Reporter
Samuel Hardiman is a reporter who focuses on government and politics. He began his career at the Tulsa World where he covered business and K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on xAI, energy needs and how local governments spend money.
There are 575 articles by Samuel Hardiman :
The Monday hearing was the Tennessee version of a legal fight that has played out in U.S. courts over the past few months as Trump has sought to use the military in U.S. cities run by members of the opposite political party.
The raise comes after the Young administration and Memphis City Council gave all employees a 3% raise at the start of the fiscal year in July.
Attorneys for Tyré Nichols’ estate and the City of Memphis have spent much of the year wrangling over certain aspects of discovery.
Recent legal filings and a statement from the governor’s office shows that the legality of the guard’s Memphis deployment could hinge on whether the Tennessee National Guard is an army or a militia.
In a court hearing, Shelby County Circuit Judge Chris Frulla urged attorneys for Marie Feagins and the school district to move quickly during discovery so he could set a trial date.
The administration is “confident” it will win in court.
Director of Development and Infrastructure John Zeanah and Public Works Director Scott Morgan hatch a schedule to patch teeth-rattling roadways and clean stormwater inlets.
U.S. District Judge Mark Norris wrote that he recused himself “because of the apparent bias of others against the Court.”
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris and Commissioners Erika Sugarmon and Henri Brooks are among those seeking a preliminary injunction to stop the guard’s deployment.
Marc Morial told Memphis’ business and elected leadership the nation is a facing a full frontal assault on voting rights, civil rights and diversity programs.
Gov. Bill Lee declined to set an end date for when the task force’s work would be completed in Memphis. He said it could last forever.
During the groundbreaking, no one said xAI primary owner Elon Musk’s name aloud, but he was referenced multiple times.
It remains unclear how many guard personnel will be in the city. MPD Chief C.J. Davis has stated that the guard will serve as a deterrent in high-traffic areas.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth could authorize the use of up to 1,000 Tennessee National Guard troops for a whole year as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
The first significant deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops to Memphis is expected by Friday, Oct. 10.
Recent arrest affidavits suggest the Memphis Safe Task Force is reliant on traffic stops and instances of stop-and-frisk policing.
The negotiation could resolve a dispute about the legality of at least one of the City of Memphis’ employee associations.
The stark partisan lens that many Republicans have brought to President Trump’s crime-fighting efforts was on display during the Tuesday Senate hearing where state Sen. Brent Taylor spoke.
Chief C.J. Davis said the Memphis Safe Task Force is still evolving and the Memphis Police Department is still learning information every day.
U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman ruled that the City of Memphis’ motion to dismiss the case was denied in part.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth could visit Memphis this week, Bondi said in a cable news interview Tuesday morning, Sept. 30.
For about a year, the City of Memphis has sought information from a California family who were close with Nichols. However, attorneys for Nichols’ mother sought to prevent the records from being handed over.
To understand why the lights may be on on one side of a street but not on the other is to gain a window into the intricate, man-made spiderweb that is MLGW’s distribution system.
In detailing specifics of the Memphis Safe Task Force, Gov. Bill Lee didn’t dwell on the city’s crime rate. Instead, flanked by Mayor Paul Young and Police Chief C.J. Davis, he pledged that the crime reduction that could come would be lengthy and sustainable.
Gov. Bill Lee outlined plans for Trump’s Memphis Safe Task Force on Friday, saying that the first personnel could be in the Bluff City on Monday, Sept. 29.