This Is Nashville

Mary Elizabeth Vinett died on November 21, 2025, and her family decided her 90 years on the planet deserved more than the average obituary. So they tried to capture her essence starting with the first paragraph. "Beth was loved by all, perhaps because she was so outrageously funny," they wrote. "A storyteller extraordinaire who changed the essence of a room just by entering it. She smoked with a style and elegance that made you wonder why you ever quit."May we all be remembered so colorfully.The end of the year puts us in a reflective mood, so collectively we're remembering those we've lost in Middle Tennessee during 2025. With the help of listeners submitting one-minute memorials or calling in live, we're celebrating long lives and lives cut short and remembering their contributions to our community, large and small.   Plus, a visit to the East Nashville wind telephone, where calls connect to lost loved ones.Guests: Christal Pennic, therapist and founder of The Grief Center Almeta Slater-Rogers, founder and CEO of UnSaid Memories  Further reading: Jen Alexander Bobby Cain Dot Dobbins Lucille Duke Vincent Martin Marquez Ruel Oquindo Marjorie Pisapia Mary Elizabeth Vinett Ridley Wills II  

A simple aluminum pole. The annual airing of grievances. The legendary feats of strength. It can only mean one thing: It's Festivus - the holiday for the rest of us. And to kick the Festivus season off right this year,  Mayor Freddie O'Connell will be here to take your questions and comments…and maybe demonstrate a few feats of strength. Now, the very first Festivus may not have included Ask the Mayor…or the Muppets…or 8 french horns…but ours does. It's Festivus for the Rest of Us!Call 615-760-2000 to ask Freddie — or pop your question into chat — we're streaming live today at youtube.com/@wpln.Special thanks to Mark Lemley and Daniel Jones.Guests Freddie O'Connell, Mayor, Metro Nashville and Davidson County Nashville Horn Hang Elaine Braun - Conductor  Rich Davis  Leigh-Anne Eftychiou  Walter Everton  Clare Gibson  Julia Hedrick  Tim Mullican  Kent Stewart  Glenn Trew   Kindling Arts Festival takes on The Muppets Christmas Carol Emma Supica (Gonzo)  Cammie York (Rizzo)  Seth Nathan Green (Kermit)    

It's Curious Nashville: where WPLN News answers your questions about Middle Tennessee and takes you on a monthly adventure to find answers. Today we're shining a light on an obscure album recorded in Nashville more than 50 years ago that features a Christmas choir performing inside the lobby of a downtown bank. Astute local listener Matthew Bond came across the record two decades ago and wondered: Why did a bank form a choir? And what were their performances like? In today's story, we revisit the city's banking history and learn just how popular an all-volunteer choir became.We're also talking with two gurus of Christmas music collecting, and taking your calls and questions — live!Guest experts on Christmas music: Andy Cirzan, Jam Productions senior vice president Howard Petruziello, Red Light Management / ATO Records Justin Barney, WPLN News music reporter Further listening:Sound Opinions: Andy Cirzan's 2023 Holiday Spectacular

Marie Williams came up through homeless services in Memphis and found her way to the state agency that oversees mental health and substance abuse services when Gov. Bill Haslam appointed her to lead the agency she's now been a part of for 25 years. She talks about her life, her work and her philosophy that has guided her career trying to fight off the stigma of the heartless bureaucrat.

What happens when government funding is withheld from a public university that's served generations of Black Tennesseans? And what could be possible if that debt were finally paid?Today's This is Nashville call-in episode is a companion to the one-hour radio special from WPLN News and the Tennessee Lookout. Listen now or though the WPLN podcast feed.From Nashville Public Radio and the Tennessee Lookout, The Debt traces Tennessee State University's decades-long fight for fair funding — through an overlooked Civil Rights lawsuit, a historic merger with a predominantly white university, a dramatic student hunger strike, and a lawmaker who discovered his father's old research on underfunding.This episode was produced by Camellia Burris.Guests: Dr. Learotha “Dr. Lee” Williams, Jr., Scholar of African-American Civil War and Reconstruction, and Public History at Tennessee State University Dr. George Pruitt, retired university administrator; former president, TESU; former vice-president of student affairs at TSU; author, From Protest to President Camellia Burris, Education reporter, WPLN Emily Siner, Contributing reporter, WPLN

In this one-hour special from WPLN and the Tennessee Lookout: What happens when government funding is withheld from a public university that's served generations of Black Tennesseans? And what could be possible if that debt were finally paid?

On days when someone is executed at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, community members are generally allowed to gather outside the prison in a large field. Separated by fences and distance are the "against" and "for" sides. The "againsts" are usually made up of a few dozen clergy and abolitionists, including one of our guests today — death row chaplain Rev. Tim Holton. The "for" side tends to be much slimmer. Frequently, there's just one man: our other guest, Rick Laude.During the course of their conversation in the TIN studio, they learn their lives have a lot in common, particularly the childhood trauma they experienced. This organically turned into a conversation between them and not an interview by us. We're along for the ride with you — and grateful to be in the room.

When Andi Marie Tillman moved to Nashville from Scott County, Tennessee, she had dreams of writing the next hit song.But after years of struggling, she looked at her own story and got creative with how she wanted to share it with her audience. After the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic passed, Andi Marie began posting videos on social media. They made waves almost instantly. Now, she works as a full-time humorist and digital creator in Nashville. She joins us in the studio to share her journey, her process, and her plans for bigger projects.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guests Andi Marie Tillman, humorist

It's Thursday and time for another episode of The Roundabout.This week, our weekly Roundabout panel turns its attention to issues of religion. We're discussing evangelicals and Nazi ideology, Christians' relationship to the death penalty, and ICE raids taking place in churches. We welcome Vanderbilt's Dr. Phillis Sheppard, Russell Moore of Christianity Today and Liam Adams from The Tennessean to help unpack these urgent and complex topics.And The Roundabout also welcomes your voice on the big stories of the week. Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in – or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Liam Adams, religion reporter, Tennessean Russell Moore, Editor at-large of Christianity Today; host of The Russell Moore Show podcast; author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical America Dr. Phillis Sheppard, E. Rhodes and Leona Chair Professor of Religion and Psychology and Culture; Faculty liaison for research and education, James Lawson Institute for the Research and Study of Non-violent Movements

Today we travel along with Music Citizens to go inside the highest stakes job in the industry – A&R.Through the lens and life of A&R lifer Kim Buie, we get to see that this glamorous job is mostly about losing. Missing out on artists who become superstars (her near-miss tale of N.W.A. is amazing), knowing that the majority of albums you help shepherd into the world will flop and being the person who has to say no to a musician's lifelong dream.Buie, and guests Stevo Robertson and Anay Richardson, explain what keeps them going, what shapes their tastes and how their approach to the job differs. It is the TikTok era after all.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests Kim Buie, A&R veteran Anay Richardson, A&R coordinator, Prescription Songs Steve Robertson, Label founder & Co-president, Severance Records Music Citizens is a podcast series by WNXP and Nashville Public Radio about the people who make music work. Each episode will explore what it takes to do the jobs that keep the music business moving and introduce you to the characters who are often well known within their worlds but whose vital work goes largely uncelebrated. Listen to all episodes at wnxp.org.

There aren't many states like Tennessee with three distinct regions so unique each has its own star on the state flag.West, Middle, and East Tennessee are not just general directions to help explain where we're from. They're lines drawn in state law representing our cultural heritage and political history. Because Mountain City is a long way from Memphis — in fact, it's closer to Canada than the western corner of our state — we're talking with historians about how we divided ourselves up this way. Guests Jeff Sellers, Tennessee State Museum Director of Education & Community Engagement Warren Dockter, President and CEO of East Tennessee Historical Society Walter Battle, UT Institute of Agriculture Scott Williams, President of Discovery Park of America

When Dr. Britt Stone was growing up in Tupelo, Mississippi, her Bahamian mother made her choke down a spoonful of cod liver oil each morning. The daily ritual was part of a “bush medicine” philosophy that incorporated an array of natural supplements and remedies. While training at Meharry Medical College and later specializing in neurology, Stone turned her attention away from herbal medicine. But during the COVID pandemic, she revived her interest in so-called “integrative medicine” to help her patients cope with symptoms.“We never know what kind of traditional wisdom we have forgotten and then feel like we've discovered and then actually we have just remembered again,” Stone tells This Is Nashville. In this interview, she talks about how her “mother was right,” how to separate snake oil from truly beneficial supplements, and how her colleagues at Vanderbilt are also seeing the benefits beyond modern medicine.

This time of year, we like to recommend some of the best podcasts of the year. So we've sprinkled a few recommendations throughout the show today while we let you enjoy our most downloaded episode of the year. It's about the history of the historically Black university that we never knew – Roger Williams University.Nothing remains of Roger Williams except a couple of historical plaques tucked away on Vanderbilt's Peabody Campus. Founded in the wake of the Civil War alongside Fisk and Meharry, this historically Black institution once thrived before being destroyed in two suspicious fires in 1905. Today we uncover the forgotten history of Roger Williams, visit the nearby The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy, and meet artists and scholars working to both memorialize the university as well as honor their ancestral heritage through monuments and art.

It became the calling card for trailblazing WSM, the radio station that reached the wider world with old-time hillbilly music. Just five short years after the first commercial radio broadcast, WSM launched with the “WSM Barn Dance,” the precursor to the Opry, and began to attract musicians and fans to the city. And it put Nashville on a national stage. Today, we sift through the archives to highlight the Opry and a century of stories behind the radio station that laid the groundwork for what Music City has become. Join us for the incredible 100-year history of the Opry and WSM.GuestsKyle Cantrell, former Opry announcer, founder of banjoradio.comCraig Havighurst, editorial director, WMOT, author of Air Castle of the SouthJewly Hight, senior music writer, Nashville Public RadioEric Marcum, general manager, WSM

As the Grand Ole Opry celebrates its 100th birthday this week, we hear from its longest-serving member.Whisperin' Bill Anderson hasn't just weathered a 65-year music career, he's thrived through versatility. A six-time Songwriter of the Year winner, he's a member of both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. His songs have earned Grammy nominations, Dove Awards, the ACM Poets Award, and BMI's first Country Music Songwriting Icon honor. He's written for himself and legends like Vince Gill and Brad Paisley. He made it to Hollywood and back. Last year he released his 73rd album. At the center of it all has been the Grand Ole Opry. He joins This Is Nashville to talk about his love and reverence for the institution and all that's going on in "Whisperworld."

It's Thursday and time for another episode of The Roundabout.The Roundabout is the news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center. Joining us today are Maryam Abolfazli, Shaka Mitchell and Pat Nolan.Today we talk about a tightening 7th congressional district race, political pardons, school voucher expansion, plus a smile story or two and more.And The Roundabout also welcomes your voice on the big stories of the week. Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in — or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat!This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Maryam Abolfazli, former congressional candidate and founder of Rise & Shine TN Shaka Mitchell, Sr. Fellow for the American Federation for Children Pat Nolan, political analyst and retired journalist

Stream video on YouTube.Now that tariffs levied by the second Trump administration have taken effect, small businesses in Nashville are beginning to feel the pinch and praying for relief.Importers of coffee and tea and artisans making apparel and musical instruments join the show to explain how tariffs have challenged their small businesses. Professors from Vanderbilt and MTSU bring global context to the local impact of tariffs in 2025.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests  Eric Bond, Joe L. Roby chair & professor of economics at Vanderbilt Leah and Joel Larabell, High Garden Tea (Instagram: @highgardentea) Sean Stewart, Coffee Importer Michael Stricklin, Loyal Stricklin (Instagram: @loyalstricklin) Manuel Delgado, Delgado Guitars (Instagram: @delgadoguitars) Chaney Mosley, associate professor of agribusiness at MTSU Further listening:Nashvillager Podcast: A bad year for a major cash crop

Our question today: What is a "Chicago-style gyro," and why are there so many shops with that name in Nashville?Little did we know that trying to figure this out would take us way beyond Nashville and lead us to uncover the very creation of the gyro as we know it. WPLN reporter Justin Barney is taking you along as he crisscrosses the country, plunges into culinary history, hits the factory floor, and gets face-to-face with the man who elevated a niche menu item into a cultural staple.You can find more Curious Nashville stories at WPLN.org/Curious and submit a question to our team below.This episode was produced by Tony Gonzalez and Justin Barney.Special thanks to Blake Farmer, Tasha A.F. Lemley, Mack Linebaugh and Cynthia Abrams

It might look like anything Mike Curb touches turns to gold. But he says he's never been great at anything – just passionate. After more than 60 years in the record business, Curb is still looking for the next big hit. He's also looking for a way to preserve the thing that brought him to Nashville and made his career so successful — Music Row. In this career-spanning interview, Curb talks music and business, politics and philanthropy. Further Reading: 'Music Row is the new Sunset Strip' Mike Curb's Belmont Partnership Looks to Bolster Future Music Business At the opening of the Curb Gallery at the Rock 'n Soul Museum in Memphis Mike Curb Donates Funding For New Student Recording Facility At UCLA The 71st Mike Curb Gold Cup Race Curb challenges Tennessee's transgender bathroom law in court New York Times profiles Curb as Lt. Gov of California (1979)

From a young age, Colby Keegan said he hoped to "affect positive change." He was homeless when he died of an overdose at the age of 23. His mother, Lisa Wysocky, founded Colby's Army in his honor. Our In My Place series has taken us through the steps of homelessness to housing and beyond. That's from the first point of contact between a service provider and someone experiencing homelessness — through all the twists and turns to an apartment — and then sometimes doing it all over again more than once.In this episode, which is the season finale, we're spending the whole hour with Wysocky, looking through the eyes of family members of people who have experienced homelessness.Further listening: Get all episodes at the In My Place page or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you do your listening Nashville Scene: Best News Podcast: 'In My Place' In My Place is a special project of WPLN's This Is Nashville, supported in part by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

It's now just a matter of time before federal benefits are restored that help nearly 700,000 Tennesseans put food on the table. But the government shutdown exposed just how many people struggle to keep their families fed. So we're putting hunger at the center of our Roundabout episode today. We'll bring you the latest on SNAP and food distributions. We're also taking your calls about your own experience as a recipient or a volunteer. That number is 615-760-2000. And if you've got a pop-up feeding program, please share. It's SNAP and hunger in the roundabout. This episode was produced by Josh Deepan and Mary Mancini. GUESTS Signe Anderson (via phone), Tennessee Justice Center Senior Director of Nutrition Advocacy Alexus Lawless, SNAP recipient Josh Rosales, Break-Thru Nashville Catherine Sweeney, WPLN Health Reporter Additional Reading: WPLN'S SNAP Coverage 

On today's show, we honor those who've served their country by welcoming three combat veterans from Middle Tennessee, all from the decade after 9/11.A cook. An HR specialist. And an intelligence officer. It takes more than the infantry to go to war. Wisdom from our neighbors who answered the call of duty and were forever changed. This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. GUESTS Jerome Norman, U.S. Army Veteran Keyanna Jones, U.S. Army Veteran Aaron Dorn, Marine Corps Veteran

Bill DeMain has been creating and evolving for decades. A prolific songwriter, music journalist, walking tour guide, and one half of the pop duo Swan Dive, he's still not slowing down. In fact, during the pandemic, he added yet another career to his résumé: cartoonist.

The latest wave of Kurds is arriving from Turkey — fleeing political repression and nationalist hate groups. They're coming to a very different America than the Kurds who have called Nashville home for generations. It's an America in turmoil — a place where immigrants are increasingly seen as enemies within, to be rooted out and sent back to where they came from.In this final installment from The Country In Our Hearts, we meet a new generation of Kurdish Nashvillians and leave on a hopeful note with a Kurdish new year celebration.Series Credits:The Country In Our Hearts was reported and produced Rose Gilbert, who also produced the visual trailer. Meribah Knight edited and co-produced the series. Sound design by Martin Cruz, and traditional music is by Arkan Doski. The original logo artwork is by Nuveen Barwari.Special thanks to Paul McAdoo and Jennifer Nelson and huge thanks to Mehmet Ayaz, who made so much of this storytelling possible. Additional thanks for all of the people who welcomed Rose in Kurdistan, like Azad Sameen, the Barmarne family and the village of Chalke; and, of course, the many journalists she met along the way, Suha Kamel, Makeen Mustafa, Paul Idon, Namo Addullah and Wladimir van Wilgenburg.

They opened businesses and raised their kids. As those kids grew up, they had to figure out how to navigate the world of a first-generation Kurdish-American teenager. And in that world, something new was forming — something that threatened to tarnish the sterling reputation their parents worked hard to build.The Country in our Hearts is 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.Guest: Meribah Knight, editor and co-producer of the podcastSeries Credits:The Country In Our Hearts was reported and produced by Rose Gilbert, who also produced the visual trailer. Meribah Knight edited and co-produced the series. Sound design by Martin Cruz, and traditional music is by Arkan Doski. The original logo artwork is by Nuveen Barwari.Special thanks to Paul McAdoo, Jennifer Nelson and Samantha Max.

In this special broadcast, featuring episode 2 from The Country In Our Hearts, we see all this family lost to war and displacement. But also, what they are determined to reclaim and rebuild.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.Guest:Dilman Yasin, cultural advisor of the podcastSeries Credits:The Country In Our Hearts was reported and produced Rose Gilbert, who also produced the visual trailer. Meribah Knight edited and co-produced the series. Sound design by Martin Cruz, and traditional music is by Arkan Doski. The original logo artwork is by Nuveen Barwari.Special thanks to Paul McAdoo, Jennifer Nelson and to the village of Chalke, and the people there who showed Rose so much hospitality.

WPLN's Rose Gilbert dives headlong into one family's migration odyssey from Iraqi Kurdistan to Nashville.To really understand what this family — and so many others — were fleeing from, we need to go back to one terrible, pivotal day in 1988. And to do that, we need to go to Kurdistan.The Country in our Hearts is 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. Rose Gilbert, host and reporter of the podcastSeries Credits:The Country In Our Hearts was reported and produced Rose Gilbert, who also produced the visual trailer. Meribah Knight edited and co-produced the series. Sound design by Martin Cruz, and traditional music is by Arkan Doski. The original logo artwork is by Nuveen Barwari.Special thanks to Paul McAdoo, Jennifer Nelson, Namo Abdulla, Luqman Abdulqadir and the Halabja Chemical Victims Society.Audio of interviews with victims of al anfal chemical attacks came from the Kurdish Memory Programme. Audio of the interview with a Halabja chemical attack victim is courtesy of Kurdistan 24. 

WPLN is reviving one of the the station's most popular projects: Curious Nashville.The recipe is simple. Listeners ask questions and we find the answers.But the bar is high. Instead of answers that can be found through a quick Google search, we're taking queries that will take us somewhere unknown or unexpected.Tune in to hear News Director Tony Gonzalez share some of Curious Nashville's great hits, as well as previews of some of the mysteries that reporters are looking into now. And you can submit your question below:This episode was produced by Tony Gonzalez and Cynthia Abrams.

Every community needs a “keeper of the flame” – someone who can connect the present with the past.And in Middle Tennessee, we're fortunate to have several of these sages who can remind us of our history. At WPLN, that's the gift Nina Cardona shares with listeners each day on the NashVillager podcast – connecting the past with the present, while helping us break out of the news cycle and think about the news in a historical context.Today, we hear Nina's story and the why and how of what she does to connect us to Tennessee and beyond.

Welcome back to In My Place — a series about finding, and losing, home in a growing Nashville.This season, we're getting to walk through the specific steps from homelessness to housing with people who have done it.In our last 8 episodes, we've talked about everything from connecting with services for the very first time to celebrating an apartment. But for many folks it doesn't stop there — so neither did we.Most recently, we spent time trying to understand why having a place, even though it's great, is really hard. So, in this episode, we're talking with people about what it's like to experience becoming unhoused again.This series was created thanks in part to support from Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and was produced by Judith Tackett.Guests: Jamie Villegas, member of the Homelessness Planning Council, expert through experience Kennetha Patterson, national peer advocate, expert through experience Lizzie Goddard, principal and owner of Goddard Consulting Co., housing systems strategist Further listening: Nashville Scene: Best News Podcast: 'In My Place' Overview episode of In My Place Listen to all episodes at the In My Place page or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to shows.

When Dr. Lisa Piercey left state government after guiding Tennessee through the pandemic, she decided to turn over an entirely new leaf. She was tired of working for someone else. So she got into the business of buying businesses. And even though she's only a few years in, she also wrote a book about it. We talk about her journey to entrepreneurship, her hindsight on public service, and grappling with this new era in public health.  Further reading: In exit interview, Tennessee health chief Lisa Piercey defends how the state dealt with COVID (WPLN) Dr. Lisa Piercey on Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (Signature Required) Why I Bought a Business Instead of Starting One (Entrepreneur)

As the federal government shutdown rolls into its fourth week, paychecks for federal employees have halted.At the local level, many are wondering how federal policies will impact their day-to-day lives. The Nashville job sector has remained stable for the past year, but as the manufacturing industry in Tennessee remains among the most vulnerable to tariffs, the future cost of production becomes less clear. Additionally, health insurance premiums for those who rely on Obamacare may cost up to twice as much in 2026 if Congress doesn't reach a deal. For our weekly Roundabout edition of This Is Nashville, we have invited a reporter, an economist, and a public policy advocate to speak on these issues. Call in with your question or comment at 615-760-2000 — or watch live on YouTube and pop your comments into chat.

Gospel and Christian music call this city home. But until now, there hasn't been an obvious physical location. With the opening of the Museum of Christian & Gospel Music this month, we'll look at the history of a unique genre that focuses as much on the lyrics and meaning as the song itself. We're joined by historians, executives and a Dove Award winning artist. Additionally, our guests will highlight the importance of race and how it shaped today's world of Contemporary Christian Music. This episode was produced by Josh Deepan and Jewly Hight. Guests Jewly Hight, WPLN senior music writer Leah Payne, religious historian & author DOE, Dove award-winning artist Jackie Patillo, Gospel Music Association President Steve Gilreath, Executive Director of the Museum of Christian & Gospel Music Additional reading: New Musem of Christian and Gospel Music honors diversity of music with a message

It's been nearly a year since Davidson County voters passed the Choose How You Move transit referendum, approving a half-cent (0.5%) sales tax increase to fund transit upgrades and improvements. The chief program officer, Sabrina Sussman, joins us to give an update and take questions from listeners.We end the episode with our Shared Calendar, giving you the microphone to plug local events coming up in the next week.Call 615-760-2000 to join on air or comment in the chat along with the live video stream.Guest Sabrina Sussman, chief program officer, Choose How You MoveFurther reading Free bus fares are coming to Nashville low-income residents (WPLN) City Pumps $104 Million of Choose How You Move Money Into Transit Projects (Nashville Banner) What one Nashville teen learned from riding every city bus route before graduation (WPLN) First phase of Nashville's ‘Choose How You Move' plan unveiled (WKRN) Events 4th annual William Edmondson Arts and Culture Fest "Everything Hurts" at Nashville Symphony Ann Roberts Lecture Series on Mid-Century Architecture Day of the Dead celebration in Springfield Urban League of Middle-Tennessee annual meeting Nashville Public Library's Neighborhood History & Culture Home Movie Project Columbia PRIDE TWRA Tennessee Biodiversity Summit VOGM: The Claus Cause (Santa Photoshoot for a Cause)

Charles “Wigg” Walker, legendary R&B and soul artist

It's a Roundabout episode with guest host and familiar voice Nina Cardona. This panel spanning the political spectrum helps you think about the news — sometimes from a different lane.This week we welcome former speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Beth Harwell. Former congressional candidate Kiran Sreepada and TSU political science professor Ian Shapiro are also back. Together, we'll mourn the loss of life in the Bucksnort explosion, dissect the building presence of federal agents in Memphis, and look at the congressional races getting active, even a year out.

On our show today, we're talking about native spiders. Why? Well, it's spider season. You tend to see more this time of year because the males are looking for a mate. They're also looking for a warm place to get in out of the cold and that may mean moving in with us. Spiders may make your skin crawl, but it's useful to know what's actually worth being scared of. Spoiler alert, there's not too much to worry about — even with the much-maligned brown recluse.On today's show, we speak with a pet owner, an entomologist, and a local actor who landed the role of Charlotte in "Charlotte's Web" to get their takes. Better yet, our phone lines are open. Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in — or join us on "the web" by live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat.

When Vanderbilt polled Nashvillians in March about top priorities for city investment, there was near unanimity around one issue. Nearly 90% wanted investment in more affordable housing. But when the questioning hit closer to home, the support waned. According to this same poll, 56% of residents support allowing multifamily housing "everywhere in my city to revitalize neighborhoods and local economies."If Nashville is going to have more affordable housing, residents also have to live closer together. It's not just apartment buildings and not just in some parts of town. It's townhomes. It's a garage unit in the backyard. It's density. And when that density is proposed next door, you get a lot of folks who may agree in principle but find themselves saying “not in my back yard.” What does it take to get more YIMBYs (yes in my back yard)?

When Stuart McWhorter gets introduced on stage, at some point he feels the need to cut off the emcee. From his resume, it starts to sound like he either can't hold a job or he's always looking for the next thing — a joke that he makes about his own varied career. This week, he takes on yet another a new role in Gov. Bill Lee's administration — deputy governor. But he's been Lee's right hand man since he decided to run for office. Before government service, he was a second generation entrepreneur who credits working with his late father, Clayton McWhorter, for much of the success he has experienced.

The Roundabout is your news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center.Congressional District 7 candidate Rep. Jody Barrett, Owen School professor and Tennessee Lookout contributor Bruce Barry, and @WPLN's Marianna Bacallao join today to help us think through the biggest news – including the special election in the 7th congressional district. We'll digest the primary results with the help of Barrett, who was the focus of much of the money spent in the race. We'll also look at how the state ended up banning more books than almost any other state — as well as Vanderbilt's latest moment of decision. Plus, we're hearing from you. Call 615-760-2000 to join the conversation!You can also check us out visually by joining our YouTube stream.Guests Marianna Bacallao, state legislative/power and equity reporter, WPLN Rep. Jody Barrett, congressional district 7 candidate; state house representative Bruce Barry, professor, Vanderbilt's Owen Graduate School of Management;  Tennessee Lookout contributor Further reading Trump asks 9 colleges to commit to his political agenda and get favorable access to federal money (WPLN) Vanderbilt campus groups push back against Trump administration higher ed ‘compact' (Tennessee Lookout) Memphis state Rep. Justin Pearson to challenge U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen in 2026 Democratic primary (Tennessee Lookout) New Tennessee English Language Arts Standards Recommendation: More Diverse Texts: Educators cited the benefits of reading materials that reflect a variety of cultures and viewpoints (Nashville Banner)

Not long ago, everybody seemed to want to get in on Pride month festivities. Then the political winds shifted.Companies that were proudly flying the rainbow flag decided to fold up their colors this year, or at least drop their financial support — including Vanderbilt Medical Center, Nissan, Cracker Barrel, Dollar General and Jack Daniel's. So Nashville Pride has been scrambling to fill the gap with a symbolic deadline of Saturday 10/11, which is National Coming Out Day. In this episode, we get an update from Pride organizers and explore the history of gay pride in our town.Stream the show live on YouTube.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guests Tina Tousignant, Nashville Pride President Jef Ellis, co-founder of Dare Newspaper (later renamed Query) Dwayne Jenkins, Nashville Black Pride Board President

Nothing remains of Roger Williams University except a couple of historical plaques tucked away on Vanderbilt's Peabody Campus. Founded in the wake of the Civil War alongside Fisk and Meharry, this historically Black institution once thrived before being destroyed in two suspicious fires in 1905. Today we uncover the forgotten history of Roger Williams, visit the nearby The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy, and meet artists and scholars working to both memorialize the university as well as honor their ancestral heritage through monuments and art.Guests Lanecia Rouse, visual artist & Berg Global Artist-In-Residence Fellowship in the College of Arts and Science, Vanderbilt University Ciona Rouse, poet Dr. Kevin Murphy, Andrew W. Mellon Chair in the Humanities and Professor and Chair of History of Art and Architecture, Vanderbilt University Dr. Leah Lowe, Professor of Theatre and Director of The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy, Vanderbilt University

Americana often becomes a place for artists or music industry types who don't fit neatly elsewhere. And for Tamara Saviano, it was a place for a writer and publicist who was shunned by country music. Saviano moved to Nashville and quickly found herself crossways with industry heavyweights. A fateful firing over politics led to a phone call from actor and singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson, and the rest is a history that's in her new memoir, "Poets and Dreamers." Produced by Blake FarmerMore on Tamara Saviano: NPR: Tamara Saviano on Guy Clark lost recordings WMOT: A warm account of the Americana movement Nashville Post (2003): Everything you ever wanted to know about the Charlie Daniels/Saviano dispute

The Roundabout is your news of the week, analyzed by our panelists from points of view that span left, right and center. Joining us today are Mark Rogers, Republican Party advisor; Dahron Johnson, chaplain and co-chair of the Nashville committee of Tennessee Equality Project; And Meribah Knight, reporter and producer of special projects for WPLN.What stories are making the rounds in your circle? Call 615-760-2000 to join on air or pop a question into the chat during the broadcast on the YouTube video stream.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Dahron Johnson, chaplain and co-chair of the Nashville committee of Tennessee Equality Project Meribah Knight, reporter and producer of special projects for WPLN Mark Rogers, Republican Party advisor

There's a poster in the This Is Nashville studio that says “Our City, Our Stories.” And today it could say “Nuestra ciudad, nuestra historias.”Eleven percent of Nashvillians identify as Hispanic or having Hispanic heritage and today we're spending the hour with some of our Spanish-speaking neighbors: a coffee shop owner who can be found some days passing out free sweet bread to drivers stuck in traffic, a community health worker who brings care to people who need it most and a business leader who helps Hispanic entrepreneurs plug into the city's power circles. Esto es Nashville.You can also join us live on YouTube to get the visual show experience and share your thoughts.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Juan Pablo, owner, JOS Fifteen Coffee Shop Rosa Escobar, health worker, Siloam Health Yuri Cunza, Nashville Hispanic Chamber of Commerce President

In My Place is a series that educates listeners on what communities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused.In our last episode, we celebrated getting those keys!In this episode, we're talking about the difficulties of having a home.It's easy for those of us who have never been homeless to celebrate someone getting housed, breathe a sigh of relief, and then stare in disbelief when things don't go smoothly. Today, we sit down with those who have gone through the housing process to talk about barriers that remain — and unexpected issues that may arise after people move into permanent housing.This series was created thanks in part to support from Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and was produced by Judith Tackett.Guests: Ashley Reed, disability advocate, expert through experience Kelly Palmer, expert through experience Nathan Scarlett, outreach specialist, People Loving Nashville Rachel Hester, executive director, Room In The Inn Anita Smith, housing advocate, expert through experience Further listening: WPLN: Anita Smith, ‘I don't need to go any further.' Overview episode of In My Place Listen to all episodes at the In My Place page or as a podcast on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to shows.

Fred Bailey didn't just defy the odds. He didn't see his circumstances as a deck stacked against him. In fact, he couldn't see at all, which was one of the challenges you'd expect to hold someone back. "You're Black, blind, and poor," his father told him, adding that hard work was going to be the only way out. And he lived it out. In this profile interview, Bailey talks about his memoir, his career and his nonprofits that help at-risk youth in Gallatin.More on Fred Bailey:  There's No Cure — Episode #1 from WPLN's Versify podcast  "Nowhere Near the Bottom" — memoir published in 2020 Induction into the Tennessee Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

It's Thursday and time for another episode of The Roundabout – the "Nashville Nice" edition"Nashville Nice" is a unique flavor of Southern hospitality and friendliness. And since we last took a look three years ago, a lot more than the skyline has changed. Today we wonder, as more transplants move in and Lower Broad leans into its "party city" reputation, are cracks starting to appear in our collective civility? Are we in danger of losing the very things that made Nashville Nice possible? And is "Nashville Nice" enough for you to stay?And The Roundabout also welcomes your voice. Give us a call at 615-760-2000 to weigh in — or join us live streaming on YouTube at noon and pop your question into chat.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Stacey Irvin, photographer Demetria Kalodimos, executive producer of the Nashville Banner Rev. Davie Tucker, pastor, Beech Creek Missionary Baptist Church; executive director, Metro Human Relations Commission

Let's discuss the dreaded G-word – geriatrics – and clear up common misconceptions about that medical specialty and why it's important for healthy aging.For many, it conjures images of decline, disease, and – well – dying. But what if we take the view that geriatricians are experts in body and mind maintenance for late-model humans? That's the focus of this episode of our monthly series, NEXT AGE, where we're reframing aging.The goal of modern geriatrics is to help our health span match our lifespan as more of us are living longer. We hear from experts in the care and maintenance of our aging bodies and learn why more people are actively seeking geriatric care early in their latter years.There's a growing effort to recruit and train more professionals in geriatrics and increase all of our appreciation and access to these specialists.Our show is made possible, in part, by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and our series on aging is made possible by a grant from The West End Home Foundation — enriching the lives of older adults though grantmaking, advocacy and community collaboration.This episode was produced by LaTonya Turner.Guests: Jean Gauld-Jaeger, retiree & patient of geriatrician, https://artbyjaeger.com/ Katina Beard | CEO, Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center S.A.L.T. Deborah Lee, PhD, Director & Co-Founder, MTSU Positive Aging Consortium James Powers, M.D., geriatrician/researcher/professor, VUMC Division of Geriatric Medicine Stacy D. Smith, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, VUMC Division of Geriatric Medicine

Running a small business is tough — especially if you're in a city like Nashville where commercial lease rates are increasing significantly.Today, we're tallying the cost of doing business in Middle Tennessee. Joining us are small business owners, subject matter experts, and property developers to enlighten us on how small businesses are adapting to the changing economic landscape.You can also join us live on YouTube to get the visual show experience and share your thoughts.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guests Danny Greenberg, co-owner, Flour Your Dreams Bakery  Tania Salas, co-owner, Flour Your Dreams Bakery Luke Watson, co-founder, Third Coast Comedy Club and Silo Market Leon Luke, owner, TrapHouse Wingz Kelly Bonadies, property developer Jeff Cohu, Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation Executive Director  

When people in Nashville have nowhere else to go, they find our guest this hour.We're getting to know the story of Joy Flores, the vice president of ministries at the Nashville Rescue Mission. Her journey includes time working in foster care, years on Skid Row in Los Angeles, and losing her own brother to the perils that accompany homelessness. It's a career that has shaped her whole-person philosophy of caring for anyone who is homeless, because usually they need a lot more than a place to lay their head. This episdoe was produced by Josh Deepan. GuestJoy Flores, Vice President of Ministry and Outreach, Nashville Rescue Mission