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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 has the worst quality of life in the U.S., per CNBC ranking

CNBC's rankings highlight some reasons businesses might stay away.

Business

Tennessee has the worst quality of life in the country, according to CNBC, which gave the Volunteer State an F for quality of life in its annual ranking of the best states for businesses.Why it matters: State leaders often pride themselves on making Tennessee <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="as business-friendly as possible" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/10/in-n-out-burger-expanding-corporate-office-restaurant-nashville-tennessee" data-vars-content-id="8a1428ed-7a85-4c6d-9944-7f70a0eb5124" data-vars-headline="Tennessee has the worst quality of life in the U.S., per CNBC ranking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2023/01/10/in-n-out-burger-expanding-corporate-office-restaurant-nashville-tennessee" target="_self">as business-friendly as possible</a>, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CNBC&#x27;s closely watched rankings" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html" data-vars-content-id="8a1428ed-7a85-4c6d-9944-7f70a0eb5124" data-vars-headline="Tennessee has the worst quality of life in the U.S., per CNBC ranking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/americas-top-states-for-business-full-rankings.html" target="_blank">CNBC&#x27;s closely watched rankings</a> highlight some reasons businesses might stay away.

Gut-wrecking stomach illness cyclosporiasis hits Tennessee

Tennessee has seen as many as 30 reported cases as of last week.

News

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gut-wrecking parasite" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/46522957.6255/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjYvMDcvMDcvY3ljbG9zcG9yaWFzaXMtc3RvbWFjaC1idWctY2FzZXMtc3ltcHRvbXMtb3V0YnJlYWs_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9waGlsYWRlbHBoaWEmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/610c4e3224241d4f337f4dd3Bf2d3f76a" data-vars-content-id="1e077917-b136-449b-9748-a3868e0a2436" data-vars-headline="Gut-wrecking stomach illness cyclosporiasis hits Tennessee" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/46522957.6255/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tLzIwMjYvMDcvMDcvY3ljbG9zcG9yaWFzaXMtc3RvbWFjaC1idWctY2FzZXMtc3ltcHRvbXMtb3V0YnJlYWs_dXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9waGlsYWRlbHBoaWEmc3RyZWFtPXRvcA/610c4e3224241d4f337f4dd3Bf2d3f76a" target="_self">gut-wrecking parasite</a> surging in the U.S. is also spreading in Tennessee.

O'Connell, Blackburn spar with fortune cookies on social media

Mayor O'Connell and Sen. Blackburn spar via fortune cookies on social media.

Politics

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nashville Mayor Freddie O&#x27;Connell" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/05/04/nashville-mayor-freddie-oconnell-reelection" data-vars-content-id="5077b1ea-fc46-4d6d-a40b-f6824cb49532" data-vars-headline="O&#x27;Connell, Blackburn spar with fortune cookies on social media" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/05/04/nashville-mayor-freddie-oconnell-reelection" target="_self">Nashville Mayor Freddie O&#x27;Connell</a> and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2025/08/07/blackburn-reshapes-2026-race-for-tennessee-governor" data-vars-content-id="5077b1ea-fc46-4d6d-a40b-f6824cb49532" data-vars-headline="O&#x27;Connell, Blackburn spar with fortune cookies on social media" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2025/08/07/blackburn-reshapes-2026-race-for-tennessee-governor" target="_self">U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn</a> engaged in a war of fortune cookies on social media over the weekend.Why it matters: The spat could blow over as typical partisan gamesmanship, or it could foreshadow a dysfunctional relationship ahead.

Tick bites are increasing in Middle Tennessee, doctors say

Doctors are urging residents to take precautions to avoid dangerous illnesses.

Ticks are sending <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="more people to emergency rooms" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/tick-bite-rate-lyme-disease-what-to-do" data-vars-content-id="30baa1ff-17a2-423d-861b-a016242388a6" data-vars-headline="Tick bites are increasing in Middle Tennessee, doctors say" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/12/tick-bite-rate-lyme-disease-what-to-do" target="_self">more people to emergency rooms</a> this year, and Middle Tennessee doctors are urging residents to take precautions.Why it matters: Tick bites can transmit illnesses like Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. They can also trigger alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat and other mammal-derived products.

Nashville's 4th of July special was a massive ratings win for ABC

Nashville is gaining clout as a TV ratings draw.

Nashville&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="explosive fireworks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/nashville-july-4-celebration-growth" data-vars-content-id="5bf3cabd-9b1d-4f1d-a6d6-1a11a0ebf927" data-vars-headline="Nashville&#x27;s 4th of July special was a massive ratings win for ABC" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/nashville-july-4-celebration-growth" target="_self">explosive fireworks</a> helped ABC notch a surprise ratings win on July 4, when the primetime TV special broadcast live from Music City beat a longtime favorite on another network.Why it matters: Nashville is gaining more clout as a TV ratings draw.

Nashville's video game music boom continues with EA Sports College Football 27

Nashville has quietly become a hub for video game soundtracks.

Video game lovers across the nation will get a taste of Music City on Thursday when the latest edition of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="EA Sports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/ea-games-release-saudi-arabia-stock-buyout" data-vars-content-id="5b57ad77-5102-47ed-96a5-fad048bd1a33" data-vars-headline="Nashville&#x27;s video game music boom continues with EA Sports College Football 27" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/ea-games-release-saudi-arabia-stock-buyout" target="_self">EA Sports</a> College Football drops.Why it matters: More than 100 Nashville musicians came together to create the soundtrack for EA Sports College Football 27, which includes college fight songs and marching band-style arrangements of pop hits.<ul><li>The project is one of several <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="video game projects" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/07/21/vanderbilt-composing-music-video-games" data-vars-content-id="5b57ad77-5102-47ed-96a5-fad048bd1a33" data-vars-headline="Nashville&#x27;s video game music boom continues with EA Sports College Football 27" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/07/21/vanderbilt-composing-music-video-games" target="_self">video game projects</a> expanding the definition of Music City.</li></ul>

Data center electricity use has skyrocketed in Tennessee and beyond

Policymakers are scrambling to set rules around how data centers can operate in Tennessee.

Data centers are already reshaping the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="power grid" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/02/09/tva-pledges-to-tackle-electric-rate-fairness-as-data-center-demand-surges" data-vars-content-id="328487cf-0524-4c82-913e-e39d1c659930" data-vars-headline="Data center electricity use has skyrocketed in Tennessee and beyond" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/02/09/tva-pledges-to-tackle-electric-rate-fairness-as-data-center-demand-surges" target="_self">power grid</a>, a new report finds, with the demand for those facilities in the Tennessee Valley region pulling enough electricity to power more than 661,000 homes.Why it matters: Policymakers at every level are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="scrambling to set rules" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/what-to-know-about-nashvilles-data-center-debate" data-vars-content-id="328487cf-0524-4c82-913e-e39d1c659930" data-vars-headline="Data center electricity use has skyrocketed in Tennessee and beyond" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/what-to-know-about-nashvilles-data-center-debate" target="_self">scrambling to set rules</a> around how data centers can operate in Tennessee, and the new report, from nonprofit ThinkTennessee, shows the stakes. <ul><li>If growth isn&#x27;t managed properly, the report warns, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="data center boom" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/15/axios-live-data-center-boom-forces-us-policymakers-to-rethink-power-costs" data-vars-content-id="328487cf-0524-4c82-913e-e39d1c659930" data-vars-headline="Data center electricity use has skyrocketed in Tennessee and beyond" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/04/15/axios-live-data-center-boom-forces-us-policymakers-to-rethink-power-costs" target="_self">data center boom</a> may strain grid reliability and push more costs onto residential households.</li></ul>

Chris Johnson brings back the ALS ice bucket challenge

Johnson announced his ALS diagnosis in an interview last month.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Former Titans star Chris Johnson" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/06/29/former-titans-star-chris-johnson-reveals-als-diagnosis" data-vars-content-id="dac6b824-0ccc-49a0-b00c-796fa7b424b3" data-vars-headline="Chris Johnson brings back the ALS ice bucket challenge" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/06/29/former-titans-star-chris-johnson-reveals-als-diagnosis" target="_self">Former Titans star Chris Johnson</a> wants to use the revelation of being diagnosed with ALS to revive the ice bucket challenge.Why it matters: The ice bucket challenge was a viral fundraising drive a decade ago that raised an estimated $135 million for ALS research.

Large crowd expected to speak out on Nashville data centers

Anyone who wants to speak will need to get a ticket first.

Large crowds are expected at City Hall on Tuesday when the Metro Council takes up a series of high-profile measures <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="seeking to rein in data centers in Nashville" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/what-to-know-about-nashvilles-data-center-debate" data-vars-content-id="57f6c6b9-33b3-4fe6-862e-933635acf332" data-vars-headline="Large crowd expected to speak out on Nashville data centers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/what-to-know-about-nashvilles-data-center-debate" target="_self">seeking to rein in data centers in Nashville</a>.Why it matters: The main event at Tuesday&#x27;s meeting will be the public hearing period, when residents will get a chance to come up to the microphone and give their opinions on data center policies.<ul><li>It is likely to be a lengthy and emotionally charged process.</li></ul>

Nashville labor leader Vonda McDaniel dies at 60

The labor organizer and political leader's influence touched virtually every major civic issue in Nashville.

Vonda McDaniel, the labor organizer and political leader whose influence touched virtually every major civic issue in Nashville for a generation, died unexpectedly on Tuesday. She was 60.

New lawsuit filed against Nashville targets Cheekwood construction

Neighbors sued the city to stop construction at Cheekwood.

Cheekwood Estate &amp; Gardens is once again at the center of legal drama, with a group of neighbors suing the city this week to stop construction of a new parking structure.Why it matters: The lawsuit is an escalation in the yearslong fight over traffic around the historic botanical garden, which has become one of Nashville&#x27;s most popular attractions.<ul><li>Cheekwood officials have framed the fight in existential terms, saying efforts to stop the new parking structure could ultimately force Cheekwood to close.</li><li>The neighborhood group, on the other hand, wants Metro to rein in Cheekwood&#x27;s activity, claiming the attraction&#x27;s growth has been unchecked and at the neighborhood&#x27;s expense.</li></ul>

University of Tennessee launches new degree in civic and constitutional thought

Program will pursue "comprehensive study of the American constitutional political tradition."

Days before the country <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="celebrates its 250th birthday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/nashville-july-4-celebration-growth" data-vars-content-id="a02fe0c3-a65f-48a0-99e1-d8db18974d7c" data-vars-headline="University of Tennessee launches new degree in civic and constitutional thought" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2026/07/01/nashville-july-4-celebration-growth" target="_self">celebrates its 250th birthday</a>, the University of Tennessee is moving forward with a new undergraduate degree in civic and constitutional thought.Why it matters: Leaders say students pursuing the degree will get a &quot;comprehensive study of the American constitutional political tradition.&quot;

A line chart that shows Southeast emergency room visits for tick bites per 100,000 ER visits from January to June 2026. The rate was 6 in January and February, rose to 26 in March and 50 in April, then reached 64 in May and a high of 70 in June.

ER visits for tick bites in the Southeast

Data: CDC; Note: Data for June is preliminary. Chart: Adam Tamburin/Axios

A bar chart that shows Tennessee Valley data center electricity use in megawatt-hours from 2020 to 2025. Consumption rose each year, from 1.269 million MWh in 2020 to 9.156 million in 2025.

News 🗞

Gut-wrecking stomach illness cyclosporiasis hits Tennessee

Nashville's 4th of July special was a massive ratings win for ABC

Tick bites are increasing in Middle Tennessee, doctors say

Nashville's video game music boom continues with EA Sports College Football 27

Data center electricity use has skyrocketed in Tennessee and beyond