Char Daston
Char Daston is a reporter and newscast writer for WPLN.
Char got his start in public radio as an intern at WYSO public radio in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where he answered questions sent in by listeners for a program called WYSO Curious. He went on to work at St. Louis Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago, where he produced the daily talk show Reset and reported for the education desk. His work has also appeared in Curious City, Chicago Magazine and the Chicago Sun-Times. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Char attended college and grad school at the University of Chicago, where he wrote his master’s thesis on the politics of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As a journalist, he is interested in the ways big political decisions and historical events shape our everyday lives. He loves to learn about education, the arts, activism and the ways people help one another. Unable to settle on one creative project, Char enjoys writing poetry, plays and video essays in his spare time. You’ll likely find him rushing to choir rehearsal or seeking out Nashville’s best Thai and Korean food.
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Prisoners in Tennessee will soon be able to receive free books again. Last year, the Tennessee Department of Correction made it impossible for books-to-prisons nonprofits to mail books to prisoners in Tennessee. -
Due to a 2024 policy change by the state, nonprofits that have sent free books to prisoners for over 50 years can’t serve Tennessee anymore. -
Tennessee's State Building Commission helped Tennessee State University avoid bankruptcy last month by redirecting federal grant money from a building project to general operating expenses. Now, in return, the state is asking for budget cuts. -
The private prison company CoreCivic operates four prisons in Tennessee, a service for which the state pays over $200 million a year. But the government can withhold some of that money if CoreCivic violates Tennessee standards for prison operation. -
Tennessee is just a week away from its state and federal primary elections on Aug. 1, with the presidential election following in November. But for some Tennesseans, the question is not who to vote for, but whether they can vote at all.
