The Early Word: MSCS takeover is dead for now, and some want xAI dead, too
Good morning, Memphis! It’s Wednesday, April 23, and the Memphis Area Transit Authority will be discussing trolley safety today. And yes, that’s for the trolley system that’s currently paused. But you know what doesn’t pause? The news. So, let’s dig in.
A state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools won’t be happening this year since the General Assembly ended its session before differences in takeover bills could be worked out. The full Senate and House passed takeover bills on Tuesday, but the bills disagreed on how the takeover should work, and bills have to match to become law. State Sen. Mark White’s bill called for a state-appointed board with sweeping veto power, and state Rep. Brent Taylor’s bill called for an advisory board with less power and some locally appointed members. The takeover issue may be dead for the year, but it’s expected to make a comeback in January.
“We have a right to clean air, an inalienable right … our lungs and our breath should not be for sale to Elon Musk,” said state Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis
Pearson and his brother KeShaun Pearson are among the activists leading the fight against Elon Musk’s xAI. In recent weeks, the Pearsons and others have pushed the Shelby County Health Department to regulate xAI. And they’ve called out the Greater Memphis Chamber and MLGW as prioritizing people over profits. Read more about the fight to stop Musk in Samuel Hardiman’s latest piece on the Colossus supercomputer.
Plus, the Memphis Zoo wants more money, the Grizzlies lost again and “Sunday supper” comes to Cooper-Young.
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Bianca Phillips
Bianca Phillips is a Northeast Arkansas native and longtime Memphian who’s worked in local journalism and PR for more than 20 years. In her days as a reporter, she covered everything from local government and crime to LGBTQ issues and the arts. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South,” a cookbook of vegan Southern recipes.
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