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Play areas have come a long way from the days of monkey bars and scorchingly hot metal slides. That's by design. Plus, the local news for October 23, 2025, and a Dragula suite. 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
On the anniversary of the world's first parachute jump, a look at the paratroopers-turned-air-assault soldiers. Plus, the local news for October 22, 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
As Shelby County sues the governor for potentially overstepping his role, a look at the state laws that are cited in the court case. Plus, the local news for October 21, 2025, and the race to save an endangered Tennessee fish. 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
The income tax that wasn't a traditional income tax is gone, but why hasn't Tennessee eliminated the grocery tax? Plus the local news for October 20, 2025 and kids in solitary confinement. 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
It looks like school vouchers could be a dominant topic at the state capitol for a third straight year. Plus the local news for October 17, 2025 and leaf peeping. 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
The new campaign of a disgraced former sheriff will require the Tennessee GOP to make an interesting decision. Plus the local news for October 16, 2025 and a new look at one town's last public lynching. 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
Another round of No Kings demonstrations are scheduled for this weekend. Plus the local news for October 15, 2025 and this week's edition of What Where Whens-day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Mack LinebaughAdditional support: Tony Gonzalez, Miriam Kramer, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
Abolition never really caught on in a serious way in Middle Tennessee, but that doesn't mean people weren't aware that the institution of slavery was dying all over the rest of the world. Plus the local news for October 14, 2025 and pawpaw soda 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
What do we know about the site of Friday morning's explosion? After the deadly explosion at a factory near Bucksnort, a look at the work done by Accurate Energy Solutions. Plus the local news for October 13, 2025 and invasive carp in our waterways.Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
A great American hero died in Middle Tennessee, possibly at his own hand, more than 200 years ago. We've still got to get better at preventing suicides here. Plus, the local news for October 10, 2025, and a unique Sewanee tradition. 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
Nashville isn't a city that has had a huge fire shape it, but there is still a lot to remember on this Firefighters Memorial Day. Plus, the local news for October 9, 2025 and a look at Eviction Right to Counsel. 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
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)
A mailer sent out to Republicans around the Midstate ahead of this week's election crossed some serious lines. Plus, the local news for October 8, 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
From soccer to football, things are looking up for sports across Tennessee. Even the Titans won last weekend. Plus, the local news for October 7, 2025, and a look at the staying power of low head dams in Appalachia. 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
More than a century after a groundbreaking Midstate bank showed that a woman's place can absolutely be in finance, the number of female bank CEOs still lags behind other industries. Plus the local news for October 6, 2025 and preserving the Ohio River Basin. 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
A new analysis of book removals from schools and libraries shows Tennessee has a dubious honor. Plus the local news for October 3, 2025 and a Gospel music hall of fame finally finds a home. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
Near misses at Nashville's Airport are one sign of how bad the nationwide air traffic controller shortage is. Plus, the local news for October 2, 2025, and teaching math by quilting. 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
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
Vanderbilt's Seigenthaler Center and MTSU's Free Speech Center were both built on a principle that is also core to what we do at Nashville Public Radio. Plus, the local news for October 1, 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
Photos and documents from a groundbreaking program to educate Black Children roughly a century ago are now available online through Fisk's library. Plus, the local news for September 30, 2025, and a This is Nashville excerpt. 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
The breakdown in relations between Nashville and state government is real, but it wasn't always this way. Plus, the local news for September 29, 2025 and talking about the “G word”: geriatrics. 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
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
Tylenol, fluoride and all kinds of vaccines are caught in the crossfire of conflicts between word-of-mouth advice and actual science. Plus, the local news for September 26, 2025, and VibeOut. 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
There's a lot the confusion over the role the FCC has to play in the fight over whether the Jimmy Kimmel Show should be on air. A lot of it comes down to local stations and their licenses. Plus, the local news for September 25, 2025, and demystifying childhood vaccine recommendations. 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
This week for What Where When-sday, we feature The Wiz happening at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center through Sunday September 28th. The Tony-Award winning musical will kick off TPAC's 2025-26 season and features a couple of Nashville members in the cast. They spoke with WPLN afternoon host LaTonya Turner about the show.
There are major differences between the Bank Panic of 1819 and today's flex loan crisis, but the end result is the same: Tennesseans struggling under massive debt that is not all of their own making. Plus, the local news for September 23, 2025, and funding cuts for disability services. 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
When the National Guard is deployed to an American city, people in the guard units' hometowns are left in the lurch. Plus, the local news for September 22, 2025, and harm reductionist Miriam Field. 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
From the cancellations of Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel to book bans and drag restrictions in Tennessee, are we testing the limits of the First Amendment? Plus, the local news for September 19, 2025, and flex loans. 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
The most iconic type of Nashville bar is part of a colorful history that includes cattle drives and sailors on shore leave. Plus, the local news for September 18, 2025 and reclaiming the banjo. 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
Zoning laws may sound arcane, but they set the tone for so much of what gives a neighborhood its character. Plus, the local news for September 17, 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
Not all deaths in the public sphere get the same level of response. Whether or not someone like Charlie Kirk should be remembered with large scale vigils or a moment of silence is a politically loaded question. Plus, the local news for Sept. 16, 2025, and a landfill controversy in a rural area of Tennessee. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Tony GonzalezAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Miriam Kramer, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
There was a time when the majority of parks in our city were about ball fields and band shells, but now the four largest parks in the system are mostly given over to nature. Plus, the local news for September 15, 2025, and NPR's Pod Corner. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio. Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
One of our most beloved rights in this nation is also one of the most contentious. Plus, the local news for September 12, 2025, and deciding where Nashville needs more housing. 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
Our history as a state and country has been defined, in large part, by waves of migration. Tennessee has been part of many of those exoduses. Plus, the local news for September 11, 2025, and a look at the debate around IVF in this state. 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
For a brief moment, it looked like our part of the state could have played host to an underground atom smasher. The conversations around the Boring Co.'s planned Music City Loop today holds some parallels. Plus, the local news for September 10, 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
From the early days of auto safety to the current attempts to reduce overdose deaths, new ideas for increasing safety are often met with skepticism or annoyance. Plus, the local news for September 9, 2025, and This Is Nashville's harm reduction week. 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
Two men who became emblematic for pandemic disagreements back in 2020 are facing off again, this time in a Congressional election. Plus, the local news for September 8, 2025, and a dip into the archive for Mule Day 2021. 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
Before he became a Texas legend, Sam Houston was a prominent Tennessean with a penchant for running away to be with the Cherokee. Plus, the local news for September 5, 2025, and horse farm immigration raids. 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
Here in Tennessee, we're using way more energy than we produce.Plus the local news for Sept. 4, 2025 and a profile of Emily Hines, the WNXP Nashville Artist of the Month. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio.Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
One of the first times guard troops were called in to protect desegregation was in Tennessee, but would a deployment to Memphis be a good idea now? Plus, the local news for September 3, 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
Clarksville native and TSU Tigerbelle Wilma Rudolph was the complete Olympic package: amazing athleticism and a profoundly inspirational backstory. But being the star of the Rome Games was a double-edged sword. Plus, the local news for September 2, 2025, and author Eliana Ramage. 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
A natural disaster can set off ripple effects of problems and challenges wherever it strikes, and there have been lessons learned since Katrina. Plus, the local news for August 29, 2025, and a conversation with the Black Keys. 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
Cracker Barrel showed the world just how difficult it is to try to keep things fresh when your brand is built on total consistency. Plus, the local news for August 28, 2025, and a postmortem on Tennessee's most recent execution. 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
Today is the anniversary of one Black Tennessean's hard-fought rise to union leadership. Plus, the local news for August 27, 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
Steamboats made Nashville's river an important mode of commercial transportation, and barges keep that tradition alive today. Plus, the local news for August 26, 2025, and lifelong learning. 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
On this day in 2012, Goodlettsville little leaguers won the national championship — and gained memories for a lifetime. Plus, the local news for August 25, 2025, and Kentucky's first medical cannabis dispensary. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Hosts/producers: Tony Gonzalez and Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
On today's episode, Blake Farmer digs into Fisk University's beginnings. Plus, the local news for August 22, 2025, and a look at the controversy surrounding East Bank Boulevard. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Blake Farmer Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, Tony Gonzalez, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
From the tallest building in Nashville, to our airport's busiest year on record, superlative numbers are in the news this week. Plus, the latest local news for August 21, 2025, and the story of one Tennessee town pushing back against a bitcoin data mine. Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Tony GonzalezEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
Across Middle Tennessee, many of our Kurdish neighbors saw their lives changed forever by a war that ended in a ceasefire on this day in 1988. Plus, the local news for Aug. 20, 2025, and shining a light on the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Tony GonzalezEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Nina Cardona, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP
As many as 5,000 migrants may soon be detained at a new facility at Fort Bliss in Texas. The center opened on Sunday. KTEP's Angela Kocherga joins us to explain more.And, just seven months into President Trump's second term, nearly half of the goals outlined in Project 2025 have been achieved. During the 2024 campaign, Trump distanced himself from the conservative Heritage Foundation's governing blueprint. Law professor Kim Wehle details what's left on the checklist.Then, Elon Musk's The Boring Company is moving forward with its planned tunnel under Nashville. The tunnel, called the Music City Loop, has faced questions about its environmental impacts. Environmental reporter Caroline Eggers at WPLN joins us.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy