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

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Tennessee Republicans propose gerrymandered U.S. House map

Tennessee GOP floats gerrymandered House map

TN Republicans released a proposed new U.S. House map that would give them a 9-0 advantage.

Politics & Policy

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tennessee Republicans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/04/29/blackburn-pitches-9-0-gop-map-for-tennessee-after-supreme-court-decision" data-vars-content-id="a6f6f38b-5a2c-493d-bfdb-81c17549e81e" data-vars-headline="Tennessee Republicans propose gerrymandered U.S. House map" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/04/29/blackburn-pitches-9-0-gop-map-for-tennessee-after-supreme-court-decision" target="_self">Tennessee Republicans</a> released a gerrymandered U.S. House map on Wednesday that would carve up the Black-majority Democratic district in Memphis.Why it matters: The GOP wants to eliminate the state&#x27;s only blue congressional district to secure a 9-0 sweep of all of the state&#x27;s U.S. House seats.

Tennessee lawmakers pass new U.S. House map to give GOP a 9-0 advantage

Tennessee Republicans already had a stranglehold on all districts but one: the Black-majority ninth district representing Memphis.

News

Tennessee joined the partisan redistricting battle that&#x27;s sweeping the nation on Thursday, as Republicans passed a gerrymandered U.S. House map that they hope helps keep their party in control of Congress.Why it matters: From <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Texas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2026/04/27/texas-redistricting-map-ruling-supreme-court" data-vars-content-id="57aa69e8-af30-41d1-bf16-18cac171bc02" data-vars-headline="Tennessee lawmakers pass new U.S. House map to give GOP a 9-0 advantage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-antonio/2026/04/27/texas-redistricting-map-ruling-supreme-court" target="_self">Texas</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="California" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/11/05/california-prop-50-passes-election-results-redistricting" data-vars-content-id="57aa69e8-af30-41d1-bf16-18cac171bc02" data-vars-headline="Tennessee lawmakers pass new U.S. House map to give GOP a 9-0 advantage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2025/11/05/california-prop-50-passes-election-results-redistricting" target="_self">California</a> to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Florida" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/05/07/tampa-bay-new-congressional-districts" data-vars-content-id="57aa69e8-af30-41d1-bf16-18cac171bc02" data-vars-headline="Tennessee lawmakers pass new U.S. House map to give GOP a 9-0 advantage" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2026/05/07/tampa-bay-new-congressional-districts" target="_self">Florida</a>, state legislatures and voters are approving new House maps in advance of the bitterly fought midterm elections.

Two lawsuits challenge Tennessee's new U.S. House map

The lawsuits seek to block Tennessee's new U.S. House map from taking effect.

Two lawsuits challenging Tennessee&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new congressional map" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/05/07/tennessee-lawmakers-pass-new-us-house-map-to-give-gop-a-9-0-advantage" data-vars-content-id="b6ff50ad-8df5-4598-b8a9-cb25066bfc54" data-vars-headline="Two lawsuits challenge Tennessee&#x27;s new U.S. House map" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/05/07/tennessee-lawmakers-pass-new-us-house-map-to-give-gop-a-9-0-advantage" target="_self">new congressional map</a> were filed hours after it was signed into law.Why it matters: The new map, which Republicans created to give themselves a clean sweep of the state&#x27;s nine U.S. House seats, must survive the immediate legal challenges to take effect for the midterm election.

Former Nashville Councilmember Sharon Hurt wins County Clerk race

Sharon Hurt wins the County Clerk race in Nashville's Democratic primary election.

Politics

Sharon Hurt, the former city council member and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mayoral candidate" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/07/25/mayoral-candidate-sharon-hurt-nashville" data-vars-content-id="98c2c0f1-d265-4940-8da1-c3e952211dd3" data-vars-headline="Former Nashville Councilmember Sharon Hurt wins County Clerk race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/07/25/mayoral-candidate-sharon-hurt-nashville" target="_self">mayoral candidate</a>, won a spirited Democratic <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="primary race" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/04/16/may-5-primary-election-candidates" data-vars-content-id="98c2c0f1-d265-4940-8da1-c3e952211dd3" data-vars-headline="Former Nashville Councilmember Sharon Hurt wins County Clerk race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/04/16/may-5-primary-election-candidates" target="_self">primary race</a> for the Davidson County Clerk.<ul><li>Hurt defeated Nashville school board chair Freda Player to win the seat.</li></ul>Why it matters: The Davidson County Clerk Clerk is an unheralded but important position that oversees marriage licenses and vehicle registration. It is one of the government offices that Nashvillians visit most often.

New Nashville documentary profiles struggles of independent music venues

"The Day the Music Stopped" details the challenges facing locally owned, independently operated music venues.

Music

A new documentary chronicling the historic rock club Exit/In <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="struggling to survive" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2021/11/29/music-venues-struggle-to-survive" data-vars-content-id="320f2991-e044-43cf-a106-74bea4ee21a5" data-vars-headline="New Nashville documentary profiles struggles of independent music venues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2021/11/29/music-venues-struggle-to-survive" target="_self">struggling to survive</a> after the pandemic debuts on Friday during the Nashville Film Fest.Why it matters: &quot;<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Day the Music Stopped" data-vars-click-url="https://thedaythemusicstopped.com/" data-vars-content-id="320f2991-e044-43cf-a106-74bea4ee21a5" data-vars-headline="New Nashville documentary profiles struggles of independent music venues" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://thedaythemusicstopped.com/" target="_blank">The Day the Music Stopped</a>&quot; details the challenges facing locally owned, independently operated music venues.

Swan Ball tied up in court

The Swan Ball is in limbo after a bitter battle over its finances wound up in federal court.

The Swan Ball is in limbo after a bitter battle over its finances wound up in federal court.Why it matters: The white-tie gala that benefits Cheekwood Estate and Gardens has been a premier event among Nashville&#x27;s wealthiest residents since 1963.

TPAC announces 2024-25 Broadway calendar

Eight national touring productions are set to bring the razzle-dazzle of New York to Music City.

Things to Do

&quot;Shucked,&quot; &quot;Moulin Rouge!&quot; and &quot;Mamma Mia!&quot; are all heading to Nashville.<ul><li>The Tennessee Performing Arts Center&#x27;s newly announced <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2024-25 Broadway season" data-vars-click-url="https://www.tpac.org/events-tickets/season-tickets/" data-vars-content-id="c8e4190f-5bf5-419d-96ba-a6144a2e36d9" data-vars-headline="TPAC announces 2024-25 Broadway calendar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.tpac.org/events-tickets/season-tickets/" target="_blank">2024-25 Broadway season</a> features eight national touring productions set to bring the razzle-dazzle of New York to Music City.</li></ul>

Interactive map: UFO sightings in Tennessee

Discussion and reports of UFOs have been going more mainstream.

Area 51 isn&#x27;t the only place in the country where people experience close encounters of the odd kind.<ul><li>People in the Nashville metro area have reported 657 UFO sightings since the dawn of the millennium, per National UFO Reporting Center data. That&#x27;s a rate of 32.1 per 100,000 people.</li></ul>

Tennessee Republican blocks attempt to honor Allison Russell

A similar resolution honoring the band Paramore passed.

A Tennessee House Republican leader blocked state <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rep. Justin Jones" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/03/justin-jones-lawsuit-cameron-sexton-free-speech" data-vars-content-id="12047477-e00a-4955-ad48-2baf75fe1ce2" data-vars-headline="Tennessee Republican blocks attempt to honor Allison Russell" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/10/03/justin-jones-lawsuit-cameron-sexton-free-speech" target="_self">Rep. Justin Jones</a>&#x27; resolution honoring <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Allison Russell" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/12/10/power-players-nashville-adrienne-battle-sean-brock" data-vars-content-id="12047477-e00a-4955-ad48-2baf75fe1ce2" data-vars-headline="Tennessee Republican blocks attempt to honor Allison Russell" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/12/10/power-players-nashville-adrienne-battle-sean-brock" target="_self">Allison Russell</a>, a singer-songwriter who won her first Grammy for her performance of the song &quot;Eve Was Black.&quot;<ul><li>Jones&#x27; similar <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="resolution" data-vars-click-url="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HJR0916" data-vars-content-id="12047477-e00a-4955-ad48-2baf75fe1ce2" data-vars-headline="Tennessee Republican blocks attempt to honor Allison Russell" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=HJR0916" target="_blank">resolution</a> honoring the band Paramore for its win in the best rock album category was approved without objection.</li></ul>

Some of Beyoncé's country collaborators have Nashville ties

Business

Beyoncé enlisted some familiar names to craft her new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="exploration of country music" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2024/02/09/country-music-cross-over-beyonce-post-malone-lana-del-rey" data-vars-content-id="804f3e3d-ea77-419f-8b35-5f60af3037dd" data-vars-headline="Some of Beyoncé&#x27;s country collaborators have Nashville ties" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2024/02/09/country-music-cross-over-beyonce-post-malone-lana-del-rey" target="_self">exploration of country music</a>.Zoom in: &quot;Texas Hold &#x27;Em&quot; opens with a charging banjo riff care of the celebrated folk musician Rhiannon Giddens, who has made her mark in Nashville.

After 48 years, Army wife reunited with wedding ring

Volunteers teamed up to find the precious ring.

Culture

Forty-eight years after Nashville resident Skyla Carmona lost her wedding ring in a wooded area outside a small trailer at Fort Devens Army base in Massachusetts, it has been found.Why it matters: The discovery of Skyla&#x27;s wedding ring is an example of the internet doing something good instead of bitterly dividing us.

Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar

A thrift store and cocktail bar just opened its second Nashville location.

Sift through racks of vintage T-shirts with a hard lemonade in hand at Garage Sale Vintage, a new shop and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bar" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/06/02/best-bars-nashville" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/06/02/best-bars-nashville" target="_self">bar</a> in the Highland Yards development in East Nashville.The big picture: The trendy new shopping center continues to add <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="restaurants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/food-and-drink" target="_self">restaurants</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="retailers" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/business" data-vars-content-id="9ed78a3e-f6ce-41b8-a3f9-b6db9a8b983c" data-vars-headline="Garage Sale Vintage now open in Highland Yards with cocktail bar" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/business" target="_self">retailers</a> like Garage Sale, which celebrated its grand opening Aug. 11.

Mysterious "Oprah" graffiti appears in East Nashville

Oprah Winfrey attended nearby East High School.

I was on an assignment last week in East Nashville, where I found the name &quot;Oprah&quot; was mysteriously spray-painted on several walls.What happened next: During my drive home, I was surprised to see more Oprah graffiti.

Dolly Parton's Christmas special gets an Emmy nomination

Her NBC Christmas special is one of five up for the outstanding TV movie award.

Here she comes again. Dolly Parton can&#x27;t stay out of the headlines, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="or Axios Nashville" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/19/dolly-parton-77-birthday-rock-album-duncan-hines" data-vars-content-id="55fdfed6-5b37-4c33-af58-d2d509f8624c" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton&#x27;s Christmas special gets an Emmy nomination" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/19/dolly-parton-77-birthday-rock-album-duncan-hines" target="_self">or Axios Nashville</a>, for long.Driving the news: On Wednesday, Parton notched an Emmy nomination for her NBC special &quot;Dolly Parton&#x27;s Mountain Magic Christmas.&quot; The project is one of five up for outstanding TV movie.

Culture

Nicole Kidman stays in Nashville after divorce

The Michelin Guide arrives in the American South

Our bureau chief says goodbye

New Nashville documentary profiles struggles of independent music venues

Swan Ball tied up in court