Profile: Sara Figal

Today, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is in the studio to take your calls and answer your questions. Plus, it’s political debate season, and Tennessee State University professor Josh Shapiro is with us to discuss their efficacy and importance, and answer all your presidential debate-related questions. Are decisions at the ballot box impacted by debate performance? Are post-debate spin rooms effective? Why do some candidates refuse to debate? Is there one form of debate that works better than others? Join us!Guests: Freddie O'Connell | Mayor, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Dr. Ian Shapiro | Professor, Tennessee State University

From cosmetology to automotive technology, building construction, plumbing, machine maintenance, and even coding, there are many programs right here in Middle Tennessee available to anyone looking to step into a new career. Today, we’re talking with people who chose a trade school or apprenticeship path to hear about their experiences — and about the careers they’ve built since graduating.This episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.Guests Kevin Harrison, Vice President TCAT Nashville Jerry Campbell, HVAC student, TCAT Nashville Sam Petschulat, Executive Director Music City Construction Careers MC3 KeOndra Grayson, First-year Sheet Metal Apprentice at Sheet Metal Workers Local 177 Charnissa McKinney, Software developer at TDOT, graduate Nashville Software School Sarah Saturday,  Software developer at HCA, graduate of Nashville Software School

From Francis Craig and the Beatles to Jackie Shane and Minor Threat, United Record Pressing has made some of the world's most significant records. United CEO and Chairman Mark Michaels is here to tell the story of this unique Nashville-based, American-owned business, and how — thanks to some ingenuity, a few well-timed business decisions, and a whole lotta luck — it’s survived decades of changes in the music industry.GuestsMark Michaels | Chairman and CEO, United Record Pressing, LLCFurther Reading and ListeningWPLN | Behind the scenes at Nashville’s United Record Pressing, the oldest vinyl producer in North AmericaWPLN | The unending appeal of vinyl recordsBillboard | As Nashville’s United Record Pressing Celebrates 75 Years, a Look Back at 15 Essential Vinyl Pressings

These partnerships strive to connect the people of Nashville to the people of the world. And they follow a nationwide mission established in the 1950s to carry out what’s known as “citizen diplomacy,” under the belief that exchanging cultural ideas builds understanding and fosters international peace.One sister city is Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. WPLN reporter Rose Gilbert is currently on assignment in Erbil, and before she left, she and Khalil sat down to preview what she will be working on while there.Guests: Sarah Lingo, executive director of Sister Cities Nashville Nawzad Hawrami, co-founder of Salahadeen Center Bill Purcell, former mayor of Nashville and board member with Sister Cities Nashville William Watson, student participant with Sister Cities Nashville Valentina Boulin, educator at Colegio ICEI in Mendoza, Argentina Rose Gilbert, WPLN’s temporary foreign correspondent

Studies show that employee well-being, job satisfaction, retention and productivity all increase with a compressed schedule. In a recent six-month trial in the UK, nearly 90% of companies that gave a four-day workweek a try kept with it over a year later. But is it as good as it sounds? And how exactly does it work across different industries? Today, we’re talking with a researcher and veteran HR leader about the rising popularity of compressed schedules. We'll also hear from one employer about how she transitioned her family business to a four-day workweek and what it's like to work there now from one of the company's team members. Join us!This episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.Guests:  Timothy Munyon, associate professor of management at Haslam College of Business, University of Tennessee Knoxville Tracey Power, chief people officer at Vaco, a global talent solutions company based in Nashville Erin Richardson, third generation owner of family business, All-American Pest Control  Adrian Zavala, operator, All-American Pest Control

We’re seemingly full of towering yellow cranes and active construction sites busy with workers using hefty machinery and hoisting heavy materials – often several hundred feet in the air. Tragically, Tennessee is one of the most dangerous states when it comes to construction worker on-the-job injury and deaths. In recent years, the city of Nashville and the State of Tennessee have not seen eye-to-eye on how to improve safety for workers. Today, we’re speaking with reporters, local advocates and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development about the sometimes deadly problems workers face, how they’re working to make construction sites safer, and what to do if you get injured on the job.This episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys and Mary Mancini. Guests: Molly Davis | Growth and Development Reporter, The Tennessean  Cynthia Abrams | Metro Reporter, WPLN Sandra Sepulveda | Metro Councilwoman, District 30 Charlie Rodriguez | Organizer, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades Troy Haley | Administrator, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development

Every Thursday, we open up the phone lines because it's Your Turn to Talk. We never know what topics will come up when you call in to ask the mayor a question, but it's always an interesting discussion. Later on, we look at the basics of overdose prevention and learn what local organizations and law enforcement are doing to strengthen the overdose prevention strategy of harm reduction.Guests: Freddie O'Connell | Mayor, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Charles Cuthbert | Regional Overdose Prevention Specialist, STARS Nashville Sgt. Michael Hotz | Overdose Unit, Metro Nashville Police Department Listen to previous Ask the Mayor episodes: Ask the Mayor and Metro Legal Director with Freddie O'Connell and Wally Dietz (July 25, 2024) Ask the Mayors with Freddie O'Connell and Benton McDonough (June 18, 2024) Ask the Mayors with Freddie O'Connell and Ken Moore (May 30, 2024) Ask the Mayor with Freddie O'Connell, plus Taking Cover (April 17, 2024) Ask the Mayor with Freddie O'Connell, plus Votes For Women (March 28, 2024) Ask the Mayor with Freddie O'Connell & Photographer Jeff Fasano (Feb. 15, 2024)

Some step into single parenthood by choice, and others unexpectedly find themselves raising kids on their own. Today, we’re speaking with two single parents here in Nashville about their journeys to parenthood, how they take care of both their kids and themselves, and where they find connection and community.This episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys.GUESTS Megan Staggs, Single mom Steve Younes, Single dad

Over the course of this series, we have taken a closer look at the different aspects of homelessness examining the Housing First philosophy, the interconnectedness of housing and healthcare, prevention efforts, and what hidden homelessness looks like. In today's episode, we focus on the tools available for developers and communities to build supportive housing and the support systems necessary to help people maintain their homes. Additionally, we dive into braiding, a funding mechanism used to build units to serve people with zero income.In My Place educates listeners on what cities like Nashville can do to prevent and end homelessness — while caring for our neighbors who are still unhoused. We talk to national and local guests about everything from best practices to worst failures and hear from people who intimately know the complexities of having nowhere to go. This show highlights how affordable housing affects each of us even if we think it doesn't.This series was created thanks in part to support from Pinnacle Financial Partners.This episode was produced by Judy Tackett and Tasha A.F. Lemley.Today's guests:Leah Werner | Director Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee Program, CSHAngela Hubbard | Housing Director, Metro Nashville Planning DepartmentDavid Langgle-Martin | Chief Housing Officer, Park CenterAnita Smith | Speaker and advocate

Clark, a well-known Nashville producer, multi-instrumentalist, music supervisor and writer, was born and raised in Memphis — a city he says is utterly baked into him at a cellular level. It was in Memphis where he picked up his first instrument, bought his first dixieland jazz records, and played his first gig. Since then, Clark has gone on to write for numerous national publications – including Billboard and Rolling Stone – produce the first seven volumes of the award-winning Oxford American Magazine music CDs, supervise the music for numerous film and TV projects, and record and release music under his own name.Today's episode was produced by Mary Mancini.GUEST Rick Clark, Music Supervisor, Producer, Writer, and Creative Guy