⚖ Former House speaker Glen Casada found guilty

✈️ Life After DOGE

Andrea Giodradano, aka BNA Cheap Flights on Instagram, was among the first people laid off by DOGE after the dismantling of USAID. She joins the City Cast Nashville podcast to share her story and why she’s still determined to help Nashvillians explore the world — even as Trump-era policies complicate the journey. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

⚖ Casada Guilty on Corruption Charges

Former House Speaker Glen Casada was found guilty on 17 of 19 federal corruption charges stemming from a bribery and kickback scheme linked to state-funded mailing services. Casada’s aide, Cade Cothren, was found guilty on all charges. [NewsChannel 5]

• Here’s the long, sordid tale of how Casada and Cothren got into this mess. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

💉 Tennessee’s Death Row Protocol Under Fire

Lawyers for death row inmate Oscar Smith are criticizing the state’s new lethal injection protocol and its extended isolation period, calling it unnecessary and “its own form of torture.” Smith was convicted on murder charges in 1989 and is set to be executed on May 22 for what would be the state’s first execution in five years. [Nashville Banner]

• Nine death row inmates, including Oscar Smith, are challenging the use of pentobarbital in court, warning that the lethal injection drug is inhumane. [Nashville Banner]
• The Tennessee Department of Correction is also seeking a partnership with ICE. [WKRN]

🎒 School Safety Driven by Artificial Intelligence

Metro Nashville Public School’s new AI-powered weapon detection systems caught three separate firearms at local high schools last week. MNPS says Evolv systems are installed in 25 high schools and could expand to middle schools, pending budget approval. [WSMV]