Tennessee fails to execute Tony Carruthers after IV difficulties. State won’t try again for a year

Tennessee officials have called off the lethal injection of Tony Carruthers, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering three people in 1994, after his executioners tried and failed for over an hour to establish an intravenous line. Gov. Bill Lee says the state will not try again for at least a year.

First challenge to Tennessee’s congressional map heard in court

A three-judge panel will soon rule on whether Tennessee’s new congressional map is constitutional.

As Tennessee limits screen time for young students, here’s how low-tech learning plays out in one school

Tennessee lawmakers recently passed legislation that limits the use of screen time, even on educational devices, for elementary students. One Nashville school has long practiced a minimal approach to technology, and its students insist they are more social and focused as a result.

Here’s what Nashville city agencies want to fund in the coming year

How will Metro spend your tax dollars? The Metro Council is weighing options as it considers the mayor's proposed $3.8 billion spending plan.

GOP-led states across the South have rushed to redistrict after a U.S. Supreme Court case weakened protections for Black voting blocs. Marianna Bacallao reports that new congressional districts in Tennessee mirror the way Black communities have been fractured in the past.

Tennessee was the first state to answer President Trump`s call for new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms, dividing Memphis into three different districts.

The new map also split Nashville`s historically Black neighborhood of North Nashville. The neighborhood has been split before by the construction of Interstate 40. The highway cut through the heart of Nashville`s Black Wall Street during the 1960s, decimating Black-owned businesses.

The new congressional map splits North Nashville along the same streets as the highway.

Tap link in the bio for more.

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$GOP-led states across the South have rushed to redistrict after a U.S. Supreme Court case weakened protections for Black voting blocs. Marianna Bacallao reports that new congressional districts in Tennessee mirror the way Black communities have been fractured in the past. Tennessee was the first state to answer President Trump's call for new congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms, dividing Memphis into three different districts. The new map also split Nashville's historically Black neighborhood of North Nashville. The neighborhood has been split before by the construction of Interstate 40. The highway cut through the heart of Nashville's Black Wall Street during the 1960s, decimating Black-owned businesses. The new congressional map splits North Nashville along the same streets as the highway. Tap link in the bio for more.$

After a 32-0 vote by the NFL owners, Nashville is officially hosting its first Super Bowl at the new Nissan Stadium in 2030.

Since moving to Nashville in 1997, the NFL franchise has never had the opportunity to host because the current Nissan Stadium did not meet the NFL’s requirements.

With new Nissan Stadium meeting specific requirements, such as having a dome, the owners voted unanimously in favor of Nashville hosting Super Bowl LXIV.

Mayor Freddie O’ Connell said Nashville is the complete package and he can’t wait to show the world what Nashville has to offer, reports WPLN News Intern Seth Thorpe.

The city of Nashville will host a formal announcement on May 20 in the morning, and a celebration on Lower Broadway later in the evening.

Tap link in bio for more.

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After a 32-0 vote by the NFL owners, Nashville is officially hosting its first Super Bowl at the new Nissan Stadium in 2030.

Since moving to Nashville in 1997, the NFL franchise has never had the opportunity to host because the current Nissan Stadium did not meet the NFL’s requirements.

With new Nissan Stadium meeting specific requirements, such as having a dome, the owners voted unanimously in favor of Nashville hosting Super Bowl LXIV.

Mayor Freddie O’ Connell said Nashville is the complete package and he can’t wait to show the world what Nashville has to offer, reports WPLN News Intern Seth Thorpe.

The city of Nashville will host a formal announcement on May 20 in the morning, and a celebration on Lower Broadway later in the evening.

Tap link in bio for more.

A bus rider with a great memory asked Curious Nashville: What happened to the highly-touted all-electric buses that WeGo used to offer, for free, throughout downtown?

Short answer: They were discontinued in 2021. Then the manufacturer went bankrupt. The chargers — at last — are being removed this year.

All told, Nashville’s EV bus initiative will have come and gone in just 11 years. WeGo says it’s considering zero-emission buses again, but keeping a close eye on the technology and dependability of the companies making them.

Tap link in bio for more. Find and listen to Curious Nashville wherever you get your podcasts.

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A bus rider with a great memory asked Curious Nashville: What happened to the highly-touted all-electric buses that WeGo used to offer, for free, throughout downtown?

Short answer: They were discontinued in 2021. Then the manufacturer went bankrupt. The chargers — at last — are being removed this year.

All told, Nashville’s EV bus initiative will have come and gone in just 11 years. WeGo says it’s considering zero-emission buses again, but keeping a close eye on the technology and dependability of the companies making them.

Tap link in bio for more. Find and listen to Curious Nashville wherever you get your podcasts.

Notable quotables for the week in news from WPLN that cover the redistricting aftermath, the renovations at historic Ft. Negley, tree trimming worries and “Chud the Builder.”

There are now four lawsuits challenging the redrawn Tennessee map, and House Speaker Cameron Sexton removed all Democrats from the committee assignments as a punishment for protesting.

Nashville Electric Service is ramping up its tree cutting — a move that has drawn blowback. And city leaders are working to improve Fort Negley, a Civil War historic site, and one of the foundational pieces of Nashville’s Black history.

Tap link in bio for our in-depth stories and to sign up for the NashVillager newsletter, a human-powered 5-day-a-week email direct to your inbox with local stories, info, and ticket giveaways.

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Despite efforts from the current administration in the White House, Fort Negley in Nashville is getting a historical reckoning and a renovation.

It’s a project that some have been seeking for years. Metro is working to update the fort with a more accurate presentation of its story — which is complicated. It’s a Civil War fort built by the Union using forced Black labor.

WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports the renovation comes at a time when such efforts are being discouraged by the White House.

Dr. Learotha Williams from TSU said: “People were talking about putting a Kroger here, then tennis courts. All kind of bad ideas. ... But we are here and it`s a testament to council people and the mayors and the community who decided to say, “OK, this is a place that we are going to protect.’ ”

Follow along for more and tap link in bio for our stories.

Photos: Cynthia Abrams / WPLN

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Despite efforts from the current administration in the White House, Fort Negley in Nashville is getting a historical reckoning and a renovation.

It’s a project that some have been seeking for years. Metro is working to update the fort with a more accurate presentation of its story — which is complicated. It’s a Civil War fort built by the Union using forced Black labor.

WPLN’s Cynthia Abrams reports the renovation comes at a time when such efforts are being discouraged by the White House.

Dr. Learotha Williams from TSU said: “People were talking about putting a Kroger here, then tennis courts. All kind of bad ideas. ... But we are here and it's a testament to council people and the mayors and the community who decided to say, “OK, this is a place that we are going to protect.’ ”

Follow along for more and tap link in bio for our stories.

Photos: Cynthia Abrams / WPLN

Nashville and Tennessee leaders are at odds. Again.

Cynthia Abrams reports that when Tennessee’s General Assembly concluded the legislative session in April, the work for local leaders was only beginning. Metro’s legal team began their annual legislative review, identifying new laws that, they feel, are adversarial to Nashville and assessing the potential for legal challenges.

And while the number of new laws that concern city leaders is high, the possibility for legal action may be lower than in recent years. In 2023, Metro filed four lawsuits over laws that the city claimed unfairly targeted Nashville, and, thus, violated Tennessee’s Constitution.

The preemption laws passed in the 2026 legislative session don’t target Nashville in the same way. Rather, they impact local control on a broader level statewide.

Tap link in bio for the full story and to subscribe to the NashVillager, our 5-day-a-week email newsletter with local and national stories.

Photos: George Walker IV / AP, Cynthia Abrams / WPLN

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This week Tennessee Republicans voted to divide Memphis`s majority-Black voting bloc amid widespread protests.

The move splits Memphis into three different congressional districts. That means all nine of the state’s U.S. House seats are more likely to go to Republicans, in line with a push from President Donald Trump to give the GOP a redistricting advantage in the miderms.

Protesters argue that this will take away the voice of voters who support Democrats, roughly 33% of Tennessee`s population. Some Republicans agreed in their own way. There were a few no votes and a few who abstained.

Memphis’s 9th Congressional District was pretty compact, but will now stretch nearly 300 miles — from the border with Mississippi in the Western corner of the state, to the edge of Nashville in the middle.

Republicans say they didn`t consider racial demographics when drawing the maps, only political data.

Follow along for more from Marianna Bacallao and tap link in bio for the full story.

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This week Tennessee Republicans voted to divide Memphis's majority-Black voting bloc amid widespread protests.

The move splits Memphis into three different congressional districts. That means all nine of the state’s U.S. House seats are more likely to go to Republicans, in line with a push from President Donald Trump to give the GOP a redistricting advantage in the miderms.

Protesters argue that this will take away the voice of voters who support Democrats, roughly 33% of Tennessee's population. Some Republicans agreed in their own way. There were a few no votes and a few who abstained.

Memphis’s 9th Congressional District was pretty compact, but will now stretch nearly 300 miles — from the border with Mississippi in the Western corner of the state, to the edge of Nashville in the middle.

Republicans say they didn't consider racial demographics when drawing the maps, only political data.

Follow along for more from Marianna Bacallao and tap link in bio for the full story.

What a week in Tennessee news. The biggest story was Tennessee Republicans’ decision to break up the state’s only majority-Black Congressional district. They said the move was critical to carry out President Donald Trump’s agenda. The final vote came 24 hours after the proposed maps were published, and eight days after a U.S. Supreme Court decision walked back protections against racial gerrymandering.

We also covered an inclusive baseball league for children and adults with disabilities, a Dolly Parton Vegas residency cancellation, and Amy Grant’s new album.

Tap link in bio for our in-depth stories and to sign up for the NashVillager newsletter, a human-powered 5-day-a-week email direct to your inbox with local stories, info, and ticket giveaways.

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Curious Nashville Returns!

Back by popular demand, the WPLN fan favorite series Curious Nashville is here to investigate oddities, share local history, tell stories of interesting people, and explain how local institutions operate.

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