🚍 Transportation battle lines

Good morning and happy Monday, old friends.  

• Today's weather: Sunny with a high of 79.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Nashville member Susan Harwell!

Today's newsletter is 910 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Strange political bedfellows lined up for and against Mayor Freddie O'Connell's $3.1 billion transportation funding plan in recent days.

Why it matters: O'Connell's ballot measure seems to have the backing of Nashville's political establishment, but there have been some notable defections.

The latest: Former Gov. Bill Haslam, a Republican, is expected to unveil his support for the plan this week.

The big picture: Al Gore, a Democrat, and Bill Frist, a Republican, have also endorsed the transportation funding proposal, which would raise the city's sales tax by half a cent.

Yes, but: Two Metro Council members at opposite ends of the city's political spectrum said they oppose the plan.

• Metro Councilmember Courtney Johnston, a Republican, and Metro Councilmember Joy Kimbrough, a Democrat, separately emailed their constituents to explain their opposition.

Zoom in: Gore said he backs O'Connell's proposal for environmental reasons, his passion topic.

• According to the former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential nominee, "51% of the city's climate pollution comes from transportation." Gore said voters should support O'Connell's "plan to invest in making our roads not only cleaner, but safer & more efficient."
• Frist, who is a surgeon, reiterated his support after he wrote a column in the Tennessean over the summer touting its health benefits.
• He said the plan "will help Nashvillians more efficiently & economically navigate the city while improving community health."

The other side: In a lengthy blog post, Johnston expressed concerns about the long-term financial commitment required to pay off the $3.1 billion in revenue bonds over 30 years.

• She also questioned whether the plan would effectively reduce commuter traffic, saying it would offer "very little if any return on investment."
• Kimbrough told constituents she has a problem with using a sales tax increase to fund the plan.
• "Sales taxes affect poorer families more because they have to spend a bigger share of their income on basic goods," Kimbrough said. "The cost of living is already out of control in Nashville. Rent is sky-high and everyday goods and services are too expensive. This unfair tax increase targets those who are already struggling to make ends meet."

Reality check: The vast majority of Metro Council members, and the city's top progressive activist groups, are vocally backing the pan.

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Nashville could be in for a winter that is warmer than usual, according to the annual NOAA winter outlook released last week.

Why it matters: The more mild conditions favored in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast follow long-term trends of warmer winters.

Between the lines: NOAA's climate outlooks are probabilistic, which means they communicate the odds of a particular outcome, rather than predicting definitive conditions.

Zoom in: The outlook calls for a weak La Niña event this winter. La Niña is an ocean and atmosphere cycle in the tropical Pacific Ocean. It can influence the path of winter storms in the U.S.

• Weather patterns can be easier to predict in years with a strong La Niña driving storm patterns.
• A milder-than-average forecast for our region is in line with typical La Niña winters.

Yes, but: Because this La Niña is expected to be weaker, the outlook is less certain. Temperatures and precipitation could vary widely from week to week.

• Other factors, including human-caused climate change, could could also play a key role in influencing the winter.

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🙌 College ball is the shining light of our sports landscape. Tennessee beat Alabama at home last weekend, in a repeat of their epic 2022 victory. (WBIR)

• Vanderbilt toppled Ball State and surged into the AP Poll at No. 25, the first time the team has ranked since 2013. (Vanderbilt Hustler)

📉 The Tennessee Titans imploded once again against the Bills. Their 1-5 record is the team's worst beginning to a season since 2015. (The Associated Press)

☹️ The Nashville Predators are off to their worst start in franchise history after losing the first five games of their season. (Tennessean)

Instagram Teen Accounts help parents support teens as they grow. Teen Accounts include automatic protections limiting who can contact teens and what content they see.

The impact: More protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

Celebrated Nashville songwriter Liz Rose headed to Miami over the weekend to watch her frequent collaborator Taylor Swift perform in The Eras Tour.

• Rose's Southwest flight to Florida became a surprise concert for the Swifties on board.

What happened: Rose serenaded passengers on Flight 1989 from Nashville to Miami on Thursday with renditions of "All Too Well" and "You Belong with Me," two of the megahits she co-wrote with Swift.

• She sang on microphone near the cockpit and brought a guitarist along for accompaniment. They both wore merch from The Bluebird Cafe.
• It was the 100th concert in Southwest's Live at 35 that presents live music performances onboard at 35,000 feet.

 The intrigue: Passengers got friendship bracelets made by Southwest employees.

💭 Adam's thought bubble: Rose was a fixture on many of Swift's early country hits, including "Tim McGraw," "Teardrops on My Guitar" and "White Horse." She played a vital role in helping a teenaged Swift refine her voice as a writer, and Swifties are all better for it.

• My dearest Taylor-related dream is that she and Rose reunite for more collaborations somewhere down the road.

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Knowledge is power, and we believe in empowering our community through reliable, local journalism. 

Join our membership program for just $50+ a year, and you can support our efforts to keep you in the know of what's happening around town.

• You'll get insider notes and other perks as a thanks.

Together, we can ensure our neighbors stay informed.

Our Friday newsletter profiled one of Nashville's finest saxophone players, so it only makes sense that this week's Axios Nashville playlist celebrates saxophone solos in some of our favorite songs.

Zoom in: "Careless Whisper" is a classic. Pretty much all of Bruce Springsteen's discography is in play.

Follow our playlist on Spotify to see our selections

Instagram Teen Accounts have automatic protections for who can contact teens and the content they can see. Plus, only parents can approve safety setting changes for teens under 16.

What this means: Built-in protections for teens, and peace of mind for parents.

Learn more.

⛰️ Debbie D. was the lone reader to reach the top of Quiz Mountain last week. Debbie, we salute you.

Our picks: 

🎼 Nate's song of the day is "Don't Take It Out On Me" by Nashville rockers The Privates.

🗳️ Adam voted early at Hillwood High School, and recommends it for all of your voting needs. He was in and out in less than five minutes.

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley.