A new day has dawned. It's Tuesday.

☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 100 and a low of 76.

📰 The news closest to home deserves dedicated reporting. Help power ours by becoming a member today.

Today's newsletter is 814 words — a 3-minute read.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell attended a union event last week in support of Starbucks baristas organizing for better pay and benefits.

Why it matters: O'Connell is trying to thread the needle politically when it comes to Starbucks by supporting both the union organizing effort and the company's massive corporate investment in Nashville.

The latest: According to an event flyer, the reception O'Connell attended was held at the Nobles restaurant in Metro Center for Nashville-area Starbucks baristas pushing for a "fair contract."

• O'Connell has deep ties to Nashville labor groups, which are a powerful force in local elections.
• "Mayor O'Connell appreciated the opportunity to listen to Nashville Starbucks employees and hear directly about their experiences. He believes Nashville should always be a city that respects working people and their voices," a spokesperson for O'Connell's reelection campaign tells Axios.

The big picture: The union organizing comes at the same time Starbucks says it is bringing up to 2,000 corporate jobs to Nashville.

• The state of Tennessee already committed $30 million in incentives to Starbucks. The company's new corporate hub is supposed to anchor its Southeast expansion.

Catch up quick: The organization Starbucks Workers United has made progress in unionizing Nashville area coffee shops in recent years. Baristas have pushed for better pay, benefits and scheduling.

• Baristas at the Green Hills Starbucks voted to join the Workers United effort two years ago. The National Labor Relations Board formally approved that vote in 2024.
• Workers at the Goodlettsville Starbucks shop also voted to join Workers United, and the NLRB certified the union in June.

The other side: The company contends that it respects workers' rights to organize, but argues it offers competitive pay and benefits.

• Starbucks has also contested the local organizing effort in filings with the NLRB.

Flashback: When Starbucks announced its corporate investment — worth a reported $100 million — O'Connell added his support.

• "Nashvillians want access to real economic opportunity and high-paying wages," he said in April. "Starbucks is answering that call by creating 2,000 jobs in Nashville over the next several years."

What we're watching: O'Connell said earlier this year he's considering a separate Metro incentive deal in addition to the state funding. He told The Tennessean his goal is to make sure that existing residents would get a portion of the new corporate jobs.

• Any proposed incentive figures to draw scrutiny from the mostly liberal Metro Council, which has been increasingly skeptical of such economic development plans.
• Metro Councilmember Sean Parker sent a letter, co-signed by many of his colleagues, to Starbucks executives earlier this year expressing concerns about the company's labor record.

Share this story

The Nashville Public Library wants to hear your thoughts on the city's library system.

Driving the news: NPL opened up a survey for customers, and noncustomers, to give their feedback on its facilities, programs, resources and services.

Why it matters: The department says the results will help shape the future of Metro's library system.

Zoom out: We've covered several of the creative library programs over the years, everything from digitizing home movies, to vinyl records and original artwork.

What she's saying: "We invite everyone to share their thoughts and feedback through the survey and help us write the Library's next chapter together," NPL Director Terri Luke said in a press release.

The latest: In celebration of the survey initiative, NPL rolled out a new "libraries are for everyone" library card.

Take the survey

🎻 AmericanaFest begins today, offering a slate of affordable shows at venues across the city in addition to its heralded awards ceremony. (Nashville Scene)

😷 Chamberlain University, headquartered in Illinois, plans to build a large nursing school campus in Nashville.

• Tennessee is in the midst of a nursing shortage. (Tennessean)

⚡️ Charlie Hatcher and Columbia Mayor Chaz Molder, who are battling for the U.S. House District 5 seat, discussed their views on green energy policies.

• A pro-clean energy group pumped money into Hatcher's successful Republican primary campaign. (Tennessee Lookout)

FirstBank CEO Chris Holmes, flanked by other bank executives, rang the opening bell yesterday at the New York Stock Exchange.

Why it matters: FirstBank was marking two milestones — the company's 120th anniversary and 10 years as a publicly traded company on the NYSE.

Stunning stat: Since its initial public offering in 2016, FirstBank has grown its assets by nearly 5X to over $16.8 billion.

Our picks:

🎙️ Nate's song of the day is "I Will Eat My Heart in the Morning Light" by This Is Lorelei.

📺 Adam keeps pushing Nate to finally watch "30 Rock."

This newsletter was edited by Jen Burkett.