It's Thursday, April 30, and we've got two Memphis musical performances tonight, the county grappling over its upcoming budget, a coronavirus marathon and a gas giveaway. 

The Paycheck Protection Program loan could be a lifeline to restaurants, or it could be of no use at all. Experts say the loan, and especially its forgiveness criteria, is complicated.

The Memphis College of Art Legacy Catalog celebrates the school's 84-year history with lots of photographs and names.

One immigrant mother helping others protect their families from COVID, ICE and other threats.

Christina Stevison looked to her mother, late magazine publisher and entrepreneur Tina Birchett, for inspiration in developing an online workshop with the look and feel of Memphis' annual Sisterhood Showcase expo.

With an assist from the Society of International Paediatric Oncology, the registry has been publicized around the world.

Todd Maxwell is a nurse from Byhalia, Mississippi. When the pandemic hit New York, he left his job in Jackson, Tennessee, to fly up and work in a hospital dedicated to COVID-19 patients.

Watching Alisa Haushalter, director of the Shelby County Health Department, explain our new reality in a calm, measured and fact-based tone, I came away with more optimism than pessimism about our prospects for overcoming this ruthless pandemic.

Memphis College of Art is closing and graduates its last class on May 9. The pandemic has made a difficult situation harder, forcing the college to substitute a prerecorded commencement video for the real graduation ritual.

The Shelby County Election Commission is preparing for an increase in absentee balloting in advance of the Aug. 6 election day.

The Shelby County Commission's public transit ad hoc committee's work will be reviewed, but there won't be more money in the budget for transit.

The school of music is not the same without togetherness and non-digital interaction.

Gov. Bill Lee heard from barber shop and salon operators and decided to expedite the reopening of those businesses in most of the state, allowing them to reopen May 6, three weeks earlier than expected.

Differences from years ago between Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. and County Mayor Lee Harris have carried over into the county's 2021 budget talks.

Tennessee’s House Democrats urged Gov. Bill Lee’s Administration to reverse policy and provide people with unemployment benefits even if they're scared to go back to work as the state opens businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Lucky Cat takeout menu offers family meals for four or six. The ramen, with ingredients packaged separately, travels surprisingly well. 

Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says businesses should begin to prepare. Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris says a countywide alliance of mayors remains intact despite some rumblings in the suburbs.

More than 70% of 266 pretrial detainees and jail employees tested for COVID-19 at 201 Poplar late last week were positive, according to numbers provided by Shelby County Health Department Director Dr. Alisa Haushalter Wednesday, April 29.

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government joined news organizations and journalists in filing an open meetings lawsuit Wednesday, April 29, against the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance in connection with a settlement for state Rep. Joe Towns of Memphis.

Memphis company has been supplying critical atmospheric gases to coronavirus field hospitals in Georgia, Florida and other parts of Tennessee.

The spike in weekend cases is part of a discussion from the health department about whether the case increase meant the end of plateau in declining cases from the preceding 10 days or whether it was an anomaly given the targeted testing efforts.

One lawsuit over education savings accounts, or vouchers, pits the state against Metro Nashville and Shelby County governments, as well as Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. Another was filed on behalf of parents in Memphis and Nashville.

The restaurant owner isn’t sure exactly what could be done for employees such as hers who’ve stayed on the job. But she suggests a tax break at year’s end or some kind of stimulus for people who keep putting food on people’s plates.

The announcement came about a week after the state released graduation ceremony guidelines. School systems nationwide have grappled with how to honor their graduating students while still adhering to public health guidelines to stem the spread of the coronavirus. 

Money received from the federal government must be spent on coronavirus expenses and will be shared with the surburban cities as needed.