Memphis Local, Sports, Business & Food News | Daily Memphian | Samuel Hardiman

SpaceXAI made a lot of news last week. Here's a breakdown.

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Mon, 3 Aug 2026 05:50:23 -0500

Two days last week brought a dizzying array of headlines about SpaceXAI’s operations in the Mid-South. So let’s catch up and break down why it all matters and how it fits into the bigger picture.

Something big could become Colossus' neighbor

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Sat, 1 Aug 2026 15:37:31 -0500

A real estate company is looking into building something big on undeveloped land near SpaceXAI’s Colossus data center.

SpaceXAI contractor said company owes it $570M

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 18:15:49 -0500

The CEO of an Ohio-based industrial contractor said SpaceXAI still owes his company about 40% of its roughly $1.5 billion total bill.

SpaceXAI agrees to emissions monitoring for MS power plant

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Fri, 31 Jul 2026 08:49:56 -0500

SpaceXAI now has a clear regulatory roadmap for retiring the 69 natural gas turbines it operates without air emissions permits in Southaven.

SpaceXAI agrees to remove Mississippi turbines

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 21:31:22 -0500

SpaceXAI said Thursday, July 30, that it and the State of Mississippi had entered an agreement for winding down some of the company’s sprawling power plant operations in Southaven.

SpaceXAI buys 10 acres in Southaven

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 18:19:51 -0500

The company’s sprawling campus stretches across the Tennessee-Mississippi state line and includes three data centers.

SpaceXAI has built another Memphis data center

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:11:47 -0500

Elon Musk appeared to acknowledge that the company had built a new data center, known as “Minihard.”

FedEx founder's family sets up office to manage fortune, donations

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:56:28 -0500

A little more than a year after the death of FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith, his family is becoming more strategic with their investments and philanthropy, said Richard Smith, FedEx executive, director and son of the late magnate.

With latest $50M gift, Smith family goes big

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:00:09 -0500

“... To receive a single $50-million-dollar commitment from a single family is just unheard of. Not just in Memphis, but anywhere.”

City could ditch project manager at Liberty Park

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:08:25 -0500

Private development at Liberty Park has stalled, and the City of Memphis is looking to end its contract with the joint venture managing the project.

How will Memphis spend $3.3M in tax money collected from SpaceXAI?

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 21 Jul 2026 15:03:16 -0500

Mayor Paul Young’s administration pitched how it plans to spend about $3.3 million on the 5-mile area around SpaceXAI’s Colossus I data center.

Council member said he's not subject of ethics investigation

bdries@dailymemphian.com (Bill Dries) — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:00:05 -0500

Memphis City Council member JB Smiley Jr. is named in a May letter as urging the city administration to hire Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington’s niece in the city’s IT division.

Council chair allegedly pushed staff for donations

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 17:09:05 -0500

In May, the City Council’s chief administrator raised various concerns about Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington. Among them, that the councilperson was using city resources for her and her husband’s church.

City of Memphis investigating potential ethics violations

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:43:12 -0500

It is not clear what the city’s independent counsel is investigating, but a person familiar with the matter said it could be for potential violations of state, local and federal laws.

Could Memphis ban data centers? Maybe.

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 7 Jul 2026 21:16:59 -0500

On Tuesday, the Memphis City Council discussed potential zoning changes that would impact data centers.

State of Mississippi defends Elon Musk's Southaven turbines

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 18:46:51 -0500

Mississippi aruges that the lawsuit from the Mississippi NAACP about SpaceX’s private power plant in Southaven is a threat to its ability to regulate the state’s environment.

MPD chief dismissed from Tyré Nichols civil lawsuit

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 1 Jul 2026 13:27:05 -0500

Memphis Police Chief C.J. Davis’ dismissal could get the civil case against the City of Memphis, which has dragged on for more than three years, moving again.

Incoming County Commissioner accused of misusing taxpayer dollars

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:41:47 -0500

Incoming Shelby County Commissioner Lashanta Rudd is accused of buying a Nissan Sentra and incurring at least $5,000 in improper expenses using City of Memphis taxpayer dollars.

Memphis budget passes during fractious day at City Hall

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 05:50:08 -0500

Memphis sanitation workers did not receive the 5% raise they wanted, raising the possibility that city trash might not get picked up.

SpaceX recommits to building water recycling plant

hardiman@dailymemphian.com (Samuel Hardiman) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:06:11 -0500

SpaceXAI representatives met with Memphis Mayor Paul Young and MLGW President Doug McGowen earlier this week.