Editor’s note: An earlier version of this column xAI permit would allow it to emit more than 87 tons of nitrogen oxides per year. The company’s permit allows for them to emit up to 87.14 tons, and it is possible that they will be emitting less.

Good morning, Memphis! It’s Monday, July 7, and I hope you had a relaxing and firework-filled Fourth of July. Today is World Chocolate Day, so here’s an Ice Cream Brownie Sundae Pie recipe from our archives that won’t even require an oven on this 90-degree day. (That is, if you buy prepared brownies from a store.)

THE NEED TO KNOW

Turbines power xAI’s supercomputer in Southwest Memphis. (Benjamin Naylor/The Daily Memphian file)

xAI fight: As you no doubt heard last week, Elon Musk’s xAI got its permit to run 15 natural-gas turbines as back-up power for its Southwest Memphis supercomputer. That permit will allow xAI to emit up to 87.14 tons of nitrogen oxides per year. Since xAI is next to Valero and a Tennessee Valley Authority plant — also both major polluters — the people who live near the facilities are especially concerned. The Daily Memphian’s Samuel Hardiman looks into the issue of pollution in South Memphis.

More than 13,000 students are learning English in Memphis schools, according to state data. (The Daily Memphian file)

Language gap: Memphis-Shelby County Schools could lose $17 million in federal funds, as part of nearly $7 billion that President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed eliminating from school districts across the country. Some of that money at MSCS funds teacher development and translators that help students learn English. Congress hasn’t yet voted on withdrawing the funds, but the money is currently under a review that claims the funds were “grossly misused to subsidize a radical leftwing agenda.” 

The Daily Memphian dove into the numbers behind the percentages recently shared by the Memphis Police Department. (Rob Moore/The Daily Memphian file)

Crime by the numbers: Last week, the Memphis Police Department reported that crime is trending down at a higher rate through the first half of this year than it did through the first half of 2024. But the reported numbers were percentage declines, and unless you’re a math nerd, that probably doesn’t tell you much. So, our team dove into actual numbers for homicides, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft, robbery and more. You can see the year-to-date comparison for the past six years in these handy charts.

SWITCH-ing things up: The Youth Villages SWITCH program is putting a dent in juvenile crime. The program offers therapy, educational and employment support and connections to other resources to young people with legal issues. And a new study from the University of Memphis shows how well it’s working. Among the findings: After enrollment in SWITCH, the number of minors who had at least one delinquency/criminal charge fell from 165 people to just 35. 

QUOTED

President Donald Trump nominated Mitch Graves to the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors on June 30. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

“I think nuclear energy ... is in our future. As the president tries to bring businesses back ... we’ve got to have the power to be able to do that.”

— Mitch Graves, nominee for the Tennessee Valley Authority board
Graves, the CEO of West Cancer Center and a longtime member of Memphis Light, Gas and Water’s board, was nominated to the TVA board by President Donald Trump. In an interview with The Daily Memphian, Graves says he’ll push for TVA to increase electricity generation.

THE NICE TO KNOW

The tombstone of Robert and Mary Mann lies broken just off the Tour de Wolf trail at Shelby Farms Park. (Bianca Phillips/The Daily Memphian)

A grave mystery: Trail runners and hikers have long known about the broken gravestone of Robert and Mary Mann, located about three miles into the Tour de Wolf trail at Shelby Farms Park. The grave, inscribed with “In memory of our father and mother,” says the couple died in 1891. But how it got there has been a bit of a mystery — until now. In the latest Ask the Memphian, Jody Callahan talks with a Shelby Farms volunteer and a Cordova historian to learn who the Manns were, how they died, why they’re buried in the park and who else might be buried there.

The Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread at Ciao Bella Italian Grill and Bar is perfect for staving off midday hunger. (Ellen Chamberlain/The Daily Memphian)

Fancy for lunch: If you’re looking to step up your lunch game from fast food to figgy flatbread, The Daily Memphian’s Ellen Chamberlain has just the thing. She stopped into East Memphis’ Ciao Bella, where you can get a quick Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread for under $20. And since it’s lunch, you might not be able to eat the whole thing at once, so she’s got some pro tips for reheating your leftovers. In other food news, if you’ve been longing for Pancho’s Green Dressing (RIP), locally run company Oh Grate! can help you get your fix.

Brussel’s Bonsai displays a 100-year-old-plus tree. There are about 100,000 bonsai at the nursery. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)

Branching out: Did you know the largest bonsai nursery in the entire United States is in Olive Branch? (I’ve lived in Memphis for more than 20 years, and I had no idea.) Brussel Martin, owner of Brussel’s Bonsai, claims his shop is “10 times bigger than anybody else.” At Brussel’s, you can buy bonsai trees ranging from $20 to $20,000 — anything from “a Volkswagen to a Lamborghini,” according to Martin. The Daily Memphian’s Nick Lingerfelt takes a look around the nursery and talks with the owner about what exactly is bonsai. (Turns out, it’s not a type of plant.)

Houston Rockets center Jock Landale, who the Memphis Grizzlies are signing, reacted during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, Feb. 6, in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr/AP file)

No more Huff Stuff: We can say goodbye to those flashy Jay Huff reverse dunks. The team traded Huff to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, a move that opened up space for the Grizzlies to sign center Jock Landale. He’s expected to play a big role (literally) as big man Zach Edey recovers from surgery. And in other Grizz news, the Summer League team got some sweet playoff revenge in the Salt Lake City Summer League opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team cruised to a 92-80 victory, thanks in part to Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson. 

Germantown first-ever mural will look like an old postcard. (Courtesy City of Germantown)

Have mural, will travel: Germantown, the suburb known for its business-sign design rules and (until recently) restrictions on certain holiday decor, is getting a little more color. The suburb has commissioned an artist to create the city’s first mural (yes, you read that right), which will look like a 20th-century Germantown postcard with all sorts of nods to the city’s culture (think horses, churches and wiener dogs). And in a move that’s uniquely Germantown, the mural won’t be painted on a wall. 

THIS WEEK’S WEATHER

We’re definitely in July now. It’s going to be hot and maybe a little wet. 

Have a great day, and try to stay cool.

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