The AM/DM

Editorial director Mary Cashiola and newsletter editor Bianca Phillips discuss the week ahead, and the week ahead signals the beginning of fall festival season. Cooper-Young Festival is on the horizon, along with the Friday night 4-miler, and a new hummingbird festival is alighting on Southaven.

Plus:

• Memphis Tigers won against the Georgia State Panthers on Saturday
• Questions surround the new trial for the former officers convicted in Tyre Nichols' death
• The judge in the police union vs. City of Memphis case recuses herself
• A new plan for the Arthur property in Germantown is on the table
• The Memphis Zoo expands the Free Tuesdays program
• Ballet Memphis names its first executive director
• Memphis area home sales are down

During this episode of The AM/DM, editorial director Mary Cashiola and newsletter editor Bianca Phillips talk about all the fun events happening in the Mid-South this week.

One is asking participants to wear mocha mousse while another will give you the chance to hear from someone "big in fermentation circles." And another will offer 73 straight minutes of cat videos.

• A teen and mother have been charged in a 901 Day Beale Street Shooting
• Stephen Malkmus and Kurt Vile will headline the 2025 Raised by Sound Fest
• The Civil Rights Museum announces the Freedom Award honorees
• Southaven makes a proposal to offset the property tax assessment changes
• The new Liza's Library at St. Mary's honors the late teacher's love for reading
• Apartments and townhomes are coming to Cooper-Young
• Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Roderick Richmond rebuts arguments for a state takeover

The three former Memphis police officers who were convicted in federal court over the 2023 death of Tyré Nichols are getting a new criminal trial.The move comes after news broke last week that U.S. District Judge Mark Norris, who presided over their first trial, made disparaging comments about the former officers and the Memphis police department as a whole.

But Norris' comments themselves stem from the shooting of a law clerk shortly after the federal trial. With the new trial, there is now potential for the men to be completely exonerated over Nichols' death.

On this episode of The AM/DM, we'll talk about all that and what this could mean for Nichols' family's lawsuit against the City of Memphis.

Plus: Tennessee officials said they are appealing a recent court ruling that invalidated two state gun laws, the University of Memphis board approves a $100,000 bonus for President Bill Hardgrave, a South Korean manufacturer plans a $50 million expansion in Memphis, Memphis Mayor Paul Young says his police reforms task force is not moving as fast as he expected, the woman accused of fatally shooting a local pastor is charged, a former cop convicted in Tyre Nichols' death wants out of custody and a teen was shot on Beale Street amid 901 Day celebrations.

Editorial director Mary Cashiola and arts and culture editor Elle Perry discuss the arts scene in Memphis, including The Daily Memphian's new arts newsletter. Perry reveals how she became interested in the arts at an early age, and the two discuss the wonder the arts can inspire in those both young and old.

Plus, a police report sheds light on a shooting that led to a federal judge's recusal, Memphis is set to host Arkansas in a preseason game benefitting St. Jude, an indoor golf simulator is planned for Southaven, luxury apartments have been approved for the former Hy-Vee site in Bartlett and why companies are storing solar equipment in Memphis.

In this post-Labor Day episode, editorial director Mary Cashiola and newsletter editor Bianca Phillips talk about the week ahead, including anniversaries of two local tragedies, 30 Days of Opera and the annual Running of the Weenies.

Plus, a new study says Memphis doesn't need a new jail, the majority of the MATA board has quit, the latest attempt to revive a South Main building has fallen apart, a new era of tourism begins for the Landers Center, a MSCS activist was arrested for violating a board member's restraining order, Carrefour begins demolition and a Shelby County director has been indicted on a dozen felony charges.

Today, editorial director Mary Cashiola and newsletter editor Bianca Phillips help shepherd you through the Labor Day weekend and into 901 Day fun.

Plus, Shelby County gets two new judges, plans for a new Regional One campus move forward, a desire for tax increment financing help on Union Depot in Bartlett has hit a snag, FedEx lays off hundreds in Shelby County and a Downtown college campus is listed for sale after the property went into foreclosure.

Hernandez Govan, the man accused of masterminding the murder of Memphis rapper Young Dolph in 2021, was acquitted after a three-day trial last week. Prosecutors alleged that Govan hired the two men who shot Adolph Thornton Jr., known in music as Young Dolph.

Today, editorial director Mary Cashiola and criminal justice reporter Aarron Fleming talk about why those claims might have fallen short with Govan's attorney arguing another man played a larger role in Thornton's death.

Plus, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner says a new jail wouldn't fix everything, an advanced analytics website predicts how the Memphis Tigers basketball team will fare this season, UTHSC hopes to create a model for improving rural health care, two area legislators want TBI to audit MPD crime stats, MSCS student numbers have dropped at the start of the school year and the Tennessee Supreme Court halts MPD demotions.

The University of Memphis started classes this week, but in the run-up to the fall semester, we learned that almost 200 Ghanaian students had been allowed to re-enroll, the university has closed the hotel part of its teaching hotel and, in addition, was closing its Office of Multicultural Affairs, in accordance with state law.

Today, editorial director Mary Cashiola talks with The Daily Memphian's Jody Callahan about all three of those developments.

Plus, a former Grizzlies star highlights the 2025 Memphis Sports Hall of Fame, Northwest Mississippi Community College has achieved a 100% licensure test pass rate for the last three years, the former Firestone site is a brownfield, MSCS is to decide the fate of Elvis' alma mater and beer rules are changing in Collierville.

Some area leaders believe the county needs to build a new jail, but one question is how to pay for it. A group of developers has a possible solution — and a possible site. They've pitched the idea of relocating the county's entire criminal justice complex to the former Firestone site in North Memphis and doing a billion-dollar lease-to-own deal.

Today, editorial director Mary Cashiola and commercial real estate reporter Dima Amro discuss the financial terms of the deal and how a similar lease-to-own agreement was used in Kansas.

Plus, Richard Smith is expected to be elected to FedEx's board of directors, the Tigers released their first depth chart of the 2025 season, a former Memphis Tiger has been suspended by FIBA, MPD is opening a new Mt. Moriah police station, three Memphis TV stations could soon have one owner, Southaven's KIRBY is releasing a new album and Brooks Museum curators want Memphis to be nationally known for Black art.

Editorial director Mary Cashiola and newsletter editor Bianca Phillips talk about the week ahead, including Liza's run returning, more conversations about a possible new jail, and colleges being back in class.

Plus, the University of Memphis dismantles DEI efforts, longtime tennis coach Paul Sax retires, Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. and Shelby County Trustee Regina Newman are separately suing Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris' administration, President Donald Trump tells KWAM he is reluctant to endorse in the GOP primary for governor, Southwest Airlines adds more flights for three major cities and there are more big changes for International Paper.