The City of Memphis released the results of air-quality testing last wek that showed no elevated levels of hazardous air pollutants or chemicals in Boxtown or Whitehaven near Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company’s first and second local data centers. But before the smoke from the statement had cleared, xAI opponents cast doubt on the analysis, calling it “misleading.” The NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center are gearing up to sue the company about what they consider violations of the federal Clean Air Act. In announcing the air-quality study, Memphis Mayor Paul Young said the city is “committed to ongoing testing to continue to inform and protect our community.”

It remains unclear why U.S. District Judge Mark Norris recused himself from the the federal criminal case of the former Memphis Police Department officers charged in Tyré Nichols’ 2023 death. But the federal judge has also now recused himself from the related pending civil rights lawsuit Nichols’ family and estate have filed over his death. During a court hearing last week, one of the officers’ defense attorneys told U.S. District Judge Sheryl Lipman, who is now overseeing the case, that he would soon file a motion to depose or take statements from Norris and members of his staff. The official recusal order does not provide a reason for Norris’ move. The five ex-cops return to Lipman’s court July 24, when they could get new sentencing dates.

And starting tomorrow, more than 170 new state laws approved by the Tennessee Legislature and signed by Gov. Bill Lee will take effect. The Daily Memphian provided a rundown of some of them including measures affecting child abuse, juvenile court records, cellphones in schools and the abandonment of animals.

— Metro editor Jane Donahoe

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The city conducted the testing following community concern about Elon Musk-founded xAI’s use of natural gas turbines at its supercomputer in Southwest Memphis. 

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