NashVillager

On this anniversary of the start of civil service protections in the United States, we should be watching carefully to see how fragile those protections are. Plus, the local news for January 16, 2025, and the end of a vinyl manufacturer in Nashville. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A new lawsuit related to how the state passes out food stamps could reveal how some people fall through the cracks of an imperfect system. Plus, the local news for January 15, 2025 and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Sometimes shocking death rates galvanize Tennessee’s leaders into action. And sometimes they run away from even debating potential solutions. Plus, the local news for Jan. 14, 2025, and a conversation with David French. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee has been known for sending volunteers into national military engagements for a long, long time. And it’s never been completely straightforward. That’s potentially true of the way Tennessee could soon pitch in help for the Trump administration. Plus, the local news for January 13, 2025 and federal protection for massive salamanders native to this state. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Laugh all you want about how badly Southerners handle a few inches of snow, but there are good reasons to be cautious when winter weather hits Middle Tennessee. Plus the local news for January 10, 2025 and new hurdles to getting books in Tennessee prisons. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The deadly incident on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street has sparked a new thread of safety discussion in Nashville, just as two other downtown safety initiatives are being discussed at the city and state levels. Plus the local news for January 9, 2025 and the East Nashville inspiration behind a WNXP Artist of the Month song. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

There are plenty of parallels between The Titans of the past and today’s team. On today’s podcast, we run down some recent movement on the team’s new stadium and what their record could mean for season tickets. Plus, the local news for January 8, 2025 and this week’s edition of What Where When-sday. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On today’s episode, Nina explores the life and times of Dorothy Lavinia Brown, the first Southern Black woman to become a surgeon and accomplish many other remarkable things in her lifetime. Plus, the local news for January 7, 2025, and a look at how misinformation spread after Hurrican Helene. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this episode, host Nina Cardona remembers what it was like to spend three hours with former President Jimmy Carter years ago at WPLN. Plus, the local news for January 6, 2025, and a look at pop crossovers in 2024. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Fisk University’s Jubilee singers were formed to respond to a funding crisis started by the end of a federal program. Now, the state and TSU are playing out a story with certain parallels. Plus, the local news for January 3, 2025 and a look inside a storied East Nashville music studio. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Reconstruction was a messy period for Tennessee, with many people formerly aligned with the Confederacy taking the law into their own hands. In Shelbyville during that time, some of the people targeted by the KKK fought back. Plus, the local news for January 2, 2025 and What, Where, Whens-day on a Thursday. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On today’s special holiday edition of the NashVillager podcast, we highlight three of Nina’s best On This Day essays from the last year. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Miriam Kramer Editor: Tony Gonzalez Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville is lush and beautiful, but not for everyone. On this special holiday edition of the NashVillager podcast, we take a look back at Caroline Eggers’ fascinating story on Nashville’s tree canopy. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Catherine Sweeney Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Two novels released this year — Those Beyond the Wall by Vanderbilt scholar Micaiah Johnson, and Colton Gentry’s Third Act by Jeff Zentner — are works of fiction. But they both showcase ties to real Nashville events: the People’s Plaza and the Covenant School shooting. WPLN spoke with the authors to learn more about the thinking behind the works. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Cynthia Abrams Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

You may have heard the names Harold Love Jr. and William Lamberth in the same breath as a new law or the latest happenings at the Tennessee State Capitol. But who are they when the statehouse isn’t in session? This episode, we’ll hear from these lawmakers on both sides of aisle about what brought them to politics, and who they are outside of it. Plus, a look ahead at some freshman lawmakers we’ll meet in the new year. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Marianna Bacallao Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

This year was an emotional roller coaster in the news, with one surprise and unprecedented event after another. It was hard to keep track of life’s more predictable moments — annual traditions and the natural world. In this special holiday episode of the NashVillager, reporter Char Daston shares his favorite WPLN stories from this year about the changing of the seasons. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Char Daston Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A Murfreesboro 20-something became a monk – for a bit. A temporary ordination is a rite of passage in Thailand, but it hasn’t carried over to Thai communities in the U.S. That didn’t stop this first-generation Thai American from taking part. Plus, a look at WPLN’s religion stories throughout the years. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Rachel Iacovone Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this special holiday edition of the NashVillager, reporter Paige Pfleger takes us back to one of the most joyful stories that came out of the WPLN newsroom this year. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Paige Pfleger Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

We’re revisiting three stories — published over a span of just seven days — showing how the journalists of WPLN News explain local events by connecting the dots. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Tony Gonzalez Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Tennessee has had its own share of political scandals that rise to the level of criminal convictions. We run down some of them and give you the latest in the case of former Senator Brian Kelsey. Plus, the local news for December 20, 2024 and a Cookeville Christmas parade that never happened. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin expressing concern that drones seen over the country recently could be foreign surveillance devices. We break it down. Plus, the local news for December 19, 2024 and a look at new traditions ex-evangelicals in Nashville are celebrating this holiday season. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville’s very first Christmas parade was held in the last week of November in 1928; but, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the annual tradition faded. Before that there was a whole lot of drama. Plus, the local news for December 18, 2024 and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this day in 1938, a scientist set off a new age of nuclear power. Nearly a century later, Tennessee remains central to nuclear power technology in America. Plus, the local news for December 17, 2024 and a feature report that digs into the stigma around methadone clinics. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this day, 160 years ago, the Battle of Nashville ended, marking the beginning of the end of the Civil War. And there are still lessons to be learned from the human side of that story today. Plus, the local news for December 16, 2024 and WNXP’s top albums of the year. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Fort Negley wasn’t just a major Union fortification during the Civil War, it was also a place where Black people’s labor was exploited, and where they put down new roots to create a new community with lasting impact. We take a look at what’s next for the historic site. Plus, the local news for December 13, 2024 and motel turned transitional housing. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

From bolstering the emergency alert system to preventing news deserts from forming, a look at an organization that has an important impact–both direct and indirect–on this news source. Plus, the local news for December 12, 2024 and pen pals. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

There are 27 superfund sites located in our state; we unpack what that means. Plus, the local news for December 11, 2024 and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On International Human Rights Day, a look at the Tennesseans being honored this year by the state’s Human Rights Commission. Plus, the local news for December 10, 2024 and the latest release from Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Looking into one of the details in the new Nashville transit plan that doesn’t get much attention. Plus the local news for Dec. 9, 2024 and a story of racial reconciliation in rural West Tennessee. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Twenty-thousand Tennesseans have an HIV diagnosis, and even more don’t know they’re infected. Plus, the local news for December 6, 2024 and what Nashville can do to support its hip hop scene. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Prohibition may have ended for the U.S. at large in 1933, but for Tennessee, the lasting effects of banning the making and selling of alcohol are still far-reaching. Plus, the local news for December 5, 2024 and a conversation with musician Moses Sumney. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The founder of the U.S.’s first anti-slavery newspaper is a great example of what it means to change your mind for the better. Plus, the local news for December 4, 2024 and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

There’s a long history of neon signage in our city, and you can get a taste of it in just about every part of town. Plus, the local news for December 3, 2024 and hearing from two parents of transgender children who moved out of Tennessee. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

From Toni Morrison to Doctor Seuss, Tennessee school districts are deeming books “questionable” and removing them from libraries and classrooms. Plus, the local news for December 2, 2024 and how Kentucky voters said no to school choice. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville Public Radio staffers share their favorite podcast episodes of the year. Our 11-hour playlist will keep your mind well-fed during the long hours of holiday travel. Plus, This Is Nashville took your calls about Thanksgiving traditions. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Rachel Iacovone Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A Midstate native’s death once encapsulated the sentiments of Southerners licking their wounds in the wake of the Civil War. But how was the story of Sam Davis manipulated into propaganda? Plus, the local news for November 27, 2024, and a holiday edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Call it the Opryland Hotel or the Gaylord Opryland, but the way the massive hotel and resort off of Briley Parkway has grown and changed is a reflection of the way Nashville has evolved. Plus the local news for November 26, 2024 and a school choice failure in Kentucky. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

At the center of every story about illegal immigration is someone human: a person, a family, a child. Plus, the local news for November 25, 2024 and checking in with the Unicoi County Animal Shelter after devastating flooding. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A new report details how public school buildings around the state are faring. It could give fodder to both sides of the political aisle once lawmakers return to the statehouse. Plus, the local news for Nov. 22, 2024 and an excerpt from the second episode of Music Citizens. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Headline-grabbing Pastor Greg Locke says his church is finally moving to a new home. And he’s planning to play nice with his new neighbors. Plus, the local news for November 21, 2024 and a look at why concert cancellations are plaguing the music industry. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

A major settlement in the 1990s changed Middle Tennessee’s relationship with tobacco and smoking, and it’s still being paid out today. Plus, the local news for Nov. 20, 2024 and this week’s What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

An annually-updated list of at-risk historic sites in Nashville reveals what we value and what gets left behind. Plus, the local news for Nov. 19, 2024 and a profile of the artist Fancy Hagood. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The negative focus on Tennessee State University’s finances has gone up to yet another level, but the TSU community hasn’t forgotten about funding promises that were never kept. Plus the local news for November 18, 2024, and TVA’s clean energy backslide. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Three Tennessee-based companies are facing headwinds – and possible windfalls – in our state. Plus, the local news for Nov. 15, 2024 and a look at how kids with disabilities are treated under the state’s mass threats of violence law. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

The computers you use every day may be shrinking in size, but a massive supercomputing facility in Memphis shows that giant machines still have their place – and they’re only getting bigger. Plus, the local news for Nov. 14, 2024 and former Nashville mayor Megan Barry. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Budget season in Nashville is about to get underway, so we’re breaking down how the city funds itself. Plus, the local news for Nov. 13, 2024 and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

With massive change in store for Nashville’s East Bank — across from downtown — you may wonder why it wasn’t already a neighborhood with homes, retail and restaurants. Plus the local news for Nov.12, 2024, and ten years of co-housing in Music City. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Reflecting on the life of Capt. Darby Cardona, USAF, is a reminder of what’s really at stake when our nation goes to war. Plus, the local news for Nov. 11, 2024 and WNXP’s Nashville Artist of the Month Chuck Indigo. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

In the last legislative session, Republican infighting blocked Lee’s top priority, a plan to give families “scholarships” for private schools. Now, he’s taking another go at it and sweetening the deal with money for public education and teachers. Plus, the local news for November 8, 2024 and musician Joy Oladokun. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Nashville and Memphis passed major referendums related to transit and guns this week, but it isn’t the first time the two cities have tried to pass these kinds of measures. Plus, the local news for November 7, 2024, and an in-depth conversation about where transit goes from here. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP