Toby Sells

2 weeks ago | memphisflyer.com | Toby Sells

Shelby County is more reliant on federal safety net programs — and more sensitive to cuts — than any other county in Tennessee, according to a new study by the Sycamore Institute. In 2024, Shelby County residents received nearly $2 billion in funds from federal safety programs Medicaid, TNAF, WIC, and SNAP, according to the Sycamore Institute study. President Donald Trump has promised deep cuts to these programs, meant to support low-income people and families.

2 weeks ago | memphisflyer.com | Toby Sells

Is Memphis the “homicide capital of America,” just as FBI Director Kash Patel said on Fox News this weekend? Patel’s statement came during a Fox News show interview Sunday, on which he also promised a task force to clean up the city’s homicide problem. But is it the homicide capital, really? Maybe, according to analysis by the Memphis Flyer. But finding a clear answer to what appears to be a simple question is no clear-cut task. Law enforcement agencies slice and dice crime numbers differently.

1 month ago | memphisflyer.com | Toby Sells

Tennessee’s plans for passenger rail — and similar plans around the country — are likely on hold during the Trump Administration but a group of Congressional Democrats are trying to get them back on track. The Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), a $1.2 trillion bipartisan law, provided $1.5 billion in 2021 to encourage intercity passenger rail projects, through planning grants and more. However, the portion of the law funding these projects is set to expire next year.

1 month ago | memphisflyer.com | Toby Sells

West Virginia sculptor Jamie Lester will create the sculpture of West Tennessee frontiersman and statesman David Crockett for an iconic spot on the Tennessee State Capitol. State lawmakers agreed to erect a statue of David Crockett on the capitol grounds in 2021. Efforts to do so go back to at least the creation of the David Crockett Commission in 2012.

1 month ago | memphisflyer.com | Toby Sells

A Memphis law firm left the Tennessee Bar Association (TBA) Tuesday after the firm said the group had “voted to remain silent” on President Donald Trump’s actions to erode the rule of law and an independent judiciary. Donati Law ended more than 40 years of membership with TBA Tuesday in a letter made public on Facebook Wednesday. The Midtown law firm focuses on employment law, personal injury, and criminal defense, according to its website.