Month: November 2019

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

#14 Oregon 82, #13 Tigers 74

The most talked-about college basketball team in the country took its show on the road Tuesday night for the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon. The 13th-ranked Memphis Tigers fell behind by 12 points in the first half, trailed by six (41-35) at halftime, but managed to take the lead (49-48) early in the second half on a three-pointer by Lester Quinones. But a 9-0 run by the Ducks following the Quinones trey gave Oregon a lead they wouldn’t relinquish in handing Memphis its first loss of the season.


James Wiseman — the Tigers’ star freshman who was declared ineligible by the NCAA last Friday — started for Memphis but committed two fouls in the game’s first five minutes. He finished the contest with 14 points and 12 rebounds in limited action, an indication of why coach Penny Hardaway and the U of M powers that be are willing to risk further sanctions by playing Wiseman after the NCAA’s initial ruling. (The case involves a payment Hardaway made to Wiseman’s mother for moving expenses in 2017, when the player was in high school and Hardaway coached the East High Mustangs in Memphis. Wiseman played two years for the Mustangs before committing to the U of M.)

Payton Pritchard drained a three-pointer with less than two minutes to play to give Oregon an eight-point lead (77-69) and all but secure the victory. Favorites to win the Pac-12 Conference, the Ducks improve to 3-0 while Memphis falls to 2-1. Hardaway is now 0-5 as head coach against teams from “Power 5” leagues.

Quinones led the Tigers with 16 points while point guard Damion Baugh added 11 and D.J. Jeffries 12 off the bench.  Freshman forward Precious Achiuwa — like Wiseman, a five-star recruit — found foul trouble early and was held to five points in 24 minutes on the floor. Boogie Ellis missed nine of 11 shots (and six of eight from three-point range).

The Tigers return to FedExForum to face Alcorn State Saturday. Wiseman is expected to play, with a hearing for his case scheduled for Monday. Tip-off will be at 1 p.m.

Categories
News News Blog

Tennessee Dreamers Rally as Supreme Court Holds Hearing on DACA

CREDIT: Facebook/TIRRC

Facebook/TIRRC

Tennessee DACA recipients rally in front of U.S. Supreme Court


The U.S. Supreme Court began hearing arguments Tuesday in the case that will decide the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) Program.

Twelve DACA recipients — or Dreamers — from Tennessee joined thousands more outside of the Supreme Court to rally in support of the program while the nine justices heard arguments inside.

DACA was created in 2012 to provide temporary protection from deportation to undocumented immigrant youth, enabling them to attend school and work.

Yuritza Sanchez, a 20-year-old student from Memphis was one of the Dreamers rallying outside the court Tuesday. Sanchez, said she came to the United States when she was three years old.

“Having DACA has meant the world to me because I can accomplish my dreams, have a good job with benefits, and finally get my drivers license, which was big for my family,” Sanchez said. “As the first person who could drive without fear of deportation, it’s made our whole family a little bit safer.”

Sanchez said she would not only like to DACA to be preserved, but she also wants to see a more permanent solution for the future.

“I hope the Congress and Supreme Court see all of us here and that they understand that this is about our lives,” Sanchez said. “We need a permanent solution — without compromising our families or our communities.”

Sanchez’s sister, Kristal Sanchez, was also there Tuesday. Kristal, a 19-year-old freshman at the University of Memphis, said receiving DACA protection has been “transformative.” She said it allowed her to work as well as attend college on a scholarship.

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“I’m here representing my community and all DACA recipients from Memphis,” Kristal said. “It’s powerful to be here with thousands of DACA recipients, and I hope the Supreme Court justices see what’s at stake. I hope the justices make the right decisions, and that they preserve DACA because this is our home.”

In 2017, President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating the program. That decision was challenged in lower courts and blocked.

Now, three cases, consolidated into one are before the Supreme Court will decide whether or not the president has the authority to legally end DACA.

The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision in 2020. If DACA does end, about 700,000 recipients — 8,000 Tennesseeans — would lose the right to work and protection from deportation.

“The Supreme Court’s decision in 2020 will define our nation,” the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition said in a Tuesday statement. “If the Supreme Court justices let the Trump Administration end DACA, they will be putting the lives of millions in immediate danger. Without protection, DACA recipients could lose their homes and their livelihoods.”

Tennessee Dreamers Rally as Supreme Court Holds Hearing on DACA

Categories
News News Blog

Group Explores Review of City Charter


Does the city of Memphis Charter need a modern overhaul?

That’s what one group, Ranked Choice Tennessee (RCT), is looking to determine with the help of the public.

The city of Memphis Charter operates like the city’s constitution, creating a framework for the government. It influences how the city operates, makes decisions, and spends money.

The charter, which was established in 1968 and later modified in 2008, consists of 81 articles, ranging in topic from public amusement to public health.

On Friday, RCT will hold a public meeting, where Carlos Ochoa, communication director of the group, said context about what the charter is and why it should be reviewed will be discussed.

“The charter is like our city’s constitution,” Ochoa said. “It tells us how our tax dollars are spent, how decisions about changes to our neighborhoods are made and the power of our elected officials. Our charter was written in 1968 and many people believe it’s time to review it for opportunities to modernize it.”

Ochoa noted that the need to review the charter “doesn’t mean anything is wrong with it. We might have the best, up-to-date charter in the world, but if we don’t, the people of Memphis should have the right to know what could be changed.”

Those are interested in seeing the charter reviewed will be invited to sign a petition to create a Charter Review Commission, who would review the charter for a year before recommending amendments. If a commission is formed, RCV anticipates that any amendments proposed by the group would be on the 2022 ballot for citizens to vote on.

Ochoa said Friday’s meeting will touch on the “potentials and limits” of that process. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wonder Cowork Create (340 B Monroe Avenue).

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New York City is currently in the process of amending its charter. Last summer, the New York City Council voted to create the Charter Revision Commission to review and propose changes to the city’s charter.

After sixteen months of reviewing the charter with input from the public, the commission’s five proposed amendments to the charter were left up to voters during the city election last week.

The questions on the ballot related to ranked choice voting, the city’s civilian complaint review board, ethics and governance, the city budget, and land use. Each of the five items were approved by voters, based on unofficial election results.

The commission said these changes will be the “most comprehensive revisions” to the charter since 1989.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Take First Road Win of the Season

CREDIT: Joe Murphy/NBAE

Joe Murphy/NBAE

Jaren Jackson Jr.

The Grizzlies gained their first road victory of the season, downing the San Antonio Spurs 113–109, Monday night. The Grizzlies’ win came after back-to-back losses against the Orlando Magic, and division rivals, the Dallas Mavericks.
 
Jaren Jackson, Jr. led the Grizzlies with 24 points (a season high), six rebounds, and five assists. Jackson has bounced back after he failed to score in the Grizzlies’ home victory over the Timberwolves last week. In the last two games, Jackson has scored 23 and 24 points, respectively.

Jackson tied his career-high by knocking down four three-pointers. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins was pleased with his second-year forward’s performance. “He was impacting the game on both ends of the floor,” Jenkins said.  Jenkins said Jackson’s presence on the floor and not in foul trouble is a tremendous gain for the team. “Obviously, not being in foul trouble helped him produce on the offensive end, just being on the floor.”

He continued, “Defensively, just playing solid defense. Contesting shots at the rim, especially a lot of contested jumpers, you know we’ll roll with him because I think he’s been working hard over the last couple weeks. Especially this last week, just being more disciplined defensively and continuing to be active and disciplined at the same time. Then offensively, rim running, getting those deep seals. If it’s not there, then just facilitating, hitting four threes tonight, just playing within the offense. It’s a heck of a job by him and a heck of a job by our team tonight.”

Ja Morant was complimentary of his teammate’s play against the Spurs. He said, “He [Jackson] is getting comfortable. His confidence is back. You can tell he is playing with that ‘bop’, not thinking about it too much. And we just tell him to hoop, because we need it.”

After the game, Jackson admitted he was in a funk and his conversations with Jenkins had helped him. Jackson said, “We have a lot of conversations. We talk at practice every day. It wasn’t anything specific. I definitely expressed to him that I was in a funk and we just talked about it.” Jackson went on to say, “It’s not like something you just magically change. I just expressed it to him. He expressed to me, ‘You just have to keep focusing on the things that are important’ — coming in, your work habits, and working hard every day, and I agree with him.”

Notes: Dillon Brooks chipped in 21 points off of 8-of-17 from the field. Jonas Valanciunas added 18 points and 12 rebounds, along with two blocks. Brandon Clarke continued to shine, with 14 points and eight rebounds off the bench. He went 6-of-7 from the field. 

Lamarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 19 points while Rudy Gay added 18 points and eight rebounds as a reserve. 

The Grizzlies finished the game 44-of-87 from the field (50.6 percent) and 11-of-28 from beyond the arc (39.3 percent). 
Larry Kuzniewski

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis finally played well in the third quarter. For the first time this season, the Grizzlies outscored an opponent in the third period, 34–26. 

Grizzlies head coach, Taylor Jenkins used his first challenge of the season. Coaches are allowed one challenge per game, this season. With 9.4 seconds left, Jackson was called for a foul on Spurs guard Derrick White as he drove towards the basket. On review, it was revealed that Jackson didn’t touch him and the call was overturned.

Up Next
The Grizzlies will travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets on Wednesday, Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. CT.

Categories
News News Blog

Federal Grant Will Expand Group’s Support for Immigrant Victims

CREDIT: Facebook/CasaLuz

Facebook/CasaLuz

CasaLuz holds a community meeting


A local organization received a grant this week to expand its services for victims of crimes here who are Hispanic and Latinx.

CasaLuz, an organization that works to prevent and reduce domestic violence and related crimes in the Spanish-speaking community, received the $199,986 grant from the United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) Monday.

CasaLuz provides free legal advocacy, safety planning, survivor support groups, liaison assistance with law enforcement, counseling, and community education. The group says it is the only organization in the region that provides culturally specific support.

Through a partnership with Mid-South Immigration Advocates (MIA) and Kaufman Monroe Law LLC, CasaLuz offers free immigration and civil legal services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The groups received a $600,000 grant from the Justice Department in September to support this work for three years.

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Over the next two years, the new federal grant will allow the groups to expand those services to victims of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, assault, human trafficking, hate crimes, and elder abuse, as well as loves ones of homicide victims and other violent crimes.

“These services help protect victims’ rights as they navigate the complex legal system in the aftermath of a traumatic event,” reads a statement from CasaLuz.

CaaaLuz founder Inés Negrette said Hispanic and Latinx victims of violence face “enormous barriers accessing suitable services. We need strong local partners like MIA and Kaufman Monroe Law to ensure access to justice and safety or our vulnerable clients.”

The federal grant was awarded under the OVC’s Enhancing Language and Other Access to Services Program, which seeks to “break down barriers that prevent many individuals from reporting crimes and accessing the services they need after crime victimization.”

A study done earlier this year and published in Criminology found that those living in areas that have recently drawn a large number of immigrants are much less likely to report a violent crime.

In neighborhoods where 10 percent of residents were born outside the U.S., the probability of reporting a violent crime is 48 percent, researchers said. In neighborhoods where 65 percent of residents are immigrants, the likelihood of a report being filed drops to 5 percent.


Categories
News News Blog

Project Would Transform U of M’s Radio Station

CREDIT: WUMR/Facebook

WUMR/Facebook

The University of Memphis radio station, WUMR FM 91.7, could transform if a deal with the station, The Daily Memphian, and Crosstown Concourse is approved by the university board.

The station would become a new nonprofit radio station, broadcasting from a new home at Crosstown. The tower will remain at the U of M, it would still feature student talent, and it would still be found at 91.7. But the all-jazz outlet would expand its music, culture and news content to have “broad appeal to the U of M student body and the wider Memphis community.”
WUMR/Facebook

The station would have news programming from The Daily Memphian. The station would also have the capability to broadcast concerts from the Green Room at Crosstown Arts, Crosstown Theater, and the U of M’s Scheidt Family Music Center.

The station would also “work with arts, music, and other cultural organizations throughout the city as the station will strive to give voice not just to the three partner entities but to a wide array of people and organizations in Memphis.”

“The visibility of Crosstown Concourse will be tremendous for our radio station and will provide an even more professional work experience for our students,” said U of M president David Rudd.

The spirit of collaboration and community found at Crosstown and the Memphis community at large will inform the new station, said Dr. Todd Richardson, president of Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative.

“Three entities come together to create a true Memphis musical and cultural experience,” Richardson said. “At the heart of it will be local DJs bringing their unique and diverse voices to a world-wide audience.

“Crosstown will serve as the hub, while the University of Memphis will extend the organization’s resources to include students, professors and guests. The Daily Memphian will provide regular news, information, and interviews to round out a true community resource for the Memphis area and beyond.”
WUMR/Facebook

Eric Barnes, president and executive editor of The Daily Memphian, said the station “is a natural extension of The Daily Memphian’s partnership with the U of M’s Institute for Public Service Journalism as well as our internship program, which includes students from the U of M’s journalism school getting real-world work experience in our newsroom.”

Pat Mitchell-Worley, executive director of Stax Music Academy, would serve as a board member of the new WUMR.

“It was on the Memphis airwaves that artists from Elvis, B.B. King, and Big Star to the Bar-Kays, Wendy Moten, and Yo Gotti connected with large groups of local fans,” said Mitchell-Worley. “Radio in Memphis has always been about community. With diverse listener-powered programming, the new WUMR will continue the tradition of serving savvy music lovers from local curators exploring how artists and songs relate to one another.

“Expect legacy and new art from diverse genres. Expect to celebrate Memphis sounds alongside independent international music moving the world.”

Categories
News News Blog

Everyday Climate Change: Four Thoughts on Climate and Cold Weather

CREDIT: Memphis National Weather Service

Memphis National Weather Service


Everyday Climate Change is an occasional series from the Memphis Flyer about the ways climate change is already affecting our everyday lives.

Memphis is about to get walloped by a cold front and winds that will drop temperatures well past freezing and may even bring some snow, according to the Memphis branch of the National Weather Service (MNWS).

“A record-breaking cold snap is on the way!” reads a tweet from MNWS Monday morning. “Temperature records will be under siege tonight through Wednesday morning across the Mid-South. On top of that, wind chills will be brutal Tuesday morning…as low as 2 degrees along the (Kentucky/Missouri) border!”
[pullquote-1] How long will it be before somebody pumping gas next to you turns and says, “Hey, where’s that global warming they’ve been talking about?” This could be an annual game, an annoying annual game to be sure.

For everyday responses to this now-perennial question, here are thoughts from four different sources.

Environmental Protection Agency: Climate Versus Weather

“It may be helpful to think about the difference between weather and climate with an analogy: weather influences what clothes you wear on a given day, while the climate where you live influences the entire wardrobe you buy.”

Everyday Climate Change: Four Thoughts on Climate and Cold Weather


Union of Concerned Scientists: It’s the Tilt

“The seasons we experience are a result of Earth’s tilted axis as it revolves around the sun. During the North American winter, our hemisphere is tilted away from the sun, leading sunlight to hit us at an angle that makes temperatures lower.

While climate change does not affect Earth’s tilt, it does have potential implications for many of the other factors that influence winter weather in the U.S., including Arctic sea ice, the polar jet stream, the polar vortex, and El Niño.”

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminstration: It’s the Facts

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administraton

Average January temperatures across the contiguous United States (1981-2010). Much of the northern tier of the country has temperatures well below freezing in January.

“There are plenty of places where winter temperatures would have to rise by 10 degrees, 20 degrees, even 30 degrees Fahrenheit before it would stop snowing. Until then, snowstorms remain quite possible, and natural climate patterns and random variability will still lead to winters that are unusually cold and snowy in different locations.

One way to demonstrate that record snowstorms aren’t incompatible with a warmer climate is to look back at the historical record snowstorms and the seasonal conditions that spawned them. An analysis of such storms between 1961-2010 showed that while most extreme snow storms did occur in seasons that were colder and wetter than average, about 35 percent of snow seasons that produced extreme snow events were warmer than average, and 30 percent were drier than average.”

Environmental Defense Fund: Climate Change and more Snow?

“It may seem counterintuitive, but more snowfall during winter storms is an expected outcome of climate change. That’s because a warmer planet is evaporating more water into the atmosphere. That added moisture means more precipitation in the form of heavy snowfall or downpours.

During warmer months, this can cause record-breaking floods. But during the winter – when our part of the world is tipped away from the sun – temperatures drop, and instead of downpours we can get massive winter storms.”

Everyday Climate Change: Four Thoughts on Climate and Cold Weather (2)

Categories
Food & Drink Hungry Memphis

Grind City Coffee Hosts Caffeine Crawl this Weekend

CREDIT: Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Grind City Coffee is bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis on Saturday, November 16th, with three caffeinated routes.

Caffeine Crawl is designed to be a fun, educational, pub-style crawl from venue to venue that allows participants to taste, learn, and talk about different kinds of coffee with like-minded java enthusiasts. Stops on the crawl include Dr. Beans at Puck Food Hall, Comeback Coffee, Vice and Virtue, INSPIRE Community Cafe, and Ugly Mug Coffee, among many others.

“I think this is going to showcase that Memphis is more than just Beale and barbecue,” says Rachel Williams, co-founder of Grind City Coffee. “We are growing a lot. We have a lot to offer.”

Williams explains that not everyone is aware of the coffee scene in Memphis, and Grind City Coffee is trying to change that through events like Caffeine Crawl and Grind City Coffee Expo.

“A lot of people sometimes get a little nervous to kind of step out of their comfort zone,” she says. “So being able to have something more approachable that’s introducing people to this, whether it be through a caffeine crawl or through the [Grind City Coffee] expo, there’s something for everybody.”

Co-founders of Grind City Coffee, Daniel Lynn and Rachel Williams, love to promote a “community over competition” mentality when it comes to showcasing and celebrating local coffee spots.

“This is just another example of that,” Lynn says. “Plus, you know, people like to have non-alcoholic alternatives sometimes, so this provides that as well.”

Williams and Lynn see an opportunity for more and more people to get involved in local coffee culture, so bringing Caffeine Crawl to Memphis was a natural next step for Grind City Coffee in serving that mission.

“Every time I look on social media, there’s another home roaster or coffee shop. So, it’s fantastic to see all the growth,” Lynn says. “But that’s also what we’re hoping for this as well as other events to keep putting the voice out there about what we have right here in Memphis.”

Tickets are currently on sale at caffeinecrawl.com.

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Music Video Monday: Indie Memphis Winners

Talibah Safiya

Have all you cinephiles recovered from Indie Memphis yet? I’m done fighting that post-fest funk, and now it’s time to take stock. Today on Music Video Monday, we’re presenting the winners of the two video awards. 

An incredible 44 videos screened to a party atmosphere at Black Lodge last Sunday night. The winner of the Sounds Music Video Award, which covers American and international entries, was DarriusTheGreatest & Ttropicana’s dancehall-inflected “Got It, Got It.” In true Indie Memphis tradition, the it’s a low-budget scrapper the prevailed over videos made with lots more resources.

Music Video Monday: Indie Memphis Winners (2)

The Hometowner Music Video award went to Talibah Safiya’s “Healing Creek,” directed by Memphis wunderkind Kevin Brooks. Shot Super-8 style, this simple, beautiful visual concentrates on bringing out Safiya’s considerable natural charisma.

Music Video Monday: Indie Memphis Winners

I’ll have more on this year’s Indie Memphis tomorrow. If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com. 

Categories
Sports Tiger Blue

The Wiseman Case

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

James Wiseman should be starting at center for Memphis. By this I mean James Wiseman should be starting at center for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Larry Kuzniewski

James Wiseman

The 7’1″ 18-year-old, merely months removed from East High School, was a giant among men — a god among mortals — in his college debut last Tuesday for the Memphis Tigers. In merely 22 minutes on the floor, Wiseman scored 28 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, delivering one thunderous dunk after another to answer any doubts about the hype that preceded his arrival under the FedExForum lights. Then Friday, surely playing in a complete mental fog, Wiseman contributed 17 points and nine rebounds in the Tigers’ victory over UIC. He did so a few hours after being declared ineligible by the NCAA for a payment his current coach, Penny Hardaway, made in 2017 to help Wiseman’s family move from Nashville to Memphis.

Here we are. A man clearly capable of playing in the NBA — and earning upwards of $10 million as a Rookie of the Year candidate — is not allowed to because he’s not yet 19 years old and a year removed from his high school graduation. And now, according to the NCAA, he’s not allowed to play college basketball because his family benefited from $11,500, courtesy of a college booster. This scenario is passed off as logical by those who run the basketball factory we know as the NBA and NCAA. Making money at one life stage: illegal. Making money at another life stage: legal, but only under factory conditions.

When I find myself attempting to process the NBA’s draft-eligibility requirement, I inevitably turn to rock-and-roll. Imagine if the music industry refused recording contracts to those too young, in the industry’s view, to handle it. No deal for you, Justin Bieber, until you’re old enough to legally toast your sales. Imagine if concert promoters froze out Greta Van Fleet until the boys are of an age where they can fully appreciate the millions they’re earning. Lunacy, right? But this is the way professional basketball works in these United States. James Wiseman would make the Memphis Grizzlies better today. But he’s not allowed to until he spends a winter as a “student-athlete,” dipping his toes in academia while posterizing over-matched competition to the benefit of a college program.

Which brings us to the case the University of Memphis — and notably, attorney Leslie Ballin — now has to manage. As hard as it may be, we must disconnect Hardaway and his current gig in evaluating the legality of the check he wrote for the Wiseman family’s move. As recently as 2017, Tubby Smith was under contract as the U of M basketball coach. The “recruiting” of James Wiseman by Hardaway went no further than the desire to see Wiseman in an East Mustangs jersey. (And this cannot be denied. It’s hard to envision Hardaway parting with so much as $11 for Wiseman’s move were he not the basketball player we know.) So was the transaction a violation of NCAA law?

Ballin’s case sill surely boil down to the definition of “booster.” The NCAA sees the million dollars Hardaway donated (a decade ago) for the Tiger Hall of Fame — a building that features Hardaway’s name above the entrance — as the act of a booster, and enough to classify Hardaway as a booster to the present day. Whether or not Wiseman enrolled at the U of M — and whether or not Hardaway became the Tiger coach — this would be a no-no. If Hardaway can be classified as a booster of the program he now leads. The more I consider, the more challenging I find that “fact” to prove.

A banner hangs in the rafters of FedExForum for the 1985 Tiger team that reached the Final Four, but had the appearance “vacated” retroactively as punishment for finanical impropriety under coach Dana Kirk. Another banner is missing, the one saluting the 2008 Tiger team that also reached the Final Four, punishment for the NCAA deciding Derrick Rose had cheated on a standardized test before declaring him eligible for the 2007-08 season. Now this? Why shouldn’t the university dig in its heels? What’s to lose? Basketball games? Fans watching Wiseman and his talented freshman classmates play will know what they see. They’ll know the results of every game. The young man is already an example of all that’s wrong with the NBA and college basketball. Should he be made a one-year pariah on top of that? Here’s the ball, Mr. Ballin. Take it to the rim.