Good morning; it’s Monday, Dec. 30, and welcome back to The Early Word. In the final 48 of the year, we're focused on FedEx, football and Three 6. 

An all-too-brief era ends for University of Memphis basketball and many Shelby County-area students have a short school day before winter break starts.

Good morning; it’s Thursday, Dec. 19. Today, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg will be in Memphis, and Beale Street Music Fest has an announcement for us. 

Good morning, it’s Wednesday, Dec. 18. Today, the federal government is expected to announce a new initiative for seven cities, one of them being Memphis. 

Good morning! It's Tuesday, Dec. 17. Today is the Memphis City Council's final meeting of the year, and FedEx has an earnings call this afternoon. 

Good morning; it’s Monday, Dec. 16. Today, a community program will graduate its first class of real estate developers, and the Grizz take on the Heat at the FedExForum. 

Good morning, it’s Friday, Dec. 13, and today, Gov. Bill Lee will be in town to make an economic development announcement. 

Good morning; it’s Thursday, Dec. 12. Tonight, students from Memphis’ Stax Academy will appear on “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways.” There will also be a vigil near Raleigh to remember victims of gun violence. 

Good morning, all. It’s Wednesday, Dec. 11, and today we're talking about ALL the letters, a new crude oil pipeline and how AutoZone plans to grow. 

Good morning, it’s Tuesday, Dec. 10, and many of us have snow on the brain (if not on the actual ground). Today, a Downtown board will consider a 20-year PILOT for part of the Snuff District redevelopment in Uptown. 

Today is Giving Tuesday, and our gifts include a possible all-time volume record for FedEx, two billion-dollar developments and a reported new job for soccer star Tim Howard. 

Good morning, it’s Monday, Dec. 2, and today a Downtown board will discuss almost $500 million in incentives for two billion-dollar Downtown development projects. It's also Cyber Monday, which is a big deal for global logistics companies.

It’s Nov. 29, Black Friday, and in addition to being a huge shopping day, it's also the biggest game of the season for Tiger football. The team will take on Cincinnati, and an appearance at the AAC Championship is on the line for the Tigers.

It’s Wednesday, Nov. 27. We saw (heard?) a string of storms last night, but you can expect today to be windy but sunny. The Grizz take on the Clippers tonight at FedExForum, while everyone else will be doing last-minute grocery store runs to buy ingredients they forgot.

Good morning! It’s Tuesday, Nov. 26, and West Memphis and Collierville both plan to host their official Christmas Tree Lightings tonight — although rain may derail those plans.

Good morning, and welcome to The Early Word. This is the Daily Memphian’s new a.m. digital digest, designed to help you find the news you need to navigate your day.