Planet Earth is getting rocked by the biggest solar storm in decades. The first wave of particles is already reaching the Earth. Earlier this afternoon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared that the planet was experiencing a G4, or “Severe,” geomagnetic storm. This is the first G4 storm to hit the planet since 2005. NOAA warns several waves of flares will slam into the Earth over the next few hours and days, potentially disrupting communications and navigation, triggering power outages, and damaging satellites. The most powerful wave of charged particles is expected to ..read more

After storms like the ones that hit Middle Tennessee this week, the entire community pitches in to respond. Plus the local news for May 10, 2024 and checking in with Vanderbilt student protestors.  Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Miriam Kramer, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP Listen and follow via: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music ...or wherever you get your podcasts ..read more

Lipscomb University looked like it had a political delegation on its campus this week.   Parking lots at the George Shinn Event Center overflowed with black SUVs. Police officers surrounded the premises, rifled through bags and confiscated water bottles. A dog sniffed for bombs. But the caravan belonged to an electric utility.  The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors met at the college in Nashville twice this week to conduct their routine quarterly business. There was a stark contrast between the two meetings — and what the public asked the board to do versus what the ..read more

This week’s severe storms have left behind heartache and debris, along with the flooding. According to the National Weather Service, the areas that received the most rainfall were north of Interstate 40 — with many spots getting five to eight inches. This led to water rescues in places like Gallatin and Hendersonville. Overall, Sumner and Robertson counties were hit the hardest, with 10 to 11 inches.   In some areas, the storms were downright historic: Clarksville got the most rain it’s seen since the May 2010 flood, and Crossville, to the east, set a one-day record for rainfall. Krissy H ..read more

How do parallels from earlier generations fall short when shedding light on current campus protests?  The demands in the current student protests against Israel’s response to Hamas echo the anti-Apartheid demonstrations of the 1980s, but the reaction so far is quite different. Plus the local news for May 9, 2024 and we hear from people concerned about the health impacts of the Tennessee Valley Authority’s plans for electricity production.  Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Nina Cardona Editor: Miriam Kramer Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Miri ..read more

College students across the country have been arrested, suspended and, in some cases, injured for protesting the ongoing war in Gaza and demanding their institutions divest funds from Israel. While Vanderbilt University has had fewer arrests and little in the way of police presence compared to other colleges, repercussions for student protestors at the university have been among the most severe. Three students were expelled, putting their academic futures at risk and sparking an outcry among faculty. Senior Devron Burks is one of those three who became the first in the country to be ..read more

Nashville’s Metro Council passed legislation Tuesday requiring the city’s police to provide quarterly use of force reports to the body. Although much of this information is already available in an online, public dashboard, the reports will take the data a step further, offering more specific details about the individual who was subjected to use of force and whether the officer was within police policy. Earlier this year, MNPD requested more money — in the form of a $24 million contract — to outfit the department with new Tasers. The Metro Council ultimately rejected the proposal. But, the ask ..read more

How did a Nashvillian end up taking over a Central American nation?  On the bicentennial of William Walker’s birth, we take a look at one of the wilder episodes in this city’s history. Plus the local news for May 8, 2024 and this week’s edition of What Where WhensDay.  Credits:This is a production of Nashville Public Radio Host/producer: Alexis Marshall Editor: Tony Gonzalez Additional support: Mack Linebaugh, Miriam Kramer, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP Listen and follow via: Apple Podcasts Spotify Amazon Music ...or wherever you get your podcasts ..read more

Tennessee passed a bill package expanding gun access, including a measure allowing teachers to carry firearms in schools — despite calls for gun safety legislation after the Covenant school shooting. Transcript: MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: After the deadly shooting at Covenant School in Nashville last year, thousands of people rallied at the Tennessee Capitol. They called for lawmakers to pass gun safety measures like a red flag law or an expansion of background checks. Instead, lawmakers passed a package of bills expanding gun access during this year’s legislative session. One, signed by Repub ..read more

About 200,000 Tennesseans are visiually impaired, and they can have a hard time managing prescription medications. That will be easier now because of a policy that went into effect this year. Federal drug regulators make sure pharmacies put a lot of information on their prescription bottles. But there hasn’t been any kind of requirement to support visually impaired people. That could look like having a large–print option or printing labels in braille. Tennessee lawmakers created their own requirements in 2022, and they went into effect this spring. The law says Tennesseans have a right t ..read more