🏥 Why is TN demanding medical records … again?

🎤 The Healing Power of Karaoke

On today’s podcast, local children’s librarian and karaoke enthusiast Lisa Bubert argues karaoke is more than a chance to sing — it can help bridge our social divides. She shares her favorite local spots, talks about why third spaces matter, and shows how cheap beer and a roomful of strangers singing the classics can make a place feel like home. [🎧City Cast Nashville]

🌉 A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, slated for extension as part of the East Bank development, could lose its place on the National Register of Historic Places if altered too substantially. The bridge was built between 1907 and 1909, the first bridge in the U.S. to use Pratt concrete trusses. The bridge also has a troubling racial and labor history. [Nashville Scene]

🧑‍⚖️ Why Is TN Demanding Medical Records?

Planned Parenthood has petitioned a Nashville court to block Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s demands for the nonprofit to turn over patient medical records and healthcare provider information. Skrmetti’s request claims Planned Parenthood is in violation of state law, citing the nonprofit’s abortion-related services. Skrmetti has made a similar demand of Abortion Care Tennessee. Tennessee banned abortions in 2022. [Tennessee Lookout]

• Meanwhile, a federal court has upheld a block to a portion of a state law that made it a misdemeanor to “recruit” a pregnant minor into obtaining an abortion. The lawsuit was filed by State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) and local attorney Rachel Welty. [Tennessee Lookout]

🏫 Historic Department Placed Under Receivership

The Vanderbilt Divinity School has been placed into receivership, which is when a university takes over operations of a department. According to a statement, this is a temporary, collaborative administrative change aimed at helping the school return to independent standing. However, some of the school’s staff say that, in the face of federal funding cuts, Vanderbilt should invest more in departments rather than establish new campuses in New York City and San Francisco. Staff would also like more information about why the school was placed under a receivership. [Nashville Banner]

• We chatted with journalist Claire Suddath about Vanderbilt’s quest to overtake the Ivy Leagues. [🎧City Cast Nashville]