TheVoiceOfJoyce News from the NashVillager, an NPR donor, newspaper, covering the arrests of non violent immigrants, the Lawsuit filed by Memphis to oust the National Guard, no understanding of unemployment statistics because of lack of funding and personnel associated with the Government shutdown, college football stats and so much more.

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Tuesday, October 21, 202574° ☀️ / 44° 🌚Emily SinerI’ve never thought of myself as a college football fan, but my husband, who went to Texas A&M, got me hooked on the storylines.

There are the coaches who get extravagant contracts and fail to deliver (which has happened at Texas A&M), the teams that rank high but stumble during key games (ditto), and the teams that are underestimated but manage to surprise everyone, including themselves (also ditto).

The latter kind of storyline is my favorite. Everyone loves an underdog that finds a way to shine. And in Tennessee, there’s perhaps no bigger underdog than Nashville’s own Vanderbilt University.

Until now. As of Sunday, Vanderbilt’s team is one of the nation’s top ten teams, according to an Associated Press poll — for the first time since 1947. This ranking came after the Commodores beat the LSU Tigers 31 to 2. So far, Vandy is having its best start to a season in three-quarters of a century and sits at number 10 in the national ranking.  

(I will note that Texas A&M is also sitting higher in the rankings than they’ve been for 30 years, which is not quite as impressive but still fun.)

Meanwhile, the University of Tennessee has dropped to 17 after its loss to Alabama. 

WHAT TO KNOW

Members of National Guard patrol outside a Bass Pro Shops this month in Memphis. Credit: George Walker IV / AP PhotoHere are two updates on the surge of state and local law enforcement in Memphis:

  • Memphis leaders have been railing against the National Guard deployment in their city, and now they’re taking it to the courts. County Mayor Lee Harris, several city commissioners and the area’s state lawmakers filed the lawsuit late Friday afternoon, arguing the deployment violates state law. The governor can unilaterally deploy the National Guard to “restore order” during several kinds of events, like invasions, natural disasters and riots, but the lawsuit argues the policy doesn’t allow for the Guard to “do police work or fight crime.” It does allow for the guard to address a breakdown of law and order — but only if a local government makes a request or the General Assembly signs off. It also argues the deployment is having a chilling effect on travel, tourism and the local economy. They want a court order ending the deployment, and for the judge to declare the deployment unlawful. See the court filing for more.
     
  • Last week, Gov. Bill Lee said the new task force of state and local law enforcement in Memphis had arrested “850 violent criminals and gang members.” But an analysis from the nonprofit newsroom MLK 50 refutes that claim. Of out of 51 arrests that the task force made last Monday, 30 were for nonviolent offenses, like failure to appear in court, trespassing and misdemeanor theft. The task force made 13 arrests on violent charges. One charge couldn’t be identified as violent or nonviolent. Lee has said immigrants shouldn’t be afraid: “if they’re not a criminal element, then they shouldn’t be afraid,” but officers did arrest seven people on “administrative warrants” — immigration arrests for unlawful presence in the country, which is a civil offense, not criminal.

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🎙️ On the NashVillager podcast today: 

Who has the right to send in the troops in Tennessee? As Shelby County sues the governor for potentially overstepping his role, a look at the state laws that are cited in the court case. Plus the local news for Oct. 21, 2025, and the race to save an endangered Tennessee fish.

Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app:
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MORE TO KNOW

  • Tennessee is delaying the release of its unemployment rate for the month of September, due to a “temporary funding lapse,” according to a message from the state Department of Labor. A spokesperson for the department confirmed to WPLN News that the delay is related to the current federal government shutdown, now in its third week. The state didn’t receive the data it needs from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to produce its unemployment rate and economic analysis. Prior to September, Tennessee’s unemployment rate had been hovering around 3.6%. The state says it will release the updated data once funding for the Bureau of Labor Statistics is restored, presumably after the shutdown ends.
     
  • The government shutdown could also affect about 690,000 Tennessean who get food assistance from the federal government. The federal government sends Tennessee about $145 million a month to pay for benefits in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, food stamps or EBT. The agency that manages the program said as of now, there is no money for November, according to reporting by The Tennessee Lookout. Some states have stopped accepting new applications for SNAP. 
     
  • There’s been a lot of coverage in national media about the second No Kings protest, which took place around the country this past weekend. But Nashville’s version of No Kings really leaned into an emphasis on music.Performers Allison Russell, Emmylou Harris, Devon Gilfillian, Denitia and Julie Williams sang “Tennessee Rise,” a song Russell wrote with her collaborator and husband JT Nero, who live with their daughter in East Nashville. WPLN’s Catherine Sweeney reportsRussell worked with more than 30 artists to record a rendition of the song last year. “Thank you for taking peaceful, nonviolent, joyful action with us today,” she said before kicking off the song.

FROM WNXP

Nashville’s music discovery station turns five this year!

We’re reflecting on our favorite music and memories since the start of WNXP and we want to know yours, too. What are your top albums since 2020? Concerts? The best song that mentions Nashville? What about a favorite artist you discovered on WNXP?

Give us your ideas, then tune in to 91.ONE every day next week as we tally up the submissions and reveal the top five in each category!

FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE

ICYMI: There’s one man ensuring rhythm and blues gets some airtime on Lower Broadway, even if it’s a Saturday morning brunch crowd.

Charles “Wigg” Walker got his start singing in church and then spent a lifetime making music. Now in his mid-80s, he’s releasing more original music and playing live every Saturday at Acme Feed & Seed. We hear about his life making R&B in a country music town and stories from his career – like opening for James Brown, living in NYC and performing across Europe.

Listen now, or wherever you get your podcasts. CLICK FOR TICKET GIVEAWAYS

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