An alternative soundtrack for America at 250

Healthcare is all about who is going to pay for it. Because if you can’t afford to go to the doctor, you probably won’t until it becomes an emergency – which isn’t good for the patient or the system. This is a particular problem in rural Tennessee. When there’s a hiccup in the system, rural systems may shutter.Healthcare Hollow is a WPLN series that takes an in-depth look at the crisis of rural hospital closings.In this episode, we’re focused on who is going to pay for care in rural Tennessee. Those residents are more likely to rely on TennCare (the state’s version of federal Medicaid). Post-COVID policy changes have resulted in more people losing TennCare coverage. At the same time, fewer people are keeping insurance under the Affordable Care Act because of the expense.This episode is part of our Healthcare Hollow series, made possible, in part, by the NIHCM Foundation.GuestsGordon Bonnyman, staff attorney & co-founder, Tennessee Justice CenterJackie Shrago, ACA marketplace volunteer navigatorSarah Boden, independent healthcare journalist with KFFKelly Insana, vice president of marketing & communications, Tennessee Hospital Association

“All-American Girl.”“God Bless the U.S.A.”“Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue.”You'll hear these songs many times this summer as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary. But those aren't everyone's anthems.In Nashville, a group of musicians and songwriters are responding to this milestone with something different: unfiltered reflections on what it means to exist in America as Black, Brown, and Queer people living in the South. Through their music, visuals, fashion and performance, they are defining and embracing — or rejecting — American identity and patriotism on their own terms.Guests The Cowgays (Chris Housman, Brooke Eden & Adam Mac) Jewly Hight, senior music writer, Nashville Public Radio Kapali Long, Native Hawaiian Americana Country Blues artist & songwriter Lizzie No, producer, guitarist and harpist Tray Wellington, folk, bluegrass, jazz and contemporary roots music banjo innovator

With one of the oldest tracks in America, racing is part of our city's fabric as one of Nashville's earliest professional sports.Even as diehard fans say it’s time to invest in our history, the sound of the cars has become an unwelcome neighbor amid rapid development south of downtown. Whether you’re a fan or not, it’s worth understanding this deep legacy as we make decisions about the future. Today, we're revving up to chase down our racing roots.And, we want to hear from you. Have you seen fandom fading? What explains that? What got you into racing in the first place? What’s the importance of having a track in the heart of the city? We’re taking your calls during the show at 615-760-2000. You can also send your thoughts through our livestream.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan.Guests Larry Woody, retired sports reporter Gary Baker, former owner, Bristol Motor Speedway Joseph Love, painter

With Father's Day on the horizon, two dads join us to share their perspectives on love, loss, priorities and fatherhood.After David Fischette stepped away from the day-to-day grind of running his business, he began walking 10,000 steps a day as a personal health challenge. Before long, the habit evolved into a series of “walk and talk” videos exploring themes of love, loss, priorities and codependency, and eventually into Hello Fine Friends, a book that, in part, reflects on his efforts to repair his fractured relationship with his daughters.Then, fatherhood is a public health issue for Robert Taylor. He spent the last few years helping fathers change a few more diapers, and more importantly, see themselves as more than providers. He leads the New Life Center, which has produced a documentary called Fatherhood Beyond the Frame.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini and Blake Farmer.Guests: David Fischette, founder, Go West Creative; author, Hello Fine Friends Robert Taylor, founder and president, New Life Center

CMA Fest is upon us. How you feel about that will inform whether or not you're hitting up Broadway this weekend.But the festival has a storied past in Nashville, and so do the iconic cowboy boots both fans and performers wear when attending. For this episode, we'll have historians and writers, as well as a seasoned CMA performer and a full-time bootmaker.What's more—we want to hear from you. The number to call in and talk about your boot experiences is 615-760-2000. You can also pop into the chat on our YouTube stream live during the show.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Jewly Hight, WPLN Senior Music Writer Holly George-Warren, Music Historian and Writer Angie K., Country Music Artist Lisa Sorrell, Bootmaker

This summer, much of the nation is commemorating 1776, the year the Thirteen Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. Tennessee would not become a state for another two decades, but the region that would one day become our Volunteer State was already a place of profound change and activity located on what the founders considered the western frontier.Each Wednesday this month, we're exploring the 250th anniversary of American independence from a different perspective. Today, we explore the Middle Tennessee of 1776. We're examining life on the frontier through the eyes of indigenous people who were here at the time and long before as well as the white settlers trying to expand America’s borders and the enslaved people they forced into frontier life.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests Paul Clements, author, Chronicles of the Cumberland Settlements; authority on early settlement life Rob McDonald, Jr., filmmaker, photographer, creator of documentary about James Robertson - founder of Nashville - Native Son: The Untold Story of James Robertson Dr. Raymond Orr, professor of Political Science at UC Santa Barbara; member of the Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma Dr. Kristofer Ray, associate professor of Early American and Indigenous History at the College of the Holy Cross Dr. Learotha Williams, Jr., professor of African American History, Tennessee State University; North Nashville Heritage Project, Davidson County Historian

We’re surrounded by wildlife that tells us something about our ecosystem if we’ll take just a moment to stop and smell the roses (or, in this case, take a gander at the kudzu). With our partners in the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, we’re investigating so-called “signal species," starting with the lovable black bear. As their population has rebounded, so have human interactions – both positive and negative.Guests Caroline Eggers, WPLN environmental reporter John Boyle, deputy managing editor, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom Janelle Musser, black bear support biologist, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency Mark Thurman, director of conservation collaboratives in Tennessee, The Nature Conservancy

Jim Palmer was a crusader for Christianity.He accepted the calling in East Tennessee, went to seminary, and started preaching in one of the largest mega churches in the country. He moved to Nashville to start an offshoot. But then things started to unravel. Faith turned to doubt and then to deconstruction. He was into deconstruction before it was cool, and now he sits down with us to talk about how he's guiding others who are figuring out what’s next after Christianity.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guest Jim Palmer, Post-Religion Spiritual Director and founder of The Center for Non-Religious Spirituality

It takes more than 500 pages for Lamar Alexander to tell the story of his political career, and that’s understandable given his 26 years as Tennessee governor and U.S. senator.We’ll dig into some untold stories from his new memoir, “The Education of a Senator,” which landed on the New York Times Best Seller list this week and we’ll also get his take on the current state of affairs in American politics and take your questions. So, if you’d like to ask a question or comment, join us on air at 615-760-2000 or in the chat at youtube.com/@wpln.Then, we’ll wrap this episode with a timely update on congressional redistricting which turns Tennessee’s last remaining seat held by a Democrat into one that leans Republican.  Guests Lamar Alexander, former U.S. senator, Tennessee governor, U.S. Education Secretary and president of the University of Tennessee Josh Clinton, Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, Vanderbilt University Marianna Bacallao, WPLN power and equity reporter

Once again, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell joins This Is Nashville live on the air to answer your questions.From traffic headaches and development concerns to parks, transit, and public safety, this is your opportunity to speak directly with the mayor. What’s going on in your neighborhood that city leaders need to hear about?We’ll also dive into some of the biggest issues facing the city right now – including the budget, taxes, and major building projects shaping Nashville’s future.Stay with us after the mayor and we’ll explore why one local school still bears the name of a segregationist – and why changing that name has proven nearly impossible. We're wrapping the hour with our latest installment of Curious Nashville.Guests Freddie O’Connell, mayor, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Camellia Burris, education reporter, WPLN Larry Woods, civil rights attorney and professor of criminal justice, Tennessee State University