TheVoiceOfJoyce The NashVillager covers issues that concern all of us. They’ve got a poll showing 6000 lost jobs this year and it’s increasingly difficult to purchase gas and food. No one has buying power and folks are stressed. They’re not voting for Trump, if they’re independent. Tennessee is considering not participating to paid athletics, especially if you’re black. Considering Black citizens are being denied representation and some are being harassed and have to fight for re- registration? There’s more, are Tennessee’s concerns yours ? If not, write TheVoiceOfJoyce@Earthlink.net and share your concerns. Thank you.

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Keep us strong. You power public media.Donate todayThursday, May 21, 2026Good morning! Catherine SweeneyI’ve always found local economics reports annoying.

Local and national reports were especially annoying as the world opened back up after COVID protocols. They all said employment was great, the GDP per capita was high, the stock market was doing well.

Even more recently, we were seeing things like: Inflation is slowing, employment rates are pretty good, so why is everyone still upset?

It’s confusing to see that kind of writing day in and day out, when everyone I know is stressed heading into the gas station and grocery store.

A story by WPLN’s power and equity reporter, Marianna Bacallao, got something right that a lot of people seem to miss. The story has a great quote from the Vanderbilt Poll co-director, John Geer.

WHAT TO KNOW

President Donald Trump’s Tennessee approval is slipping amid high grocery prices. Here, he holds a bag of pretzels as he talks with small business owners in the Cross Hall of the White House, Monday, May 4, 2026 (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)“Unemployment and inflation rates might look good on paper, but voters are reeling from sticker shock at the grocery store and bracing for what’s next in uncertain international and domestic times.”

The numbers look good, but people feel bad.

That was the takeaway in the most recent Vanderbilt Poll, which found that President Donald Trump’s approval is slipping in Tennessee.

Not among his supporters, of course. He’s still at 94% approval with MAGA-identified Republicans. But with independent voters, his approval has dropped by about 10 percentage points over the past year — down to 36%. With all Tennessee voters, its down to 49% — a 7% point drop from the year before.

Generally, people are attributing that ground loss to economic anxieties.

But poll found that regardless of their position on the president, many Tennesseans are feeling down about the future.

“Even some voters who approve of Trump believe the United States is on the wrong track,” said Josh Clinton, a co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll. “Economic stress is hitting home for Tennesseans, and that strain is evident in the growing bipartisan despondency reflected in the poll numbers.” 
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Correction note: In all the excitement about this week’s Super Bowl announcement, we incorrectly suggested in yesterday’s Nashvillager newsletter that the new Nissan Stadium will have a retractable roof. You should see lots of daylight from inside, but the roof is merely translucent. Thanks to writer Chris Chamberlain for catching our mistake.

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and Nashville Public Radio members

On today’s episode of the NashVillagerpodcast 
with host Nina Cardona 🎙️ 

How did Tennessee women help secure the right to vote? Even before the “perfect 36” vote in Tennessee’s statehouse clinched ratification of the 19th amendment for the nation’s women, Tennesseans were among the advocates that pushed the cause of women’s suffrage to the forefront. Plus the local news for May 21, 2026, and a late-in-life transition. 

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MORE TO KNOW

  •   The Tennessee chapter of the NAACP has been fighting the state’s new Congressional maps in court, and now it’s turning to another opposition tactic: boycotting. The Black rights organization and the Congressional Black Caucus are homing in on collegiate sports. The campaign targets eight states — including Tennessee — that sprinted to re-draw congressional maps following the Supreme Court decision that gutted protections for majority-Black districts.  Specifically, they’re calling on young Black athletes not to commit to public school teams in those states. Many of the schools are part of the Southeastern Conference, which includes the University of Tennessee. 
     
  •   Tennessee is set to execute a man named Tony Carruthers this morning, using lethal injection. His attorneys issued a statement, raising concerns that the drugs to be used in the execution are expired. The Tennessee Department of Correction has refused to disclose the expiration date on its drugs, and has fought a court order to do so. The lethal injection protocol says the expiration dates have to be checked during periodic inventory checks, but not before the executions. 
     
  •   New data from Tennessee’s Department of Labor show declining employment and wages in the state’s manufacturing sector.Jobs in the industry dipped by 1.7% over the last year. That’s a loss of 6,000 manufacturing jobs across the state. The report also shows that average hourly earnings have declined year-over-year.  
     

FROM WNXP

Friday and Saturday, Jorts Fest takes place at Eastside Bowl. The forth annual event features a blend of touring acts from Leisure Hour, The Latchkey Kids, and Blvck Hippie to Nashville acts The Sewing Club and Hussy Fit. Celia spoke to the organizer Joe Halby prior to last year’s event to talk about how it came together.

FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE

Menopause is having a moment! After generations of misunderstanding, myths and mockery, menopause and perimenopause is starting to get the attention and support it deserves. In this episode of NextAge Season 2, you’ll hear from some of our colleagues here at Nashville Public Radio about their experiences, as well as medical experts who specialize in menopause healthcare.

Catch This is Nashville with host Blake Farmer on YouTube,
or listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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