The AM/DM

Election Day is Thursday, and you've probably heard us say it a million times, but we have lots of free resources to study up on before you go to the polls. Holly Whitfield gives you our election coverage rundown.

Plus:

• District Attorney Steve Mulroy warns about misleading endorsement ballots
• Memphis Escape Rooms expands to Bartlett
• International Paper beats profit expectations
• SpaceXAI has built another Memphis data center

It's hot, hot, hot, so do Fido a solid this weekend, and take him to a pool party.

On today's AM/DM podcast, Kelsey Bowen and Bianca Phillips go to the dogs. They talk about Streetdog Foundation's Summer Splash — essentially a pool party for dogs — and, of course, they talk about their own dogs, Margot, Tater and Ella.

They've also got a rundown of events for humans — all of them indoors and out of the heat.

Plus:

• UTHSC and others expand community health hubs with a $4M investment]
• Collierville is tapping the brakes on e-bike use
• Dave's Hot Chicken plans to open in Poplar Plaza

In early 2024, after months of rumors about it, an outdoor entertainment project was announced for Bartlett. Called The Ramble on Summer, it was going to be located at the former Bartlett Nursery site and patterned after Memphis' Loflin Yard or Railgarten.

It's now mid-2026, and the project is moving forward. But it's doing so with newly disclosed investors. Adding to all of this, one of the same people behind The Ramble also opened Ragin' Cajun Seafood and Po'Boys — and its future is far from clear.

Joining us today is suburbs reporter Michael Waddell to talk about where both developments stand.

Plus:

• FedEx is laying off nearly 150 workers in the St. Louis area
• Fourth of July crowds boost Downtown businesses and hotels
• Cheffie's is closing the Collierville cafe
• A community health hub opens in Raleigh
• Barefoot Bride is returning to it roots
• A Utah company buys Collierville land near the Mike Rose Soccer Complex

A new seafood restaurant slated for the former Fancy's space Downtown. A bagel shop opening a new location seven times as big as its first. A Memphis couple pivoting back to dips after a restaurant fire. And a restaurant with a "lights on but no one's home" vibe that finally opens with a menu and staff.

Those are all recent storylines from the Memphis food scene, and reporter Sophia Surrett is here to talk about them all in another restaurant roundup.

Plus:

• A family alleges that officers left a Shelby County inmate to die
• The Germantown mayoral race may be contested
• A robot helps with knee surgery at Saint Francis Hospital
• The Commission approves $125M in loans for the county
• The Memphis Zoo receives a big donation from the family of Fred Smith
• Tate Reeves appoints a DeSoto County judge to the state Supreme Court

Earlier this month, The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman broke the news that the City of Memphis was investigating potential ethics violations. Two City Council members and a City Council staffer were said to be involved, but details about that involvement were scant. Today, Samuel Hardiman is back for part two of our discussion into what we know, what we don't and what this all means, including some of the fallout.

Plus:

• Rodney Baber Park is back on solid ground after years of flooding
• The historic Daisy Theater begins renovations after a 2025 fire
• Grant & Co. moves ahead on the 300-unit Levee apartments in Cordova
• Tower Garden is growing by helping teachers plant roots

This week sees International Paper holding its second-quarter earnings call, and they should have lots to talk about. We'll also have the Shelby County Board of Commissioners meeting, Ducks Unlimited's annual expo and Sun of a Vegan closing.

Newsletter editor Bianca Phillips is here to tell us all about it.

Plus:

• Mid-South Immigration Advocates is set to close after federal funds cease
• The first half of 2026 sees a continued decline in crime
• Democrats in Shelby County are voting early in higher numbers compared to 2022
• Roundup at Arkabutla Lake concerns DeSoto County residents
• Contemporary Media joins a Seattle-based media network
• A Singapore-based company buys North Memphis warehouses from Cargill

If you've been wanting to bust a move, or just plie a little bit, this is the weekend to do it. Bianca Phillips is here to talk about it all.

Plus:

• A federal panel denies an injunction in the combined case against TN's new congressional maps
• A new bakery Downtown opens in a local restaurant
• The health department reports there are 11 cases of cyclosporiasis in Shelby County
• A new historic marker honors Tom Lee and his Klondike community
• Hardee's is down to one Memphis location
• Southaven bans broken blinds

Earlier this month, The Daily Memphian's Sam Hardiman broke the news that the City of Memphis was investigating potential ethics violations. Two City Council members and a City Council staffer were said to be involved, but details about that involvement were scant.

Today, Hardiman is here for part one of our discussion into what we know, what we don't and what this all means.

Plus:

• GG Jackson is now the longest-tenured Grizzly
• No charges are filed against the DEA officer in the first Task Force shooting
• A measles case is reported in Shelby County
• The City Council rules that The Station can stay open

The state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools has garnered a lot of attention over the past two years.

But, due to a new state law this year, the state is also taking over a few other boards. Namely, the boards of Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Nashville International Airport and Memphis International Airport. In the Bluff City, the change has largely been met with a shrug. But that's not the case in Nashville.

Today, we're joined by Steve Bohnel to talk about what this means for the airport moving forward and why locals in Memphis and Nashville may have reacted differently.

Plus:

• The city discusses how to spend $3.3M in tax money collected from SpaceXAI
• The future of the Grizzlies franchise came into picture at summer league
• Kiddie Academy in Arlington is expected to get a renovation and a new building
• CodeCrew receives $1M from Anthropic to build a national tech HQ in North Memphis
• The U of M Public Safety Institute spearheads a plan to address domestic violence
• Germantown steps up with a trail upgrade for runners, walkers and cyclists
• Tennessee partners with Youth Villages to provide support for families after a crisis

In the past year, LeMoyne-Owen College has quietly grown its property holdings from 17 to 20 acres. While that might not sound like much, it's an almost 18% increase in the size of the campus. As they often do, the property transactions point to a larger transformation. In LeMoyne-Owen's case, that includes growing enrollment, adding more classroom space and even rebranding.

Today, real estate reporter Andy Ashby joins us to talk about it.

Plus:

• More than 9,000 cast early and absentee ballots in the first two days of early voting
• Businesses scramble to adjust as a $6M makeover closes Front Street
• Hive East Memphis is to open by late August with more than bagels
• There are ways MSCS may improve if the Tennessee takeover succeeds