This Is Nashville

Today is Election Day! It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The 2023 mayoral race is finally coming to a close. Alice Rolli and Freddie O’Connell have made it to the runoff, and only one will emerge victorious. All eyes have been on Nashville following the Covenant School mass shooting , the subsequent expulsion of the Tennessee Three , and a slew of contentious bills such as the drag restr...

Our city is about to choose a new mayor, and election day is less than two weeks away — Thursday, September 14th. Freddie O’Connell and Alice Rolli are the finalists in a race that many consider one of the most pivotal in Nashville’s history. On Aug. 23, Meharry Medical College and the Urban League of Middle Tennessee hosted a virtual mayoral forum in partnership with WPLN and the Tennessee Lookou...

It has a rich history in East Asia, where the  Camellia sinensis  plant is native. This is the tea leaf plant that produces the black, green, oolong and white tea leaves we’re familiar with. And each culture that has embraced tea creates their own traditions for brewing, presenting, and drinking it. We’ll explore different traditions around hot tea, and find out who in Nashville is carrying on the...

Finding or providing care for an older adult will almost certainly touch many of us at some point, especially as people live longer. Estimates are that by 2034, there will be more adults 65 and older than children under 18 , for the first time in U.S. history. As aging adults are living longer, those who require care will need it for longer. Yet, fewer than 10 percent of Americans are saving and p...

Thousands of Egyptian families have arrived in Nashville since the 1990s, and many of the new arrivals have kept the local service industry afloat, staffing the Gaylord Opryland hotel and other tourist destinations. As the community continues to plant roots in Nashville, it faces several challenges. There are those many communities face, like displacement due to gentrification, but also unique iss...

The past few years have not been easy for Nashville’s WeGo bus network. But behind the scenes, the agency has been trying to make progress on improvements that riders have been requesting for many years. On today’s show, we start by looking back over the bus system’s recent history. In 2018,  voters rejected a sprawling mass transit proposal . In 2019, budget cuts  led WeGo to eliminate some route...

But what barriers exist for people to get into running — beyond finding a good pair of shoes? How do running groups make it more welcoming and accessible? And what does safety mean for a runner? Especially for runners of color, woman-identified runners, queer-identified or runners with disabilities. Today we hear from runners about what motivates them, how they got into the world of running, and h...

The special session is … not … over. WPLN state politics reporter Blaise Gainey discusses the surprise turn of events that will extend the session and provides the latest updates from the state capitol.

Hawaiians have faced uncertainty as authorities rushed to save lives, distribute aid and contain the fires. As of Tuesday, Aug. 22, 115 people were confirmed dead, and at least 850 people were still missing. The Hawaiian community in Middle Tennessee is doing what they can to support their family and friends. From benefit concerts to mailing supplies and aid, they are intent on spreading the word...

As lawmakers race through special session, WPLN journalists Rose Gilbert, Char Datson, and Tony Gonzalez bring us the latest from the state capitol.

Pop culture and widely accepted ideas about body size and shape have long been dominated by standards set by supermodels and pro athletes. But there’s a growing movement based on dispelling the myth that one has to be thin to be healthy. Folks in the movement are working to break down the years of prejudice and anti-fat bias that has permeated our healthcare system and pop culture. Today we talk t...

As lawmakers enter special session, WPLN political reporter Blaise Gainey and host Marianna Bacallao brings us the latest from an exceptionally long day at the state capitol.

With no writers and no actors, scripted television and most of the film industry has come to a complete halt. With growing concerns about AI, and lack of fair compensation for actors and writers, it’s unclear whether a deal will be reached with AMPTP studio executives any time soon. When we think about TV and film, we often direct our attention to LA, NYC, and maybe Atlanta, Georgia. But what abou...

As lawmakers enter special session, WPLN political reporter Blaise Gainey brings us the latest from an exceptionally long day at the state capitol. From a morning prayer gathering to lawmakers’ contentious evening debate over the rules of the session, tune in for a special evening update from WPLN News and This Is Nashville .

As the state legislature enters its special session, reporters and watchdogs are circling to make sure everyone plays by the rules. In their new book,  Welcome to Capitol Hill , authors Joel Ebert and Erik Schelzig reveal that Tennessee has had more than its fair share of political scandals over the last 50 years. From bribery to sexual harassment to selling pardons for cash, these scandals, and t...

Starting the afternoon of Aug. 21, lawmakers will get to work. This “extraordinary session” is limited to bills regarding things like mental health, school safety and arrest records. So what can we expect to come from this special session? What bills are being introduced? Do they address the concerns that Tennessee residents expressed in the wake of Covenant? Today we get a preview from our report...

Since 2006, hundreds of writers of mystery, crime, suspense and other genres have gathered here in Nashville. The  Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference  helps writers compare notes about their craft, connect with agents and build a community of writer friends. Killer Nashville 2023 begins today, Aug. 17, and continues through Sunday. In this episode, we sit down with the founder and...

Artists have flocked to the city’s community-centered scene and passionate fans. As the emo revival continues to thrive today, Nashville has claimed its rightful spot as a hub for the genre. Today, we’ll talk with musicians and the people supporting them behind the curtain. Guests: Ryan Burleson,  music journalist and musician Piper Payne,  mastering engineer and owner of  Physical Music Products...

When you think of side hustles and Nashville, you probably imagine an aspiring country singer bartending on Broadway while he hopes one of the country legends will come in and give him his big break. That is definitely a huge part of Nashville's culture — we are Music City, after all. But as gas prices continue to rise, student loan repayments resume, and groceries seemingly have quadrupled in pri...

What is new music you should know about? Who is coming to town to perform? The cast at WNXP will join us to give you everything you need to know about the cool and hip new music in town. Guests: Jason Moon Wilkins, program director Celia Gregory , morning host and special programs manager Justin Barney , assistant program director Jude Mason , host This episode was produced by Khalil Ekulona.

On Aug. 11, 1973, a party in the Bronx changed the direction of music history. That night, DJ Kool Herc showed off a new way to play records on two turntables — alternating between them to maintain a breakbeat. Add an emcee to rap over the beat, and you've got the foundations of hip-hop. Bring in dancers and artists, and you've got a cultural movement. In this episode, we celebrate the 50th annive...

As discussed previously on this show , license plate readers have been a controversial technology for law enforcement. Some see them as a crucial tool for tracking crime. Others see them as another facet of over-policing that is ripe for abuse. A six-month pilot program ended last month, and Metro Council recently voted to put off voting on further use of LPRs, in order to give themselves more tim...

Few people make the kind of impact on a city that  Charlie Strobel  did. On a winter night in 1985, Father Strobel, then pastor at Holy Name Catholic Church in East Nashville, saw people gathered in the parking lot trying to endure the cold. He invited them inside, and gave them food and shelter for the night. From this, the program he called Room In the Inn began. And so did his dedication to ser...

One safety measure used by Metro Nashville Public Schools is school resource officers — SROs — which are staffed by the city’s police department.  But having police officers in schools isn’t a panacea. It’s unclear if having SROs can prevent major tragedies like school shootings. And critics say that having officers in schools exacerbates the school-to-prison pipeline by criminalizing behavior tha...

The MNPD has faced lawsuits both internally and externally regarding sexual assault and harassment, police brutality and more. The city caps any settlements at $300,000, and recently more folks have been awarded that amount or close to it. Why? And why does that cap exist in the first place? What makes someone more likely to receive the full amount? We’ll dive into this with local lawyers and indi...