AI near the zoo, swarm drones and UFOs in nature

Nationally, sparkler injuries accounted for 1,700 ER visits in 2024. This year, without much debate, the state legislature passed a new law this year allowing convenience stores to sell sparklers year round. Today we spend some time talking about fireworks safety and alternatives to pyrotechnics—including swarm drones in Clarksville.And we’re prepping for tonight’s hike in Shelby Bottoms for World UFO Day. Is actual nightlife may be more interesting than the UFO encounters? Plus, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell is attempting to use eminent domain to kill an AI data center planned near the Nashville Zoo. We get the latest details and delve into the politics that might be motivating this unprecedented move.Guests: Caroline Eggers, environmental reporter, WPLN Stephen Elliott, metro reporter, Nashville Banner Michael Hunter, Clarksville Parks and Recreation Hazel Miller, naturalist, Shelby Bottoms Nature Center Dr. Anne Wagner, director, Vanderbilt Burn Center

It's been twenty years since the first Music City Hot Chicken Festival. Today, we get a little spicy with founder former mayor Bill Purcell and second generation proprietor of Prince’s Hot Chicken Andre Prince.Plus, retiring state house representative Caleb Hemmer joins for an exit interview. And Anita Wadhwani shares the latest on sick and disabled kids with questionable immigration status being turned over to authorities. A judge considers their fate this week.Live streaming available at youtube.com/@wpln and at wpln.org. All episodes also available through our podcast feed.Guests: Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-59), Tennessee State House Andre Prince, second-generation proprietor, Prince’s Hot Chicken Bill Purcell, former mayor, founder Nashville Hot Chicken festival Anita Wadhwani, senior reporter, Tennessee Lookout

 A batch of new laws take effect July 1, including rules that will reshape Tennessee's burgeoning hemp business. Many hemp producers are heading to friendlier states, but one explains why he's committed to stay despite tighter restrictions on THC.We drop in on Monday night's town hall organized by the NAACP Nashville chapter about the data center planned for Fisk University's historic campus. Some attendees left with more questions than answers, irritated that organizers did not allow the audience to speak.And we remember two community members who made an outsized impact. Nashville hip-hop artist Daisha McBride memorializes her friend, hit producer Tay Keith, with the mid-flight backstory of her "Birds" remix. And retired journalist Dwight Lewis details the contributions of Tennessee Tribune founder Rosetta Miller-Perry.Stream live at youtube.com/@wpln and wpln.org. The podcast is available after the live show airs.Guests: Marianna Bacallao, state legislative reporter, WPLN Camellia Burris, education reporter, WPLN Matthew Chapman, president and CTO, LabCanna Dwight Lewis, retired journalist

If you are taking care of a child and you have a parent over 65, you’re among millions across the U.S. in the same life stage.Nearly a quarter of all American adults — and half of all adults in their 40s — fall into this “sandwich generation” category, according to Pew research. And being in the middle of that sandwich can feel ... intense.HealthQ hosts Cara Anthony of KFF Health News and Blake Farmer of Nashville Public Radio, both in the sandwich generation themselves, are your approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. In this one-hour special about navigating health and caregiving, they tap researchers, physicians, experts, and their own personal experience to explore: Identity: When to start calling yourself a caregiver, and why it matters. FMLA: How to start a conversation with your boss about taking federally protected leave from work. Kids and mental health: How to know it’s time to take an anxious child to therapy. Early-onset cancer: What you need to know about spotting diseases that are on the rise among people under 50. The HealthQ team acknowledges the messiness, the humor, and the beauty of this season of life. Come on the journey with us.Guests: Denise Brown, caregiving coach and founder of Caregiving Years Training Academy in Illinois Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, D.C. Paris Goodyear-Brown, licensed clinical social worker in Franklin, Tennessee Dr. Veda Giri, director of the Early Onset Cancer Program at Yale Cancer Center This installment is part of HealthQ’s reporting on caregiving among the sandwich generation. For more, check out the series wpln.org/healthq.HealthQ is a health series from reporters Cara Anthony and Blake Farmer, approachable guides to an unapproachable healthcare system. It’s a collaboration between Nashville Public Radio and KFF Health News.

Pride Month brings rainbow flags, parades, and celebration. But for many queer people in Middle Tennessee, it also raises a more complicated question: where do you actually belong the other eleven months of the year?Nashville has a long history of gathering places where queer residents can find community, visibility, and refuge. Some have endured for decades. Others have quietly faded or been displaced. The losses ripple through the communities that depend on them.Today we look past the festivities to examine something more fundamental: what it means for a space to feel safe, why these spaces matter so deeply to LGBTQ+ communities, and what is lost when they disappear. What emerges is a portrait of community infrastructure that often goes unacknowledged until it's gone—and what it takes to build it, sustain it, and fight for it.This episode was produced by Liv Lombardi.Guests: Sarah Calise, curator of Community Histories, Vanderbilt University Archives; founder, Nashville Queer History Project Ashley Hampton, executive director, Healing in the Margins; founder and clinical director at Hampton House Jerry Ivery, CEO, MashUp!

America's independence turns 250 this year, and the country is abuzz with commemorations, flags flying, and patriotic-fueled pride.But as we mark this milestone, what else should we be talking about? Our Roundabout panel, representing perspectives from across the political spectrum, examines the foundational issues America continues to grapple with, as well as the America 250 headlines making news today.This episode was produced by Mary Mancini.Guests: Maryam Abolfazli, former congressional candidate and founder of Rise & Shine TN Levi Ismail, Emmy-award winning journalist, NewsChannel 5’s investigative unit Chris Walker, founding partner, The Poplar Group

Maybe you get overwhelmed at the enormity of climate change and the effects on our environment. But try not to despair. Today we’re talking about the little things anyone can do. And it starts with simply keeping our eyes open, noticing and documenting what we see. We’re watching for our signal species — getting an introduction to iNaturalist and gathering inspiration from the folks who already keep a close eye on our flora and fauna. Now your video of a bear strolling through the neighborhood can be good for more than a bunch of views on Instagram.Contribute your observations on nature around you by joining our Appalachian Signal Species collection project on iNaturalist.GuestsArya Natarajan, senior communications manager, iNaturalistTony Gonzalez, news director, WPLNMegan Jones, digital editor, WPLNMargaret Renkl, author, The Weedy GardenSandy Obodzinski, executive director, Owl's Hill Nature Sanctuary

Love, romance and intimacy can look very different in the second half of life — no matter your gender or sexuality. Today we get stories of gay men growing older together, a trans woman from Coffee County finally living in full expression after a huge loss and a woman with her own coming out story who is now coaching people later in life on how to get through the messy middle and beyond.Throughout a lifetime, one hope is that we never stop growing into ourselves — evolving as we know more, overcome more and love more. On today’s episode of NextAge, we talk with leaders in our LGBTQ+ community to learn how we can become more resilient and kind to ourselves and those around us. Especially in the face of mighty hurdles.Got a story to share for our NextAge series? Leave us a message at 615-751-2500 or chime in during the live show on our YouTube stream.This season of NextAge is made possible by a grant from the West End Home Foundation — Advancing Aging with Dignity and Strengthening Communities — and by BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee.Guests• Dwayne Jenkins, Nashville Black Pride, Nashville Cares, Brothers United• Ginger Cutrell, transgender community advocate• Anne-Marie Zanzal, Coming Out Coach

Tech developer DC Blox has filed permit applications for a tentacular data center to be built right next to the Nashville Zoo. A 'Quantum Leap' data center is underway on Fisk University's campus.These constructions have seemingly started to pop up nationwide. And they were showing no sign of slowing. That is, until the public had something to say about it. Americans from all political walks of life are protesting the sudden mitosis of these mysterious buildings. A petition opposing the data center by the Zoo has garnered over 400,000 signatures.Still, questions remain: are they harmful to the surrounding ecosystem? Are they loud? Are they creating jobs? Are they taking jobs away?On today's Roundabout edition, our panel is here to answer your questions. Call in with your thoughts and concerns at 615-760-2000 or comment on the YouTube livestream.This episode was produced by Josh Deepan. Guests Caroline Eggers, WPLN Environmental Reporter Timothy Hughes, NCAA Nashville Chapter President Dodd Galbreath, Lipscomb University Environmental Science Professor Kelly Puente, Investigative Reporter, The Tennessean 

The descendants of the American Revolution are the keepers of our personal histories, saving the stories of ancestors whom time might have forgotten.Two hundred and fifty years ago, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, Tennessee was the rugged Western frontier. Yet, the brave individuals who fought for freedom left a legacy that lives on through local families today. Today, we share some of their historical journeys. Plus, we connect with modern-day patriots in our communities and visit local grant-funded projects marking the 250th anniversary — including a community-staged historical play. Join us as we explore patriotism, then and now.Guests Julie Brymer, Tennessee Society Daughters of the American Revolution, Chair, Public Relations & Media; member, General Daniel Smith's Rock Castle Chapter DAR Jack Emmert, member, Maj. David Wilson Chapter Sons of the American Revolution Robin Emmert,  member, Margaret Gaston Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution Mesut Keklik, entrepreneur, founder/director of Kurdish Culture & Music Association Anne G'fellers Mason, playwright and director, “The First and Last Town in Tennessee" Miro Rengin, entrepreneur; member of Nashville's kurdish community