In last week’s column, I told how a guy from another city and state who spends his winters in Belize wound up with a dead ringer for my phone number on a cell phone he bought in that country. Starting with Belize’s country code, 501, being identical to Arkansas’ 501 area code and continuing through each and every one of the last seven digits, “George’s” cell number is identical to my home land line.

2. Please, Please Belize! Part 1 - Thursday, April 25, 2013

A decade ago in this space, I told a story about receiving multiple hang-up phone calls between midnight and dawn over a period of several weeks. Via Caller ID and returning some of these calls at later times, I learned the Greyhound Federal Credit Union’s toll-free automated line was one digit off from a toll-free number I’d acquired years earlier. Somehow, I got the issue resolved with Greyhound.

3. The New Beale - Saturday, April 20, 2013

Over the last four years, the next chapter in the development of Beale Street has been a stop-and-go affair. First would come announcements followed by silence from official channels.

Along with that silence, though, was quiet activity on the side, a movement that culminated with the March announcement of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s strategic planning committee’s report, “A Framework for Beale Street.”

4. Decades After King’s Death, Memphis Jobs in Spotlight - Thursday, April 04, 2013

MEMPHIS (AP) – Decades after Martin Luther King Jr. was shot to death here, some of the striking sanitation workers who marched with him are again fighting for their jobs.

5. Arkansas Steel Mill Proposal Gains Traction - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Gov. Mike Beebe's plan to provide $125 million in state financing to help a new company build a steel mill in Mississippi County is gaining bipartisan support among legislators – though some conservatives still object to having the government help fund one of Arkansas' largest economic development projects.

6. Lessons Learned - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

What happened 15 years ago outside the Shelby County Courthouse between the seated figures of justice and wisdom informed much of what happened Saturday, March 30, when a different Ku Klux Klan group, the American Knights, came to Memphis and rallied at the other southern entrance to the courthouse – between the seated figures of authority and liberty.

7. Kyle Gives Democrats Voice in GOP-Dominated Senate - Thursday, March 14, 2013

State Sen. Jim Kyle, D-Memphis, the Democratic leader of the Senate, sees things at the legislature these days he does not like.

8. State Delays Auto Inspection Takeover - Thursday, March 07, 2013

The state of Tennessee has told the city of Memphis it will probably take two years for it to take over auto inspection duties in Shelby County.

But city funding for the auto inspection stations and employees runs out when the current fiscal year does, at the end of June.

9. Critical Merger Decision Now Centers on School Board - Wednesday, March 06, 2013

The group with the most direct role in what a consolidated school system will look like and how it will operate is now the group at the center of the ongoing federal lawsuit over the merger and the reactions to it.

10. Message from the DOC - Thursday, February 28, 2013

The voice mail message on my private office line went like this: “This is (name omitted) at (address omitted). Recycling gave me this number. I’m trying to get a trash barrel for my house. It’s been three months since we had one, and I’m using my neighbor’s. Someone get in touch with me as soon as possible at (phone number omitted).”

11. Give Up These 40 Things for Lent - Friday, February 15, 2013

40 THINGS TO DO WITHOUT. Lent has begun – a season of reflection and sacrifice for believers seeking spiritual strength, a season bridging the gray gloom of winter and the green promise of spring for those seeking renewal, a season of waffles and chicken hash for those seeking comfort in the caloric basement of Calvary Church – 40 days of all of that for me.

12. APNewsBreak: Effort Building to Change US Pot Laws - Tuesday, February 05, 2013

SEATTLE (AP) – An effort is building in Congress to change U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a federal pot tax.

While passage this year could be a longshot, lawmakers from both parties have been quietly working on several bills, the first of which Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Jared Polis of Colorado plan to introduce Tuesday, Blumenauer told The Associated Press.

13. Fed Says Growth Pause Temporary, Keeps Up Stimulus - Thursday, January 31, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the U.S. economy "paused" in recent months because of temporary factors and reaffirmed its commitment to try to stimulate growth by keeping borrowing cheap for the foreseeable future.

14. Council Preps for Late Summer Sales Tax Hike Referendum - Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A referendum on a half percent city sales tax hike to fund a city pre kindergarten expansion and roll back the city property tax rate by 20 cents would happen in August or September instead of May.

15. Blue CRUSH Cuts Point to Larger Divide - Thursday, January 10, 2013

Crime numbers may be the most politically volatile set of statistics elected officials can debate or rely on.

The statistics mean little to someone who has been a crime victim. But they are a way of validating whether public money is being spent effectively. On the other hand, how crimes are counted always will be debated.

16. EPA Administrator Jackson Announces Resignation - Friday, December 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, the Obama administration's chief environmental watchdog, is stepping down after nearly four years marked by high-profile brawls over global warming pollution, the Keystone XL oil pipeline, new controls on coal-fired plants and several other hot-button issues that affect the nation's economy and people's health.

17. Medicare Premiums Could Rise for Many Retirees - Friday, December 21, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – They may not agree on much else, but there's a change to Medicare that President Barack Obama and Republicans both support: Expand a little-known law so more retirees that the government considers well-off are required to pay higher monthly premiums.

18. Council Reconsiders Golf Course Closings - Thursday, December 06, 2012

Four city golf courses were scheduled to close for the winter season on Dec. 1, with one of the four – Whitehaven – to close permanently.

That was the decision the Memphis City Council made last spring as it set the city budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

19. Council Debates Golf Courses Fate - Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Four golf courses owned and run by the city of Memphis are closed for the winter season as the Memphis City Council continues to debate the fate of the Whitehaven golf course, one of the four, which was to be closed permanently starting this month.

20. Grizz Nation Grows With Every Convincing Victory - Friday, November 30, 2012

Joe McDuffie was just another fan in a Kobe jersey, glancing around FedExForum and pointing out patches of purple and gold.

21. Reardon Speaks Out Against City’s Approach to Housing - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

The University of Memphis professor leading the resistance to a still-forming plan to demolish the city’s last large public housing project says the city’s approach to transforming public housing since the late 1990s hasn’t worked.

22. Sports Connection - Thursday, November 08, 2012

Between Jon Albright and Don Wade, hosts of the newly launched the “Jon & Don Show” on WHBQ Sports 56 AM 560/87.7 FM, any topic a sports fan could want to talk about is conceivable.

23. The Magic Of Mental Images - Monday, October 29, 2012

As it turns out, it appears that your brain does not know the difference in real or imagined events. That’s why some golfers practice by imagining golf shots, some tennis players practice by imagining tennis shots and other athletes practice by imagining doing whatever their chosen sport requires them to do well. Pretty much the same brain cells fire whether you are doing something or thinking about doing it; and brain cells firing in unison is one way to describe learning.

24. Freedom Awards Winners Talk Important Decisions - Thursday, October 18, 2012

An audience of several thousand children from several local schools got a glimpse Tuesday, Oct. 16, of just how tentative the decisions that make history and change can be.

Each of the four winners of the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Awards talked of different courses they might have taken during the annual forum at Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ.

25. Gay, Transgender City Workers Protected From Discrimination - Thursday, October 18, 2012

At the end of a long night at City Hall with a relatively short agenda, Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism told Memphis City Council members that their meetings looked like more “fun” than the commission’s meetings.

26. Federal Deficit Tops $1 Trillion for Fourth Year - Monday, October 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal budget deficit has topped $1 trillion for a fourth straight year. But a modest improvement in economic growth helped narrow the gap by $207 billion compared with last year.

27. Black Mississippi Officials Want Districting Lawsuit Dismissed - Tuesday, October 09, 2012

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The four black elected supervisors in Mississippi's most populated county asked a federal judge on Monday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing them of improperly using race as a consideration in redrawing voting districts.

28. Armstrong Disagrees With Wharton’s Department Assessment - Friday, September 28, 2012

The fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy by an off-duty Memphis police officer who claims he was being robbed has become the backdrop for a politically saturated controversy over what it says about the way the Memphis Police Department is run.

29. Divorce Guide Hits Silver Anniversary - Thursday, September 06, 2012

This year marks the silver anniversary of Memphis attorney Larry Rice literally writing the book on divorce law.

30. One Quiet Truck - Friday, August 31, 2012

JUST SEND ONE QUIET TRUCK. My friend Joan White died a couple of weeks ago. You may not have known that.

In fact, if you aren’t a member of advertising’s old school fraternity, you may not know that Joan made the boys let the girls in and made the business, and us, better. In fact, if you aren’t a member of Temple Israel, you may not know how much she meant there, how her steady devotion gave steady evidence of, in the words of her rabbi, “a life worthy of living that enriched us all.” You may not know that she was Miss Holly to Mr. Bingle, trailblazer and mentor to generations of ad agency folks, and just the volunteer to talk to in the Temple Israel shop if you were looking for just the right menorah or kiddush cup. And because of her selfless work and life ethic, business women today will never have to know how tough it was in the ‘50s for a single Jewish mother from Chicago with a 2-year-old in tow to make it here.

31. Farm Subsidies, FBI, Air Controllers Face Big Cuts - Wednesday, August 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Come January, be prepared for fewer air traffic controllers, FBI agents, border patrol officers and park rangers, as well as lower farm and winter heating subsidies. Less meat might get inspected. Furloughs will likely sweep across the government. Even the weather service could be affected.

32. Hinte Expands Role At Second to Nunn - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Lowell Hinte has been promoted to account manager and designer at website- and branding-design company Second to Nunn Design. Hinte has served as a designer at S2N since 2009. In his expanded role, Hinte will ensure clients’ expectations are met on key projects regarding strategy, vision, quality and schedule.

33. Election Commission Admits Ballot Problems - Thursday, July 26, 2012

Challenges to the conduct of the Aug. 2 election may have reached a peak Tuesday, July 24.

The Shelby County Election Commission admitted a “limited number” of voters in some precincts got early voting ballots that included the wrong district races.

34. Cohen Talks About Opponents, Schools, Race and His Political Past - Monday, July 23, 2012

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is running for a fourth term in Congress starting with the Aug. 2 primary, in which he is being challenged by countywide school board member Tomeka Hart.

35. City Moves Closer to Cutting Auto Inspection Funding - Thursday, July 19, 2012

Two weeks after the Memphis City Council approved an either/or change to auto inspections against the advice of the city administration, the council took another step as Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. embraced the earlier change.

36. Bush Talks Post-White House Life - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Though the main attraction at a private gathering at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens Monday, July 16, included former President George W. Bush, it was a mostly nonpolitical evening.

The 43rd president neither excoriated nor overtly praised President Barack Obama, for example, nor did he wade much into the health care debate despite the occasion of his visit being related to a hospital – specifically, to the 100th anniversary of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.

37. George W. Bush Talks Post-White House Life in Memphis - Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Though the main attraction at a private gathering at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens Monday, July 16, included former President George W. Bush, it was a mostly nonpolitical evening.

The 43rd president neither excoriated nor overtly praised President Barack Obama, for example, nor did he wade much into the health care debate despite the occasion of his visit being hospital-related – the 100th anniversary of Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp.

38. Wharton: ‘Everything is Coming Together’ - Monday, July 09, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. had to make a decision Monday, July 2: Get up before dawn and catch a flight to Atlanta or stick with a scheduled and extensive bus tour for newspaper editors and others of the three core city neighborhoods he has targeted in a small-business innovation effort.

39. Council Tests Auto Inspection Rules - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Memphis City Council members have approved a financial hardship waiver that allows Memphis motorists who flunk the emissions part of their auto inspection to claim the repairs will cost them too much and get a one-year one-time-only waiver on the inspection.

40. Lost Crosswords: Part 2 - Thursday, June 28, 2012

This is Part 2 of a series. Don’t miss Part 1, next week. (I know what order series normally go in! Get over it already!)

Maggie the Cheagle and I decided to watch “Lost” again. Last year, we watched for the first time, with Susan along for the ride. We went through all six seasons in about two months.

41. Alternative Sound - Wednesday, June 27, 2012

When the Flaming Lips perform in Handy Park Wednesday, June 27, it will be a different sound for the street where the blues were born but showmanship of all kinds is a tradition.

The alternative rock band is kicking off an eight-stop, 24-hour tour to New Orleans in the Beale Street outdoor venue. It is an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most performances in multiple cities in a 24-hour period.

42. Bank of Fayette County Begins TARP Payback - Monday, June 25, 2012

Another Memphis-area bank has started paying back money it got from the federal government amid the Great Recession of 2008.

The Bank of Fayette County has repaid $1.1 million of the more than $6 million it got as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), according to a report from the U.S. Treasury.

43. Key Senator Wants Tax Overhaul to Reduce Deficits - Tuesday, June 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – An overhaul of the nation's tax code should raise additional revenue to reduce massive budget deficits and should help strengthen the economy, the Senate's top tax-writer said Monday.

44. Baptist to Host Former President Bush - Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Former President George W. Bush has stayed largely out of the limelight following his departure from office in January 2009, choosing to focus on writing his memoir and on other private interests.

At an event in Memphis next month to help Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. celebrate its centennial year, the 43rd president will shed a little light on some of those things that he and his family have been up to since leaving the White House.

45. To Snag the Best Airfares, Flexibility is Key - Monday, June 11, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – To snag the best airfares, travelers need to be adventurous and willing to pick up at a moment's notice.

OK, now let's be realistic. Most people making summer travel plans need just that: plans. They get a week off, maybe two, and aren't going to spend hard-earned cash on a last-second whim.

46. Forum Gives Sober Economic Outlook - Monday, June 11, 2012

Attendees of The Daily News’ recent “Money and Markets” seminar got a clear-eyed, sober assessment of what’s happening on the local, national and international level from an economic perspective.

And they could be forgiven for perhaps clutching their wallets a little tighter as they left, thinking about national and world events to come.

47. Fueling Up - Monday, May 28, 2012

If the political ads along these lines haven’t already started by the time this story is printed, don’t worry. They’ll arrive soon enough.

Somewhere out there, a Republican political strategist is cooking up an ad that hits President Barack Obama over the average price at the gas pump these days – which, while it has fallen in recent weeks, is still a lot higher than when the president took office. At press time, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $3.72 – up from a little less than $2 when George W. Bush left office.

48. Obama-Romney Showdown Starts Off With a Harsh Tone - Thursday, April 12, 2012

MENDENHALL, Pa. (AP) — The 2012 presidential general election has begun. It won't be pretty.

Tuesday marked Day One, in essence, of the contest between the two virtually certain nominees, Republican Mitt Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama. Rick Santorum's departure removed the last meaningful bump from Romney's path to the GOP nomination. Romney and Obama wasted no time in portraying the voters' choice in dire, sometimes starkly personal terms.

49. Conspiracy Theory - Thursday, April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tennessee joined 14 other states along with the U.S. Justice Department in suing Apple Inc. and major book publishers Wednesday, alleging a conspiracy to raise the price of electronic books they said cost consumers more than $100 million in the past two years by adding $2 to $5 to the price of each e-book.

50. Thorpe Products Inks New Deal On Democrat - Friday, April 06, 2012

Thorpe Products Co. is relocating its Memphis branch location to a site with higher ceiling heights and better proximity to its clients.

51. West Tenn. Bankruptcy Judge Retires - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Everybody is having to do more with less these days – including bankruptcy judges in one of the busiest areas of the country in terms of bankrupt debtors.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge G. Harvey Boswell has announced his retirement effective July 8. Boswell’s court is in Jackson, Tenn., which is part of the Western District of Tennessee, the same district that includes the bankruptcy courtrooms of Memphis.

52. Tax Hike Thorny Issue for Council - Friday, March 09, 2012

To some at City Hall, the plan at the end of the 2011 budget season for city government is unfolding as it should. To others, nothing in the plan approved by the Memphis City Council has happened.

Still others aren’t sure whether a one-time, 18-cent city property tax hike is really one time or if it’s the second tax hike of its kind since last year.

53. U of M Lands Big East Invitation - Thursday, February 09, 2012

It got done. Not on the timetable originally envisioned and not without much angst along the way. But that’s old news overtaken by better news:

As of July 1, 2013, the University of Memphis will officially be a competitor in the Big East.

54. Federal Budget Deficit to Dip to $1.1T, CBO Says - Wednesday, February 01, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government will run a $1.1 trillion deficit in the fiscal year that ends in September, a slight dip from last year but still very high by any measure, according to a budget report released Tuesday.

55. Obama Uses Tax Proposals for His Political Message - Tuesday, January 31, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Aiming tax increases at millionaires and companies that ship jobs abroad may help frame the fairness theme of President Barack Obama's re-election campaign, but it's a plan that stands virtually no chance of passing Congress.

56. Report: Electronic Health Records Still Need Work - Monday, January 30, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – America may be a technology-driven nation, but the health care system's conversion from paper to computerized records needs lots of work to get the bugs out, according to experts who spent months studying the issue.

57. New Fed Voters Likelier to Back Help for Economy - Wednesday, January 25, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – If Chairman Ben Bernanke decides the economy needs more help from the Federal Reserve this year, he probably won't face as much resistance as he did last year.

Call it the changing of the guard.

58. Electrolux Touts Local Contracts - Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Electrolux North America executives said Tuesday, Jan. 17, the company has awarded $6.3 million of the $15.3 million in contracts so far for construction of its new Memphis plant to local minority-owned firms.

59. Electrolux Touts Local and Local Minority Contracts - Monday, January 16, 2012

Electrolux North America executives said Tuesday, Jan. 17, the company has awarded $6.3 million of the $15.3 million in contracts so far for construction of its new Memphis plant to local minority-owned firms. And $14.5 million of the $15 million total has been awarded to local companies including the minority-owned firms.

60. Grizz Struggling Without Z-Bo As MLK Game Approaches - Friday, January 13, 2012

It’s almost cruel. At a time when the Grizzlies are playing without their best player, power forward Zach Randolph, NBA legends George Gervin and Clyde Drexler are coming to FedExForum.

Drexler and Gervin are being honored on Monday, Jan. 16, for their contributions to civil rights as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. There’s also the matter of the Grizzlies’ nationally televised noon tip-off with the Bulls, the team that handed them a 40-point loss in Chicago earlier this season. So imagine if the Grizzlies could sneak “Clyde the Glide” and Gervin, aka “The Iceman,” into uniform and find a way to make the years magically melt away for a couple of hours.

61. Can You Say That on TV? The Supreme Court Debates - Wednesday, January 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – In colorful give and take, the Supreme Court debated whether policing curse words and nudity on broadcast television makes sense in the cable era, one justice suggesting the policy is fast becoming moot as broadcast TV heads the way of "vinyl records and 8-track tapes."

62. America Hits the Brakes on Health Care Spending - Tuesday, January 10, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Is health-care relief finally in sight? Health spending stabilized as a share of the nation's economy in 2010 after two back-to-back years of historically low growth, the government reported Monday.

63. Obama Bypasses Senate, Installs New Consumer Chief - Thursday, January 05, 2012

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio (AP) – A defiant President Barack Obama, tired of Senate Republicans stalling his nominee to lead a new consumer protection agency, put him in charge Wednesday over their opposition.

64. Wharton Keeps Most Division Directors, Shifts Some Duties - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. is keeping the same team of division directors except two for his full four year term of office that started Sunday.

But the administration’s lobbyist in Nashville, TaJuan Stout Mitchell, is retiring and the position will change to be more of a contact person with the Memphis City Council instead of state legislators in Nashville.

65. Economists: Obama's Policies 'Fair' or 'Poor' - Thursday, December 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama gets mediocre marks for his handling of the U.S. economy, and Mitt Romney easily outpolls his Republican rivals in an Associated Press survey of economists.

66. Changes in Dining Scene Highlight Dynamic Year - Monday, December 26, 2011

On Thanksgiving Eve, we drove to the airport to pick up my stepson, one of whose flights had been delayed, so it was after 10 by the time he emerged from baggage claim. All being hungry, I drove to Cooper-Young, thinking we could easily get in at the recently opened Alchemy at 10:30.

67. CJ Sits With Sore Ankle, Expects to Play Vs Jags - Thursday, December 22, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Chris Johnson says he originally feared he had hurt his right ankle badly, but says he expects to be able to play Saturday as Tennessee tries to keep its faint playoff hopes alive against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

68. Overstuffed Carry-On Bags Getting More Scrutiny - Thursday, December 15, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Before you board a flight this holiday season, think twice about stuffing that carry-on full of gifts to avoid a checked bag fee. You might get charged anyway.

Already armed with an exhaustive list of checked bag fees, some airlines are stepping up their enforcement of weight limits for carry-ons. This may lead to aggravation if an airline agent weighs your bag at the gate and then charges you.

69. Council Cautious About City Finances - Thursday, December 08, 2011

Memphis City Council members set the tone for the beginning of a new four-year term of office at their next to last meeting of 2011.

And the message is the council intends to be an equal partner with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. in setting the city’s fiscal priorities, not waiting and then voting his proposals up or down.

70. Council Passes Amended City Bonus, Rejects Water Rate Hike - Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Memphis City Council members approved a $750 flat bonus for all full time city employees Tuesday, Dec. 6, and a flat bonus of $200 for part time city employees.

Just as the Shelby County Commission did Monday for county employees, the council departed from the mayoral administration’s plan for a bonus as a percentage of pay.

71. House Republicans Pass Major Anti-Regulation Bill - Monday, December 05, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – In an ambitious gesture to their business allies, House Republicans passed legislation Friday that critics say would prevent the government from protecting Americans at their workplaces, in their homes, and when they want a breath of fresh air.

72. Marathon Weekend Boon For Hospital, Economy - Friday, December 02, 2011

The number of people participating in the annual St. Jude Memphis Marathon continues to climb.

So does the amount of money raised through the event for researching and treating childhood cancers.

73. Republicans Aim to Quash New Union Rules - Thursday, December 01, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republicans are maneuvering to short-circuit an effort by Democrats on the National Labor Relations Board to approve rules that would quicken the pace of union elections.

74. Democratic Rep. Barney Frank Announces Retirement - Tuesday, November 29, 2011

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) – Democratic Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts announced his retirement Monday effective at the end of next year, closing out a congressional career of more than three decades capped by passage of legislation imposing new regulations on Wall Street.

75. Extraordinary Valor - Monday, November 21, 2011

The Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club welcomed best-selling author Doug Stanton as its guest speaker for November.

“Doug is an amazing storyteller, and we are really excited to have him as our speaker this month. November features the combination of Veteran’s Day and Thanksgiving, and we wanted to recognize and show our gratitude for the extraordinarily heroic service of our military veterans,” said Susan Stephenson, co-founder of Independent Bank, this month’s event host.

76. A GOP Debt Plan Would Hit Some Popular Tax Breaks - Friday, November 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Millions of taxpayers who take advantage of deductions for mortgage interest, charitable donations and state and local taxes would be targeted for potential tax hikes under a GOP plan to raise taxes by $290 billion over the next decade to help reduce the nation's deficit.

77. High Court Troubled by Warrantless GPS Tracking - Wednesday, November 09, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court invoked visions of an all-seeing Big Brother and satellites watching us from above. Then things got personal Tuesday when the justices were told police could slap GPS devices on their cars and track their movements, without asking a judge for advance approval.

78. US Curbs Work Program for Foreign College Students - Tuesday, November 08, 2011

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The State Department put a freeze Monday on expansion of a program that lines up summer jobs in the U.S. for foreign college students, citing persistent complaints about young people getting ripped off and exploited.

79. In European Crisis, Obama Sees Risks Back Home - Friday, November 04, 2011

CANNES, France (AP) – His political fortunes and his nation's economy at risk, President Barack Obama on Thursday implored European leaders to swiftly work out a eurozone rescue plan, aware of the potential fallout at home if they fail.

80. TDN Seminar to Examine State of Health Care - Friday, November 04, 2011

The health care industry is an economic driver in Memphis, where hospitals, health care providers and biotechnology companies employ one out of every seven workers.

On Thursday, Nov. 10, a panel of local experts will discuss the health care sector’s current state and future forecast at The Daily News Business of Health Care Seminar, which begins at 3:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, 1934 Poplar Ave.

81. City Made Impact On Jobs While On Memphis Visit - Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Many details about Steve Jobs’ brief time in Memphis in 2009 are still not known. That’s partly because of the late Apple Inc. CEO’s penchant for secrecy and the sensitive nature of his trip to the city, which came about because of his need for a critical liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital.

82. AP-GfK Poll: 37 Percent of Public Back Protests - Monday, October 24, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – More than one-third of the country supports the Wall Street protests, and even more – 58 percent – say they are furious about America's politics.

The number of angry people is growing as deep reservoirs of resentment grip the country, according to the latest Associated Press-GfK poll.

83. Apple Founder Visited Sun While Recuperating in Memphis - Monday, October 24, 2011

Many details about Steve Jobs’ brief time in Memphis in 2009 are still not known. That’s partly because of the late Apple CEO’s penchant for secrecy and the sensitive nature of his trip to the city, which came about because of his need for a critical liver transplant at Methodist University Hospital.

84. Fullilove Wants Madison Bike Lane Talks but ‘Not Trying to Interfere’ - Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove wants to talk more about dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue at the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 18, afternoon session.

85. Fullilove Wants Madison Bike Lane Talks but ‘Not Trying to Interfere’ - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Memphis City Council member Janis Fullilove wants to talk more about dedicated bicycle lanes on Madison Avenue at the council’s Tuesday, Oct. 18, afternoon session.

86. Council Holds First Post-Election Meeting - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

At their first set of meetings since the Oct. 6 city elections, Memphis City Council members take up some of the issues that surfaced in the campaigns while others have been delayed.

The Tuesday, Oct. 14, council session begins at 3:30 p.m. at City Hall, 125 N. Main St.

87. City Pride - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

“Memphis,” the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, took New York by storm where it started a successful run two years ago.

In Memphis, the popular musical’s namesake city where this weekend at the Orpheum Theatre it kicked off an 80-week tour, it may have to work a little harder to resonate with audiences.

88. Intermodal Cartage Sees 30 Years of Steady Growth - Monday, October 17, 2011

Founded by Mark George in Memphis with one truck driver in 1982, Intermodal Cartage Co. Inc. has grown steadily for nearly 30 years and now has locations in 26 cities nationwide.

89. A Tasteful List - Friday, October 14, 2011

A LIST YOU CAN SINK YOUR TEETH INTO. Seems like everybody has a list these days, so, in recognition of the 125th anniversary of The Daily News, here’s mine – 125 things that make Memphis easy to swallow – a sort of alphabetical soup to nuts of local flavor. Friends old and new, and a few long-gone, but I can taste them still.

90. Obama Says He Can't Fix Immigration on His Own - Thursday, September 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Facing weakening support among Hispanics, President Barack Obama expressed deep frustration Wednesday over what he called an inaccurate and damaging perception that he can fix the nation's flawed immigration system on his own.

91. Liberals Would Raise Social Security Tax for Rich - Thursday, September 15, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Nervous that Social Security seems under siege from all sides, congressional liberals on Wednesday proposed raising the payroll tax that funds the program, but only for people earning more than $250,000 a year.

92. Whether You Win – Part 2 - Thursday, September 15, 2011

Success is never inevitable, right? You can’t win ‘em all. Last week we looked at lost-phrases. This week the focus is on winning. Or won-phrases, anyway.

Perhaps ironically, the phrase “You can’t win ‘em all” is almost always associated with losing. As is also the case with “no-win situation,” a predicament in which a favorable outcome is considered an impossibility.

93. Obama Tax Proposal Worries Social Security Allies - Tuesday, September 13, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Some Social Security advocates fear that President Barack Obama's desire to cut taxes supporting the program will undermine its vaunted stature as a self-financing pension system that provides checks to retirees based on contributions they made while working.

94. TSC, Shelby Farms Form Partnership - Thursday, August 25, 2011

Shelby Farms Park offers space for running, kayaking, dog-walking, hiking and now, live theater.

A new partnership with the Tennessee Shakespeare Co. will finally give the outdoors-friendly company a long-awaited amphitheater site.

95. Memphis Asks National Group to Evaluate Shelter - Monday, August 22, 2011

MEMPHIS (AP) – Memphis officials hope the Humane Society of the United States will help evaluate the city's animal shelter.

Chief city administrative officer George Little said there's no agreement yet, but city officials hope the society will either conduct an independent review of the shelter or join in the current investigation being conducted by the Memphis Rotary Club.

96. Pelosi Names Final Members to Debt Supercommittee - Friday, August 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's appointment Thursday of three Democrats to Congress' new debt-reduction supercommittee completes the roster of a panel whose members are already being tugged in competing directions.

97. Natural Selection - Thursday, August 11, 2011

Overton Park may be the next city-owned park to fall under nonprofit management.

That’s because a group of Midtowners on a mission see an Overton Park conservancy as the next step to follow a recent citizen survey.

98. Schools Funding Compromise Must Overcome Distrust - Monday, July 25, 2011

The city of Memphis and the Memphis City Schools system have some time – but not a lot – to see if a very tentative school funding compromise can grow roots.

But downtime has never been the friend of either side in the three-year dispute that began when the then-newly elected council cut funding to MCS in April 2008.

99. Open Door - Monday, July 25, 2011

By 2050, it’s projected all minorities combined will represent more than 50 percent of the U.S. population, and as the United States moves closer to becoming a minority-majority nation, the growing Hispanic population is increasingly becoming a major power player in the new economy.

100. MCS-City Council Talk Money At 4 PM - Thursday, July 21, 2011

As Memphis City Council members and Memphis City Schools board members prepare to talk for the first time since the school board voted to possibly delay the Aug. 8 start of the school year, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. has offered to put $10 million in city funding on the table.