The public is still divided on data centers, but a new poll out this week found nearly half of U.S. voters support a temporary construction ban.

• The poll was conducted by Milltown Partners, a consulting firm that counsels leading AI labs and tech startups, and shared first with Axios.

Why it matters: The findings highlight how data centers have become a stand-in for broader anger and anxiety toward an AI future many Americans don't want.

Zoom in: The responses also bring context to fierce debates over two planned data centers in Nashville, where city leaders are pushing to temporarily pause new centers.

• There is intense, bipartisan opposition to a data center planned next to the Nashville Zoo — zoo officials said the noise and other disruptions from the center could harm the animals.
• Neighbors and alums are also questioning Fisk University's proposal to build an on-campus data center alongside academic space.

What they're saying: "Data centers are relatively new, and so there's a lot of unknowns about them, and the unknown is scary," Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who opposes the data center next to the zoo and proposed a citywide moratorium, told the New York Times.

• "When you couple that with the proximity to our zoo that everyone loves, that is a perfect storm."

By the numbers: In the national poll, 38% of respondents said they would support a data center being built near their home, while 34% would oppose it.

• Meanwhile, 49% say they support a moratorium on construction of new data centers, while only 16% oppose a moratorium.
• Another 27% neither support nor oppose a moratorium and 8% say they don't know.

Between the lines: The split suggests many voters aren't categorically anti-data center, but they are wary of the pace and terms of the buildout.

• A temporary moratorium could be a way to force companies and policymakers to answer questions about costs, water use and who benefits.

Threat level: Both Steve Bannon on the right and Bernie Sanders on the left have attacked AI as a threat to working people.

• Warnings from tech leaders that AI will bring mass job loss are handing critics more ammunition.

The latest: The Metro Council is pursuing multiple paths to slow or stop data centers.

• Mayor Freddie O'Connell signed an executive order earlier this month directing city departments to study the impact of large data centers and to support council efforts to temporarily pause new centers.

The fine print: Milltown Partners surveyed 6,872 registered voters between May 10-20 recruited from online panels. The margin of error is 3 percentage points.

Read the national story

Metro Councilmember Rollin Horton's plan to ban large-scale data centers in Nashville and impose guardrails on smaller data center projects cleared an important bureaucratic hurdle this week.

• The Planning Department staff proposed some changes to his legislation, but overall offered support for the plan.

Why it matters: Horton and other city leaders are working to impose regulations on data centers as quickly as possible as plans for new projects take shape.

State of play: The Planning Commission will weigh in on the legislation, including the staff's proposed changes, at its meeting tomorrow.

• Horton's legislation would regulate sound, water, power usage and light emitted from data centers. Importantly, it would require new data centers to be located a safe distance from residential areas and other sensitive properties like the Nashville Zoo.
• The planning staff also suggested centers be located at least a half-mile from Choose How You Move transit corridors.

What's next: A town hall meeting about data centers is planned for tonight at 6pm at the South Nashville Action People office located at 1224 Martin Street.

• The Planning Commission takes place tomorrow at 4pm.
• Metro Council will then take up the legislation at its next meeting in July.

Go deeper: Read the planning staff's analysis of Horton's proposal

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🌸 A neighborhood group moved to stop the construction of a new parking structure at Cheekwood Estate & Gardens. The group filed a zoning appeal with the city.

• The botanical garden responded yesterday by launching a "Save Cheekwood" petition and warning that the appeal was an "unprecedented and radical existential threat" that could "shutter Cheekwood as Nashville knows it."
• The neighborhood group then responded to the petition with a statement saying their appeal was not an attack on Cheekwood but rather "an effort to preserve both Cheekwood and the neighborhood that surrounds it." (Nashville Post)

🌿 Some state lawmakers say Tennessee might pursue a pathway to medical marijuana if the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration moves forward with reclassifying the drug. (Tennessean)

📚 New research found that Tennessee has some of the most segregated schools in the nation. (WPLN)

Hattie B's continues its hot chicken domination with today's opening of its newest location in East Nashville.

Why it matters: Hattie B's is a soaring local hospitality success story. The growing chain has spread love of Nashville's most famous dish across the country.

Flashback: The original Hattie B's opened in Midtown in August 2012. Additional locations opened in West Nashville, Melrose, Lower Broadway and inside the airport.

Zoom out: The company has also expanded to Las Vegas, Chicago and Texas.

Driving the news: The new shop is located at 1206 Gallatin Avenue, making it the sixth in Music City.

• The newest Hattie B's boasts a 3,247-square-foot main dining room along with a spacious patio with additional seating.
• The menu features the expected hot chicken, served at varying heat levels, and Hattie B's staple Southern sides.

Dig in: Beyond its business success, Hattie B's earned critical acclaim as well. It was included on the Michelin guide's recommendations in its debut guide to the American South last year.

If you go: The new location opens at 10:45am. The first 100 guests will receive exclusive swag.

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