Tennessee Matters

Tennessee Matters

Tennessee Matters a half hour weekly Public Affairs program from the Tennessee Radio Network hosted by John Clark. The program features interviews about issues of importance and interest to Tennesseans such as politics, public services, history and economic development.

Episodes

December 12, 2025 30 mins
Dreams of Joy's mission is to fulfill the final dreams of adults, aged 21 to 65, who are facing a terminal illness. The organization was founded seven years ago by Mindy Bess, after she lost her father to brain cancer at the age of just 42 years old. That experience inspired her to start dreams of joy so that others wouldn't have to face the same heartbreak. 
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was created to improve life in the Tennessee Valley region by providing electricity, managing natural resources, and supporting economic development. It builds and operates power plants, helps control flooding, and protects the environment. TVA also works to make energy affordable and reliable for homes and businesses across the region.  On this episode, TVA's energy savings expert Ashley Englan...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging (TDDA) is dedicated to helping older adults and people with disabilities lead independent, meaningful lives. With a mission rooted in inclusion, lifelong wellness, and access to vital resources, TDDA works to ensure every Tennessean—regardless of age or ability—can thrive and stay connected to their communities. Commissioner Brad Turner joins John Clark to spotlight some of the power...
Mark as Played
August 25, 2025 30 mins
If you're planning to dig in Tennessee—whether it's for a fence, garden, or construction—Tennessee 811 is your go-to call before you break ground. It’s a free service that connects you with utility companies so they can mark underground lines and help you avoid hitting anything dangerous. State law requires anyone planning excavation or demolition to contact Tennessee 811 at least three working days in advance to help prevent damag...
Mark as Played
June 27, 2025 30 mins
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was established in 1933 as part of President Roosevelt's New Deal to address economic development and infrastructure needs in the Tennessee Valley region. Today it provides electricity for nearly 10 million people across seven southeastern states, primarily through hydroelectric, nuclear, and fossil fuel power plants. TVA also plays a key role in managing natural resources, including flood contr...
Mark as Played
May 16, 2025 30 mins
The Tennessee Valley Authority, or TVA, is a government agency that was created during the Great Depression in 1933 to help modernize the Tennessee Valley region. Its main goals are to provide affordable electricity, manage natural resources like rivers and forests, and support economic development.  On this episode of TENNESSEE MATTERS, Ashley England of TVA EnergyRight joins John Clark to talk about ways to save money on your ene...
Mark as Played
Under the leadership of President Randy Boyd, The University of Tennessee System has broken records in enrollment and graduation rates, expanded research efforts, and made substantial infrastructure investments.  Alongside its dedication to higher education through its campuses across the state, The University of Tennessee System is also focused on addressing the state's most pressing challenges. Through UT's Grand Challenges, the ...
Mark as Played
April 11, 2025 30 mins
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) aims to operate safe and secure facilities while providing effective community supervision to support successful reentry across the state. TDOC is actively working to reduce recidivism through evidence-based programs, community partnerships, and reentry services while managing fully functional communities inside the walls.  For this episode of Tennessee Matters,  Heather Stanford, Asst....
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) was established in 1963 to promote and protect human rights through education and enforcement. Initially an advisory body, it became an enforcement agency in 1978 with the passage of the Tennessee Human Rights Act. The THRC addresses discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, familial status, and disa...
Mark as Played
It's no accident that some of the world's biggest brands have chosen to call Tennessee home. 
The Tennessee Dept. of Economic & Community Development is constantly promoting Tennessee's attractive business climate and has delivered many success stories that are impacting the state now and into the future.  TNECD is not only behind the relocation and expansion of businessess in the Volunteer state, but they also help people devel...
Mark as Played
January 24, 2025 30 mins
The Tennessee Department of Veterans Services (TDVS) is dedicated to connecting veterans of all eras with the benefits they have earned, including healthcare, education, and financial assistance. The department plays a crucial role in advocating for veterans' rights, assisting with active duty casualties, and hosting outreach events to raise awareness and support for veterans and their families. TDVS operates 14 field offices and f...
Mark as Played
December 1, 2024 30 mins
All states are vying to attract new businesses and industries, making the competition fierce. Tennessee has excelled in this arena, successfully attracting major companies and driving significant job growth for the future. A crucial factor in this success is developing a skilled and qualified workforce for emerging sectors.  The Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development plays a vital role in preparing this workforce...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was established in 1933 to provide flood control, improve navigation, generate electricity, and promote economic development in the Tennessee Valley region. Today, it is the largest public power provider in the U.S., supplying electricity to about 10 million people. On this episode of Tennessee Matters, the TVA's Ashley England joins John Clark to talk about saving money on your heating bills th...
Mark as Played
The newly established Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging aims to enhance the quality of life and independence of older adults and Tenneseans with disabilities. The department was formed by merging the TN Commission on Aging and Disability (TCAD) and the Dept. of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD), creating a more streamlined organization. By combining these two entities, the state can better coordinate ser...
Mark as Played
June 29, 2024 30 mins
Lasagna Love is dedicated to fostering community connections through the simple act of delivering homemade meals. Founded during the pandemic, Lasagna Love addresses food insecurity and offers a comforting gesture during challenging times. The organization also aims to eliminate the stigma associated with asking for help, ensuring that anyone can receive support without judgment. Recently Melanie Johnson, Regional Director for Tenn...
Mark as Played
June 21, 2024 30 mins
The State of Tennessee is the state's number one employer with a headcount of more than 40,000.  It's a big group assigned to important tasks we all depend on like public safety, infrastructure and transportation, education, and healthcare among many others.  With a staff that big, naturally there are lots of job opportunities at any given moment for positions like law enforcement, attorneys, dentists, accountants and even veterina...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) plays a vital role in safeguarding our state’s natural resources. They work to improve air and water quality, protect citizens from environmental hazards, and manage Tennessee’s beautiful state parks including their network of lodges. Their mission is all about enhancing our quality of life while preserving the environment for future generations. TDEC Commissioner Davi...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Dept. of Human Services recently launched the Fatherhood Grant Program, investing approximately $10 million to support organizations serving fathers. Through this initiative, they aim to enhance fatherhood-related programs, including mentorship, education, co-parenting support, skill-building workshops, employment services, and financial literacy. By promoting active father involvement, TDHS hopes to contribute to str...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) serves to safeguard individuals from discrimination through education and enforcement. As an independent state agency, it enforces anti-discrimination laws in housing, employment, and public accommodation based on race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, disability, familial status, and age. Executive Director Muriel Nolan joined John Clark to talk about the THRC's role to act...
Mark as Played
The Tennessee Charitable Care Network (TCCN) is dedicated to a mission of support, education, and representation for non-profit organizations that provide essential healthcare services.These organizations are committed to delivering free or reduced-cost medical, dental, and mental health services to low-income, uninsured, and underserved populations. By providing this support, TCCN ensures that these vital services can reach those ...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    The Burden

    The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.

    SmartLess

    "SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

    The Breakfast Club

    The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2026 iHeartMedia, Inc.