NashVillager

A lesson from a past tragedy in 1300s England has relevance to Nashville’s response to the Antioch High School shooting. Plus, the local news for February 10, 2025, and a look inside a community that needs to leave its East Nashville home. 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 lot of lakes, but people made most of them to generate electricity. Where does that leave things for the state’s natural water features? Plus the local news for February 7, 2025 and hip hop songwriting 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

On this episode, we dig into the history of Peabody Campus at Vanderbilt University and how it acts as a microcosm for Nashville’s high education landscape. Plus, the local news for February 6, 2025 and a Metro office looking for a solution for gun violence. 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 sweeping law passed in 1917 changed immigration in the United States for years, and there are many parallels to be found with today’s moment. Plus, the local news for February 5, 2025 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

A trade war between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico could be looming. Here’s what that could mean for businesses and individuals in Tennessee. Plus, the local news for February 4, 2025 and how executive orders from the Trump White House are affecting people who hoped to find asylum in Middle 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

On this episode, we dig into the life of a fascinating Tennessean: Dr. J.S. Anderson. Plus, the local new for February 3, 2025 and a look at a Kentucky shop that still rents out DVDs and VHS tapes. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHosts/producers: Tony Gonzalez and Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

When John Wilkes Booth visited Nashville on this day in 1864, he was met with rave reviews of his acting. Fourteen months later, he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. Plus, the local news for January 31, 2025, and new reporting on immigration policy in Tennessee. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Tony GonzalezEditor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

On this episode, we dig round up instances of extremism that have been seen in communities across Tennessee recently. Plus, the local news for Jan. 30, 2025, and senior music writer Jewly Hight takes us inside a songwriting camp for hip hop artists. 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

On this episode, we dive into the history of The Seeing Eye, the first school in the U.S. dedicated to training guide dogs. Plus, the local news for Jan. 29, 2025 and this week’s What, Where, Whens-day. Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHosts/producers: Nina Cardona and Tony GonzalezEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Vanderbilt fans have rushed the court at basketball games and the field after major football wins. And NIL brand values could go up because of big fan celebrations. Plus, the local news for January 28, 2025 and visiting the state capitol with two moms advocating for their kids. 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, we dig into part of what put the “music” in Music City: video game soundtracks. Plus, the local news for January 27, 2025 and a conversation about immigration and 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

On today’s episode, we peel back the curtain on how our newsroom thinks about naming assailants in mass shootings and why we’re choosing to focus on the victim, Josselin Corea Escalante, in the Antioch High School shooting. Plus, the local news for January 24, 2025, and a conversation about this week’s news. 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, we bring you the latest on the Antioch High School shooting that left two students dead and another injured Tuesday. Plus, more local news for January 23, 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

Having one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans hasn’t stopped this state’s lawmakers from suggesting more ways to limit the practice. Plus, the local news for January 22, 2025, and the unique sound of one of Nashville’s most iconic buildings. 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, we dive into a court case that reveals the limits of a church’s power to keep behind-closed-door meetings confidential. Plus, the local news for January 21, 2025 and a profile of the Nashville-based singer/songwriter Yola. 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 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we're bringing you an episode of Versify from the archives. In the episode, Freedom Rider Etta Marie Simpson Ray speaks with poet Kelley Bell about the experience of living in the echo of a movement when your contributions have all but been erased, finding the courage to risk personal gain for the collective good, and the critical importance of carrying the old days with us.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

Both the state of Tennessee and the federal government are having some big discussions about disaster relief funding right now. Plus the local news for January 17, 2025 and a lawsuit involving food stamps in the 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

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