Catherine Sweeney

SCOTUS has denied Byron Black's application for a stay and petition for a writ of certiorari, clearing the way for Tennessee to execute him tomorrow unless Gov. Bill Lee intervenes. Black has widely documented intellectual disabilities and defibrillator in his chest attys say will shock him.

Nashville General Hospital won't disable death row inmate's implant, contradicting state's account in court A county court ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to disable Byron Black's heart implant the day of his execution, Aug. 5, for fear the device

A court ordered TDOC to bring in experts and deactivate a man's heart implant before executing him. The state argued it couldn't because its provider, Nashville General Hospital, wouldn't comply with the order's strict timeline.

Now, General says it never signed off at all.
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'The Promise' Is on The 100 Best Podcasts of All Time Here's why "The Promise" made TIME's list

It's not every day — and not many podcasts — that get named to TIME's 100 Best Podcasts of All Time. But there it is for WPLN's The Promise!

Aptly described as a series that examines what happens in Nashville when "a great idea meets reality."

time.com/collections/...

TDOC pushback on execution court order amounts to 'passive aggression,' judge says It appeared the intense debate was over when a judge ordered the Tennessee Department of Correction to disable a death row inmate's heart implant before

TDOC asked one provider, Nashville General, to come disable the heart implant. It declined.
"The state’s motion ... is very much like when I had teenagers, and told them to clean their room. And they picked up one sock, and put it in the hamper, and then folded their arms.”
wpln.org/post/tdoc-pu...

As rent in Nashville increases exponentially, affected tenants rush to court to contest their eviction notices. The Eviction Right to Counsel is a group of local advocates who collaborate to provide legal services for tenants in need. We will hear from these organizations, those impacted

Byron Black to be Executed Despite Intellectual Disabilities - Nashville Banner Byron Black, sentenced to death for three 1989 murders, faces execution due to limited legal options despite evidence of intellectual disability.

Black's intellectual disability claim was denied under a standard the state has since abandoned. But because his claim has already been adjudicated, courts have said a 2021 law--under which he would almost certainly not be eligible for death--doesn't apply to him. nashvillebanner.com/2025/07/23/d...

Court order: Tennessee prisoner's heart implant must be deprogrammed before his execution A judge sided with Byron Black, the man scheduled for Tennessee's next execution, and ordered the state to disable his heart implant before he undergoes a

At a hearing on this. State argues it can’t obey; Nashville General providers who placed it won’t come to the prison on execution day. Black’s team said one provider inquiry isn’t enough.
Chancellor Perkins said from the stand that the state is being passive aggressive.

wpln.org/post/court-o...

Researchers Prepare for Potential Measles Outbreaks Steady decline in MMR vaccinations leaves room for Tennessee cases

A steady decline in vaccinations leaves room for measles outbreaks in Tennessee.

Federal judge blocks Tennessee law making it crime to aid minors seeking out-of-state abortions • Tennessee Lookout A Tennessee law that bars adults from giving information to minors about legal, out-of-state abortions violates the First Amendment and cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday. Senior United…

Federal judge blocks Tennessee law making it crime to aid minors seeking out-of-state abortions
tennesseelookout.com/briefs/feder... @anitawadhwani

A heart implant could make Tennessee's next execution painful and prolonged. Prison officials argue they don't have to disable the device. Tennessee's next execution is scheduled for Aug. 5, and this time, there are even stronger fears about the death becoming torturous.

Tennessee’s next execution is raising fears about the death becoming torturous.

@catherinejsweeney.bsky.social reports the issue in court this week is a heart device that could attempt to revive Byron Black during lethal injection.
wpln.org/post/a-heart...

Do you enjoy Nashville's downtown main library? How has the garage fire closure impacted you?

WPLN would like to hear your experiences for an upcoming story.

A clinic blames its closing on Trump’s Medicaid cuts. Patients don’t buy it. A clinic in rural Nebraska has become a political flash point after tying its looming closure to Trump’s law cutting Medicaid.

Any hospital closing in the near-term was on the ropes before the reconciliation bill was signed into law.

But with the bill passed, financially-vulnerable safety-net providers are staring down a more difficult future. The writing on the wall matters, even when the connection isn't 100% clean.

Researchers identify emerging rural suicide 'belt' that encompasses Tennessee • Tennessee Lookout Research by East Tennessee State University identified a “belt” of relatively high suicide rates that extends directly through Tennessee.

Suicide rates in rural America remain persistently higher than in urban communities, according to new research from East Tennessee State University that identified a national suicide “belt” with relatively high death rates that extends from the east to west coasts, directly through Tennessee.

Smoking-focused addiction help would save lives, but it's not easy to access in Tennessee Appalachian states have had some of the highest overdose rates in the country over the past decade. But officials have been slow to adopt some harm reduction efforts that could save lives.

Appalachian states like Tennessee have had some of the highest overdose rates in the country over the past decade.

@catherinejsweeney.bsky.social reports officials have been slow to adopt some harm reduction efforts that could save lives.

wpln.org/post/smoking...

Hello Nashville : if you've been on the "hit" side -- as a driver or pedestrian -- of a hit-and-run incident, I would love to talk to you. DM or email: shale@nashvillepublicmedia.com

Tennesseans’ support for gun reform and abortion access rises. So does their support for lawmakers opposing those measures. Public support for Tennessee politicians has risen in recent months, according to a Vanderbilt poll out Friday. However, the report also found that support is h

More than half of Tennesseans describe themselves as pro-choice, compared to only a third in 2012. That support is even greater for exceptions to the state’s total abortion ban, with 82% of respondents in favor of abortions in the case of rape by @mariannabac.bsky.social
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‘Less Burnout, More Babies’: How Conservatives Are Winning Young Women

“What dipped my toe into all of this was the MAHA movement... I find myself leaning more conservative than I ever have before.”
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/s...

Imagine her outfits. Need her in as many episodes as possible.

Abrego Garcia was removed March 15, and the Supreme Court ruled on April 10 the Trump administration must facilitate his return. In federal court, DHS agent says he was asked to begin criminal investigations into Abrego Garcia April 28, reports @anitawadhwani.bsky.social of @tennesseelookout.com

“Military gear has been used for domestic law enforcement for a long time, but flying military gear over LA at a time when the president has sent military units against the wishes of the governor is noteworthy," says Matthew Feeney, longtime tech researcher and advocacy manager at Big Brother Watch.

Man wrongly deported to El Salvador pleads not guilty to smuggling charges in Nashville Kilmar Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to charges of human smuggling in a Nashville federal courthouse Friday morning.

The man whose wrongful deportation to El Salvador put a spotlight on President Donald Trump’s immigration policy is appearing in a federal court in Nashville today.

This story will be updated as we learn more: wpln.org/post/man-wro...

Reminder: sci-comm and outreach costs money, and it’s being defunded across all STEM fields. It’s not just something scientists “do” (or fail to do, or need to do more).

I mean, most of us do “do” it on our own time too, but that will never be enough.

Snake day at TIN

Last month, Theater of War approached WPLN's @paigepfleger.bsky.social with the opportunity to bring to life her @propublica piece, “In Rural Tennessee, Domestic Violence Victims Face Barriers to Getting Justice." Today you can hear the result. Tune in at noon on 90.3 @wpln.bsky.social.

Futurism Perfect Customer | Jun 10, 10:10 AM EDT by Maggie Harrison Dupré People Are Becoming Obsessed with ChatGPT and Spiraling Into Severe Delusions "What these bots are saying is worsening delusions, and it's causing enormous harm."

NEW: We investigated several stories of people who spiraled into severe, life-altering mental health crises after developing all-consuming obsessions with ChatGPT.

Screenshots we reviewed show the AI directly engaging with and supporting user delusions + conspiracies.

futurism.com/chatgpt-ment...

We have a new paper out : “Stigmatizing content about xylazine in web-based news continues to proliferate, highlighting the need for collaborative efforts between the journalistic, medical, and public health sectors to challenge these narratives.”

Read here:

journals.lww.com/journaladdic...

"A local zebra owner said the situation is scary and that they may look like horses, but they are wild animals, and especially prone to heart attacks."

www.wbir.com/article/news...

The Country In Our Hearts: two cities, three generations and 50 years of shared history A new podcast from WPLN News The story of how Nashville became home to the largest Kurdish diaspora in America is an epic one. A tale of bloody genocide, of

We had a little staff listening party for the first episode of The Country In Our Hearts today. Truly moving. Excited to hear the next episodes and so impressed by @rosegilbert.bsky.social! wpln.org/from-erbil-t...

"AI has hallucinations"

we call them lies beloved... you taught the AI how to lie

Eating disorders are second-deadliest mental/behavioral health disorder, behind only opioids. And only half of people are actually cured. They're incredibly serious.