Thursday, April 30, 2026Good morning! 
Yo! A generation can be defined by its music. So, one song by legendary female hip hop group Salt-N-Pepa (Push It and Shoop) says a lot about those of us who came of age in the late 80s and 90s:
Let’s talk about sex, baby
Let’s talk about you and me
Let’s talk about all the good things
And the bad things that may be
That music was meant to save lives from AIDS. Before PrEP and other HIV treatments, sex could be deadly. And “just say no” seemed a bit glib on the heels of the “free love” Counterculture movement in the 1960s.
Now, both Gen Xers (including Salt-N-Pepa) and Baby Boomers are in their 50s to 80s, and age does not mean asexuality for them.
It’s one of many ways people are re-framing aging. Last year, we started the series NextAge to explore growing older in the modern era; how longevity (and better health) is changing attitudes, systems and policies that affect older adults.
One take away that we didn’t get to last year is the need for love and belonging as we age. So, we’re back with another round of NextAge. Ironically, Salt-N-Pepa are also back, touring the country. (They perform in Tennessee next week.) So, here’s another line from their song:
I don’t think they’re gonna
And why not? Everybody has sex!
WHAT TO KNOW
Salt-N- Pepa. Credit: Source: Instagram/saltnpepaofficial
Last year, a 69-year-old woman told me “I don’t want age to have me; I want to have age. I’m going to say how I age.”
We heard from a lot of people with that fearless view of aging. For many older adults, that includes finding and maintaining relationships — with friends, family and romantic partners.
The same woman said “We probably don’t like to discuss it — and our children don’t — but we’re not too old to have sex!”
They might not talk about it, but they sure are doing it.
An AARP national survey found that 58% of people 50-plus believe sexual activity is important to a good relationship. One in 6 adults over 70 report having sex weekly, although what counts as sex varies widely.
And they might be healthier for it. Sex in older adults helps boost heart health, increases mobility and lowers blood pressure, according to studies published by the National Library of Medicine.
Seems like something to talk about if you’re reframing aging, right?
So, NextAge Season 2 is an 8-part series beginning May 11th that includes personal stories and expert insight about topics from matchmaking to menopause to medical myths.
We kick off with a special preview this week that you can hear.Listen to NextAge preview
The NashVillager is supported by
and Nashville Public Radio members
On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast
with host Nina Cardona 🎙️
From Diane Nash Plaza and Ronald Reagan Way, to the fight over MTSU’s Forrest Hall, there’s a lot riding on the names we give streets and buildings. Plus, the local news for April 30, 2026, and musician Caspar Sage.
Listen and subscribe on your favorite podcasting app
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Pocket Casts | Web
MORE TO KNOW
- TN Court of Appeals says National Guard can remain deployed in Memphis. Government officials in Memphis want a court to order the National Guard out of the city. It looks like that’s not going to happen. That lawsuit has been underway for months, and a lower court seemed to side with Memphis. But THIS WEEK, an appeals court said no… those local officials didn’t have standing… so that the lawsuit should never have gotten that far. [Tennessee Lookout]
- “The world is hard, right now.”That was a throughline of Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s annual State of Metro address, acknowledging the challenges Nashvillians have faced over the last year and proposing a handful of changes to address them. The address offers an opportunity for Metro’s top elected leader to outline his budget priorities for the upcoming fiscal year. These include: a proposed half-cent reduction to the local grocery tax; a grant program for local business owners, and a new affordable housing finance program. The budget, which O’Connell told reporters will be aligned with the reality that “revenue in Nashville didn’t grow this year,” will be filed by Metro’s May 1 deadline.
- A U.S. Supreme Court ruling has cleared the path for Tennessee Republicans to redistrict more seats in their favor ahead of the November mid-terms. U.S. Senator and gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn has called for lawmakers to draw new maps to eliminate the state’s remaining Democratic seat in Congress. Tennessee Republicans got rid of Nashville’s Democratic seat during redistricting in 2022, but left Memphis alone. The predominantly Black and Democratic city had been protected by federal law that prohibited racial gerrymandering. Now, Blackburn is proposing new maps that would lump Memphis in with rural areas in the middle of the state.
- Tennessee spends less per student on its public schools than any state in the nation. That’s according to a new report from the National Education Association, the country’s biggest teachers’ union. The state spends less than $12,000 a year per kid. National average is 18,000. Tennessee ranks 40th for overall teacher pay… but that’s not adjusted for the cost of living. [Nashville Banner]
FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE
As usual, it all starts with a question to Curious Nashville: “I live in East Nashville, on Sharpe Avenue. We adopted a hound mix and she digs up bizarre trash. Did people bury their trash? Was there no trash pick up? Auto parts, beer bottles, air gun cartridges, porn videos. Others in East have described similar experiences.”We’ve learned this is not an isolated experience. You folks are obsessed with what you find in the dirt. So, why do we dig what we dig? We’re unearthing some answers.
Stream This is Nashville with host Blake Farmer on YouTube, or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube
THE LATEST FROM NPR
- To catch colorectal cancer early, advocates push to make ‘poop talk’ OK
- The Iraq vet redefining mindfulness, one bourbon at a time
- These fans are boycotting the World Cup. Will they make it a bust?
- Mirroring Gaza, Israel is destroying towns and villages in southern Lebanon
- After lackluster tour turnout, Turning Point wraps things up with excited crowd in Idaho
- Supreme Court paves the way for largest-ever drop in Black representation in Congress
- Activists say Israel has intercepted their Gaza aid flotilla near Crete
- How rising jet fuel prices are driving up the cost of fighting wildfires
- How a father and daughter duped NYC’s art world with fake Warhols and Banksys
- Trump says he is weighing reducing American troop presence in Germany after Iran feud
