The Commercial Appeal dodged layoffs in the latest round of news staff reductions by Gannett, the paper’s parent, but lost one open position.
Gannett was slated to lay off 6 percent of its national news staff this week, or about 200 employees. This move came after a previous round of similar layoffs a few months before.
Laura Testino, president of the Memphis Newspaper Guild, confirmed the Commercial Appeal news in a Friday tweet. But she said “everyone loses when working hours and jobs are cut.”
Testino put the situation into context in a Twitter thread and offered ways for locals to help reporters affected by the cuts.
Read the thread here:
đ§ľThe Memphis Commercial Appeal did not lose any employees to involuntary layoffs this month, in the third round of Gannett layoffs/furloughs across just four months. But everyone loses when working hours and jobs are cut.
Across the company, many of the employees who help our work shine online â even make it online in the first place â were cut this week. Those arenât Memphis-only news positions, but they work with us often. To you all: We are so sorry.
Our newsroom dodged layoffs in late summer, and we successfully fought furloughs in October. But that was only for Guild employees. The newspaperâs vital editors and management will be furloughed a week each this month. That hurts the newsroom.
I am proud of the Memphis News Guild for advocating for our members during each round of cuts, and negotiating with Gannett in the ways we can. No one should be laid off. And the near-monthly emails with threats of cuts have got to stop.
This impacts newsroom morale. It dissuades young people from interest in an unstable profession with unsustainable wages. It damages journalist retention. Local institutional knowledge in this industry is invaluable, and it continues waning.
Easiest may be is to shun Gannett, wish for what was before, and stop reading the news. But do you want a future without newspapers? Only people with things to hide benefit from fewer reporters. And the reporters are demanding improvement.
Your subscriptions demand improvement. Your tips demand it. Your feedback demands it. You care for Memphis demands it. For all of us, each story is a story that teaches you something about this place, and maybe even makes it a little better.
To support journalists hit directly by Gannett layoffs, check out the community aid forms below. Thank you always for your support https://t.co/L99X1vA7OS
(Credit: Ford I 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum)
Tennessee will further ingrain itself in the Battery Belt and help develop a Southeast Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub (H2Hubs) thanks to federal investments in clean energy.Â
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will fund two major initiatives here to push battery manufacturing for electric cars and more and make hydrogen power more accessible for consumers and businesses.
Tennessee is already well established in the emerging Battery Belt, areas in the South and Midwest expected to get economic jolts from producing power cells for electric cars, homes, and power grids. Fordâs Blue Oval City will house onsite battery maker SK On to make the lithium-ion battery cells for Fordâs F-150 Lightning trucks. GM and LG Energy will build batteries in Spring Hill. Volkswagenâs Chattanooga plant began assembling its all-electric ID.4 in July.
The IIJA contains $2.8 billion to support new and expanded facilities to process the raw materials (like lithium and graphite) for battery production. The bill also supports facilities to build battery components and find ways to recycle battery components.
âProducing advanced batteries and components here at home will accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels to meet the strong demand for electric vehicles, creating more good-paying jobs across the country,â U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm said when the funds were announced in October.
Three Tennessee firms were awarded more than a collective $491 million from the government with private investment valued at a total of over $1.6 billion. Microvast, Novonix Anode Materials, and Piedmont Lithium â all in Middle or East Tennessee â won federal investment.
The funds were awarded as President Joe Biden launched his American Battery Material Initiative. It aims to accelerate the development of the countryâs battery supply chain.
The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Thursday it joined with other Southeastern utilities to respond to the federal governmentâs $8 billion effort to develop H2Hubs.
âClean hydrogen hubs will create networks of hydrogen producers, consumers, and local connective infrastructure to accelerate the use of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier that can deliver or store tremendous amounts of energy,â reads a statement from the U.S. Department of Energy about the program.
In 2003, then-President George W. Bush touted the future of the âhydrogen economy.â Some environmentalists claim the speech was a greenwashing dodge to avoid tightening fuel economy standards. The tech â hydrogen fuel cells â existed but the national infrastructure to deliver power for them did not. Not a finger, it seemed, was lifted in the country to forge Bushâs hydrogen economy.
California is, really, the only state with anything resembling real hydrogen infrastructure, with 62 retail hydrogen refueling stations open. The state has $10 billion in funding available to grow its hydrogen economy and plans, also, to compete for one of the federal H2Hub grants.
Making hydrogen often (but not always) includes the use of fossil fuels, most commonly natural gas. However, when consumed in a fuel cell, hydrogen produces only water. This makes it attractive to utilities and others with de-carbonization goals.
âHydrogen will be crucial for accelerating the transition to clean power so we can meet the demand for low-carbon energy throughout our region and across the country,â Dr. Joe Hoagland, vice president, TVA Innovation & Research said in a statement.
TVAâs H2Hub coalition includes Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, Louisville Gas & Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company (LG&E and KU), and Southern Company, along with science and tech consultants Battelle.
The biggest new release of the first weekend of December is a doozy. There are a lot of Christmas horror movies. Remember Krampus? Black Christmas? Silent Night, Deadly Night? The other Black Christmas? I’m not sure that’s exactly what Violent Night is. This is more like if Die Hard really leaned into its Christmas trappings. And if you’re not into watching Hooper from Stranger Things wisecrack while electrocuting bad guys with a tree topper, you probably need to seek professional help.
If you need something a little more serious, there’s The Inspection. Documentary director Elegance Bratton’s narrative feature debut stars Jeremy Pope as Ellis, a new Marine recruit going through boot camp on Parris Island. Ellis had to hide the fact that he is gay to get into the service in the first place, but his fellow fledgling soldiers figure it out, and he’s in for a world of hurt. Is it even worth it? He thinks so.
On the anime front, The Quintessential Quintuplets is a popular manga adapted for two seasons of television. The two-hour series finale was released theatrically in Japan, and cleaned up at the box office. This is teenage romance at its most kawaii.
The 2022 Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Nanny finally hits wide release this weekend. Anna Diop (who is actually from Senegal) stars as a Senegalese immigrant taking care of the daughter of an affluent New York couple who begins to loose her grip on reality â or maybe she’s seeing a deeper reality.
On Sunday, Jim Henson’s masterpiece The Dark Crystal gets a 40th anniversary screening (at the Paradiso and Collierville Cinema). If you’re a fan of The Muppets or â80s fantasy or just things that are good, this one is a must-see.
And finally, tonight at Black Lodge, what is shaping up to be an annual Sh!tfest tradition: The Star Wars Holiday Special. First aired in 1978, it’s so infamously bad George Lucas once tried to have all the copies destroyed. Fortunately, he failed. Or maybe that’s unfortunate. There’s no trailer for this infamous misfire, but it’s very telling that there are 13 minutes worth of “most disturbing moments” in one 98-minute show.
Founded in 2011, SisterReach supports the âreproductive autonomy of women and teens of color, poor and rural women, LGBTQ+ and GNC [gender non-conforming] folx, and their families through the framework of reproductive justice.â
The organization offers adult sex education classes, facilitates online discussions, and recently began helping Tennessee women get to Illinois for abortion services after Tennessee’s abortion ban was triggered. SisterReach has also provided Uber vouchers for Shelby County residents in need of transportation to vote.
Founder and CEO Cherisse Scott said that the organization was created out of the request of her mother. She had been navigating the Memphis area since the early 1980s as a single, Black mother who was “trying to make it happen” with small children.
âEverybody here does not have a degree, and my mother did not have a degree,â said Scott. âTrying to do that without a college education still meant that there were only certain jobs that she had access to and others that she was locked out of.â
The story of SisterReach is based on Scott’s own experiences, too. When Scott first started work, she said she was a âlow-income woman.â While Scott said that her financial situation has changed, she recognizes that for so many others, it hasnât.
Scott said she and her mother saw that Black mothers and babies needed support. With the help of her mother and grandmother, Scott brought that help and their vision to life through SisterReach.
âI think more than anything, Black mothers in Memphis, which really comprise the majority of Black households in our city, understand firsthand what itâs like to have to be the sole provider for themselves and for their families,â said Scott.
The United States Census Bureau estimates that 64.4 percent of residents in Memphis are African American. While more and more women are rising in local politics, Scott said more are needed in more powerful positions. She hopes to see a Black woman serve as mayor of Memphis, even more so a Black mother.
âWe need people who have more at stake, who reflect the community, and that includes women and girls,” she said. “We need a deep commitment to our public school system.â
Black voices are essential to a better city, Scott said, but having ânonprofit voicesâ are imperative as well.
Around 11,505 nonprofit organizations operate in Memphis, according to Cause IQ. These organizations employ 89,422 people, the agency said.
âThe nonprofit voice, the voice of people who are directly dealing with peopleâs social needs and development need to also be at those tables and to inform what a healthy, thriving Memphis would look like,â said Scott. âOtherwise, you know we get what weâre getting.â
The Society of Entrepreneurs has chosen four new members: Mat Lipscomb and Johnny Pitts of Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance, Andy Malmo of Flint Hydraulics, and Patti Phelps of Phelps Security.
The organization was founded in 1991 to honor the contributions of area entrepreneurs. The membership includes Mid-South business owners, presidents, and other key executives.
New members will be inducted at the 31st Annual Dinner and Awards Banquet on Saturday, April 15th, 2023 at the FedEx Event Center at Shelby Farms.
In 1989, Lipscomb and Pitts became partners at Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance. Lipscomb focused on sales management and insurance carrier relationships. Pitts focused on the financial and administrative divisions of the company, while still producing and retaining business insurance. In 1992, they purchased Lipscomb & Pitts Insurance from their fathers.
Donald A. Malmo Jr. purchased Flint Hydraulics, Inc. in the summer of 1981. He saw a need for a distribution business that would warehouse hydraulic pumps and motors from many different manufacturers and for many different types of equipment. This now represents 40 percent of his volume and has the same worldwide presence as the custom pump business.
Phelps is the owner and CEO of the oldest security guard firm in Memphis, with 69 years of operation. It is also the largest certified woman-owned entity in Memphis. Phelps Security provides security guard and patrol services to businesses and residential areas in Memphis and the Mid-South.
The selection of the new members was done by the membership committee, including chair Bill Courtney, David Andrews, Mike Bruns, Ron Coleman, Carolyn Hardy, Edith Kelly-Green, Mary McDonald, Art Seessel, Susan Stephenson, and Duncan Williams. The society’s board of directors finalized the choices.
They stole things and burned stuff. Theyâre men and women, white and Black. The youngest would be nearly 59 years old. The oldest would be nearly 97.
They are larcenists, arsonists, murderers, kidnappers, and rapists. They sold heroin and cocaine. They wrote bad checks, ripped off businesses and credit card companies. Theyâre thieves, and burglars, and robbers.
Five were from Davidson County and one from Shelby, although, we donât have that information for most. They were all behind bars somewhere in Tennessee. But they all escaped and have never been found by authorities.Â
The Tennessee Department of Correction (TDOC) keeps a list of its most wanted escapees. That list now has 30 names. (See it below.)Â
But TDOCâs âOffice of Investigations and Conduct works continuously to locate offenders who are fugitives from justice.â
If you have information on an absconder or escapee, please contact TDOC at:
⢠TDOC Office of Investigations & Compliance: (615) 741-7144
⢠Tennessee Bureau of Investigation: 1-800-824-3483 (1-800-TBI-FIND)
Ja Morant goes up for a bucket in Minnesota. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)
The Grizzlies ended a two-game road trip with a big loss to the Timberwolves. In a throwback to the first game in their playoff series last year, the refs were whistle-happy, and the Grizzlies played sloppy basketball.
Let’s get into it.
This might have been the worst game of the season so far for this Memphis team. The only reason it wasnât worse was that Minnesota couldnât convert on most of Memphis’ twenty-seven turnovers. Twenty. Seven. Turnovers. The Grizzlies had ten more turnovers than assists at the end of the night. Â
And then there were the free throws. As a team, Memphis shot 18 of 30 from the foul line. 60% free throw shooting is bad enough but leaving 12 points on the table in a game you lost by 8 points is embarrassing.
I donât know what the answer is to the Grizzlies’ free throw shooting woes, but it has become a glaring problem that needs to be solved.
Here is a (not) fun fact: Last nightâs game is just the second time since 1994 that an NBA team has lost a game in regulation in which they had 30 or more rebounds than their opponent. It was also only the second time in NBA history that a team lost a game in which they had 30 or more rebounds and 10 or more free throw attempts than their opponent. WOOF. (h/t to Shawn Coleman/@StatsSAC for these fun factoids.)
By The Numbers:
Ja Morant had a team-high 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists.
Jaren Jackson Jr finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Tyus Jones and David Roddy each scored 13 points, combining for 26 of the 34 points from the bench.
On to the next one.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies will return home to face off against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, December 2nd. It will be the first game back in Memphis for former Grizzly DeâAnthony Melton. Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
Phillis Lewis is the CEO and founder of Love Doesnât Hurt, a Memphis-based nonprofit organization that âprovides assistance to victims of Domestic & Sexual Violence in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.â
âBelieving is one of the most important things,â said Lewis. âI think a lot of people donât understand how charismatic, how believable abusers can be, and hearing someoneâs story and their journey, just because itâs not your experience, doesnât mean it’s not theirs.â
The Flyer got in touch with Lewis to discuss Love Doesnât Hurtâs purpose, and the resources that they offer for the community.
Memphis Flyer:How would you describe Love Doesnât Hurt?
Phillis Lewis:We are a nonprofit organization that focuses on providing crisis intervention for victims of crime in the LGBTQ+ community, addressing things such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, and getting individuals connected to resources that are diverse and inclusive to their needs.
All the referrals that we make for our clients are with organizations and agencies that we have worked with directly, and we know have affirming and welcoming practices in the work that they do.
In conjunction with the crisis intervention part, we also know that the community also needs life-hack skills and educational sessions to help in the long-run of things, because violence is not just a one-time, incident thing. With that, we want to make sure weâre giving people in the community tools, so that way we can lower the risk of victimization in the future. We do different informational sessions to talk about grief, trauma, self-care, and financial literacy. Next year we will be doing some quarterly cooking classes, as well as quarterly self-care events. Just taking a holistic approach that working with individuals is not just one thing that youâre trying to address. Itâs usually a web of things, and we are doing our best to work with other organizations to build a safety net for the clients that we come in contact with, so that they have the best chance of thriving after victimization.
As the founder, was there something that you saw in the community that you felt wasnât being addressed? Or was there some type of moment or incident that occurred that prompted you to make sure that certain resources were available?
My mother was a victim of domestic and sexual violence, and when she experienced her abuse, it was during a time back in the early ’90s where there wasnât a lot of protection or a lot of assistance for victims of crime, especially when it came to intimate partner violence. That kind of drove me toward the work, but what drove me toward working with the population I work with, I myself identify as bisexual. So when I started my career at the district attorneyâs office, I came in contact with a couple of clients, but one in particular had been in an abusive relationship with her spouse. When we referred her to one of the vendors that was on our referral list, instead of focusing on the trauma she had experienced, they focused more on her sexual orientation. When you are working in social services, you are taught to work in a trauma informed space â not asking people like, âwhatâs wrong with you?â but âwhat happened?â, and âhow can I show up for you in this space to help you heal from the trauma youâve experienced?â instead of re-victimizing someone that has already been through something hard enough.
How has the landscape changed in recent years? What are some areas that still need work?
In regards to things that need to be improved upon, housing is probably one of the biggest issues. It was even an issue before the pandemic. The pandemic just exacerbated the disparities that we have when it comes to affordable housing. We have individuals that are trying to rebuild their lives, but they donât have the capacity to do so, and they live in spaces where the requirements to gain housing are sometimes very unreasonable. You say you are charging $800 a month in rent, but you expect the person who is living in that space to make four times the amount of rent. If they made four times the amount in rent, they probably wouldnât choose to stay in that spot.
Also in housing, when it comes to grants and having flexible funding to help meet people where they are. There are some grants that wonât allow you to help people apply and pay for the application fee. Youâre having to figure out where to get funding from, in order to help the need that the clients have. That way they can get to where theyâre trying to be.
If you as an agency can help provide first monthâs rent and a deposit, but they canât even pay the application fee, then theyâre not going to even get to the point where they can pay rent or the deposit.
In recent weeks weâve reported on how members of the LGBTQ+ community have had negative experiences with certain agencies, which causes them to not seek help or reach out. How do you all work as a vessel to help restore their confidence in seeking and receiving help?
We take the approach where we let them know what their options are, because the options are out there. If you would like to report it to the police, you can, but also when youâre dealing with individuals that not only have a mistrust when it comes to dealing with law enforcement or the criminal justice system as a whole, whoever the abuser is to them, that is someone theyâre going to have to deal with. So as service providers, weâre only coming in as a triage. So, long-term, we try to help not only find the information, but resources so that the individuals that are enacted by the violence can stay safe, and be violence-free. Whatever we can do to help support them in that, we allow them the freedom and autonomy to let us know how they would like to move forward. If they do wish to involve law enforcement, then we make ourselves available to accompany them. If it does get to the point where they do go to the court, and they have to go in for a court proceeding, then we go with them so they have support, and connecting them with other agencies to help provide court advocacy. ⌠Not only do they see our face, but they see other individuals that weâre working with, and letting them know that they have a support system there and there are people there that are trying to help them, to help build trust and rapport. Itâs not a sprint, itâs a marathon. Youâre talking about years, decades of trauma that has happened between the LGBTQ+ community and law enforcement.
There are a lot of different things that you help people with. What are your most popular resources?
Our educational sessions are where we have our greatest reach. In 2021, we were able to reach over 27,000 people through the educational stuff that we do. That is a piece of what we do, but a lot of the direct services part, comes more with the crisis intervention. Sometimes we’ll have people who will call us, and they just want to do a safety plan. They just want to know what their options are. They may not want to move forward with getting out of those situations, but sometimes people just need someone to talk, to know that theyâre not crazy for feeling the way that they do, or to reassure them that what theyâre experiencing is not the norm.
