Dialogue on WUOT

If you've ever wondered what the "Internet of Things" means, you'll want to listen to this month's Dialogue. We'll discuss connected devices in the home, and zoom out to look at how industrial uses of IOT devices are being integrated into Knoxville's infrastructure to help build the beginnings of a "Smart City."

The technology being put in place promises to help ease traffic woes, make traveling around town safer, and could even help bring autonomous vehicles to local roadways.

Wednesday, April 11 at noon on 91.9FM WUOT.

Coal and Appalachia have long been considered synonymous. But that isn't the reality of the region. The industry has been shrinking for decades, and by 2015 fewer than 32,000 Appalachian residents are employed as coal miners. President Trump ran on a platform that included promises to revive the moribund industry, but economic experts have said that's virtually impossible.

Four years ago, the shooting of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, helped launch a national debate about how law enforcement deals with minority communities. Similar conversations have arisen, over how we talk about and implement racial diversity in workplaces, government, media and daily life.

After Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual assault last October, many women came forward with their own stories about powerful figures and unsavory behavior. Prominent men in television, classical music, politics, and even public radio, saw their careers crumble as allegations poured forth. On this Dialogue, "Conduct and Consequences," a look at the national conversation over sexual misconduct.

Knoxville’s zoning ordinances haven’t been fully reviewed in about 50 years. But in that time the entire country has seen a rise in urbanization, as more people than ever are returning to cities.

In this edition of Dialogue, an in-depth look at Recode, Knoxville’s review of old ordinances, and the effort to bring those codes into the modern age.