A coalition of faith leaders, legal experts and exonerated death-row inmates is urging Gov. Bill Lee to stop the execution of Tony Von Carruthers.

• They say untested DNA evidence from the 1994 crime scene could prove Carruthers is innocent.

The latest: Carruthers will be executed Thursday if Lee does not intervene.

Zoom in: Carruthers was convicted and sent to death row on three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Marcellos Anderson; his mother, Delois Anderson; and Frederick Taylor.

• Prosecutors said the victims were buried alive in a Memphis cemetery, but an attorney for Carruthers told the Nashville Banner the assertion "is false."
• The state continues to argue the execution is warranted.

Carruthers' legal team said his conviction was based on faulty circumstantial evidence, including testimony from a paid state informant.

• They point to DNA and fingerprints from the crime scene that do not match Carruthers' but could point toward another suspect.
• In 2011, Carruthers' co-defendant said Carruthers didn't participate in the murders and instead pointed an investigator toward a different man.
• So far, courts have denied requests to test the forensic evidence to determine if a different person committed the crime.

Zoom out: Carruthers' legal team also argues he has mental health problems that should make him ineligible for the death penalty. (The Tennessee Supreme Court issued a ruling this month rejecting that argument.)

• Due to his erratic behavior during his trial, when he repeatedly fired attorneys, the court forced him to represent himself. The federal public defenders say this led to several critical errors during the trial.

State of play: The ACLU and the Tennessee Innocence Project are supporting Carruthers' fight for clemency.

• Legal advocates will join together with faith leaders today for a rally at the Tennessee State Capitol.
• They plan to deliver a petition supporting clemency to Lee's office.

What they're saying: "The state of Tennessee cannot execute a man unless it is absolutely sure that he is guilty of the crime he is accused of," ACLU senior counsel Maria DeLiberato said in a statement.

• "The state holds DNA and fingerprint evidence that could help determine who committed this crime, but instead of testing it, it is prioritizing finality over the truth."

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The stage is set — at least for now — in the races to represent Nashville's three new U.S. House districts.

Why it matters: Following redistricting, many of the city's voters were drawn into new districts. Candidates had days to decide if they wanted to run in the Aug. 6 primary.

Of note: The controversial Rep. Andy Ogles would no longer represent any portion of Davidson County under the new maps.

Driving the news: Although a batch of legal challenges could still throw out the newly approved congressional map, here's where things stand after the qualifying deadline passed last week.

District 4

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, a Republican, has never represented Nashville before. DesJarlais' district covers the southeast corner of the county.

• He is the heavy favorite in the Republican primary.
• Nashville Councilman Mike Cortese was contending in District 5 prior to redistricting, but is now running in District 4.

District 6

Incumbent U.S. Rep. John Rose is not seeking reelection because he's running for governor.

• State Rep. Johnny Garrett and former Congressman Van Hilleary are the top candidates in the Republican primary. The district is considered a likely Republican seat.
• Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry pulled a petition to run last week, but decided against it.
• The Democratic candidates are relative newcomers Lore Bergman, Mike Croley, Christopher Martin Finley, Miriam Leibowitz and Chaney Mosley.

District 7

U.S. Rep. Matt Van Epps won a special election last year to represent the largest section of Nashville, including northern and western parts of town.

• Van Epps is the heavy favorite in the GOP primary.
• The top Democrats seeking to unseat him are state Rep. Vincent Dixie, Darden Copeland and Saletta Holloway.

Share this story ... See the full candidate list

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen dropped his reelection bid after state Republicans gerrymandered his blue district to favor the GOP. (Tennessean)

🤐 Former Gov. Bill Haslam is among the influential Nashville leaders who meet in private to discuss the city's future. (Nashville Business Journal, subscription)

The U.S. Supreme Court maintained a freeze on restrictions of the abortion pill. (Axios)

Taylor Swift, Charlie Daniels and Vince Gill are among the latest artists to have their work immortalized as part of the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.

Why it matters: The registry was established by law in 2000 to preserve American music that is "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

By the numbers: 25 songs or albums were added to the registry this year, bringing the grand total of inclusions to 700.

• This year's selections were pulled from 3,000 public nominations.

Zoom in: Swift's seminal pop opus "1989" will be added, as will Gill's signature song of mourning "Go Rest High On That Mountain," which he wrote after his brother died.

• The Charlie Daniels Band will join the club with the 1979 single "The Devil Went Down to Georgia."
• Other Nashville-adjacent selections include Ray Charles' classic album "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music," Reba McEntire's hit-packed "Rumor Has It" and Rosanne Cash's celebrated 1993 album "The Wheel."

The big picture: Other standouts on this year's list include "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé, "Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano and "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" by The Byrds.

Fun fact: Rosanne and Johnny Cash are the first father and daughter to have works selected for the registry. ("At Folsom Prison" was selected in 2003.)

The bottom line: The registry spans genres and generations, and it rocks. We've pulled some of our favorites for this week's Axios Nashville playlist.

Follow our playlist on Spotify