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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 4d

My colleague @kathsburgess.bsky.social recently obtained a document detailing the arrests made by the "Memphis Safe Task Force" on Monday, Oct. 13.

The 'violent criminals' the governor described included a 17-year-old who was *checks notes* standing in front of a store 🤔
mlk50.com/2025/10/15/b...

Bill Lee said people arrested by task force are "violent criminals and known gang members." Data show that's not true.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks during a Tuesday morning press conference with Memphis Mayor Paul Young at the temporary command center for the Memphis

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 5d

As Memphis' law enforcement crackdown ramps up, I talked to some of our most vulnerable neighbors: unhoused people.

The city says it's eager to get them off the streets-- but hasn't offered any plan or directed any funding to do so.

My latest for @mlk50.com:
mlk50.com/2025/10/15/m...

Memphis tightens scrutiny on the unhoused as task force arrives, but offers no funding to help them find shelter

A person and their belongings rest on a bench in Civic Center Plaza. Photo by Andrea Morales/MLK50 Rick was charging his phone at an outdoor power outlet

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 5d

If anyone ever described my work this way I would quit my job and walk into the ocean never to be seen again

Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 6d

Something to keep in mind as you hear narratives about Memphis being a "crime-ridden," "dangerous" city requiring a National Guard crackdown is that BY FAR its most commonly recorded crime is shoplifting.

This is according to the city & police dept's own data.
app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrI...

A horizontal bar graph of crimes in Memphis as of 10/13/25 shows that the top category by a good margin is shoplifting, with 7,110 instances recorded so far this year. The next highest category, Motor Vehicle Theft, has just over 5,000 instances, with all other types of crime below 5,000.

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 19d

Jaw-dropping investigation out today from my colleague Rebecca Cadenhead:

Children as young as 13 are being held in solitary confinement for weeks or months in Shelby County's juvenile detention center. And the adults involved, from the court to the state, know about it.

mlk50.com/2025/10/01/n...

No school, no fresh air and isolated

David spent eight months incarcerated at the Youth Justice and Education Center. Center portrait by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report for

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 24d

Very weird vibes in Memphis this week as the National Guard's arrival looms. No one quite certain what to expect. One friend described it as "like the day or two before a hurricane when everyone is taping up their windows." Another compared it to the early days of COVID, pre-lockdown. Eerie, quiet.

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 24d

National Guard + other federal agents will "begin operations" in Memphis next week, per mayor Paul Young.

New page says NG "will be deputized by the U.S. Marshals" but "will not make arrests or issue warrants." These seem to contradict each other; we're looking into it.
memphistn.gov/safeandclean/

Safe & Clean

In Memphis, we rise to every challenge. Since January 2024, crime has fallen by double digit percentages — the result of focused policing, strong community-based partnerships, and the resolve of our p...

memphistn.gov

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Reposted by Natalie Wallington

Artologica aka Michele Banks @artologica.net · 24d

Morning walk

Wheat paste poster that says the all the world is dying and the new world struggles to be born now is the time of monsters. There's a picture of Elmo

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 28d

The country "Eswatini" is misspelled here

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · 28d

A new Memphis ordinance would allow the city broad discretion in identifying and tearing down "blighted" buildings.

But critics worry low-income homeowners could be targeted while out-of-town slumlords get off the hook. I took a look with my colleague Katherine Burgess:

mlk50.com/2025/09/22/a...

A new city ordinance would allow Memphis to tear down ‘blighted’ buildings. How will it choose which to tackle?

A blight listening session was held inside the Lester Community Center on July 30. Photo by Kevin Wurm / MLK50 / CatchLight Local / Report For America A

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Sep 19

Overheard at the pharmacy:

"I'm really sorry about that mix-up."
"It's okay. I'm really sorry about my attitude before."
"It's okay."

Taking this as a reminder to give people grace & hopefully receive it in kind.

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Sep 18

I humbly ask that as the National Guard arrives in the coming weeks, don't let national news outlets tell you what's happening on the ground in Memphis.

Please get your news from the people who actually live here and are part of the community. Whether that's my outlet (@mlk50.com) or others.

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Sep 17

"The way we attack crime in Memphis is about to change forever"

Watch the condensed interview here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfzV...

Gov. Bill Lee gives insight on upcoming National Guard deployment in Memphis

YouTube video by Action News 5

www.youtube.com

Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Sep 17

"These National Guardsmen will actually be military police" -TN Gov. Bill Lee on @actionnews5.com

He says they are expected to arrive in the next two weeks-- shorter than the 3-4 week timeline Memphis' mayor has been sharing with community members in recent days.

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Reposted by Natalie Wallington

HAD @havehashad.com · Sep 11

this devin kelly poem was (re)posted over on twitter yesterday by @reiilly.bsky.social and so now I've been thinking about it again for the last 24 hours

www.havehashad.com/hadposts/all...

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Sep 11

This poem just knocked me on my ass. incredible work

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Reposted by Natalie Wallington

Eviction Lab @evictionlab.bsky.social · Aug 11

“Citations for minor issues like parking violations and overgrown lawns aren’t handed out uniformly... management seems to enforce community rules more strictly for some residents than for others.”

mlk50.com/2025/08/07/t...

By @mlk50.com @narwhallington.bsky.social

#housing+ #urbanism+ #urbanism

These Memphis mobile home residents are fighting for safe and accessible common spaces

While some repairs have been made to the streetlights at Wheel Estate, parts of Josibpet Lane remain in the dark. Photo by Diana Azcarate Barreto for MLK50 Editor’s Note: MLK50: Justice Through Jou…

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Aug 8

POV: It's Friday. It's a slow morning at work. As you scroll Bluesky, you find a juicy longread about a makeshift union of Memphis trailer park residents fighting for better living conditions. Now you have something to read while you sip on your second cup of coffee:

mlk50.com/2025/08/07/t...

These Memphis mobile home residents are fighting for safe and accessible common spaces

While some repairs have been made to the streetlights at Wheel Estate, parts of Josibpet Lane remain in the dark. Photo by Diana Azcarate Barreto for

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Aug 5

Thank you for using the term "pregnant people"!

Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Jul 28

Turns out this is a parody, as are a handful of other sites linked at the bottom of the page!

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Jul 25

Update: per the Internet Archive, this site has existed since 2021 but has looked like this at least a few times since 2023 (I didn't go through all the snapshots) 🤔 so perhaps less of a hack and more of an ongoing parody!

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Reposted by Natalie Wallington

Kacen J. Bayless @kacen.bsky.social · Jul 7

New: When Missouri voters head to the ballot box next year, they will decide whether to reimpose an abortion ban.

But the question that voters will see makes no mention of banning abortion or the fact that it would strike down last November’s historic vote. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...

Missouri ballot measure would ban abortions. But the question doesn’t say that

Abortion rights advocates argue the language of the upcoming ballot measure is misleading and written in a way to encourage voters to approve a new abortion ban.

www.kansascity.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Jul 3

Utility assistance in Memphis is doled out by a patchwork of programs, all with different funding sources.

Now, the three major programs that help Memphians avoid shutoffs are turning away new applicants-- right as summer temperatures soar.

My latest for @mlk50.com:

mlk50.com/2025/07/03/m...

Memphis is out of utility assistance money — and it’s unclear when program funds will return

Renee needs $166 to keep her lights on. Money has been tight — her son graduated from high school this spring, and her mother was recently diagnosed with

mlk50.com

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Natalie Wallington @narwhallington.bsky.social · Jun 23

Wow, this is really cool and totally unexpected! Thank you so much to @wigleaf.bsky.social for this, and congrats also to Maureen, Hannah and Thora! 🤩 ❤️

Wigleaf @wigleaf.bsky.social · Jun 23

Last 4 Mythic Picnic finalists! Fiction: Maureen Langloss and Hannah Grieco. Postcard: Natalie Wallington and Thora Dahlke. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 @maureenlangloss.bsky.social @writesloud.bsky.social @narwhallington.bsky.social

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Reposted by Natalie Wallington

Maggie Astor @maggieastor.bsky.social · Jun 18

Breaking: The Trevor Project received a stop-work order last night on its contract with the national 988 suicide prevention hotline. The Trump administration is eliminating the option for LGBTQ callers to the hotline to press 3 and connect with someone who specializes in LGBTQ mental health.

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