Mayor Jim Strickland’s proposal to expand testing moves the city closer to a more ambitious scaling up of COVID-19 testing as local health experts explore an even broader scale for the long term.

Tennessee's unemployment rate in April was the highest on record, eclipsing a low-water mark that had stood since 1983.

Shelby County's positivity rate has declined slightly with a small increase in cases due to more than 1,400 administered tests Wednesday.

The venue also has become "home" to 901Wrestling, which hopes to resume live matches around mid-June when the Rec Room plans to reopen.

Gov. Bill Lee said he signed an executive order Thursday allowing groups of 50 to participate in social and recreational activity. But he continued to point toward the importance of social distancing as people gather. The order includes Shelby County and five other counties with health department independent of the state.

Tennessee reported 6,081 new jobless claims from the Memphis area, raising nine-week total to 86,080 in southwest Tennessee and likely pushing it to more than 103,000 in the metro area.

Don't celebrate a holiday from social distancing just yet. This Memorial Day, we're celebrating those who serve in a new way. We've also got the U of M set to bring back football practice, and some pandas are having to go back to China because of the pandemic. 

Tennessee’s Education Savings Account program faces a tough road for the coming school year after the state Court of Appeals upheld a decision enjoining the state from executing it until the legal case is decided. Arguments aren't scheduled until Aug. 5, about the time school is expected to start.

The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is asking Gov. Bill Lee in letter form to end a program allowing personal information of COVID-positive people to be shared with law enforcement. Otherwise, it says people should refuse to give their addresses when tested.

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, a federal lawsuit seeks the release of medically vulnerable detainees from Shelby County Jail. 

The Memphis Area Transit Authority is getting more than $2.1 million from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for electric buses as part of a Volkswagen settlement.

Memphis River Parks Partnership and its design team, led by Studio Gang and Scape, announced a new, improved concept for a $60 million overhaul of Tom Lee Park. 

Jeanne Gang, founder of project architect Studio Gang, and Kate Orff, founding principal of landscape architect Scape, join MRPP president Carol Coletta in revealing the latest concept during today’s livestream.

"A grounding in the liberal arts encourages a multi-disciplinary approach to the foundational questions raised by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said president Majorie Hass.

The Calgary Zoo is having to return its two giant pandas to China because of pandemic-caused logistics problems in getting enough bamboo. But the Memphis Zoo has its own bamboo farm as well as bamboo donors. 

Cheryl Patterson says the utility board makes the first decision on whether MLGW stays or leaves TVA.

As Shelby County Health Department Director Alisa Haushalter says, if masks are a fashion statement, people will be more likely to wear them. 

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland uses some basketball analogies and looks at the idea of a denser city post-pandemic. Meanwhile, Shelby County Health Dept. Director Alisa Haushalter pushes back on the idea of refusing to give your address if you test positive.

The director of the West Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery found a special way this Memorial Day to honor those who sacrificed everything.

Shelby County reported 128 new cases this week, the largest single day increase since April 9.

Shelby County Health Department director Alisa Haushalter says the jump in cases may be due to outbreaks in nursing homes or related to Mother's Day gatherings, which would be in the two-week incubation period.

"We will not return to campus life just as it was before,” Dr. Jon McCullers said. "... We will do many things differently, with the primary goal of keeping our students and faculty safe while delivering an outstanding educational experience.” 

All the numbers you never knew you needed but do, plus a possible light switch, sports fans face the future, and "new" restaurants for breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Graphs show infection rates across the nine-county metropolitan area, including bordering counties in Mississippi and Arkansas.

Nordstrom Rack among the local businesses ready to reopen doors this week.