The Early Word: FedEx doesn’t have mail; Mavs deliver end to Grizz wins
How’s it going, Memphis? It’s Wednesday, Dec. 4, and the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments today in a case involving Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender people under age 18. Here’s what’s at stake.
On a more local level, Downtown’s Design Review Board will consider Crosstown Concourse’s new music venue, which will be built across the street from the existing parking garage. And Memphis Light, Gas and Water will consider the nomination of a new vice president/chief financial officer.
Tonight, the 96-year-old bell tower at Midtown’s Idlewild Presbyterian Church will get lit for the first time in recent memory. And the No. 16 Memphis Tigers basketball team will play Louisiana Tech at FedExForum.
If FedEx were an old computer from the 1990s, it wouldn’t be delivering AOL’s iconic “You’ve got mail” line. FedEx stopped carrying the U.S. Mail in late September, and that’s resulted in 60 fewer planes landing a day. In October, that change meant 96 million fewer pounds of cargo were handled at Memphis International Airport, down nearly 14% from last year. Much of the airport’s revenue comes from fees charged to airplanes that land there, but the Memphis International Airport Authority knew the FedEx change was coming and raised its landing fees quite a bit to make up for it. But if volumes continue to drop precipitously, the airport will be reevaluating its budgeting process and revenue streams again.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ six-game winning streak ended on Tuesday with a 121-116 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. But up until the final 12 minutes, it was looking like another Grizz win was coming. So, what happened? The fourth quarter turned into a “free-throw parade,” in our own Drew Hill’s words. The Mavericks shot 26 free throws in the final quarter (26!!), while the Grizzlies shot 14 over the course of the entire game. The final free throw tally finished Dallas 44, Memphis 14. Said Ja Morant after the game: “Forty-four to 14 is kind of outrageous …” (You think?)
Plus, the Memphis Animal Services director is fired, Memphis-Shelby County Schools settles a lawsuit with activists and you’ll have to wait a while for the Commercial Appeal auction.
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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. She’s a diehard morning person who spends her free time running marathons and ultras. She’s the author of “Cookin Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South.”
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