Banner & Company

Not too many people can say they got to sing with Dolly Parton. But Brian Hull can. Over the years, he wrote and directed numerous multimedia performances for Dollywood, the late singer and songwriter's eponymous theme park, and in recording sessions would often sing along with Dolly on parts that would later be performed live onstage. Her death this week hit him particularly hard. "She was there for you all the time," Brian recalls. "It's like a force of nature was moving. That's what she was." Outside of his work with Dolly Parton, including with her Imagination Library, Brian has had an extensive career as an actor, singer, director and puppeteer — including programs at the Nashville Public Library and the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum where, yes, there is a Dolly puppet. Guest: Brian Hull Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Candice Storey Lee was recruited to play basketball for Vanderbilt University, and halfway through the drive from Alabama, she changed her mind. She begged her dad to turn the truck around. But he stayed the course. That was 30 years ago, and since making it to West End, she has not looked back, though she admits she never thought she'd stay at Vanderbilt this long. Three degrees later — bachelor's, master's and doctorate — she's the director of athletics at Vanderbilt, oversees about 425 student athletes and a $150 million budget. Head football coach Clark Lea called her the best leader he's ever worked for, and she's leading the school's sports program as some of its most high-profile teams, including football, are surging. She says the best is still to come. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott get together to talk about the Metro Council. First thing’s first, Steven asks Stephen to weigh in on the Titans rebranded raccoon mascot T-Rac. Stephen carefully explains the situation with the Music City Center refinancing and expansion plans. Then they discuss police drones and the start of the vice mayoral race. Both reminisce on their blogging days of yore. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A connector, mentor and start-up whisperer, Michael Burcham is one of the most influential figures in Nashville's business ecosystem. The founding president and CEO of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center, he's a serial entrepreneur himself, starting three successful investor-backed businesses. He teaches business and healthcare innovation at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. Growing up in rural Mississippi, Michael was raised by his grandparents in a town with a Piggly Wiggly, a Sonic Drive-in and little else. He credits a teacher named Barbara Beard with helping him become a serious student, which eventually led him to medicine. But it was the business side that really fascinated him. The rest is Nashville business history — not that he's slowing down any time soon. Guest: Michael Burcham, entrepreneur Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporter Steven Hale sits down with Steve Cavendish and Mikeie Honda Reiland to talk about Thursday’s execution of Anthony Darrell Hines for the 1985 murder of Catherine Jean Jackson Jenkins. They discuss the details of the case and the recent court fights surrounding it. Steven shares his history with Hines’ defense team, Mikeie explains what he saw outside the prison and Steve details his experience as a media witness. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kimmie Christian has been jumping Double Dutch for as long as she can remember. “It's kind of like a passage, right?” she said. “When you're born, you just, everyone just jumps Double Dutch. My mom jumped Double Dutch. My aunts jumped Double Dutch. My sisters jumped Double Dutch. It's just kind of what the girls did in the neighborhood.” She brought that longstanding tradition from her upbringing in Chicago to Nashville, where she started the local chapter of the 40+ Double Dutch Subclub. Around 40 women gather every Saturday morning to jump rope at the Southeast Community Center. Some who come to the meetups are first-timers who get to learn from the best. Two women turn the ropes and one jumps, as the other women in the room chant and clap. For Christian, it’s about finding time to play. But it’s also about making relationships and finding community. “We’re there for each other during grieving, deaths… We celebrate each other’s accomplishments, news jobs,” she said. “But overall we’re all one. We’re all sisters.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporter Steven Hale is joined by Steve Cavendish and Sarah Grace Taylor to talk about all of Thursday night’s primary election results, from Marsha Blackburn’s victory to Andy Ogles’ upset defeat. Sarah Grace details her time crisscrossing the state with the Blackburn campaign in a private plane before the three breakdown what to (and not) take away from who won and lost. Produced by Andrea Tudhope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Middle Tennessee weather can be unpredictable — and dangerous. When things get iffy, a trio of "suburban dads" keeps the information flowing. But once the watches turn to warnings, they really get serious: That's when they start livestreaming on YouTube, tracking storms in real time and letting their audience know when to shelter and when it's safe to carry on. Nashville Severe Weather started as a Twitter account to keep locals informed of potential rainouts and worse. It's grown into a high-tech multi-platform operation with hundreds of thousands of followers. Two-thirds of the team joined Demetria to talk about their origins — which go back farther than one might think — and their advice for getting through a nasty weather event. Guests: Andrew Leeper and Will Minkoff, ⁠Nashville Severe Weather⁠ Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Lillian Avedian sit down to talk about the coming school year in Nashville and how Lillian approaches covering education. They discuss what Lillian learned from her first year on the beat, how she’s keeping up with schools while school is out of session and what she has her eye on this fall. Steven wonders if later start times will help him get his kids to school on time and they wonder if any teachers assigned The Odyssey for summer reading. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you like scary movies? Larry Underwood sure does. He remembers growing up in Nashville watching Frankenstein and Creature From the Black Lagoon movies on television. The way those monster movies were sometimes introduced to the audience, by way of a "horror host" (like Elvira, Mistress of the Dark or Svengoolie) was also a big part of the appeal, setting up the "shock package" of creature features or out-there sci-fi movies. Nashville has a long lineage of horror hosts, from Dr. Lucifur in the 1950s doing live skits to Sir Cecil Creape, who supposedly lived in the catacombs beneath the WSMV TV studio. Larry joined that pantheon as Dr. Gangrene, a mad scientist of sorts, and he's also written a book about it all, titled Masters of Terrormonies, documenting the characters and behind-the-scenes hijinks that have kept this beloved lo-fi tradition going for decades. Guest: Larry Underwood, aka Dr. Gangrene, author of Masters of Terrormonies Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When the other kids wanted to watch Indiana Jones, Willie Steele took a chance on a baseball movie instead. He didn't know it at the time, but watching Field of Dreams by himself in 1989 would alter the trajectory of his life. He would go on to write his master's thesis about Shoeless Joe, the novel the film was based on, and then, in an unlikely turn, write the biography of that book's author, W.P. Kinsella. These days, Willie is working on a new book about how Major League Baseball reacted to the events of 9/11, from the perspectives of the four teams that were closest to where the planes went down: The Mets, Yankees, Pirates and Orioles. And he's also learning how to throw a knuckleball — with some help from a few former big leaguers. This episode was first broadcast in February 2025. Guest: Willie Steele, writer and professor of English at Lipscomb University Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale, Sarah Grace Taylor and Stephen Elliott sit down to talk about primary elections. Steven asks about their formative election-watching memories, and they discuss races for state House, Congress and governor. They also think through the implications of new Republican-drawn congressional maps, which leave one district resembling a kind of snake rainbow that touches Middle Tennessee and Memphis.  Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lamar Alexander once walked more than 1,000 miles from one end of Tennessee to the other, won election as governor as a Republican when Democrats ruled the statehouse, and served in Congress in a period of relative bipartisanship. Throw in time served as U.S. secretary of education and president of the University of Tennessee and you've got the makings of a new memoir: The Education of a Senator. Those with a longer memory might remember a slimmer volume by the same author: The Little Plaid Book: 311 Rules, Reminders, and Lessons About Running for Office and Making a Difference. Trading on Alexander's signature red-and-black plaid shirt, it's a compendium of truisms and, one might say, homespun wisdom. Guest: Lamar Alexander, former U.S. senator and Tennessee governor Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott and intern Anna Blubaugh sit down to discuss — what else? — data centers. Anna and Stephen talk about what they saw and heard at this week’s Metro Council meeting, where hundreds of Nashvillians weighed in on legislation about the controversial facilities. Anna shares what she learned from conversations with people getting engaged in local politics for the first time because of the issue and Stephen breaks down the bills and the beef between Mayor Freddie O’Connell and DC Blox. They agree not to use the term “bio break.” Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shane Caldwell got his start on public access television as "kind of a goof," after watching a comedy show and thinking he and his fellow bartender friends could do much better. What they came up with, The Sylvan Brothers, became an underground sensation. That led to a local sketch comedy show called Cuts that aired right after Saturday Night Live. The first musical guest? Vince Gill. The child of performers, Shane hails from Savannah, Tenn. — fishing worm capital of the world — where some of the off-kilter residents he observed growing up informed the characters he eventually created for his shows. Clips of one of those characters, the indelible "Rehab Guy," still get shared on social media. Since those days, Shane has worked with a long roster of collaborators, including Jeff Foxworthy and professional wrestler Dusty "The American Dream" Rhodes. This episode was first broadcast in September 2025. Guest: Shane Caldwell, comedian Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former first lady Jill Biden's new book View From the East Wing looks back at her time in the White House and her relationship with former President Joe Biden — including the infamous debate night where, she says, she thought her husband was having a stroke. Dr. Biden discussed her book with the Banner's Demetria Kalodimos in front of a live audience at Vanderbilt University's Langford Auditorium on June 8. This is a lightly edited recording of that conversation. Special thanks to Elyse Adler at Parnassus Books and Susan Grider at Vanderbilt University. Guest: Jill Biden, author, View From the East Wing Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Even if everyone can't agree on what "affordable housing" means, one thing is for sure: Nashville needs more of it. Matt Wiltshire has been working on this problem for years (it was a big part of his campaign for mayor) and while he may not have all the answers, he has been part of one innovative solution: investing in housing that's affordable now and keeping it that way. The $30 million Pathway Housing Fund that Matt manages recently made a big acquisition: the Mayflower apartments in Hillsboro Village. In making the purchase, Matt discovered a web of personal connections that, in his words, make for "the most Nashville story ever." With his experience in both investment banking and city government, he's hoping that the story of Nashville doesn't begin and end with an economic boom pushing working people out of the city. Guest: , president, Pathway Housing Fund Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Few Tennesseans have had the cultural impact of Alex Haley, whose landmark 1976 book and subsequent television mini-series Roots: The Saga of an American Family captivated readers and viewers like few other works before or since. Even so, Roots was recently banned by a Knoxville school district (a decision that was subsequently reversed) despite being an official state book. In Revisiting Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World, writer and former Associated Press reporter Lucas L. Johnson II marks the 50th anniversary of Haley's breakthrough epic with essays and interviews — including Levar Burton, who was not initally cast in the lead role — illuminating the enduring legacy of this landmark work. Guest: Lucas L. Johnson II, author, Revisiting Roots: How an American Classic Transformed the World Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

reporters Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor sit down to discuss data centers. Sarah Grace talks about her reporting on the data center planned for the Fisk University campus, which preceded the massive backlash to one planned next to the Nashville Zoo. They discuss the health and environmental concerns around data centers as well as why this issue has attracted much attention. Steven also asks about childhood zoo memories. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A historical marker commemorating the storied dance club Warehouse 28 was unveiled two years ago this month. The Warehouse began as a gay disco but was an inclusive environment that served as a refuge and hangout for Nashville's LGBTQ community starting in 1978 until its doors closed for good in 1995. It was also the place where Nashville CARES got its start, working to fight the AIDS epidemic. Macon Kimbrough started hanging out at Warehouse 28, and with owners Steve Smith and Mike Wilson, he took a trip to Washington, D.C., in 1979 — 10 years after Stonewall — to march for gay rights. That began a political awakening, and when he got back to Nashville he started working at the Warehouse, eventually becoming a manager. It's a chapter of his life — and Nashville's history — he'll never forget. This episode was first broadcast in June 2024. Guest: Macon Kimbrough Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producers: Steve Haruch and Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott sit down to discuss Tuesday night's marathon Metro Council meeting. Stephen talks about the three-and-a-half-hour public hearing on the budget, some late night drama between councilmembers and difficulty leaving the courthouse parking garage after midnight. Steven fills him in on the story of a rescued kinkajou. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Margot McCormack bought the former gas station that eventually became her restaurant, East Nashville was not considered a culinary destination. More pressingly, there was a gaping hole in the roof. With a lot of elbow grease, Margot set to work building out the space for her concept: a new menu daily, in tune with the seasons, —combining classic cooking techniques, fresh local ingredients and her own personal touches. Margot Cafe & Bar will be closing its doors 25 years to the day after opening its doors for the first time in 2001, serving soft shell crab, veal scallopini with polenta, tuna steak, pasta with white clam sauce, flourless chocolate cake, raspberry sorbet ... an assortment of her favorite crowd-pleasing dishes. It's been a good run, Margot says, and she wonders if she'd be able to do it if she were starting in today's Nashville — one whose food scene she helped shape. The final service will be June 5. Guest: Margot McCormack, chef and restaurateur Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a musician, Freddy Angelico plays many instruments well, but his first love is still his go-to: the guitar. You can hear him play on albums by Lola Kirke and Adeem the Artist. He's backed up the likes of Mickey Guyton and Brandy Clark. He also writes and performs his own music, and writes a column for Premier Guitar magazine. In short, he's living the dream that started when he got his first real six-string at age 4. It was the Music City dream that attracted both Freddy and one of his former bandmates, the talented singer Shelly Bush. In the podcast Girl in a Hurry, Freddy tells Shelly's story, from a small town in Missouri to the honky tonks of Lower Broad — a life cut tragically short but lived to the absolute fullest. This episode was originally broadcast, in a slightly different form, in March 2025. Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producers: Steve Haruch and Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporter Steven Hale sits down with editor Steve Cavendish to talk about a day that will go down in history in Tennessee. The day the state intended to execute Tony Carruthers — a Memphis man sentenced to death for the kidnapping and murder of three people in 1994 — but failed to do so. A doctor contracted by TDOC spent more than an hour trying to insert a secondary IV to administer pentobarbital before an emergency motion was filed and Gov. Lee issued a one-year reprieve. Hale was there to witness the events, and recounts them in detail. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every morning at breakfast, Ruth and Lloyd Shular hold hands and, as Lloyd puts it, "associate" — that is, talk about their plans for the day. It's a ritual they've kept going for three quarters of a century: On May 6 they celebrated their 75th anniversary. (They had originally planned to get married in June, but Lloyd was drafted to serve in Korea.) The happy couple have outlived all of their bridesmaids and groomsmen. Their courtship began in high school in Knoxville, where Lloyd's father, a carpenter, installed the staircase at the Tennessee Theatre. They'd take the bus to see movies, and go to the Orange Julius afterward. After love and marriage came children — one of them not-so-easily. Then Lloyd, who was working for BellSouth, got transferred first to Kingston, Tenn., and finally to Nashville, where they've lived ever since. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Mikeie Honda Reiland sit down to discuss the ongoing litigation over Tennessee's abortion ban. Mikeie shares the stories of women and providers he talked to and the details of the recent legal developments that have delayed a trial in the case. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Subscribe to Banner & Company on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon or iHeart Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re sharing a special episode from our friends at the You Might Be Right Podcast, the chart-topping politics/government podcast produced by the University of Tennessee’s Baker School of Public Policy & Public Affairs.Recently featured on NPR, and hosted by former Tennessee Governors Phil Bredesen (D) and Bill Haslam (R), You Might Be Right tackles timely policy conversations with world and US luminaries like Ben Sasse, Al Gore, Judy Woodruff, Paul Ryan, Jon Meacham, Carly Fiorina, and many more. It’s a place where people can disagree constructively and problems can actually get solved. Like today’s special episode with former Indiana Governor and OMB Director Mitch Daniels and Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center co-director Elena Patel. As billions of federal dollars flow through state budgets, they begin to dive into a very timely conversation — who should decide how that money gets spent? Together with the hosts, they unpack the balance between federal priorities and state flexibility, and what it means for taxpayers.  For more episodes like this, make sure to follow You Might Be Right Podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And tell them we sent you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor sit down to discuss the state legislature's special session and rapid redrawing of Tennessee's congressional maps. They talk about what led to the whirlwind week, how the new maps divide and dilute Memphis' Black population and the legal questions surrounding the legislature's actions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"That's not how your movie is supposed to end," Audrey Shulman remembers a director telling her. It was surprising to hear, since the movie was based on her own life. But in the end, it was the right choice. The movie in question, Sitting in Bars With Cake (which includes a cameo by Bette Midler) helped launch Audrey's screenwriting career. After a few years in Los Angeles — including the chapter that became the basis for Sitting in Bars — Audrey has returned to Nashville. She's still writing, though, and while she can't say much about them at the moment, she has several projects in the works. She's also also still baking cakes. Guest: Audrey Shulman, screenwriter Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott sit down to talk about the 2026 State of Metro. They discuss the speeches they've attended in the past with memorable musical guests before getting into the details of Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s speech. Among them: affordability, transit, the East Bank and He’s Running. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michael Shane Neal knew from an early age he wanted to be an artist. But there were no artists in his family, so he wasn't sure how he'd turn that into a career. After taking classes in the basement of a dormitory at Lipscomb University, he had a chance meeting with someone who knew the famed portrait artist Raymond Kinstler. And after a trip to New York, a mentorship was born. Shane credits Kinstler with showing him the way to an artist's life. And since then, he's painted everyone from John Lewis to Sandra Day O'Connor, Morgan Freeman to former Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen — and most recently, former president Joe Biden. It's painstaking work, sometimes taking months of sittings, sketches and many, many conversations. It's in that process that, Shane says, he gets to know the essence of a person in order to convey it on canvas. This episode was originally broadcast in April 2025. Guest: Michael Shane Neal, portrait artist Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor sit down to discuss the state legislative session, which came to a whirlwind end on Thursday night. Sarah Grace talks about some of the main themes of the session, including state intervention in local governments, immigration, and anti-LGBTQ+ policies. They also discuss proposals related to artificial intelligence, prediction markets and their approaches to managing their inboxes. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Subscribe to Banner & Company on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Amazon or iHeart Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his new book, writer Jordan Ritter Conn delves into the lives of four men, from very different backgrounds, living in disparate parts of the country. All of them are reckoning, in their own ways, with how their lives — and their sense of self-worth — have been shaped by ideas around masculinity. American Men, published April 21, is a deeply reported, empathetic look at male identity, warts and all: "There's some rough stuff in here," he says. The Nashville native and staff writer at The Ringer spent the better part of six years visiting and interviewing the four men whose narratives interweave over the course of the book. And for Jordan, the project is also personal — bringing to the surface questions he has been asking about his own experiences growing up and giving space to explore them honestly and without judgment. Guest: Jordan Ritter Conn, senior writer at The Ringer, author of American Men and The Road From Raqqa Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Dread didn't mean to become an attorney. For a time, he tried his hand at stand-up comedy, touring the country one club at a time. But he studied law, he says, to become a better politician — understanding laws in order to write them. That's what he did for a time as a Metro Councilmember. He also spent time on the radio and shot a reality show that involved wearing judge's robes. All that to say Adam has led an interesting life — one that could have ended when he lost consciousness behind the wheel, waking from a coma days later to learn he had the genetic markers for a rare blood disorder. These days, he's still practicing law as he splits his time between Nashville and Nantucket. Guest: Adam Dread, attorney Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott sit down to talk about Tuesday's Metro Council meeting. Stephen explains the council's debates about nominees to boards and commissions, a proposed water bill credit and the East Bank. Steven asks him about why he loves the Mamma Mia franchise and they discuss the role shadows play in local politics. Steven also shares his favorite tweet of all time that he felt never got proper recognition. Listen to the episode to hear it fall flat for both Stephen and Andrea, and to hear Steven sing "Voices Carry" while desperately trying to explain himself. P.S. Donate to support the Banner so we can keep producing this podcast! Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in his hometown after stints in New York and Los Angeles, Morgxn has a new album, Heartland, and will be performing at Freely Fest — a celebration of the First Amendment featuring The Killers, Janelle Monae and more — on April 8. He's honored to use his music to stand up for free speech. It's something he deeply believes in, as his regular presence at the state legislature goes to show. A third-generation Nashvillian, Morgxn — né Morgan Karr — says he always wanted to create a refuge. And he's made his dream come true with a place called Fruity Farm. It's literally a fruit farm but has also served as an impromptu Pride Festival venue — and we've got some exclusive news about that in this episode. He also talks about his experience with bullying and the Nashville high school that helped him believe in his own story. Guest: Morgxn, singer and songwriter Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Eden Turner sit down to talk about Eden's reporting on the Cottages at Drakes Creek, Nashville's first publicly funded housing co-op. They discuss what makes a housing cooperative unique as a response to the affordable housing crisis and the tight community that has formed as Drakes Creek tries to establish one. Eden also talks about her latest story on Vanderbilt University Medical Center's decision to stop performing gender-affirming surgeries for adults. Finally, they briefly share their thoughts on Netflix's K-Pop Demon Hunters and the movie-themed Happy Meals they had for lunch. Produced by Andrea Tudhope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Churchwell Sr. made history when he joined the original Nashville Banner as the city's first African American reporter. The paper's owner at the time, James Stahlman, opposed integration, but Churchwell made a name for himself anyway — even if he didn't have a desk in the newsroom at first. Last week, a historical marker commemorating his accomplishments was unveiled outside the North Nashville magnet school that bears his name. In this special episode, Robert Churchwell Jr. shares his memories of his trailblazing father's career and life outside of work — where "he was always dad." This interview was originally recorded as part of our premier episode. Guest: Robert Churchwell Jr., son of Robert Churchwell Sr., Nashville's first African American staff reporter Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When he took over as executive director Fisk University's John Lewis Center for Social Justice last year, Dr. Sekou Franklin knew he was stepping into a big role, and one steeped in history. "He has demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice, education and community — values deeply ingrained in Fisk's mission and legacy," the university's president, Agenia Clark, said when he was hired in July 2025. The longtime political science professor hopes to carry forward that legacy as he works to connect students, faculty and Nashvillians from across the city. A veteran of social justice activism, including a key role in getting a community oversight board on the ballot in Nashville, Sekou says he is impressed every day by the talent he sees in the students on campus, and young people around the city. Guest: Sekou Franklin, executive director, John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk University Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Mikeie Honda Reiland sit down to talk about Mikeie's reporting on the case of Estefany Rodríguez, the Nashville Noticias reporter who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 5. After our recording, Estefany was released on bond on Thursday, March 19. In this episode, we talk about her background as an immigrant and a reporter as well as the disputed circumstances surrounding her arrest and detention. Mikeie shares his experience visiting her home to talk to her husband and what we've learned about the mass deportation regime by following her case closely.  Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up in Johnson City, Tenn., Mo Sabri could look out the window of his parents' house and see cows. He grew up listening to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. He played baseball and football. It was an all-American childhood in many ways. Add a guitar, and all of this sounds like the perfect backstory for a country music singer — except for a detail or two. Mo's parents immigrated from Pakistan, and he grew up Muslim. Neither of those facts can take away his love for country music, or his pride in being raised just down the road from the hallowed ground of Bristol. Still, after nearly a decade in Nashville and an international following, Mo still finds that for many, just being Muslim is, as he describes it, "radioactive." But that's not stopping him from writing songs or finding new connections between the traditions he embodies. And now, those connections are coming to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, where Mo will perform a special Eid concert on May 31 with musicians of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, combining Appalachian country with South Asian qawwali. This episode was first broadcast in April 2025. Guest: Mo Sabri, musician Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporters Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott sit down to talk about the fairgrounds, the property's fascinating role in Nashville politics over the past 15 years and Stephen's story about the latest tensions surrounding its development. They also discuss last week's Metro Council meeting and Oscar-nominated movies. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Is God really a boy?" That's a question that the Rev. Margie Quinn says she found written in her very first diary. Growing up in Nashville — and eventually taking up Ultimate Frisbee, which she still plays seriously — it took many years before she began to see herself as pastor material. But early questions like this showed her eagerness to wrestle with the messy workings of the world and search for deeper truths within. Vine Street Christian Church is more than 200 years old. Recently, the congregation voted to call Rev. Quinn to be their senior minister. At 35, she is young for the position, but the vote was unanimous. Being installed as a pastor in her hometown was a moment she once could not have imagined — having fled the South for nonprofit work on the West Coast — but also the kind of homecoming she later came to realize she needed. Guest: Rev. Margie Quinn, senior minister, Vine Street Christian Church Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporter Steven Hale sits down with statehouse reporter Sarah Grace Taylor to talk about several immigration-related bills currently under debate at the state legislature. They discuss the proposed policies, including one that would require schools and other public entities to track and report immigration status, and how they might play out in the context of the Trump administration's ongoing mass deportation efforts. Sarah Grace explains why she's not sure when the legislative session will end and Steven wonders what the prediction markets would say. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the beginning, Musica — the massive ring of dancing figures that towers nearly 40 feet above Buddy Killen Circle just off Music Row — was meant to be more than a sculpture: It was also supposed to be a fountain. Few know the original vision for Musica better than Andrée LeQuire, whose husband Alan LeQuire created the piece. Now, she's helping bring that vision to life, finally, with the help of some friends and the city. A Nashville native who left for five years to explore the world before returning to her hometown, Andrée has worked in real estate and as a gallerist, served on the Planning Commission and, just once modeled for her sculptor husband. Now, she's got designs in hand to turn Musica into the water- and light-filled creation it was always intended to be. Guest: Andrée LeQuire, gallerist and planner Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In May 2025, Tennessee Highway Patrol teamed up with ICE for a sweeping joint operation that resulted in more than 600 traffic stops, largely in immigrant communities around the city. The Banner reviewed more than 50 hours of body and dashboard camera footage and found that agents routinely profiled people before pulling them over, treated drivers differently once it was clear they were not immigrants, competed with each other for the most people arrested, and both treated and talked about people in demeaning ways once they were in custody. In this special episode, Banner reporters discuss how they analyzed the video and what they observed. Guests: Araceli Crescencio, Banner multimedia reporter; Stephen Elliott, Banner metro reporter; Sarah Grace Taylor, Banner state government reporter Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing up with two artistically minded parents, Sai Clayton never wanted for something to fill her time — using her imagination wasn't just encouraged, it was expected. Creativity runs in the family, and it permeated her early life. That included many days spent at the Frist Art Museum, exploring the galleries and, in her childhood years, hanging out in the ArtQuest area. Life has come full circle for Sai, who was selected as the Frist's inaugural curatorial fellow and now, has co-curated the new exhibit In Her Place, which showcases the works of numerous women artists who have helped shape the art scene in Nashville. For Sai, it's a balancing act, living in her home town as both a curator and a practicing artist, but it's one she wouldn't trade for anything. Guest: Sai Clayton, artist and curator Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Banner reporter Steven Hale sits down with education reporter Lillian Avedian to talk about the education-related bills she's following at the state legislature, from vouchers to curriculum about communism. Lillian explains the policy debates and reflects on her first week on the hill. Steven catches her up on the various romance-related storylines at the Winter Olympics. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his role as Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk, Lonnell Matthews Jr. sees his share of the kind of youth we have become accustomed to calling "troubled," Often they've come through life without the kind of guidance and support that can keep them on a better path. Lonnell understands all too well what the stakes are, because his own life was profoundly changed by violence: His younger brother was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad. It is, as Lonnell tells it, a tale of two brothers — siblings and best friends with identical upbringings but very different outcomes. Continuing the work that has defined his public life, Lonnell was recently named co-chair of a new Community Safety Task Force, bringing together leaders and community members from across the city. He's also working on a book he never expected to write. Guest: Lonnell Matthews Jr., Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk, co-chair of Community Safety Task Force Host: Demetria Kalodimos Producer: Steve Haruch Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Banner's Steven Hale sits down with Metro reporter Stephen Elliott to talk about Tuesday's Metro Council meeting and the various upcoming reviews of Nashville's winter storm response. Stephen talks about an unusually muted night for the council and the issues that came up in the meeting's brief public hearing about the budget, and Steven asks how he and councilmembers interpret the public feedback they receive. Both Stev/phens offer up some television recommendations, and producer Andrea is glad she happened to have a doctor's appointment during the recording, thusly missing the special occasion of having All Four Banner Steves alone in a room. Produced by Andrea Tudhope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices