Inside Politics - NewsChannel 5 Plus Nashville

NewsChannel 5+ Nashville
  • 5.0 (4)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Inside Politics is a weekly, half-hour show televised by NewsChannel 5+ in Nashville, Tennessee. It premieres on Fridays at 7PM Central Time (Comcast Channel 250, Charter 182). This audio-only format of the show is identical to what is televised and is available anywhere you get your podcasts so you can listen outside of the viewing area or available for download in case you miss the televised broadcast.  The show features numerous high-profile guests as well as historical and political subject matter experts including professors from Vanderbilt University, reporters from other Nashville news outlets, and household name politicians like Representative Jim Cooper, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Congressman John Rose, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and more.  Pat Nolan serves as the show's host. Pat has worked as a political analyst and reporter in and around Nashville for almost fifty years. He has worked in television, radio, and for the Office of the Mayor in Nashville. He has covered breaking news stories, live election updates, and for many years served as announcer for Nashville Metro Council meetings. 

  1. 1D AGO

    Iran Conflict, Politics and Economy

    Close friends of Middle Tennessee State University Professor of Middle East and Islamic History Sean Foley, including those who are analysts use the word "Nightmare" when asked about how the War in Iran is evolving. Foley says "First, this is a region that exports much of its energy through the Strait of Hormuz and that strait is effectively closed. And second, these are states that are being bombed. This includes Lebanon, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, whose biggest city is Dubai. This is something that they have never encountered. This is a real war." Foley predicts Iran will not fold easily, "Every time we make a threat and suggest they've been degraded, they've been able to hit targets. Part of the reason is the technology they have been using. Like the Ukrainians and the Russians, they've been able to use drones in ways that have not been used before and ballistic missiles. And both have had enormous consequences." Foley also explains how prices for goods and raw materials we import from the Middle East will increase, which will be passed onto retail prices for not only American consumers but those in all other countries. NewsChannel 5+ can be seen on Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  2. MAR 28

    Rutherford County Library Fight- Is This a Book Ban?

    132 books chosen by the Rutherford County Library Board are slated to be removed from the Children section of libraries. Library Director Luanne James refused to comply protecting public access. Rutherford County Library Board Chair Cody York targeted books related to gender identity, LGBTQIA+ representation, characters of color, depictions of violence, social change, and even book banning itself. The board voted to relocate those books to the adult section and to strip the library’s policies linked to the American Library Association. Luanne James faces disciplinary action March 30th for insubordination. Vice President of the Rutherford County Library Alliance believes James was defending both the First Amendment and community values, stating: "Do you want your kid walking through the adult section with children books that are right next to adult books like '50 Shades of Grey'? Or some other materials we really don't want our kids looking at? She (James) is protecting everyone in our community and argue she is protecting everyone across this country by standing up and saying No, I will not violate my own personal morals and I will not violate the Constitution of the United States." Lambert also asserted that moving children books to the adult section constitutes a book ban under its legal definition — by denying children the chance to browse. "Children books written specifically for children, needs to be in the Children Section. "NewsChannel 5+ can be seen on Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2. Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3 as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc. You can see the show in its entirety at https://www.newschannel5.com/plusJust click on the Inside Politics icon to view recent shows. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  3. MAR 14

    A Lifetime in the Legislature- Lt. Gov. Randy McNally

    Randy McNally, 82 Year old and Lieutenant Governor will not seek re-election to his Senate seat. McNally compares today's political divide as Democrat vs. Republican while early 80's were mostly rural vs. urban. He believes bridging the gap requires reaching across the aisle. "One of the most important things I learned early in my political career was when I was in the house and running... I went door to door and found people were more interested in what they had to say to me than what I had to say to them...so to be able to listen to different people and a lot of times you found common ground in doing that. Also treat people with respect and when you can, help them. Just because they have a "D" or an "R" after their name or urban or rural or whatever, it doesn't matter, if you can help them with an issue, try to help them. " McNally also recounted his role in "Operation Rocky Top" an FBI covert corruption and bribery investigation involving lobbyists and elected officials. NewsChannel 5+ can be seen on Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  4. MAR 7

    DCS Investigation? What's Next for Aftyn Behn?

    Tennessee State Representative Aftyn Behn has gathered interviews and signatures from 400 families who allege that the Tennessee Department of Child Services (DCS) is systematically negligent and failures of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when caring for children in state custody. She has now filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Behn argues that DCS needs a complete overhaul. "I want to give a lot of credit to the legislators who have perennially filed legislation to hold them accountable for their negligence. But we are at a tipping point. Because I ran for Congress, I became a person that a lot of Tennesseans decided to reach out to because perhaps they looked at me as a fighter. Throughout the past few months, we collected dozens of testimonials from families alleging systematic negligence, and structural displacement of kids with disabilities, which we know is a federal issue. And these families felt like they have not been heard — not been heard by their state legislators or by their local leaders, so I decided as an organizer to move forward with the process of filing this complaint with the Department of Justice." Behn is also looking ahead politically — she plans to run again for State Representative in District 51. During this legislative session, she continues to champion her “Pot for Potholes” proposal and promote “Homes Not Hedge Funds,” following recent policy shifts: President Trump signed executive orders downgrading marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III and imposing stricter limits on private equity firms, barring them from owning more than 100 single-family homes. NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted.  See the video on our website at: https://www.newschannel5.com/plus/inside-politics This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  5. FEB 28

    IP ICE Facility Concerns Hutto

    US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not move forward with a detention center in Lebanon, Wilson County. Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto lays out the timeline, beginning with a call from a reporter."Maybe this is a thing that we can try to figure out more about," he said. Hutto, along with other county officials and concerned citizens, began their search for answers. Hutto and Lebanon Mayor Rick Bell met with the senior counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. DHS confirmed they were looking at a facility in Wilson County, primarily in Lebanon. Hutto was concerned about the footprint of the facility so close to schools, churches and daycares."The safety factor was very much a problem. Then the workforce, the 16,000 people that would be detained there. They would need 4,000+ employees to be able to manage it. I'm the second lowest unemployment county in the state of Tennessee so I don't have the workforce," he said. Hutto said he was satisfied with the result."We saw no advantage to have this in the city. State, local and federal leaders listened. Even the people at DHS. They listened to what we said our community wanted."   NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  6. FEB 21

    Guilty Until Proven Innocent

    During a spring rainstorm in May of 2025, The Tennessee Highway Patrol teamed up with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to what was supposed to be a targeted effort to capture the worst of the worst illegal immigrant criminals. But what NewsChannel 5 Investigates reporter Levi Ismail found from going through 50 hours of law enforcement video may surprise you. "People were driving 18 miles, 20 miles over the speed limit (on city streets) were given warnings, to just move on with their day. Meanwhile someone who got pulled over for having their high beams on was taken away in handcuffs even though they presented documentation for their asylum documents. There was definitely a discrepancy there and the only difference we could make out was the fact that there was a racial component there." Ismail showed several instances of THP officers grilling minority drivers and passengers about where they were born, their social security number, and asking if they were in this country legally? ICE agents would step in if the driver or passengers were a minority or spoke Broken English. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  7. FEB 14

    Metro Council Members Demand NES Justify Actions

    After snow and ice melted and power was restored to most of Nashville-Davidson County, Metro Council Members Emily Benedict (D–District 7) and Courtney Johnston (R–District 26) filed a resolution calling for the Electric Power Board of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to terminate Nashville Electric Service (NES) CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin. Both council members represent districts that endured multiple days without power. They say the city’s preparation for the winter storm, as well as the handling of restoration efforts, was poorly managed — and that NES leadership must be held accountable. Benedict pointed to reduced tree trimming earlier this year as one of several contributing factors. "It's a complete failure of leadership for some time from vegetation management. There's a lot of things in the resolution that speak to the problems that led to the problem that we have." Johnston echoed the call for change. "People were affected in a very serious way and people want to see that we are listening to them and they want action taken now. The trust in the person leading this organization that is supposed to be providing reliable power to them has eroded." NewsChannel 5+ can be seen of Comcast/Xfinity Ch. 250, Spectrum/Charter Ch. 182 and over the air on Ch. 5.2.  Inside Politics also streams live Fridays at 7pm and Saturdays at 3pm on our website: https://www.newschannel5.com/live3   as well as the NewsChannel 5 Now app on Connected TVs through Roku, AppleTV, AndroidTV, etc.  The episode will air throughout the weekend on NewsChannel 5+  Sat. at 5:30am, 3pm, Sun. at 1am, 9am, 7pm, Mon. at 2:30pm and Tues., 3pm unless pre-empted. This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min

  8. FEB 7

    Democratic Response to the State of the State Address

    Tennessee State Senate Democratic Leader Raumesh Akbari gives her response to the State of the State address on February 2nd.  Governor Lee says our economy is thriving, but Akbari says the cost of electricity, housing and groceries are higher than it's ever been. "About 50% of those who live in the state are really struggling to even pay their regular bills." She hopes that our state can keep up with our 8 surrounding states when it comes to legislation that helps the average Tennessean. Topics discussed: to greatly reduced or eliminate the grocery tax to offset higher prices of food, additional funding for our public schools, helping our farmers after devastating tariffs halted or slowed selling their crops abroad, immigration laws, and waiting for data on public vs. private school metrics before doubling the Education Freedom Scholarships to 40,000 instead of 20,000 at $7295 per student going directly to private schools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    22 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Inside Politics is a weekly, half-hour show televised by NewsChannel 5+ in Nashville, Tennessee. It premieres on Fridays at 7PM Central Time (Comcast Channel 250, Charter 182). This audio-only format of the show is identical to what is televised and is available anywhere you get your podcasts so you can listen outside of the viewing area or available for download in case you miss the televised broadcast.  The show features numerous high-profile guests as well as historical and political subject matter experts including professors from Vanderbilt University, reporters from other Nashville news outlets, and household name politicians like Representative Jim Cooper, former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, Congressman John Rose, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, and more.  Pat Nolan serves as the show's host. Pat has worked as a political analyst and reporter in and around Nashville for almost fifty years. He has worked in television, radio, and for the Office of the Mayor in Nashville. He has covered breaking news stories, live election updates, and for many years served as announcer for Nashville Metro Council meetings. 

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