1 big thing: Iconic quarterbacks could be in play for Titans

Take your career to the next level

Isbell and Shires are Record Store Day ambassadors

2.  Isbell and Shires are Record Store Day ambassadors

3. The Setlist

Illustration of a microphone singing "The Setlist."

A new happy hour option for Cummins Station

4. A new happy hour option

Today's weather: Freezing rain is possible this morning, complicating commutes to work and school. High of 37°.

Situational awareness: Metro public schools will open two hours late because of the weather. Several other local school districts are delayed or closed today.

😀 It's a great day to contribute to our newsroom by becoming a member! 

Today's newsletter is 929 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🌹 Our "Bachelor" update: Nashville natives Christina and Bailey earned roses on last night's episode and advanced to the next round of "The Bachelor."

🎧 Nate's song of the day is "I Think I Might Be Weird" by F---ed Up. 

🔍 Adam is obsessed with "Poker Face," a new murder mystery show starring Natasha Lyonne. It's reminiscent of "Murder, She Wrote," if Jessica Fletcher chain smoked and cursed while determining whodunit.

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley and copy edited by Carlin Becker.

Nashville

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Nashville. Written by Nate Rau and Adam Tamburin.

Axios Nashville

Nashville Mayor John Cooper won't seek re-election

1 big thing: 🚨 Cooper's big announcement

This is an Axios Nashville Thought Bubble — our snap-analysis dispatch to break down events that shape our metro as they happen.

This newsletter is 220 words, a 2-minute read.

Thanks for reading! We'll be back with a regularly-scheduled edition of Axios Nashville tomorrow morning.

Axios Nashville Thought Bubble

Tennessee's infrastructure needs keep growing

1 big thing: Infrastructure needs keep growing

Illustration of Tennessee state surrounded by scaffolding.

Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow finalists for Rock Hall

2. Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow finalists for Rock Hall

Illustration of the windows of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, doubling as a graphic equalizer.

4. Fact-checking the groundhog

A new career is waiting for you

5. 📸 1 photo to go: Memphis mourns

Good morning, woodchuck-chuckers! It's Groundhog Day.

❄️ Today's weather: A wintry mix of snow and rain with a high of 39°.

Situational awareness: Metro Nashville Public Schools are delayed two hours again today.

Today's newsletter is 884 words — a 3-minute read.

🎶 Nate's song of the day is "$20" by boygenius.

Julio Hernandez's big deal

1 big thing: Julio Hernandez's big deal

2. Tamburin's taco take

Illustration of a chicken wearing sunglasses with fire reflected in the lenses. 

4. Stat du jour: January was so uncool 

5. Queen Bey approaches

Today's weather: Only a high of 35° but at least there's no ice storms.

Situational awareness: Gov. Bill Lee selected lawyer Dwight Tarwater to serve on the state’s Supreme Court.

Tarwater previously served as former Gov. Bill Haslam’s chief legal counsel.

Today's newsletter is 920 words — a 3.5-minute read.

👯 Nate and Adam are betting on Beyoncé to win big at the Grammys this weekend.

Adam's keeping his fingers crossed there won't be another upsetting upset.

Inside Nashville mayor's decision not to run

1 big thing: Cooper won't run again

Plan your future

Previewing Nashville's wide-open mayoral race

2. The road ahead

Illustration of Nashville City Hall with lines radiating from it.

Illustration of the "Batman building" in Nashville with a bat-signal, with a note instead of a bat, shining on it.

Tyre Nichols' funeral to take place in Memphis

4. Memphis grieves

Good morning. It's Wednesday. Please let us know if you plan on running for mayor.

Today's weather: After a round of winter weather overnight, the high will be 38°.

Situational awareness: Metro Schools and many other local districts are closed today because of the weather.

Today's newsletter is 968 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Nate's song of the day is "Losing My Edge" by LCD Soundsystem. 

Adam has already been back for his second helping of fries at Cledis. 

Mayor John Cooper announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election and will instead step down at the end of his first term.

"We've gotten more accomplished in the [last] 40 months than any 40 months in Metro history, and we will finish strong," Cooper said during a brief speech announcing his decision.

Cooper said he would prioritize investing in public safety and education, addressing homelessness and working on the revitalization of the East Bank for the remainder of his term.

Why it matters: Cooper's departure makes for a wide-open race for the mayoral election on Aug. 3. Three credible candidates have already launched campaigns with many more likely to enter the fray.

The deadline to qualify for the ballot is May 18.

What he's saying: "I have no doubt there are and will be many exceptional people applying for the job," Cooper said. "They should. We need them to."

"I hope Nashville's next mayor will use the platform we have created and build on it."

💭 Nate's thought bubble: It's been a tumultuous era of Nashville politics.

Dating back to Mayor Megan Barry's shocking resignation in 2018, the city is on the brink of having its fourth mayor in just over five years.

The upcoming mayor's race figures to be a political bloodbath with the range of a dozen viable candidates entering the fray.

Mayor John Cooper announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election and will instead step down at the end of his first term.&quot;We&#x27;ve gotten more accomplished in the [last] 40 months than any 40 months in Metro history, and we will finish strong,&quot; Cooper said during a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="brief speech" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/foxnashville/videos/924753798693609" data-vars-content-id="3297764d-8031-4b29-9ece-d5d9560e2204" data-vars-headline="Nashville Mayor John Cooper won&#x27;t seek re-election" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/foxnashville/videos/924753798693609" target="_blank">brief speech</a> announcing his decision.

News

Politics

With stints at fine dining restaurants in New York and country club kitchens in Nashville, Julio Hernandez was already accomplished in the food world when he brokered the deal in 2020 that ultimately put him in the running for a prestigious James Beard Award.

Details: Hernandez convinced his wife Emma to pool together their pandemic stimulus checks so he could buy 200 pounds of dry corn and a new stone grain mill to make tortillas.

"I told her, 'Instead of purchasing margaritas for pandemic nights and movies at the house, let me take your check,'" Hernandez tells Axios. "She trusted me with it, and there were two stimulus checks that kicked everything off."

What's happening: Hernandez has been on a rocket ship in the culinary world ever since. He was highlighted in the pages of Bon Appetit magazine, named a rising star in the food industry magazine StarChefs and featured in the Nashville episode of the hit Netflix show "Somebody Feed Phil."

Then came the news that Hernandez is a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for emerging chef.

"I had to explain to my mom, the James Beard is like the Oscars but for food."

Flashback: Hernandez moved to Nashville 12 years ago, working in country club kitchens where the first question he was asked was whether he knew how to make casseroles. 

Next came a stint at the beloved Donelson restaurant Nectar Urban Cantina, where Hernandez was when he made that fateful leap.

Hernandez used that first bag of corn and the new mill to make tortillas, which he first sold out of his garage. Then he delivered them around Nashville before building up enough cash to buy his own food truck.

State of play: Hernandez took the truck to farmers markets all over the city and then parked at the newly launched cocktail bar Chopper Tiki on Sundays.

Eventually he realized that the East Nashville bar was the best fit for his authentic cuisine. His truck is a permanent fixture there now. 

"You have a few cocktails, then you have to smash some tacos. It tastes good, and you feel good," he says.

What's next: He broke the family's home oven in the early days, staying up until morning making hundreds of tortillas himself. But now Hernandez, 32, has upgraded his production capacity, thanks to space he found in the Bordeaux area that can crank out 3,000 tortillas per hour.

Next up is a brick and mortar Maiz De La Vida coming later this year in the Gulch area. He's opening the new shop with business partner Andy Mumma, who's behind Barista Parlor coffee shops and Chopper Tiki.

What he's saying: "It's been a perfect rollercoaster, and it's just exploding, but it's not out of hand," Hernandez tells Axios. "We don't have a PR team. Our PR is people taking pictures of their tacos under the purple light at Chopper and posting it to Instagram. We just appreciate the love, man."

Tacos from Maiz De La Vida. Photo: Courtesy of Maiz De La Vida

👋 Adam here. I stopped by Maiz De La Vida this week to see what all the fuss was about.

The intrigue: The first remarkable thing about my visit was how unremarkable it all seemed as I walked up. There wasn't a line around the block like you might expect after James Beard recognition.

Nothing about the no-frills food truck tucked away on Stratton Avenue prepared me for what came next.

What I ate: The friendly cashier helped me navigate the menu. 

I settled on the popular birria beef tacos and an order of the hash brown quesadillas.

A side of the consommé, a rich beef broth, came highly recommended for dipping.

State of play: Rather than taking my tacos to-go, I opted to wait at the gorgeous, neon-soaked Chopper Tiki.

My drink — the "Robo Zombie" — was on fire. (That's not a figure of speech. It was served with flames peeking from the top of the mug.)

I was only a few sips in when my food arrived at the bar in unassuming disposable trays.

The verdict: The sumptuous shredded beef made my eyes water with joy.

It was the kind of meal that's so delicious you start texting your friends about it before you're finished.

I ordered more tacos (and consommé) to-go and dropped them off at my mom's house to spread the love.

The bottom line: Maiz De La Vida is an accessible gem that foodies and normies alike would love.

The low-key food and the high-concept bar are the perfect pairing for a unique date night.

Hernandez is a semifinalist for the best chef in the Southeast award.

Maiz De La Vida food truck. Photo: Courtesy of Maiz De La Vida.

Restaurants

With stints at fine dining restaurants in New York and country club kitchens in Nashville, Julio Hernandez was already accomplished in the food world when he brokered the deal in 2020 that ultimately put him in the running for a prestigious <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="James Beard Award" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/26/nashville-restaurants-get-love-from-james-beard-foundation" data-vars-content-id="59c4ae58-8ae1-4320-af92-01181bf6a82c" data-vars-headline="Julio Hernandez&#x27;s big deal" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/26/nashville-restaurants-get-love-from-james-beard-foundation" target="_self">James Beard Award</a>.Details: Hernandez convinced his wife Emma to pool together their pandemic stimulus checks so he could buy 200 pounds of dry corn and a new stone grain mill to make tortillas.

Things to Do

Business

Three acts with deep Nashville ties are finalists for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Driving the news: Country legend Willie Nelson, pop-rocker Sheryl Crow and Jack White's most popular rock project the White Stripes were among the finalists announced Tuesday.

Between the lines: Nelson, like this year's inductee Dolly Parton, may not be closely associated with rock music, but his influence and longevity make him a good bet to be inducted.

Crow and White relocated to Nashville later in their careers, but have become local standard bearers for the city's music scene.

Flashback: Nelson helped shepherd in country music's Outlaw movement, wrote the iconic Patsy Cline hit "Crazy" and recorded one of the genre's most critically acclaimed albums "Red Headed Stranger."

Nelson, who spent the formative years of his career in Nashville, is one of the most decorated country artists of all time with 11 CMA awards and 12 Grammys, including the lifetime achievement award in 1999. The Texas native was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1993.

Of note: White's time with the White Stripes was winding down when he moved here. The band's bluesy, guitar-driven sound ushered in a new era of rock music in the early 2000s with hits like "Seven Nation Army."

In Nashville, his Third Man Records is a community music hub with a record shop, performance space and independent record label under its umbrella.

Zoom out: Crow's unique brand of music spans rock, country, pop and folk music. 

Her resume would seem to make her a lock to one day be inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame. She's had 19 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, five platinum albums and won nine Grammy awards.

All three acts have deep ties to Nashville.

Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow at the CMA Awards in 2019. Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for the Country Music Association

Music

Three acts with deep Nashville ties are finalists for the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame.Driving the news: Country legend Willie Nelson, pop-rocker Sheryl Crow and Jack White&#x27;s most popular rock project the White Stripes were among the finalists announced Tuesday.

The Nashville political world was abuzz with gossip following Mayor John Cooper's announcement Tuesday that he will not seek re-election.

What's happening: Metro Councilmembers Sharon Hurt and Freddie O'Connell and former city official Matt Wilsthire are already running for mayor.

The intrigue: Perhaps the most notable potential candidate to confirm their possible interest is former Mayor Megan Barry, who tells Axios she's already fielding calls from supporters pushing her to run again.

Barry resigned from office in 2018 following the revelation that she had an affair with the head of her police security detail.

She was replaced by then-Vice Mayor David Briley, who won re-election in 2018 before being thumped by Cooper in the 2019 runoff.

Prior to Barry, the three previous mayors served eight-year terms. The high turnover after her departure has created an air of tumultuousness. 

What we're watching: In addition to Barry, state lawmakers Rep. Bob Freeman, Sen. Heidi Campbell and Sen. Jeff Yarbro are potential challengers.

Metro Councilmember Bob Mendes, who watched Cooper's press conference Tuesday in person, confirmed to Axios he's interested in the job. Davidson County Assessor Vivian Wilhoite announced she's forming an exploratory committee for a possible run, and Juvenile Court Clerk Lonnell Matthews tweeted a cryptic message as well.

Other viable candidates include activist Odessa Kelly, attorney Charles Robert Bone and businessman Jim Gingrich.

In short, this year's mayor's race will be a bloody free-for-all.

The Nashville political world was abuzz with gossip following Mayor John Cooper's announcement.

Photo illustration: Allie Carl/Axios; Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

The Nashville political world was abuzz with gossip following Mayor John Cooper&#x27;s announcement Tuesday that he will <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="not seek re-election" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/31/mayor-john-cooper-nashville-wont-seek-reelection" data-vars-content-id="7c902923-4457-4430-b5b8-0f1893c71f4b" data-vars-headline="Previewing Nashville&#x27;s wide-open mayoral race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/31/mayor-john-cooper-nashville-wont-seek-reelection" target="_self">not seek re-election</a>.What&#x27;s happening: Metro Councilmembers Sharon Hurt and Freddie O&#x27;Connell and former city official Matt Wilsthire are already running for mayor.<ul><li>That&#x27;s just the beginning.</li></ul>

Nashville politics experienced yet another tectonic shift Tuesday as Mayor John Cooper announced he would not seek re-election.

Cooper's replacement will give Nashville its fourth mayor in 5.5 years.

State of play: Cooper has been famously wishy-washy about election decisions, and it became clear in recent weeks he was uncommitted to running again. 

The mayor made his final decision over the weekend in consultation with his wife and alerted his full staff Tuesday morning.

Why it matters: Cooper is the first full-term mayor to not seek re-election since Mayor Bill Boner in 1991. His once-in-a-generation decision jolted the city's power center, as several heavyweights openly considered joining the three existing candidates vying to replace Cooper.

With Nashville's congressional representation newly splintered between Republican districts, the mayor's office has a heightened importance for ambitious Democrats.

What we're watching: The deadline to qualify for the Aug. 3 election is May 18.

Reality check: Cooper was perceived as a reluctant mayor given his indecision before launching a campaign in 2019.

Then-Metro Councilman Cooper announced he would not run for mayor in February, reversed course, and entered the race in April.

The big picture: Since taking office in September 2019, Cooper has faced a financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating tornado and the Christmas Day bombing. He hired a new police chief in 2020. Last year, he began negotiating a deal to build a new stadium for the Titans.

Cooper said he would spend the remainder of his term focused on funding public safety and education, addressing homelessness and revitalizing the East Bank.

"We have accomplished a historic amount, but we’ve got a lot of work still to get done," he said. "Let's all get back to work."

Cooper reiterated his aversion to campaigning at his press conference.

He said his top priorities would be easier to tackle "without a campaign and with my full focus."

"The truth is I never wanted to campaign. I wanted to govern."

Between the lines: Cooper's retirement brings the family's recent political dynasty to a close. His brother, former Rep. Jim Cooper, retired from Congress last year, ending a two-decade run representing Nashville in Washington, D.C. 

Flashback: The mayor spent his time on the Metro Council concentrating on land use, economic development incentives and financial issues. His campaign promised a deeper focus on Nashville's neighborhoods over the downtown tourist district.

Yes, but: Two of his highest profile accomplishments — an economic incentive package for Oracle to bring corporate jobs here and a new stadium deal with the Tennessee Titans — seemed to contradict his campaign messaging.

In his two final years on the council, Cooper voted against raising property taxes. But then during his first year as mayor, he led the passage of the largest property tax increase in Metro government history.

Be smart: While Cooper entered office expecting to correct Nashville's finances, he couldn't have fathomed the crises he would have to navigate.

From the lectern Tuesday, Cooper touted his investments in education, which include the highest teacher pay raise in state history, and public safety. Cooper's decision to promote John Drake to police chief was particularly well received.

Financing a new $2.1 billion Titans stadium has occupied the last year of his tenure. The deal has initial approval from the council, but a final agreement is still pending.

"I think this mayor's legacy will be navigating the county through some really tough situations that were either created by previous leadership or acts of God. Things like the pandemic and the tornado," Metro Councilember Zach Young tells Axios.

"And he's leaving office with Nashville in much better financial standing than when he came into office."

Nashville is getting its fourth mayor in 5.5 years.

Nashville politics experienced yet another tectonic shift Tuesday as Mayor John Cooper announced he would not seek re-election.<ul><li>Cooper&#x27;s replacement will give Nashville its fourth mayor in 5.5 years.</li></ul>

Nate Rau

Stories

Julio Hernandez's big deal

Willie Nelson and Sheryl Crow finalists for Rock Hall

Previewing Nashville's wide-open mayoral race

Inside Nashville mayor's decision not to run

Nashville Mayor John Cooper won't seek re-election

Newsletter editions

😍 A terrific taco truck

🛣️ Billions in road needs

Mayoral free-for-all

❗️ Mayor Cooper won't run

🏈 Gridiron gossip