Demand for electricity will likely hit another record peak again Wednesday for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) as its service area remains under bitter cold temperatures.
TVA’s all-time high demand for power came January, 17th 2024 — almost exactly one year ago. At 8 a.m. that day, TVA power sources pumped out 34,524 megawatts to heat homes and businesses for the utility’s nearly 10 million customers.
Memphis Light, Gas & Water (MLGW) said frigid temperatures are driving power demand again. Conditions Wednesday will likely push that demand over last year’s all-time record.
MLGW said its power, water, and natural gas systems “are responding well to frigid temperatures” and that “there has been no impact to our customers.”
The TVA and MLGW will likely call upon those in its Demand Response program to help reduce overall demand. Program participants get recurring payments for agreeing to reduce electricity consumption in response to abnormally high electricity demand. There is no cost to participate.
MLGW asked all of its customers to take voluntary conservation efforts during peak times from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Wednesday morning. Voluntary conservation tips include turning your home’s thermostat down to 68 degrees or less, unplugging electric vehicles, unplugging space heaters, and postponing the use of large appliances like clothes dryers and dishwashers.
Missy Elliott (Photo: Derek Blanks with crowdMGMT), The Killers (Photo: Chris Phelps), and Anderson .Paak (Photo: Israel Ramos)
With the new year barely begun, many of us are still recovering from holiday indulgences, just trying to get it in gear. Not so for the magical elves at Mempho Presents, who have clearly been working overtime to book yet another stellar spring music lineup.
Following last year’s successful debut, RiverBeat will return to the banks of the Mississippi River this May 2nd through 4th, with Missy Elliott, The Killers, and Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals headlining this year’s celebration. Other notable acts include Benson Boone, Cage the Elephant, Khruangbin, Ludacris, Public Enemy, and many more.
As is now standard Mempho practice, the lineup is heavy with local Memphis musicians. Producer Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell will be returning this year with Royal Studios Blues Jam featuring Bobby Rush, Duwayne Burside, Garry Burnside, Kent Burnside and Kinney Kimbrough. WYXR will be presenting the Memphis Rap OGz featuring local artists La Chat, Crunchy Black, Al Kapone, Skinny Pimp, DJ Zirk, Gangsta Pat, and DJ Spanish Fly. And the festival’s Sunday Gospel Celebration is also back, featuring local Memphis gospel legends The Wilkins Sisters, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, The Jubilee Hummingbirds, and Elizabeth King.
“RiverBeat is more than just a music festival — it’s a celebration of Memphis’s rich musical heritage and its vibrant future,” Jeff Bransford, Festival Producer at Mempho Presents, noted in a statement. “From blues and soul to rock and hip-hop, we’re looking forward to our second year as we continue to elevate Memphis’ position as a premier destination for live music and cultural experiences.”
The festival has implemented significant improvements for 2025, including two main entry points — the newly optimized North Entrance that puts attendees immediately in the heart of the action, and the Butler Street entrance, designed to enhance Downtown accessibility and support local businesses. The festival grounds will feature the return of a Ferris wheel, family-friendly activities, diverse food vendors, and nightly fireworks displays.
While some of the national acts featured have long employed local musicians, as when local axe man Khari Wynn plays guitar for Public Enemy, many full-fledged local acts will also appear, such as MonoNeon, FreeWorld, Iron Mic Coalition, Lina Beach, Salo Pallini, Black Cream, Joybomb, Jombi, Deaf Revival, the Neckbones, and Asheville-Memphis hybrid band The Hypos.
Three-day general admission tickets go on sale today at a discounted rate of $199 and VIP at $849, including all fees. The daily lineup will be announced in early February along with sales of single-day general admission and VIP tickets. Visit RiverBeat.com for more information.
Santi Aldama dunks the ball in the win against San Antonio. (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images.)
The Memphis Grizzlies closed out their four-game road trip with a massive 140-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs and head home with a 3-1 record for the stretch.
Ja Morant was sidelined for this matchup with a sore foot, but that proved to be no problem at all for this Grizzlies team. Head coach Taylor Jenkins opted to move Luke Kennard into the starting lineup in Morant’s place, over Scotty Pippen Jr., a move which ultimately paid off for Memphis. Pippen Jr. has struggled offensively lately, averaging just 3.8 points over the past five games.
This was a bona-fide drag them into the mud and beat them there win for Memphis. After a rocky first half that had them trailing by one at the break, the Grizzlies found their offensive groove in the third quarter, outscoring San Antonio 40-22 in the period.
Once the Grizzlies took the lead in the third, the Spurs could not recover. Memphis closed the quarter with an 18-2 run.
The fourth quarter basically saw the Grizzlies running up the score, leading by as many as 31 points in the period.
There are many positive things to take away from this win: a career-scoring night from Santi Aldama, who had 29 points;, Luke Kennard thriving in the starting lineup, and improved ball-handling and offensive efficiency, and single-digit turnovers. For a team that has been plagued by turnovers all season long, that last one is a big deal.
Santi Aldama led all scorers with his career-high 29 points, adding 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal on 10 of 19 overall shooting and 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.
Desmond Bane closed out with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 14 assists, and 3 steals.
Jaylen Wells added another 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 8 of 11 overall shooting and 6 of 8 from three-point range.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finished with 19 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. Kennard put up 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists. Brandon Clarke added 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
Who Got Next?
The Grizzlies return home Monday, January 20th, for their 23rd annual MLK Day game, facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
This will be a nationally broadcast game; fans can watch it on TNT and FanDuel Sports Network. Tip-off is at 1:30 PM CST.
A local nonprofit is working to increase awareness of the services they offer for immigrants as promises made by Governor Bill Lee may soon come to fruition – with harmful consequences.
Earlier this week the governor called for a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly on January 27 to discuss a number of topics such as illegal immigration. Officials said this is to prepare for the implementation of policies introduced by the incoming Trump administration.
“The American people elected President Trump with a mandate to enforce immigration laws and protect our communities, and Tennessee must have the resources ready to support the Administration on Day One,” a statement from Lee’s office said.
Prior to this announcement, Lee said he would work with state law enforcement agencies to conduct deportations. He also signed a statement along with 25 other Republican governors announcing their commitment to the Trump administration’s effort to deport what they referred to as “illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security” and “dangerous criminals, gang members, and terrorists.”
“We understand the direct threat these criminal illegal immigrants pose to public safety and our national security, and we will do everything in our power to assist in removing them from our communities,” the statement added.
Casey Bryant, the executive director and founder for Advocates for Immigrant Rights is making sure that the community is aware of the resources available to them in light of these threats.
“The real danger in that is creating a police state where someone who looks suspicious in some way to someone could be wrapped up in a system that doesn’t grant basic due process rights to people,” Bryant said. “It doesn’t just make this world more dangerous and insecure for people who are non-citizens, but it makes it more dangerous and insecure for people who look like non-citizens — whatever that means.”
When policies like these, which rely on visual identification, Bryant added they end up “degrading the rights of the whole.”
Bryant started Advocates for Immigrant Rights in October 2018, after realizing the gap in resources for immigrants given the landscape that the previous Trump administration created. The organization has evolved from a two-people operation to one with 17 staff members, including five staff attorneys – three of which are located in Memphis. Bryant and her team represent people in immigration courts and immigration offices across Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi.
Advocates for Immigrant Rights also provides wraparound services such as social services.
Bryant said that this increased vigilance could also lead to resources having an increased workload such as the facilities needed to process and hold noncitizens if they’ve been detained. These include the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities along with places in between arriving there.
She added that immigration courts that already have an “immense” backlog of cases could be affected.
“Adding more cases to that means that they won’t get processed for like 10 years,” Bryant said. “It puts people in a state of limbo for a long time, and it’s just impracticable. In the meantime it creates fear and suspicion in communities and non-citizens aren’t going to be able to engage confidently in society.”
In hopes of helping immigrants engage in society confidently, Bryant and her team make sure to stay visible in these communities as well.
“Our relationship isn’t just moored in a service provision,” Bryant said. “Even if our interactions are only transactional, each interaction has the same mentality that we’re not above them. We’re not sitting in an ivory tower. We’re just people wearing jeans and a t-shirt interacting with people who may not know what we know, but obviously they know other stuff, so we try to build rapport and confidence.”
Bryant stressed that there are way more people who need their services, than those who can provide. As a result Bryant encourages people to donate to their organization as they are a nonprofit.
“Another thing individual people can do is acknowledge the shared humanity and dignity of our neighbors who may not have the same kind of privilege to have been born in our country and take it for granted,” Bryant said. “Non-citizens have to know more than we do before they get to be a citizen.”
It’s extremely important to refute ill-informed rhetoric that can be spewed by media outlets and “mouths at family dinner tables.”
“We have a community here that has to deal with different issues and being more understanding of what those issues are will help us unite as a people,” Bryant said.
Courtesy: Institute for Public Service Reporting Memphis
This story was originally published by the Institute for Public Service Reporting Memphis.
When Ashlie Bell-Seibers hears about congressional plans to slash Medicaid spending, she thinks about children she knows in Tennessee.
Children like Asher, 12, who sees 17 specialists and who is able to live and be cared for at home because she receives special coverage through TennCare, the state’s Medicaid program.
Then there’s Claire, age 10, who was born with a rare genetic condition that required life-saving open-heart surgery covered by TennCare.
And Aundrea, 8, one of three children in her family with hearing loss, Her growing body requires new and expensive hearing aids covered by TennCare.
Trip, who died at age 2, and whose chemotherapy treatments were covered by TennCare.
“He would have suffered more and died sooner without those treatments,” said Bell-Seibers, who works to support children and youth with special healthcare needs as director of Family Voices of Tennessee at the Tennessee Disability Coalition in Nashville.
Bell-Seibers and other safety net advocates are bracing for severe cuts in federal programs that provide food and health care to millions of lower-income adults and children in Tennessee.
Republican congressional leaders are looking for $2.5 trillion in budget cuts to pay for tax cuts for wealthier individuals and corporations, among other priorities of the incoming Trump administration.
Two of the largest targets seem to be Medicaid (called TennCare here) and SNAP (formerly called food stamps).
“These are massive cuts, bigger than anything we’ve ever encountered,” Gordon Bonnyman, staff attorney and co-founder of the Tennessee Justice Center (TJC) in Nashville, told dozens of safety net advocates in a zoom meeting last week. “They’re going to happen very fast and they’re going to hurt a lot of people.”
Bonnyman said the massive budget cuts will be “camouflaged” in the arcane congressional budget reconciliation process, which is “filibuster-proof,” requiring the approval of a simple majority of members of Congress.
“There are infinite and complex ways for Congress to cut safety net programs without calling them cuts,” Bonnyman said. “Any significant cuts will hurt people.”
Some programs already have been cut.
Four days before Christmas, Congress declined to extend a program that allowed states to replace stolen SNAP benefits with federal funds.
SNAP benefits are delivered on cards with magnetic stripes (and not more secure microchips) that are vulnerable to skimming. States have replaced more than $150 million in stolen benefits since January 2023. More than 11,000 Tennessee families have had their benefits stolen.
“Punishing Tennessee families who are the unwitting victims of crime is exactly the sort of government inefficiency that Donald Trump and his team vowed to root out,” said Signe Anderson, TJC’s senior director of nutrition services.
Punishing Tennessee families who are the unwitting victims of crime is exactly the sort of government inefficiency that Donald Trump and his team vowed to root out.
Signe Anderson, Tennessee Justice Center’s senior director of nutrition services.
The TJC and other advocates filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday to hold Tennessee’s Department of Human Services “accountable for its persistent failure to determine eligibility for SNAP benefits on time, in violation of federal law, resulting in significant harm to low-income households.”
Last summer, a federal judge in Nashville found that the state unlawfully terminated Medicaid coverage for tens of thousands of poor families and violated their rights. “Poor, disabled, and otherwise disadvantaged Tennesseans should not require luck, perseverance, and zealous lawyering to receive healthcare benefits they are entitled to under the law,” U.S. Dist. Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw wrote.
Meanwhile, advocates also are working to persuade Gov. Bill Lee to reverse his decision to forfeit federal funds for a program that provides free summer meals for up to 700,000 Tennessee children.
The Summer EBT program provides eligible families who have school-age children with a debit card preloaded with $40 a month per child. The card can only be used to buy food in June, July and August.
In a statement from Lee’s office, the governor said the Summer EBT program is a “pandemic-era” program that is “mostly duplicative.” He blamed “administrative cost burdens” as the reason he chose “not to renew our participation.”
But Congress made the program permanent in 2023. Tennessee received $78 million in federal funds for summer EBT last year and spent $5.7 million administering the program. Lee rejected $1.1 million in federal funds that could have been used to offset state costs this summer.
In a letter to Lee last week, U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Memphis), asked the governor to opt back into the Summer EBT program by the Feb. 15 deadline.
“Feeding our children is not just a matter of public policy,” Cohen wrote. “It is a moral imperative. Well-nourished children are better able to learn, grow, and lead healthy, well-adjusted lives.”
Summer EBT is a nutrition program run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which also runs the much larger Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps.
SNAP costs the federal government about $110 billion a year. It’s one of the federal government’s largest entitlement programs, and one of the largest targets for budget cuts.
“It is also the most effective anti-hunger program in the U.S.,” Anderson said.
In Tennessee last year, SNAP benefits — which average $180 a month per household — helped about 820,000 residents, or about 12 percent of the state’s population.
Seventy-one percent are families with children. Thirty-five percent are seniors or disabled adults. Thirty-seven percent are working adults.
Medicaid, one of the largest non-military programs in the federal budget, seems to be the most vulnerable target for massive budget cuts in Washington.
Medicaid is a joint federal-state program that covers acute and long-term health care for groups of people with low income, primarily families with dependent children, elderly people (65 or older), and nonelderly people with disabilities.
One in five Tennesseans rely on Medicaid (TennCare) for healthcare and for protection from medical bankruptcy. That includes half of the state’s children, nearly two-thirds of the state’s nursing home residents, and half of pregnant mothers.
TennCare is the principal source of funding for rural healthcare, including drug and mental health treatment and prevention.
“We need to keep reminding lawmakers what these programs do for not just us, but what they do for the success of all Americans. Before these programs get cut, the time to remind lawmakers is right now,” said Jeff Strand, director of public policy for the Tennessee Disability Coalition.
The federal government spends more than $600 billion on Medicaid each year. States add another $200 billion.
Tennessee spends about $1.4 billion on TennCare, an amount exceeded only by K-12 public education.
Republican congressional leaders are looking at several options for reducing Medicaid’s overall cost.
• Imposing a “per capita cap”, a limit on total funding per enrollee, on federal Medicaid funding. Each state would be assigned its own initial per capita cap based on the state’s current or historical spending. That amount would be set to increase each year, but at a rate below the growth in per capita health care spending. Thus, the cuts would increase over time.
• Turning Medicaid into a block grant program. States would receive a fixed dollar amount each year that wouldn’t adjust for changes in enrollment. Currently, federal funding automatically increases as enrollment or costs increase at the state level. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the caps would cut federal spending by between $450 billion and $900 billion over nine years.
• Reducing “provider taxes” states can impose on hospitals, nursing homes and other health care providers as well as on Medicaid managed care plans. States use the taxes to offset their own costs for administering Medicaid programs. Restricting those taxes would force states to cut Medicaid enrollments and programs.
“These proposals would dramatically change Medicaid’s funding structure, deeply cut federal funding, and shift costs and financial risks to states,” the nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported last week. “Faced with large and growing reductions in federal funding, states would cut eligibility and benefits, leaving millions of people without health coverage and access to needed care.”
“These proposals would dramatically change Medicaid’s funding structure, deeply cut federal funding, and shift costs and financial risks to states,” the nonpartisan Center for Budget and Policy Priorities reported last week. “Faced with large and growing reductions in federal funding, states would cut eligibility and benefits, leaving millions of people without health coverage and access to needed care.”
Safety net cuts could be especially damaging in Tennessee, where Medicaid is one of several social safety-net programs that the state doesn’t fully fund.
As the Institute for Public Service Reporting showed last year, those extra funds could have reduced the state’s child poverty rate by more than a third and the overall poverty rate by more than a quarter. That translates to about 90,000 fewer children under age 18 living in poverty in Tennessee.
In Nashville, Bell-Seibers wonders how many more children and adults she knows will lose access to health care in the coming months and years.
She also thinks about her own childhood battle with pediatric cancer and where she might be today without TennCare.
“TennCare saved my life,” she said. “TennCare allowed me to grow up and become a first-generation college student. TennCare allowed me to break the cycle of poverty in my family.”
Ja Morant goes up for a bucket during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on January 15, 2025. (Photo by: Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Memphis Grizzlies delivered a dominant second-half performance, defeating the San Antonio Spurs 129-115 on Wednesday at Frost Bank Center.
Memphis’ high-powered offense, which averages a league-leading 122.9 points per game, was on full display after a dismal first-half. The Grizzlies also demonstrated their rebounding prowess; they are the second-ranked team in the league with a little over 48 rebounds per game.
It was a tale of two halves, indeed! The Grizzlies trailed 63-51 at halftime but staged an impressive comeback, outscoring San Antonio 78-52 in the second half. The turnaround was sparked by a dominant 43-point third quarter, setting the stage for a much needed win.
Ja Morant had a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, dishing out 12 assists, grabbing four rebounds, and making two steals, all while shooting an impressive 9/13 from the field.
Desmond Bane also delivered a good performance, scoring 21 points on 8/13 shooting, while also contributing three rebounds and two steals. Notably, he scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, playing a crucial role in the Memphis victory, which improved their record to 26-15 on the season.
Memphis’ bench was instrumental, outscoring the Spurs’ bench 57-37. Santi Aldama led the reserves with 20 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 9/15 from the field. Luke Kennard chipped in with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Jay Huff added 11 points. The Grizzlies’ bench depth and versatility played a crucial role in the victory.
Jaren Jackson Jr. had a rough start, shooting 2-for-11 in the first half, and to make matters worse he had to sit most of the 3rd quarter after picking up his fourth personal foul. However, he turned things around in the fourth quarter, scoring 14 of his 19 points, grabbing six rebounds, and issuing two blocks. The performance was a testament to Jackson’s ability to bounce back from a tough start and make an impact on the game.
Turnovers have been an issue for Memphis all season long, but not Wednesday night. The Grizzlies committed just eight for the game. They had six turnovers before halftime, followed by just two in the third quarter, and remarkably, none in the fourth. They didn’t allow the Spurs to capitalize on any turnovers in the second half.
The Dunk That Was
Morant’s poster dunk on Victor Wembanyama was an incredible moment. Even if it didn’t count towards the final score, it counted for entertainment purposes.The dunk, which happened after a whistle blew, had everyone going wild.
The dunk has been making waves online, with some even calling it the “dunk of the year.” Morant’s ability to make highlight-reel plays is one reason why he’s considered “must-see TV” whenever he’s on the court.
Up Next
The Grizzlies will wrap up their two-game series against the Spurs in San Antonio, and their four-game road trip on Friday, January 17, with a tip-off time of 8:30 p.m. CT.¹
Still want to watch PornHub (and other major porn sites) in Tennessee without an ID check? Here’s how: Download a VPN. (We’ll give you some how-to resources below.)
Okay, a VPN may sound a little too complicated or somehow dark-web-ish or law-breaking or something. You can search for porn on social sites like X or Reddit. Easy peasy. (We’ll give you an example of that below, too.)
You probably already know that PornHub and other major porn sites have gone dark in Tennessee. Go to the PornHub site now and you’ll get only this:
Credit: PornHub
That’s Brazzers star Cherie Deville. The actor is also an adult film advocate and ambassador for others in the industry. In the video, Deville explains why PornHub completely disabled access to its site in Tennessee.
”While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, giving your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and in fact, will put children and your privacy at risk,” Deville explains in the video.
“In addition, mandating age verification without proper enforcement gives platforms the opportunity to choose whether or not to comply. As we’ve seen in other states, this just drives traffic to sites with far fewer safety measures in place. Very few sites are able to compare to the robust Trust and Safety measures we currently have in place.”
Deville says the best method to protect children from online pornography is to identify users by their devices and limit access on them. So, instead of PornHub shutting off the entire state of Tennessee, parents could restrict access to the site (and others like it) themselves on their children’s phones, computers, and tablets.
Chief United States District Judge Sheryl Lipman in Memphis agrees. (Or, at least she did in a December 30th ruling.)
Lipman (Credit: United state District Court Western District of Tennessee)
“Ultimately, (Tennessee’s new porn law’s) most glaring flaw is that it is not the least restrictive means of advancing Tennessee’s interest in protecting minors from pornography,” Lipman said. “If there is a less restrictive alternative that would serve the state’s purpose, the state ’must use that alternative.’ [Here, she was quoting from an earlier decision from a lawsuit involving Playboy magazine.]
“Blocking and filtering controls on individual devices are both more effective and less restrictive than the state’s suppression of speech at the source. These applications are more comprehensive than geography-based age restrictions because they prevent children from accessing harmful content no matter where they go, and they cannot be circumvented with a VPN.”
So the GOP-run Tennessee General Assembly’s law is not the most effective way to protect minors from online porn, say a federal judge and an adult film star. Also, Lipman added in her opinion that VPNs are effective ways to skirt Tennessee’s new law and called them ”available, affordable, and effective.”
This technology is available, affordable, and effective.”
Chief United States District Judge Sheryl Lipman
“These programs often come pre-installed on computers and phones, and some are free to download,” Lipman said of VPNs. “Unlike age-verification requirements at the source, parental controls on a device are highly customizable based on the user’s age and sensitivity — they would not prevent adults from accessing protected adult content, but they would prevent minors from accessing it. This technology is available, affordable, and effective.”
How to get a VPN and back to PornHub With No ID
Now, we’re back to VPNs, or “virtual private networks.” So, VPNs encrypt your internet connection and route it through servers in other physical places. Use a VPN, set it up as you like, and websites won’t know you’re in Tennessee (unless you tell them for some reason).
I’m no VPN expert. But the folks at VPNPro definitely are. They have a full run-down on how to get around Tennessee’s new law with a VPN and unlock those website without an ID. Their in-depth process and VPN recommendations are here.
In addition to the VPN work-around, social media is filled with adult content on sites don’t have to collect IDs because Tennessee’s law says more than a third of a website’s content must be porn to trigger the ID law. That being the case, porn that is on, say, X, is still readily available. As of Thursday morning, users could still find adult videos like this one from Deville herself.
Credit: Cherie Deville via XCredit: Cherie Deville via X
No, we’re not going to give you links.
Take note: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to take up a case about a similar law from Texas next week. If it rules the Texas ban unconstitutional, PornHub could again be open for business in Tennessee without requiring an ID.
The Memphis Area Transit Authority’s (MATA) Board of Commissioners voted to enter an agreement to let TransPro consultants assume interim leadership roles.
A resolution was passed 7-1 during today’s special board meeting despite open concerns from citizens. In December MATA’s board of commissioners voted 5-4 in favor of working with the city and TransPro on a contract initiating the change.
As proposed, TransPro employees would take over as interim CEO (John Lewis), interim COO (Steve Hamelin), and interim CFO (Aaron Headley). TransPro said this would be to “enhance the reliability, timeliness, and customer satisfaction of mobility services offered by MATA.”
The resolution indicated that TransPro submitted their “Phase 2 Proposal” to the city of Memphis which outlines a “comprehensive plan” for MATA addressing accountability, service quality, safety, and operational efficiency. This includes reviewing current bus routes, schedules, ridership, and more.
Prior to being approved, the resolution has prompted concerns from riders for multiple reasons such as the cost for their consulting. At the agency’s last board meeting, a board member noted that the “interim part-time CEO” would be making $400K.
TransPro’s oversight will last for eight months, will cost the city $1,298,023, and will be paid in “non-federal funds.” The bulk of the costs stem from labor, totaling $1,018,989. The firm promises their oversight will benefit MATA in many ways including accountability and financial compliance and management.
Community members agree that the agency is in need of new leadership, but believe these funds would better be allocated towards helping ridership directly.
“We have long said that MATA was more concerned about spending money on the leadership than the ridership,” Citizens for Better Service said in a statement. “We need a leadership that will put the ridership first. MATA is in need of new leadership which must begin the process of transforming MATA into a first-class public transportation system.”
Citizens also voiced their concerns during the special meeting, asking the board to consider their well-being in their decision making, while also citing their skepticism for entering a contract with TransPro.
Many also voiced their support for interim CEO Bacarra Mauldin, with some asking that the board give her more time to act in her capacity to help fix the agency’s woes.
Organizations such as Better Transit for A Better Memphis asked that MATA collaborate with them and other advocacy groups in conversations with TransPro moving forward as well.
Prior to the vote — after hearing comments from both citizens and operators — the board stated that this was a “crisis management” move and that the board was responsible for holding TransPro accountable.
A federal appeals panel on Tuesday heard arguments in a case to determine the future of Tennessee voter registration policies that — by some estimates — have disenfranchised half a million state residents with past felony convictions.
A class action lawsuit, filed in 2020 by the Tennessee State Conference of the NAACP and five voters, accuses state officials of establishing byzantine, inequitable, and onerous procedures that effectively prevent qualified voters with past convictions from casting a ballot in violation of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).
A federal judge in Nashville temporarily blocked the state rules in April, but the state successfully appealed to keep them in place ahead of the November 2024 elections while litigation continued.
On Tuesday, an attorney representing the Tennessee attorney general defended state voting right restoration rules before a three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as a lawful exercise of state power and argued the NAACP lacked the legal right to challenge the rules on behalf of voters.
“The NVRA ensures eligible applicants can register to vote but it also exists to protect the integrity of the election process,” said Philip Hammersley, assistant solicitor general. “Tennessee’s [restoration] policy furthers both aims by providing election officials what they need to distinguish between felons who are eligible to vote and those who are not.”
Hammersley focused much of the state’s arguments in disputing the NAACP had legal standing to file suit at all.
The Tennessee civil rights organization, Hammersley argued, was too “attenuated” — or removed from direct harm by state rules that apply to individuals seeking to restore their voting rights — to have standing to sue.
“NAACP would have to show [state] policy coerced or forced individuals to go to the NAACP and enlist their help, and that is simply not what is happening here,” Hammersley said. “There are many different voluntary steps that those individuals take before the NAACP gets involved.”
“Tennessee NAACP is in the business of registering voters,” she said. “It has been in the business of registering voters for all of its storied history, and it will continue to be in the business of registering voters regardless of Tennessee’s actions.
“And when you make it harder to register voters, you make it harder for groups that are in the business of registering voters,” said Lang, senior director of voting rights for the Campaign Legal Center.
Under state law, individuals who have completed their sentences for felony convictions have pathways to regain their voting rights.
They can either obtain a pardon from the governor or petition a judge. The process also requires proof that all court fines and fees have been paid. Fewer than 1 percent of applicants succeed in obtaining court relief and fewer than 3 percent obtain clemency.
In addition, applicants have to legally regain their ability to carry a weapon.
Overall, nearly 10 percent of the Tennessee electorate — 470,000 people — have lost their right to vote due to past felony convictions, including one in five Black residents of voting age.
Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.
Law enforcement, local advocates and liaisons are encouraging a “connect the dots” approach to ending human trafficking, while also helping those who have been victims.
RestoreCorps by Freed Life held a virtual panel Tuesday entitled “Connecting The Dots: Strengthening Communities. Preventing Trafficking.” The panel discussed anti-trafficking work and also shed light onto the current work being done in Memphis.
Panelists included Rachel Haaga, CEO and co-founder of Restore Corps; Lydia Crivens, deputy director for Memphis Child Advocacy Center; Tunnisha Deer, advocacy supervisor for the Crime Victims Rape Crisis Center; Sergeant Star Handley of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program for Memphis Police Department; Phillis Lewis, CEO of Love Doesn’t Hurt; Kristen Murray, a case manager of the human trafficking task force for the Department of Children’s Services; and Semaria Shaw, director of survivor services for Restore Corps.
Given the scope of the panelists and the organizations they represent, Haaga noted that Memphis exemplifies a sequential way of approaching the problem, with many working in proactive ways to monitor the issue, while others may work on victim recovery.
“Many of those dots have already been connected in terms of relational and organizational webbing,” Haaga said. Haaga gave what she referred to as an “oversimplified” view on the issue which is that demand creates supply in terms of human trafficking.
“Demand creates exploitation,” Haaga said. “If traffickers didn’t think there was money to be made — there’s a market to exploit vulnerable people — then they wouldn’t be in the game.”
In speaking to demand reduction, Handley said Memphis has a unique problem due to its location near two major interstates. He said this often creates consistent demand, making the city known for trafficking throughout the country.
“We as law enforcement try our best to monitor the situation,” Handley said. “Our Vice and Narcotics units go out and do a significant job to try and deter it. They do reverse sting operations, they do enforcement operations where they try to identify minors [and] frequent flyers.”
Handley added that “frequent” locations for people to solicit sexual acts include Lamar Avenue, Elvis Presley Boulevard, Summer Avenue, and Chelsea Avenue.
Officials also noted that the ways people become involved in trafficking have changed significantly throughout the years, with many using digital spaces such as MegaPersonals, Doublelist, Tag.com, and dating platforms such as Tinder.
Lewis explained that some populations tend to be more vulnerable due to their sexual orientation and identities, such as those she works with at Love Doesn’t Hurt. She said she has seen people become dependent on other people out of survival or isolation.
“A lot of times within the LGBTQ+ community you’ll have people who do survival sex in order to make sure they have a place to live because they don’t have a support system outside of [a] particular person,” Lewis said. “That individual knows that, and they exploit that.”
Shaw also said that those who exploit these individuals out of closeness and proximity can be privy to information that can move them into the “sex trafficking industry.” She also said people can enter into this behavior to help with things such as rent — not knowing the danger of the situation.
Those who don’t speak a native language and are having difficulty navigating an environment can also be at a higher risk.
Murray added that runaway youth and those with substance disorders are also at heightened risk for trafficking. She said it’s an issue that doesn’t discriminate, and they see both female and male victims.
Crivens emphasized the fact that Tennessee is a mandatory reporting state when dealing with children and minors, and encouraged people to be cognizant of changed behavior in these individuals. “If you suspect it, that’s when you report it as a mandated reporter,” Crivens said. “When you notice those changes in the children, someone else taking more interest in the child — we want you to report it. “
Crivens added that they’d rather for investigators to find that the child is safe, than for it to go unreported and the child be in harm.
The panelists encouraged the community as well as local and governmental organizations to be explicit in their line of questioning, as most people don’t see themselves as victims or survivors of trafficking. They also continued to hone in on collaboration and concerted efforts from all agencies.
“We can’t all do this work alone,” Crivens said. “We have to work with our primary agencies, our community agencies, nonprofits in the community to spread the awareness on how to recognize it — how to respond. It’s a community and a collaborative effort.”
