Coronavirus live blog, April 13: Tennessee up to 5,610 cases, 109 deaths
The state reports 1,331 confirmed cases in Shelby County.
Bill Dries
Reporter
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for more than 40 years.
There are 3661 articles by Bill Dries :
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May 2020
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Coronavirus -
Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 15: County approves $2.5M for virus expenses
Shelby County Commission has approved spending $2.5 million for coronavirus testing and other expenses related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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April 2020
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Podcasts Politics Podcast: DeBerry’s fall, Lee’s call and is the public invited to the decision on new voting machines?
The Daily Memphian talks with Deborah Fisher of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government about the prospect of an Election Commission vote on new voting machines without the public being able to see bids for the contract.
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Business Local leaders face ‘challenge’ of how and when to reopen economy
Behind the Saturday trial opening of the city-owned Links at Whitehaven course is a lot of jockeying for positions by local businesses that want to be in the first wave of reopenings — from elective medical procedures by doctors to car washes and barber shops and nail salons to restaurants.
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Elections Open records leader says new voting machine selection should be open
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, Deborah Fisher of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government says the current idea that election commissioners and the public can't see proposals for a new voting system before the commission makes a decision in public is "bad government."
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City of Memphis Whitehaven golf course reopening Saturday to ‘test’ loosening of restrictions
The Links at Whitehaven city golf course will reopen Saturday, April 18, in the first loosening of restrictions in the city’s state of civil emergency.
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Metro Pandemic parallels to yellow fever ask whether aftermath sees permanent changes
The author of the book “Beale Street Dynasty” joined the civic discussion about parallels between the current pandemic and the city’s worst health crisis that nearly destroyed the city. Instead the result was a comeback on different terms. Some are questioning whether the current pandemic and the city's measures could point to similar permanent changes for Memphis.
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Metro Federal judge in Stone case says no evidence of bias and deception by Hart
The 81-page memorandum opinion accompanied a court order denying the Trump associate's legal motion for a new trial based on what he claimed was bias by the former Memphis City Schools board member. Judge Amy Berman Jackson called the request a "tower of indignation" with "little of substance holding it up."
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City of Memphis COVID’s outsize impact on African Americans becoming more apparent
The disparate impact of COVID-19 infection on the African American community is becoming more obvious as information becomes increasingly available, Shelby County Health Department chief epidemiologist David Sweat said Thursday, April 16.
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City of Memphis COVID testing set to expand into more areas of city Friday
COVID-19 testing will ramp up Friday, April 17, as the city moves into more areas with mobile testing, Mayor Jim Strickland said Wednesday, April 15.
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Coronavirus Coronavirus live blog, April 14: Tennessee up to 5,823 cases, 124 deaths
There have been 633 hospitalizations and 1,969 people are classified as having recovered from the disease.
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Metro BLDG Memphis hosts Zoom forum with ‘Beale Street Dynasty’ author
The group BLDG Memphis is hosting a forum on Zoom Thursday, April 16, with “Beale Street Dynasty” author Preston Lauterbach. -
Coronavirus Reopening the economy looks to be phased and possibly different for Shelby County
The early discussions locally suggest businesses will reopen in waves and possibly with some new restrictions.
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City of Memphis City offers loans, EDGE grants for small businesses hit hard by pandemic
The working capital for small businesses is partially a response to complaints from local businesses that they either can't reach the Small Business Administration or their bankers for help in getting federal stimulus funds or they have been denied the federal funding.
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Premium
City of Memphis‘How long’ is big question for city sales tax hit from pandemic response
Mayor Jim Strickland takes his budget proposal to the Memphis City Council in one week for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. And the unknown factor is how much sales tax revenue the city will lose in the shutdown of many businesses as nonessential during the pandemic.
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Podcasts Politics Podcast: Secret bids, legal opinions and new voting machines
Shelby County election commissioners Brent Taylor and Bennie Smith talk about the complex path to making a decision on new voting machines.
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Elections Path to new voting machines still complex, secretive
Two Shelby County Election Commissioners say on The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast that the method being discussed for making the choice on new voting machines would keep the price of the machines a secret until the decision is made because of legal opinions.
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City of Memphis Young says pandemic exacerbating digital divide problem
The director of the city's division of Housing and Community Development said on "Behind The Headlines" that Wi-Fi access for students living in public housing is a challenge that has become more acute with classes suspended in the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Exclusive
CoronavirusMetro hospitals release ICU, ventilator counts; Health Department refuses
Twice this week, county Health Department officials have said they were forbidden from releasing hospitalization figures, including numbers of patients in ICUs and on ventilators, because the statewide Hospital Resource Tracking System is not public data.
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Premium
ElectionsElection Commission waits to set August ballot until possible appeals
The withdrawal deadline for the Aug. 6 ballot passed Thursday with several withdrawals from races on the Shelby County ballot. But much of the attention is on the decision the day before by the Tennessee Democratic Party to remove four contenders from the party primaries in Shelby County.
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Coronavirus Social distancing measures still recommended through end of May
The recommendation from the Shelby County Health Department to keep precautions in place until the end of May remains despite some modeling showing an earlier date for the peak of the pandemic.
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Analysis
MetroWhere public health and public policy meet and part ways
The immediate goal is to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. But the elected leaders and health experts who are working toward that goal come from different experiences with different responsibilities beyond dealing with a pandemic.
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Coronavirus First local COVID numbers on race confirm disparity in virus spread
The incomplete Shelby County Health Department analysis shows two-thirds of the confirmed COVID cases with detailed information were among African Americans and more than 70% of the deaths examined were among African Americans.
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