This Is Nashville

Headliner: As extreme heat settles in, WPLN environmental reporter Caroline Eggers explains how an NPR/Boston University investigation finds Tennessee and other states have severely undercounted heat-related deaths.

Newsmaker: Metro Council Member Sandra Sepulveda makes her case for banning right turns at red lights, plus she shares a look at her Hispanic-majority district and the newly opened Mariposa Park.

Tastemaker: A trailblazer...

How many stories are there in this town where a star rises before everything falls apart? Where the musical dream leads down an exciting path...and then that original path disappears. 

Houston Kendrick says it takes “restorative fire” to get your art into the world when the big money in the music industry steps out. It also takes some good friends and like-minded collaborators. From Kendrick battling against the fla...

The business of healthcare is our biggest business. And some of the fastest-growing startups who've made Nashville their home are focused on finding efficiencies in the healthcare system. Robin Shah is the co-founder of Thyme Care,which specializes in supporting patients while they undergo cancer treatment. We’ll talk driving down healthcare costs, falling in love with this city, and Robin's perspective on work-life balance. ...

Elm Hill Pike may be an industrial artery now, but it was once a main thoroughfare with a rich history. The road has connections to the very earliest white settlers and one of the most prominent Black businessmen following the Civil War. In this episode, we explore the related stories of Preston Taylor and James Buchanan. But first, we answer a Curious Nashville question asked by listener Chad Smith:

"Elm Hill Pike is ve...

Mayor Freddie O’Connell joins us today to take your questions and comments. And he joins us on a somber day.

As the show was ending yesterday, we learned that Dolly Parton passed away. So today, Nashville Public Radio's senior music writer Jewly Hight spends the last part of our show with us remembering her imprint on the city. If you have a Dolly story to share, the phone are open at 615-760-2000. Plus, we stream live on YouT...

Headliner: A THC ban and a new tax on Tennessee hemp took effect this year. The result is a tax that's collecting next to nothing in revenue. We bring you what there's to know from WPLN's Marianna Bacallao.

Newsmaker: Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett sees big potential in accelerated bachelor's degrees, but he's concerned about how they're being marketed. He talks modernizing higher ed as well as giving a midstream update on...

Nashville artists are typically trying not to let their personal politics get them in trouble with their fans and the power brokers of the music business. Then there are a few who are actively trying to stir something up.

Today, it’s an hour with one of the more outspoken artists making music in Music City. Margo Price joins us in a live interview to talk about her latest album, "Days of Unrest," why she's resurrecting so many...

Soccer was already on the ascent in the U.S. Then came the North American World Cup.

It’s not just you who tuned in for more soccer than ever before. The U.S. match against Belgium was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history. And then of course you’ve got the return of the Apple TV series Ted Lasso. Plus Nashville Soccer Club’s season kicking into high gear. And Vanderbilt women’s soccer team ranked in t...

There was a time not so long ago that neighborhoods were fighting against greenways – the tucked-away alleys that connect our communities through the woods and along our waterways.

Now, developers treat greenways like beachfront property. Nashville now has more than 100 miles of them. Murfreesboro has laid 17 miles. Franklin, Brentwood, Mt Juliet, Hendersonville? Going nowhere but up. But we’re still at the point where w...

The headliner: WPLN’s senior criminal justice reporter Paige Pfleger on her latest investigation with ProPublica about abuse in Tennessee’s privately-run juvenile prisons.

The newsmaker: Jayla Thomas, GOP candidate for state House District 55, one of the few contested seats in Nashville on the November ballot.

The tastemaker: Melanie Sutton, managing artistic director of the Tennessee Theater Fellowship, producing a play ...

When the Catholic Biblical Association reached out this year to see if Amy-Jill Levine would be interested in serving as its president, she wrote someone else on the nominating committee to ask: is this a joke? Because Levine is not Catholic. She’s Jewish.

While not a Christian, the Vanderbilt professor emerita is one of the world's premier Jesus scholars who has been preaching and teaching in Christian churches in Nashville a...

We’ve done enough tap dancing around touchy words in this important conversation about intimacy and romance in the second half of life. It’s your turn.

What have you learned about your body or being with another that could help the rest of us? We’ll have a sex therapist, a reformed pastor and an open-minded geriatrician in the studio. Call ahead of the show with your intimacy insights or romance recommendations at ...

It's fair season and we're digging in to give you a taste of what's coming up.

Fairs celebrate the local community with exhibits, show animals, fried food and, of course, thrilling rides and tricky games. Today we look at the tradition through the eyes of its people and performers. We meet folks who've been around the circuit for a while as well as a few first-timers. Plus, we track down a vendor dreaming up this year's must-try bit...

The headlines: A remembrance of Martha Ingram with Alan Valentine and Mac Pirkle and a live interview with Charlie Hatcher, the Republican who upset Congressman Andy Ogles.

The newsmaker: General Sessions Court Judge Ana Escobar discusses Athena’s Court, a decade-old program designed to identify human trafficking survivors in the court system and connect them with support and services.

The tastemaker: Writer and Author Joe Page...

You could count Zack Slingsby as one of Nashville's Covid-era transplants. He moved his family – now with five kids – from New Jersey to Franklin. After years of building a company that makes videos for big brands, he’s branched out to producing comedy and running a production space called Bungalow Studios. Now he’s up against all the dumb videos that make their way to being viewed millions of times, trying ...

It's back to school time for millions of kids in America. We want to highlight local issues on parents' minds now — and hear from you. We're talking education-related issues including vouchers, safety, bus driver shortages and AI. Something specific on your mind? Give us a call and we will include you on the show. That number is 615-760-2000. You can also watch live and chime in on YouTube.

This episode was produced by Josh De...

The storied history and cultural significance of the Cheekwood estate is beyond dispute. But as the home, gardens and galleries continue to attract more and more visitors, it has created a feud with neighbors that the nonprofit says is threatening its future.

It’s been said that to fully understand the history of Cheekwood, you have to begin with Leslie Cheek and Mabel Wood. After marrying in 1896 and securing a fortune from t...

The headlines: WPLN's Marianna Bacallao and Chloe Akers of The Best of Tennessee talk about the governor's rase, surprisingly high turnout and the overlooked importance of voting in Tennessee primaries.

The newsmaker: Assistant federal defender Kit Thomas discusses the scheduled execution of Darrell Hines August 13 and how a botched lethal injection from May has informed the legal strategy for his last days.

The tastemaker: Restaurat...

In this episode, we bring together a titan of the Nashville business community and an oracle of the city’s nonprofits. And it was pretty easy because they’re married. Hal Cato and Michael Burcham are one of Nashville’s power couples. Hal is the big-hearted optimist. Michael is the stop-at-nothing-to-reach-his-goal entrepreneur. They join Blake to share their love story, beautifully complimentary careers, insights ...