In May 2025, Tennessee Highway Patrol teamed up with ICE for a sweeping joint operation that resulted in more than 600 traffic stops, largely in immigrant communities around the city. The Banner reviewed more than 50 hours of body and dashboard camera footage and found that agents routinely profiled people before pulling them over, treated drivers differently once it was clear they were not immigrants, competed with each other for the most people arrested, and both treated and talked about people in demeaning ways once they were in custody. In this special episode, Banner reporters discuss how they analyzed the video and what they observed.

Guests: Araceli Crescencio, Banner multimedia reporter; Stephen Elliott, Banner metro reporter; Sarah Grace Taylor, Banner state government reporter

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Andrea Tudhope

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Growing up with two artistically minded parents, Sai Clayton never wanted for something to fill her time — using her imagination wasn't just encouraged, it was expected. Creativity runs in the family, and it permeated her early life. That included many days spent at the Frist Art Museum, exploring the galleries and, in her childhood years, hanging out in the ArtQuest area.

Life has come full circle for Sai, who was selected as the Frist's inaugural curatorial fellow and now, has co-curated the new exhibit In Her Place, which showcases the works of numerous women artists who have helped shape the art scene in Nashville. For Sai, it's a balancing act, living in her home town as both a curator and a practicing artist, but it's one she wouldn't trade for anything.

Guest: Sai Clayton, artist and curator

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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Banner reporter Steven Hale sits down with education reporter Lillian Avedian to talk about the education-related bills she's following at the state legislature, from vouchers to curriculum about communism. Lillian explains the policy debates and reflects on her first week on the hill. Steven catches her up on the various romance-related storylines at the Winter Olympics.

Produced by Andrea Tudhope

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In his role as Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk, Lonnell Matthews Jr. sees his share of the kind of youth we have become accustomed to calling "troubled," Often they've come through life without the kind of guidance and support that can keep them on a better path. Lonnell understands all too well what the stakes are, because his own life was profoundly changed by violence: His younger brother was shot and killed in a drug deal gone bad.

It is, as Lonnell tells it, a tale of two brothers — siblings and best friends with identical upbringings but very different outcomes. Continuing the work that has defined his public life, Lonnell was recently named co-chair of a new Community Safety Task Force, bringing together leaders and community members from across the city. He's also working on a book he never expected to write.

Guest: Lonnell Matthews Jr., Davidson County Juvenile Court Clerk, co-chair of Community Safety Task Force

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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The Banner's Steven Hale sits down with Metro reporter Stephen Elliott to talk about Tuesday's Metro Council meeting and the various upcoming reviews of Nashville's winter storm response. Stephen talks about an unusually muted night for the council and the issues that came up in the meeting's brief public hearing about the budget, and Steven asks how he and councilmembers interpret the public feedback they receive. Both Stev/phens offer up some television recommendations, and producer Andrea is glad she happened to have a doctor's appointment during the recording, thusly missing the special occasion of having All Four Banner Steves alone in a room.

Produced by Andrea Tudhope

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The Banner’s Steven Hale and Araceli Crescencio talk about Nashville's historic winter storm, power outages and their personal slip-and-fall counts. Araceli shares what she's heard from Spanish-speaking Nashvillians trying to access Metro resources and Steven encourages her to watch Sister Act and Sister Act 2.

Produced by Andrea Tudhope

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Working as a fact-checker is great training for any writer. But especially so when one's subject is a notorious teller of tall tales. This was the case for Jonathan Bernstein, who was tasked with writing a biography of the late Justin Townes Earle. Known for his soul-searching songs and keen delivery of them, Earle also lived his short life negotiating the shadow of his father Steve's legend, as well as that of his middle namesake Townes Van Zandt.

In the new book What Do You Do When You're Lonesome, written with the blessing of widow Jenn Marie Earle, Jonathan tracks the life of this talented musician — from rough and tumble beginnings in the notorious "Chicken Shack" in a Green Hills backyard, to acclaim in New York City and beyond, to unraveling sobriety and a tragic end. Along the way, he also paints a picture of Nashville and other up-and-coming contemporaries of Earle's who helped shape the city, and Americana music, indelibly.

Guest: Jonathan Bernstein, author, What Do You Do When You're Lonesome: The Authorized Biography of Justin Townes Earle

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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The Banner’s Steven Hale and Stephen Elliott talk about the first Metro Council meeting of the year. It was a late and action-packed night for our Metro reporter. The council discussed how to use a $15 million state grant for downtown safety, and deferred legislation to add a commercial compatibility overlay along Buchanan Street in North Nashville — a proposal that triggered ferocious debate at a planning commission meeting last week. All that, and the Steph/vens reveal how much they love talking about Nashville's mayoral races as far out from an election as possible. And with Joy Styles entering the race, now they get to!

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Before Nashville Hidden Gems was a hit Instagram page, it began as a food tour, taking a small group of guests through a series of creator Anas Saba's favorite local spots. The audience is much larger now — more than 130,000 followers as of this writing — and many of those beloved eateries less "hidden" than they once were.

One thing that's remained constant through it all is his dedication to local businesses, especially those run and frequented by immigrants. But regardless of who's working the kitchen or front of house, what matters to Anas is an experience with passion and intention behind it. That same idea is pushing him to think beyond being "the food guy" in town and using his storytelling skills in new ways.

Guest: Anas Saba, creator, Nashville Hidden Gems

Host: Demetria Kalodimos

Producer: Steve Haruch

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The Banner’s Steven Hale and Sarah Grace Taylor talk about the return of the Tennessee legislature, what they've done so far and what to expect in the coming months. Sarah Grace discusses bills related to immigration policy, some newly proposed and others carried over from last year. She also highlights a likely debate over expanding vouchers and proposals targeting LGBTQ+ rights. Steven wonders what this year’s “chemtrails bill" will be.

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