NashVillager

Fifty-three years ago, Opryland USA opened its doors. Plus, the local news for June 30, 2025, and look at WNXP’s Nashville Artist of the Month — the improvisational musician Jarren Blair. Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Cynthia AbramsEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Nina Cardona, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

When did a Tennessee governor put his foot down? Today, we look back at that time a Tennessee governor vetoed the entire state budget. Plus, the local news for June 27, 2025, and Big Freedia at Nashville Pride this weekend.Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Blake Farmer Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this day in 1974, the UPC barcode was scanned at a checkout counter for the first time. It may have seemed small at the time, but it revolutionized product tracking and is still going strong today. Plus, the local news for June 26, 2025 and an excerpt from the final culminating episode of “The Country In Our Hearts” podcast on Nashville’s Kurdish community. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Tony Gonzalez Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this day in 1848, the first act of photojournalism took place in Paris during a workers’ strike. It took a few days for the photo to become a wood engraving and then to appear in print. We move a bit faster nowadays, so this podcast is recorded and assembled before 6 a.m. and dispatched to your phone within minutes — with the local news for June 25, 2025, and the latest edition of What Where Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Tony Gonzalez Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It's Scottish Heritage Day in Tennessee. Plus, the local news for June 24, 2025, and an update on a WPLN-ProPublica investigation into the embattled head of a Tennessee youth detention center. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Blake Farmer Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It’s hot this week in Middle Tennessee, and over a dozen states nationwide are under a heat advisory. When has it been hotter in Tennessee history? In the 1950s, Tennessee had over a week of 100 degree days.Plus, the local news for June 23, 2025, and a deeper look at a niche running event in Tennessee. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Cynthia Abrams Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

It’s the longest day of the year. We’re looking at what is known about the ritual site that people built to mark the solstice in this area thousands of years ago. Plus, the local news for June 20, 2025, and episode three of The Country In Our Hearts. 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

Today, an explanation of how Nashville stopped being a city and became Metro instead, and how a major part of that transformation may have to change. Plus, the local news for July 18, 2025, and this week’s edition of What Where When’s-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

Local Juneteenth and Pride organizers are reporting problems with sponsorships this year. Plus, the local news for June 17, 2025, and the Belcourt Theatre at 100 years old. 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

This station has come a long way, and we’re continuing to stride forward with purpose and confidence. But the Congressional funding battle happening now is a consequential one. Plus, the local news for June 16, 2025, and Remember the Removal. 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

Is Friday the 13th really so bad? Or is the problem just that it isn’t the 12th? Plus, the local news for June 13, 2025, and a look at the working conditions inside Kentucky’s BlueOval SK plant. 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 Nashville-based SBC voted this week to go on the offensive against laws the church considers immoral. Plus, the local news for June 12, 2025, and The Country In Our Hearts. 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

Some communities naturally evolve into towns or cities along a clear, straight path. And some put up a fight. Plus, the local news for June 11, 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

There’s trouble again at one Core Civic prison in Tennessee, as the Brentwood company attempts to reopen several others around the nation to handle ICE detainees. Plus the local news for June 10, 2025 and Louie the Singer. 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 1918, scores of people died in a train wreck. Many of them might have lived if the railroad hadn’t put profit over safety. Plus, the local news for June 9, 2025, and a child’s life upended over a social media post. 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

Some stories stick with you. For WPLN’s Char Daston, the story of Don Srisuriyo, a Murfreesboro man who became a Buddhist monk, was one of them. Plus, the local news for June 6, 2025. 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 Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium weren’t always connected. We take a look at how they became forever linked. Plus, the local news for June 5, 2025, and going to Kurdistan to better understand a vibrant Nashville community. 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 meme-worthy escape of a Rutherford County zebra raises all kinds of questions about laws pertaining to animals. Plus the local news for June 4, 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

Tennessee’s water is remarkably full of an invisible pollutant that sticks around in our bodies. Plus, the local news for June 3, 2025, and a look at a CMA Fest showcase that played to a largely immigrant audience. 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 South is famously averse to unions. These days, that’s especially true in Nashville. Plus the local news for June 2, 2025, and TVA’s coal about-face. 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 story of how Nashville became home to the largest Kurdish diaspora in America is an epic one. A tale of bloody genocide, of freedom fighters, of stunning perseverance. But the story of the Kurdish people, no matter where they are, is a story about a country that only exists in the hearts of its people. And the lengths they’ll go to make it real. Learn more here.

Mister Rogers told us to find the helpers when things in the news get to be too much, and that’s what we’re doing today. Plus, the local news for May 30, 2025, and immigration policy as a wedge issue in churches. 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

Many states have outlawed payday loans, but Tennessee is the proving ground for an arguably more predatory option. Plus, the local news for May 29, 2025, and the spread of black bears. 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

Thousands of people from five Native nations were forced to leave their ancestral lands on foot, and many of them walked through our communities on their way West. Plus, the local news for May 28, 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

The Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention is meeting soon, and the future of its public policy arm will likely be on the agenda. Plus the local news for May 27 and WNXP’s Nashville Artist of the Month. 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

Memorial Day Weekend is the annual kick off of road trip season. It turns out, it’s also the anniversary of the very first proof of concept. Plus, the local news for May 23, 2025, and Niche to Meet You. 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

Thousands of Tennessee residents could have their lives upended by a recent federal decision. Plus, the local news for May 22, 2025, and the execution of Oscar Franklin Smith. 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 tens of thousands of bridges across Tennessee, carrying roads, streets and foot traffic over ravines, creeks, rivers and lakes. Some of them really need repairs. Plus, the local news for May 21, 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

When states and cities don’t agree, it can get a little complicated. Plus, the local news for May 20, 2025, and a conversation about Tennessee’s first lethal injection execution in years scheduled for this week. 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

It’s commencement season across the state. And thanks to a law passed on this day more than 30 years ago, those public school graduations can include a religious practice, if certain rules are followed. Plus, the local news for May 19th, 2025, and how to speak up for a beloved species of butterflies. 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

Today we remember one of Nashville’s most iconic midcentury retailers: Harvey’s Department Store. Plus, the local news for May 16, 2025, and the Biscuits and Banjos festival. 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 consistently outpaces the nation for all the wrong reasons when it comes to mental health. Plus, the local news for May 15, 2025, and we hear from some local students at the end of the school 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

Office towers may boom and bust, but industrial development always seems to be a good match for Middle Tennessee. Plus, the local news for May 14, 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, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Let’s talk about the latest local happenings in the natural world. Plus, the local news for May 13, 2025, and how soybeans get caught up in American trade wars. 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

Agriculture is a big business in Tennessee, and livestock drives a big portion of it. Plus, the local news for May 12, 2025, and an attempt at criminal justice reform for people deemed accomplices. 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

One of Nashville’s most notable citizens of the early 20th century lost a major court battle on this day in history. We’re taking a look at what’s happening today with several high-profile cases. Plus, the local news for May 9, 2025, and the wildflowers blooming in the Great Smoky Mountains. 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

Biking in Nashville has come a long way since the 1800s, but there’s still a long way to go. Plus, the local news for May 8, 2025, and a look at how two Nashville teachers are supporting students in the wake of an increased crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the U.S. 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

Tonight, talented actors will perform a reading of a piece of journalism produced by WPLN in partnership with ProPublica. The Theater of War performance will be followed by a discussion in person and on Zoom about gun violence prevention. You can take part here. Plus, the local news for May 7, 2025, and this week’s edition of What, Where, Whens-day.

As much as our current president loves to sign executive orders, former president Franklin D. Roosevelt used even more of them, creating agencies that reshaped Midstate communities. Plus, the local news for May 6, 2025, and spending time with a mixed immigration-status Tennessee family. 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

“All the King’s Men” is a great American novel and its author Robert Penn Warren has roots in Middle Tennessee. Plus, the local news for May 5, 2025, and a conversation about last month’s Biscuits and Banjos festival. 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

During Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s State of Metro speech, he touched on the optimism Nashvillians are feeling about the direction of our city these days. Plus, the local news for May 2, 2025, and a discussion about O’Connell’s speech. 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 update on where things stand between the federal government and broadcasters like this station. Plus, the local news for May 1, 2025, and Tennessee doubles down on homeless encampments. 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 an ideal world, people go to prison to learn to leave crime behind. In the real world, all too often they’re the places where more crimes take place. Plus, the local news for April 30, 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

Nashville has a complicated history with trains, and it may not get any less complicated anytime soon. Plus, the local news for April 29, 2025, and an interview with the artist Father John Misty. 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

Some double agents live out real-life scenarios that are the stuff of movies, others just get taken advantage of. Plus, the local news for April 28, 2025, and a conversation with WNXP’s Nashville artist of the month, Chrysalis. 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 a long and twisted history with renewable energy. Plus, the local news for April 25, 2025, and a look at how people are changing what aging means today. 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 history as a city is a complicated one, and today, it looks far different than its founders ever could have possibly imagined. Plus, the local news for April 24, 2025, and taking a look at Tennessee farmland. 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

White House cutbacks are being felt locally in many ways, but here’s another one: The group that led the way on helping refugees integrate into Middle Tennessee life is no longer getting federal money to carry out that mission. Plus, the local news for April 23, 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

A bill passed this session could complicate efforts to remove a Confederate flag from Williamson County’s seal. Plus, the local news for April 22, 2025, and the second episode of Niche to Meet you. 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 legislators have a long and complicated history with marijuana bans. Plus, the local news for April 21, 2025, and an excerpt from the newest 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