bilbrey says he has seen both men and women having sex in public and found drugs paraphernalia near the jungle gym.
Bilbrey told us he called his representative on the city council and asked them to contact Open Table Nashville for help. He called police later. Open Table does not have any record that they were contacted by Williams prior to his arrest.
Williams was charged with two misdemeanor counts and two felonies of camping by prosecutors last month. Williams tried to run after officers informed him that they had an arrest warrant. He was then tased.
Alissa Hidari, an attorney appointed by the court to represent Williams in the case of camping, stated that the arrest made “what is already a difficult situation for Mr. Williams even worse.”
Williams was found guilty of the misdemeanor and sentenced for time served. Heydari stated that the prosecution dropped two felonies on condition Williams entered a plea. Nine days after being arrested, he was released on 6 July.
Cicero’s law is working exactly as it should.
Kurtz stated, “I can understand how it appears a little ineffective for him to be back right where he started.” Kurtz said, “I understand the way it seems a bit ineffective that he ended up right back where he was.” “His presence in the park makes it safer.”
Bilbrey does not think that much has changed. He said that the same cast of shady characters appeared night after night.
The beginning is the end
Williams says he does not ruminate about what might happen if his arrest was repeated.
He said he didn’t want to let his thoughts wander to dark places or imagine what it would be like behind bars.
He has instead returned to the routine: long walks. To pass time, he makes up songs. Breakfast with Lozier.
They went to a diner on a Friday. Williams did not need to look at the menu. Williams always knows exactly what he’d like; it is called the Lumberjack.
It reads, “For those that may not be able to see a meal anytime soon.”
Williams’ plate was piled high with eggs, pancakes, bacon, home fries, and Texas toast.
It was pouring rain outside. Williams, however, wanted to return to the park by foot. He’s been there all his life and knows how to get back.

After the Food and Drug Administration revealed Sunday that an earlier test which identified the parasite as being present in lettuce samples from Taylor Farms de Mexico, was actually not contaminated by Cyclospora.
In a press release, the agency said it had reviewed the findings and “concluded the finding is not true amplification” and that this should be treated as a false-positive.
The FDA has clarified on social media that the “false-positive laboratory sample DOES NOT CHANGE THE BASIS FOR FDA’s ONGOING EPISODE INVESTIGATION OR THE OVERWHELMING EMPISOLOGICAL DATA SUPPORTING THE CURRENT VOLUNTARY RECALCULATION BY Taylor Farms.”
Taylor Farms is not recommended by the FDA to consume iceberg or other lettuces grown in Mexico. Taco Bells sold the products in Indiana, Kentucky Michigan Ohio West Virginia and West Virginia. Taco Bell said that they no longer use this lettuce. Walmart stores and 27 other states also sold iceberg lettuce. The health officials advise that any Taylor Fresh Foods iceberg lettuce that has been recalled should be thrown out.
This recommendation was based on the interviews conducted with people who were sick, and many had eaten lettuce at Taco Bell.
The FDA continues to test lettuce samples and also says that it is testing produce along the border south to look for Cyclospora. So far, none of these tests has shown any positive results.
Over 1,600 cases of water- and foodborne diarrhea have been confirmed, and the number of suspected cases is growing. Ninety four people were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.
Taylor Farms stated in a press release that FDA has apologized, stating that they have not found a positive test for Cyclospora. The company voluntarily recalled all the icebergs grown and processed by central Mexico on July 17. On Monday, they clarified that “they will no longer be sourcing any icebergs grown in Central Mexico during the remaining growing season.” They are also working with health officials.
This parasite can cause diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. Health officials suggest washing produce with plenty of water and cooking the produce at 158 F to reduce the chance of infection.
Experts say that although cyclosporiasis is on pace to set records in this year’s cyclosporiasis outbreaks, there are usually several each summer.
It is important to identify the source as soon as possible. This will help control an outbreak and may even save some people weeks of illness. Donald Schaffner is a microbiologist from Rutgers University. He says that these clusters are usually separate.
He says that just because you are sick right now with Cyclospora does not mean you belong to this group of cases in Michigan or Ohio. Since the 1990s, there have been cyclosporasis epidemics every summer. However none were as large as this outbreak. He says that there are multiple sources for Cyclospora and these don’t always share the same source. Sometimes we are able to determine the cause, but sometimes not.
He says that is why we are in limbo.

Researchers find it difficult to determine what people are eating.
Christopher Gardner, Stanford nutritionist, says that the usual research tools are expensive and tedious. They include food frequency questionnaires, or asking participants to remember what they had eaten the previous day. These efforts are dependent on the people’s honesty and accuracy; they forget 15-20% of what they have eaten after a couple days.
Dr. Gardner says that this is one reason why nutrition research can be so challenging and small studies in metabolic chambers provide the most reliable evidence. He said that in such studies researchers “incarcerate” someone. “They can’t leave. “You cook for them and slide the food under the door. You know if the don’t finish.”
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today points out a hidden treasure of nutritional data: the sewage. Researchers in North Carolina used wastewater to search for food DNA that survived digestion. They could identify hundreds of food items that were consumed for less than one penny per person. These included chocolate, lettuce and turkey.
In the Covid-19 epidemic, monitoring wastewater became an important tool for public health. It helped cities monitor viral outbreaks, without having to test every single resident. Scientists are using the same infrastructure for measuring illicit drug use and antibiotic resistance. They also measure stress hormones, stress levels, and diet.
Researchers could use such data to assess whether nutritional needs in a particular community are met and how changes in policy, such as the reduction of food stamps, affect eating behaviors in real-time. The technology raises questions about privacy, surveillance, and the risks of potential commercialization.
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Food and Drug Administration officials said they have not apologized to Taylor Farms for the outbreak of explosive diarrhea that is sweeping the country.
Taylor Farms, a major supplier of greens in the United States, had claimed that the FDA had issued an apology for a false-positive test.
The FDA was not amused.
The agency stated at its Monday press conference that “the recent false positives do not alter the foundation of FDA’s ongoing investigation into outbreaks.”
The regulators emphasized the fact that an investigation has still pointed to Taylor’s Mexico based supplier of produce as being the likely source of this dangerous outbreak. This can lead to cramps, explosive diarrhea and gas amongst other symptoms.
According to the CDC, more than 1,600 infected people were in five states as of Saturday. 94 patients had been hospitalized.
The latest news on the “explosive” cyclosporiasis epidemic:
Taco Bell recalls new item that a patient with ‘explosive diarrhea’ ate before becoming ill — FDA continues to search for the cause
FDA retracts claim that Taco Bell’s lettuce supplier Taylor Farms is the source of an ‘explosive diarrhoea’ parasite
Taco Bell Customer reveals the excruciating symptoms and food he consumed before contracting ‘explosive diarrhoea’
Taylor Farms recalls all products after an ‘explosive’ diarrhea outbreak of cyclosporiasis
Taylor Farms was informed of the false positive but the agency stressed that it is continuing to recall the potentially tainted salad sold in grocery stores and Taco Bell restaurant.
It is much more difficult for a laboratory to detect Cyclospora because it’s a parasite and not a bacteria.
The agency argued that other methods of investigation are also valid.

The jury selection process began on Monday for the case of a Massachusetts woman who strangled three children as she was undergoing treatment to treat psychiatric issues that had developed since giving birth.
It is anticipated that the trial, which may take several weeks to complete, will explore the rare and complex phenomenon of postpartum psychiasis. This condition affects only a small number of women, who experience delusions or hallucinations following childbirth.
Clancy’s attorneys — as well as her husband — claim that she is not accountable for her actions. Kevin Reddington, the defense attorney for Clancy’s case, doesn’t deny that she murdered the children but will raise an insanity defence.
He said, “This entire case is an absolute tragedy.”
The prosecution claims that the murders were planned and intentional, not committed by someone out of control.
Clancy is a former nurse who worked at the Massachusetts General Hospital. She has denied murder charges for her three children, Cora (5 years old), Dawson (3 years old), and Callan (8 months) when they died on January 24, 2023.
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Note from the Editor: The story contains a discussion about suicide. Call or text 988 to reach the U.S. national crisis and suicide lifeline if you need help or know someone who does.
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Clancy (now 36) asked Patrick Clancy on the day she killed her children to go to a nearby pharmacy and get some takeout. She used exercise bands to strangle the children, and then tried to take her life in multiple ways.
After falling out of the second-story home window, she was left paralyzed. She is currently being treated at a hospital.
Clancy’s spouse is listed as a witness for the prosecution, and also the defense. In interviews, he has stated that he forgave his wife.
The trial is expected to last several days in Plymouth. This city, located near Duxbury (a coastal suburb south of Boston) and the home of the Duxbury family, will be the site for this selection.
Clancy, her husband and their lawyers filed lawsuits in the beginning of this year against her doctors for failing to diagnose and treat her “severe” postpartum mental condition. She had spent many days at a hospital for such a condition.
Lindsay Clancy’s lawsuit described how she suffered from depression, was unable to sleep and heard voices repeatedly telling her to hurt her children or herself.
The lawsuit stated that “Lindsay Clancy was a good mother and did all she could to help her child.” She recognized that something was not right. She went to the hospital. She visited emergency departments. She called the crisis hotlines. She was admitted to hospital. She was prescribed medication. She told her doctors about her symptoms getting worse. “She told her doctors that the medication was making her worse.”
Clancy claimed that she heard voices say, “This your last opportunity” on the day of killings. Clancy said she heard voices saying, “This is your last chance.”
Patrick Clancy, in a GoFundMe post a few days after the murders wrote “the shock and pain are excruciatingly and relentless.” He urged people to look at Lindsay Clancy the same way they did before.
The real Lindsay showed generous love and care for everyone, including me, my children, her family, friends and patients. Her very soul is loving. “All I want for her is to find some peace,” the message said.