Mortgage activity was a bit lackluster in Shelby County last month compared to the same time in 2012, judging by the latest data.

Looking forward, though, bankers say the demand is there, the busy season for lenders is well underway and that the purchase mortgage business is at times far outpacing demand for refinances.

2. Google Settles Suit, Clears Way for Stock Split - Tuesday, June 18, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Google has resolved a shareholder lawsuit blocking a long-delayed stock split, clearing the way for the Internet search leader to issue a new class of non-voting shares later this year.

3. Commission to Complete Schools Budget - Monday, June 17, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners should wrap up their action Monday, June 17, on the first budget for the consolidated school system with a final vote on the school system budget.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building, 160 N. Main St.

4. Coverage May be Unaffordable for Low-Wage Workers - Friday, June 14, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – It's called the Affordable Care Act, but President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.

5. Old Boundaries Fade as Schools Merger Nears - Thursday, June 13, 2013

There is still some power left in the line that separates Memphis City Schools from Shelby County Schools with about two weeks left until the two public school systems formally become one.

That was evident Tuesday, June 11, as the countywide school board approved a slate of 35 policy decisions for the merged school system whose fiscal year begins July 1.

6. School Board Approves Use of Reserve To Fund Merger Budget - Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Countywide school board members approved Tuesday, June 11, the use of $12 million from the reserves of the two combined school systems to bridge a funding gap in the budget for the first fiscal year of the consolidated school system.

7. US Trade Deficit Up 8.5 Percent to $40.3 Billion - Wednesday, June 05, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. trade deficit widened in April, as demand for foreign cars, cell phones and other imported goods outpaced growth in U.S. exports.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that the trade gap rose 8.5 percent in April from March to $40.3 billion.

8. Commission Takes Up Property Tax Hike - Monday, June 03, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners take the first of three votes Monday, June 3, on a 6-cent property tax hike as well as a 30-cent increase in the tax rate.

And four of the seven votes needed for the tax hike are there. So is a very vocal minority on the commission who see the recertified tax rate increase as a tax hike even before the 6-cent tax hike recommended by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is considered.

9. Mothers Now Top Earners in 4 in 10 US Households - Thursday, May 30, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's working mothers are now the primary breadwinners in a record 40 percent of households with children — a milestone in the changing face of modern families, up from just 11 percent in 1960.

10. School Board Considers Funding Shifts - Thursday, May 16, 2013

When countywide school board members begin considering changes Thursday, May 16, to the $1.18 billion budget proposal before them, there will be few easy choices.

First reactions and questions from school board members Tuesday at the first of three board sessions this week revolved around ways to shift funding in order to expand pre-kindergarten to more schools.

11. School Board Examines Budget Fine Print - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The funding gap for the still tentative schools merger stands at an even $35 million in new funding.

The new total came Tuesday, May 14, after interim schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson told countywide school board members he and his staff had eliminated a “district initiative department” that would have cost $737,366.

12. Grizzlies Take Down Thunder in Overtime - Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Moments before Game 4 of the Grizzlies-Oklahoma City playoff series tipped off at FedExForum Monday night, Tony Allen, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol stood at midcourt to be recognized for making the NBA’s All-Defensive teams (Allen first-team, Gasol and Conley second-team).

13. Hopson Says Merger Not Reason for Staff Cuts - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

The interim superintendent of Shelby County’s two public school systems says staffing changes at some schools to start with the first school year of the merger aren’t as draconian as they could have been.

14. US Trade Deficit Falls to $38.8 Billion in March - Friday, May 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in March for a second month as the daily flow of imported crude oil dropped to the lowest level in 17 years. The deficit with China hit a three-year low.

15. Obama Budget: Cover Uninsured, Trim Medicare, Tax Cigarettes - Thursday, April 11, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama's new budget offers Medicare cuts to entice Republicans into tax negotiations, while plowing ahead to cover the uninsured next year under the health care law the GOP has bitterly fought to repeal.

16. Conley Proving Adept at Stealing the Show - Friday, April 05, 2013

The question came at Lionel Hollins as a compliment, the way many questions after dramatic victories do.

The Grizzlies had just beaten the San Antonio Spurs, 92-90, at a rowdy FedExForum on a driving layup by point guard Mike Conley for the team’s 50th win – tying the franchise record. So the coach was asked to explain his team’s “resiliency.”

17. Hopson Goes ‘All In’ on Schools Post - Friday, March 29, 2013

Dorsey Hopson’s answer was quick and concise when he was asked Wednesday, March 27, if he wanted the job of being superintendent of the consolidated school system on a permanent basis.

“No,” Hopson said, as he stood with a “cabinet” of 10 school systems administrators from both school systems who will help him take city and county schools into the merger in the next four months.

18. US Budget Deficit Jumps in February by $204 Billion - Thursday, March 14, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. federal budget deficit jumped in February from January, though it is still running well below last year's pace. Higher taxes and an improving economy are expected to hold the annual deficit below $1 trillion for the first time since President Barack Obama took office.

19. Bearing Down - Monday, March 11, 2013

The old adage “loaded for bear” is fitting for a new full-service branding agency that’s emerged on the Memphis advertising landscape.

“We came up with Loaded for Bear after stepping back and looking at the Memphis creative landscape and what our goals were, which are to prove that great creative can happen in a ‘creative wilderness’ such as Memphis, but also to help our clients be prepared for anything,” said managing director Joel Halpern. “That is where the term came from, an old hiker’s saying that means going off in the prepared for the worst case scenario, or a bear.”

20. Hollywood Feed Expands, Renews Local Leases - Friday, March 01, 2013

Hollywood Feed has renewed and expanded two of its Memphis locations.

The Memphis-based natural and holistic pet food merchant is growing its 2648 Broad Ave. warehouse from 44,400 square feet to 77,763 square feet.

21. Seminar: Uncertainty Pervades Real Estate - Monday, February 18, 2013

2013 will be a big year on many real estate fronts – foreclosures, property taxes and property values.

That was the message industry professionals heard Thursday, Feb. 14, at real estate information company Chandler Reports’ 2012 year-end “Master Your Market” seminar at the Holiday Inn University of Memphis.

22. School Budget Debate Far From Over - Thursday, February 14, 2013

The countywide school board’s $145 million “ask” is on its way to the Shelby County Commission.

There was much debate among board members about the amount but general agreement that they need more details about what would be in even a preliminary budget.

23. School Board Meets as Budget Debate Grows - Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Countywide school board members meet Tuesday, Feb. 12, in special session to send a still-forming budget for the first fiscal year of the consolidated school system to the Shelby County Commission.

24. Madewell Coming to Saddle Creek - Friday, February 08, 2013

The Shops of Saddle Creek in Germantown will soon gain another national retailer with no other presence in Tennessee.

Madewell, a subsidiary of J. Crew Group Inc., has signed a 3,061-square-foot lease in The Shops of Saddle Creek North, 7509 Poplar Ave., in part of the space that was previously The Gap in between James Avery Jewelry and Brighton Collectables.

25. Retailers Report Strong January Sales - Friday, February 08, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Sometimes, the devil is in the deals. Americans shopped the winter clearance racks in January, resulting in strong sales during the month for retailers.

But spending is expected to slow as the deals dry up heading into the spring, and Americans digest rising gas prices and a 2 percent payroll tax hike that started in January.

26. Final Bell - Saturday, January 19, 2013

From the moment he became Memphis City Schools superintendent, Kriner Cash had competition.

“I’ve been fighting since I got here,” he said in the early stages of what winds up as a five-year tenure that officially comes to an end July 31.

27. Cash Exits At Critical Juncture In Merger - Friday, January 11, 2013

Countywide school board members approved Thursday, Jan. 10, a severance package that ends Kriner Cash’s tenure as superintendent of Memphis City Schools.

Cash will remain through the end of July as an employee in an advisory capacity. At the end of July he gets six months of regular pay and $17,000 in moving and legal expenses as well as a letter of recommendation from the school system.

28. Plenty is Happening in the 38104 ZIP Code - Saturday, December 22, 2012

Saying something different is happening in Midtown is like saying the sun will rise in the east each morning.

But the pockets of change particularly in commercial real estate in Midtown point to significant changes we haven’t seen before. And they represent some big opportunities to affect daily life for those who call Midtown home as well as those who pass through an area with three major east-west arteries – Poplar, Union and Madison Avenues.

29. Plenty is Happening in the 38104 ZIP Code - Saturday, December 22, 2012

Saying something different is happening in Midtown is like saying the sun will rise in the east each morning.

But the pockets of change particularly in commercial real estate in Midtown point to significant changes we haven’t seen before. And they represent some big opportunities to affect daily life for those who call Midtown home as well as those who pass through an area with three major east-west arteries – Poplar, Union and Madison Avenues.

30. Differences Discussed as Schools Move Ahead - Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Students and public schools in Shelby County’s six suburban towns and cities are almost certainly going to be part of the consolidated Shelby County public school system that debuts in August.

31. Beebe Proposes Another Arkansas Grocery Tax Reduction - Friday, November 16, 2012

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe proposed a $4.9 billion budget Thursday that calls for eliminating nearly all of the state's grocery tax next year if the state's payments to three school districts for desegregation and other key obligations decline over a six-month period.

32. Saint Francis Introduces MAKO Knee Treatment - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis this week becomes the first hospital in the city to offer the MAKOplasty partial knee resurfacing treatment.

The treatment uses a highly advanced, surgeon-controlled robotic arm system to correct early to mid-stage osteoarthritis that has not yet progressed to all three compartments of the knee. Saint Francis spent $1.5 million to acquire the new technology, and the first surgery is scheduled to take place Thursday, Nov. 15.

33. School Board to Vote on Supporting Tax Hike - Tuesday, October 30, 2012

The chairman of the Shelby County Commission and the newest county commissioner have different thoughts on the countywide tax hike on the Nov. 6 ballot.

But chairman Mike Ritz and commissioner Steve Basar, elected to the commission in August, agree that the countywide school board hasn’t been aggressive enough in carrying out the transition to the schools merger to come in August.

34. Commercial Advisors Capital Markets to Zero In on ‘Untapped Segment’ - Friday, October 12, 2012

Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors Asset Services LLC has launched a Capital Markets Group, a new service line to complement the firm’s tenant representation and third-party leasing and management businesses.

35. Census Data Another Sign Economy has Bottomed Out - Friday, September 21, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Five years after the housing bust, the U.S. economy is showing signs of finally bottoming out.

Americans are on the move again after putting their lives on hold and staying put. More young adults are leaving their parents' homes to take a chance with college or the job market, while once-sharp declines in births are leveling off and poverty is slowing.

36. Schools Case Continues in Federal Court - Thursday, September 20, 2012

When U.S. District Court Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays resumes his hearing on municipal school districts, Thursday, Sept. 20, he will already have a desk full of reports, documents and depositions to consider.

37. School Board to Begin Merger Votes Next Week - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Countywide school board members should begin voting up or down the first recommendations of the schools consolidation planning commission at their Thursday, Sept. 27, meeting.

The recommendations are the blueprint for how the merged school system will operate leading up to and past the merger start date of August 2013.

38. 3 Tips for Improving a Struggling Sales Team - Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Successfully managing a sales team takes a special touch, because great salespeople are wired differently than most. Their defining qualities – fearlessness and dogged determination – are what make them both stellar at closing business and, at times, a handful to manage.

39. US Poverty Rate 15 Percent; Record Numbers Persist - Thursday, September 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The ranks of America's poor remain stuck at a record 15 percent, the Census Bureau reported Wednesday.

Roughly 46.2 million people remained below the poverty line in 2011, unchanged from 2010. The figure is the highest in more than half a century.

40. Report: Foreclosure Sales Fell Sharply in Second Quarter - Friday, August 31, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Sales of bank-owned homes and those already on the foreclosure path fell sharply in the second quarter, reflecting a thinner slate of properties for sale in many cities as banks take a measured approach to placing homes on the market.

41. School Board Questions Processes - Thursday, August 30, 2012

The process that countywide school board members are using to filter school merger recommendations from the transition planning commission looks a lot like the commission itself.

The group of senior administrators from both school systems even has a similar name – the transition steering committee. And like the transition planning commission, it will explore hiring consulting firms to advise it.

42. Most Americans Say the Rich Don't Pay Enough Taxes - Tuesday, August 28, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – As the income gap between rich and poor widens, a majority of Americans say the growing divide is bad for the country and believe that wealthy people are paying too little in taxes, according to a new survey.

43. After the Vote - Monday, August 20, 2012

As 400 supporters of municipal school districts rallied just off the Arlington town square in July, conversations about the ballot outcome turned to one question – how Federal Judge Hardy Mays would rule in the legal challenge to the state law governing the establishment of a municipal school district.

44. Transcript: Luttrell Discusses Schools, Other Issues Facing County - Monday, August 13, 2012

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell talked several weeks ago with The Memphis News editorial board about the coming merger of schools and the creation of municipal school districts.

The conversation took place a few days before voters in all six suburban towns and cities approved the creation of municipal school districts.

45. Biz Owners Weighing Health Care Law Impact - Monday, August 13, 2012

So far, it’s not easy to get a clear picture of how President Barack Obama’s health care law will affect Memphis-area small businesses.

That’s mainly because there are lots of business owners – including both supporters and even strident critics of the Affordable Care Act – who themselves don’t know what impact the law will have.

46. Ritz Seeks Countywide Sales Tax Hike - Monday, August 13, 2012

Incoming Shelby County Commission chairman Mike Ritz wants to add a countywide sales tax hike for education to the Nov. 6 ballot.

The move, if approved by voters, would not only trump the half-cent sales tax hikes approved this month for five of the six suburban municipal school districts – it would also lessen the revenue the city of Memphis would get from a half-percent citywide sales tax hike already on the November ballot.

47. Gov't Report: Tax Cheats Getting Paid by Medicaid - Friday, August 03, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Thousands of Medicaid health care service providers still got paid by the government even though they owed hundreds of millions of dollars in federal taxes, congressional investigators say. A legal technicality is making it harder for the IRS to collect.

48. Clearances, Heat Lured Shoppers to Spend in July - Friday, August 03, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans shoppers proved resilient in July, driving a key sales figure up at retailers across the country, despite persistent worry about jobs and the global economy.

Results came in better than expected for many retailers, helped by hot weather and summer clearance sales, an encouraging sign as the back-to-school season, the second-biggest shopping season behind the holidays, kicks off.

49. Day of Answers - Thursday, August 02, 2012

Polls open across Shelby County at 7 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 2, in elections that already promise to be memorable for problems during the early voting period as well as the mixture of issues and one-of-a-kind contests on the ballot.

50. US Poverty on Track to Rise to Highest Since 1960s - Tuesday, July 24, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net.

51. Schools Merger Draft Receives Different Responses - Monday, July 02, 2012

The plan for a consolidated countywide public school system got overshadowed last week by the federal court motion to stop the August referendums on municipal school districts.

But the 200-page plan with 172 recommendations is now formally before the countywide school board and Tennessee Education Commissioner Kevin Huffman – the two next stops in the process for approving a merger plan.

52. ‘Paradigm Shift’ - Thursday, June 21, 2012

As he nears the two-year mark as Shelby County mayor this September, Mark Luttrell said he continues to be confronted by the “urban and suburban divide.”

53. Slice of the Pie - Monday, June 18, 2012

Come mid-July, local restaurateur Aldo Dean will launch Aldo’s Pizza Pies, his group’s third concept in Memphis and second in Downtown’s Central Business District.

Dean is one of three partners behind the new 3,900-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor of Henry Turley Co.’s Barboro Flats at 100 S. Main St. Adam Slovis of Slovis & Associates LLC represented Dean and his group in its seven-year lease for Aldo’s Pizza Pies.

54. Mtg. Could Produce Schools Draft - Thursday, June 14, 2012

The group drafting the blueprint for the merged Shelby County public school system will go longer than its normal two-hour session Thursday, June 14.

The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. session is an important milestone for the schools consolidation planning commission that began its work in September.

55. CCRFC Approves Chisca Hotel Tax Break - Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp. at its Tuesday, June 12, board meeting approved a 20-year PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) program for the restoration of the Chisca Hotel led by Main Street Apartment Partners LLC.

56. CCRFC Approves Chisca Hotel Tax Break - Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Memphis Center City Revenue Finance Corp. at its Tuesday, June 12, board meeting approved a 20-year PILOT (payment-in-lieu-of-taxes) program for the restoration of the Chisca Hotel led by Main Street Apartment Partners LLC.

57. US Trade Deficit Narrowed to $50.1 Billion - Monday, June 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. trade deficit shrank in April, but only because a big drop in imports offset the first decline in U.S. exports in five months.

The Commerce Department said Friday that the trade deficit narrowed 4.9 percent in April to $50.1 billion.

58. Tina Fey’s ‘Bossy Pants’ Rocks - Thursday, June 07, 2012

After reading the 2009 novel that I dissed a bit last week, I read Tina Fey’s 2011 autobiographical “Bossy Pants.” Superb, stellar, well-written. Educational, insightful, witty and fun! What more could I ask?

59. City Budget Season Ends With Frustration - Thursday, June 07, 2012

The year of the “gap budget” at City Hall felt and sounded a lot like the previous two budget years at City Hall.

The mayor and City Council were frustrated even as the budget deliberations came to an end with a lowered city property tax rate.

60. Council Lowers Property Tax Rate, Approves $609M Budget - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

Memphis City Council members approved a $3.11 city property tax rate Tuesday, June 5, to fund a city operating budget of $609,802,357 and Memphis City Schools to the tune of $64,819,307.

The split council vote came nearly 14 hours after the council’s day started at City Hall with a budget committee session in which the basic elements of the ultimate budget compromise were mapped out before noon.

61. ‘Reluctant Contingency Plan’ Gets Approval - Monday, June 04, 2012

After tallying savings of $97 million by recommending outsourcing transportation and custodial work as well as closing 21 schools, the group planning out a consolidated countywide school system knew there was pain to follow.

62. Medical Necessity - Thursday, May 31, 2012

An aging population, changes in the national health care model and a shortage of primary care physicians have increased the need for physician assistants, or PAs, who work under the direction of physicians and surgeons.

63. New School System Faces $89M Shortfall - Monday, May 28, 2012

The gap between expenses and revenues for a countywide school system that debuts in August 2013 is estimated at $89 million by the group that is planning what the school system will look like and how it will operate.

64. Schools Planning Commission Puts Financial Gap at $89 Million - Friday, May 25, 2012

Those drafting the blueprint for the consolidated Shelby County public school system to come in August 2013 always knew they would come to the point at which they would have to balance the school system they want and the school system the county can afford.

65. Budget Talks Turn to MCS Funding Issue - Monday, May 14, 2012

If the city of Memphis has one more fiscal year of funding Memphis City Schools, it could be one-time-only funding instead of raising the city property tax rate.

After several years of Memphis City Council members debating the use of one-time-only funding to cover continuing expenses in the city’s operating budget, the coming schools consolidation that begins in August 2013 has prompted some new scenarios.

66. US Trade Gap Widens at Fastest Pace in 10 Months - Friday, May 11, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. trade deficit rose in March at the fastest rate in 10 months. A rise in consumer goods lifted imports to a record level, outpacing a solid gain in U.S. exports.

67. Twitter Plays Outsize Role in 2012 Campaign - Tuesday, May 08, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – @BarackObama is on Twitter. So is @MittRomney. And so are all the voters following the 2012 presidential contest, whether they know it or not.

Candidates, strategists, journalists and political junkies have flocked to Twitter, the social networking hub where information from the mundane to the momentous is shared through 140-character microbursts known as tweets.

68. Medicare Disruptions Seen if Health Law is Struck - Friday, May 04, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Medicare's payment system, the unseen but vital network that handles 100 million monthly claims, could freeze up if President Barack Obama's health care law is summarily overturned, the administration has quietly informed the courts.

69. Tax Hike At Center Of Budget Debate - Thursday, April 19, 2012

Even as he made his case for a 47-cent property tax hike Tuesday, April 17, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. outlined alternatives to the full tax hike.

“This is a product in progress,” he said after his annual budget address.

70. Retailers Report Positive March Sales - Friday, April 06, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Retailers from discounter Target to department-store chain Macy's reported better-than-expected sales in March in the latest sign that Americans are feeling better about the economy.

71. Robinson: Health Study Confirms Known Problem - Wednesday, April 04, 2012

Dr. Kenneth Robinson, public health policy adviser to Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell, said he wasn’t at all surprised by a recent study that found African-American women in Memphis are more than twice as likely to die from breast cancer as their white counterparts.

72. Economists See Higher Taxes as Way to Cut Deficit - Tuesday, March 27, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Economists say a combination of higher taxes and lower spending is the best way to reduce the federal budget deficit.

A survey on economic policies conducted by the National Association for Business Economists released Monday also forecast that short-term interest rates would remain at current levels for at least another year.

73. Insurers Speed Health Care Overhaul Preparations - Monday, March 26, 2012

The nation's big insurers are spending millions to carry out President Barack Obama's health care overhaul even though there's a chance the wide-reaching law won't survive Supreme Court scrutiny.

It's not that health insurers want to bet big that the court will uphold the Affordable Care Act. It's that they can't afford not to. It will take at least several months and lots of resources for insurers to prepare to implement key elements of the law, which includes a controversial requirement that most Americans have health insurance by 2014.

74. Cost of GED Diploma Going Up - Tuesday, March 20, 2012

The good news is the General Educational Development test to earn the equivalent of a high school diploma is moving online. The bad news is the cost of taking the test is expected to go up to $125 starting in 2014.

75. Jobs Picture Brightens, But Incomes, Spending Weak - Friday, March 02, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Steady declines in applications for unemployment aid are pointing to another strong month of hiring in February.

A healthy job market normally drives faster growth. But Americans' after-tax income actually fell in January, which led to a fourth straight month of weak consumer spending.

76. Strong Retail Sales are Sign of Improving Economy - Friday, March 02, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Americans stepped up their spending in February, boosting sales at many stores and offering the latest sign that shoppers are feeling more confident in the economy.

As merchants reported their monthly sales figures Thursday, a diverse group including Target and Macy's reported sales gains that exceeded Wall Street estimates. Even Gap Inc., long mired in a sales slump, posted an unexpected increase.

77. Apple Market Value Hits $500B, Where Few Have Gone - Thursday, March 01, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Apple's market capitalization topped $500 billion Wednesday, climbing to a mountain peak where few companies have ventured – and none have stayed for long.

Apple was already the world's most valuable company. The gap between it and No. 2 Exxon Mobil Corp. has widened rapidly in the past month, as investors have digested Apple's report of blow-out holiday-season sales of iPhones and iPads. And, more recently, Apple has raised investors' hopes that it might institute a dividend.

78. Applying Pressure - Monday, February 20, 2012

On Super Bowl Sunday, a group of 20 people huddled near a set of about as many tents on the Civic Center Plaza – the part of the Main Street Mall that is home to City Hall as well as the county, state and federal buildings.

79. MEM Closes Cargo Gap With Hong Kong Airport - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Memphis International Airport remained the world’s second-busiest cargo airport in the world in 2011, its second year in that ranking, but the busiest cargo airport in the U.S. – thanks largely to the FedEx Super Hub at Memphis.

80. Obama Call for Manufacturing Revival a Tough Goal - Monday, February 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is making a strong election-year push for an economic revival "built on American manufacturing." But he faces an uphill slog, with little consensus even within his own party on how to do it.

81. Budget Deficit Drops to $27 Billion in January - Monday, February 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal budget deficit fell sharply in January compared to a year earlier, as an improving economy lifts income tax revenue.

The deficit is on track to shrink this year, but the red ink will still run deep: it is forecast to top $1 trillion for the fourth year in a row. That's likely to mean that budget issues in Congress will remain high-profile and contentious this year.

82. MBA To Spend Year Educating Public on Law - Thursday, February 02, 2012

The Memphis Bar Association is gearing up for a major public outreach program in the form of an educational campaign.

Gary Smith, the 2012 president of the attorneys’ group, along with secretary Tommy Parker and member Porter Feild, have developed a program they’re calling “Law Rules: The Importance of the American Legal System.”

83. MEM Sees 1.3M Fewer Passengers in 2011 - Friday, January 20, 2012

Memphis International Airport saw about 1.3 million fewer passengers in a challenging 2011, but about the same amount of cargo for the calendar year.

The Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority board reviewed the numbers and took stock of projects in the year ahead when they met Thursday, Jan. 19.

84. Social Tensions Increasing in US Between Rich, Poor - Thursday, January 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Tensions between the rich and poor in the U.S. are increasing and at their most intense level in nearly a quarter-century, a new survey shows. Americans now see more social conflict over wealth inequality than over the hot-button topics of immigration, race relations and age.

85. Visible is Music To Memphis’ Ears - Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Last week we highlighted Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis, which is providing a “home away from home” for families that are in Memphis while their child is receiving treatment for cancer or another catastrophic illness at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

86. Uninsured Turn to Daily Deal Sites for Health Care - Monday, January 02, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – The last time Mark Stella went to the dentist he didn't need an insurance card. Instead, he pulled out a Groupon.

Stella, a small business owner, canceled his health insurance plan more than three years ago when his premium rose to more than $400 a month. He considered himself healthy and decided that he was wasting money on something that he rarely used.

87. Charlotte Leaders Address Student Achievement - Wednesday, December 14, 2011

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools system was consolidated in 1960, years before the schools in the North Carolina system were racially integrated.

And the school system’s former superintendent, who resigned earlier this year, told those involved in the Shelby County schools consolidation process that Charlotte-Mecklenburg still has an achievement gap.

88. Don’t Rely On The Future - Thursday, December 08, 2011

Ray’s Take Traditionally, families have expected their financial future to improve as time goes on. It’s part of the American spirit. We expect annual raises and bonuses to keep coming our way. We expect each generation to do better than the last.

89. Obama: Econ. Inequality ‘Defining Issue’ - Wednesday, December 07, 2011

OSAWATOMIE, Kan. (AP) – President Barack Obama delivered a sweeping indictment of economic inequality in the U.S. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, as he summoned the memory of President Theodore Roosevelt and pledged to fight for fairness at a “make or break moment for the middle class.”

90. Workers Push Back Against Earlier Holiday Openings - Thursday, November 17, 2011

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Count your blessings, then get to work.

That may be Thanksgiving for more retail workers this year, as stores desperate to pull in buyers on the first weekend of the holiday shopping season push their openings earlier and earlier. Unhappy workers who say it ruins their Thanksgiving celebrations are trying to persuade companies to back off, but retailers say they're stuck: It's what customers want.

91. Cable Cos. to Offer $9.95 Broadband for Poor Homes - Thursday, November 10, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Cable companies said Wednesday that they will offer Internet service for $9.95 per month to homes with children that are eligible for free school lunches.

The offer will start next summer and is part of an initiative the Federal Communications Commission cobbled together to get more U.S. homes connected to broadband.

92. US Wealth Gap Between Young and Old is Widest Ever - Tuesday, November 08, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt.

93. Consumer Borrowing Up, But Credit Card Use Falls - Tuesday, November 08, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans borrowed more in September to buy cars and attend college, but they charged less to their credit cards for a third straight month. The figures suggest that consumers are growing more cautious about taking on high-interest debt in a weak economy.

94. 3 State Agencies Offer Budget Proposals - Friday, November 04, 2011

MEMPHIS (AP) – The heads of three state agencies on Wednesday began giving Gov. Bill Haslam their proposals for how they would cut 5 percent from their spending plans in next year's budget.

95. Cybersecurity Importance Grows - Monday, October 31, 2011

Anyone reading this article via the Internet is part of a crowd that’s 2.5 billion strong. That’s how many people are currently connected to the ‘Net, according to cybersecurity authority Melissa Hathaway, who was in town Thursday to share with the Economic Club of Memphis her warnings about how fragile the world’s digital infrastructure is.

96. Just in Time for Holidays, a Bad Economic Mood - Wednesday, October 26, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans say they feel worse about the economy than they have since the depths of the Great Recession. And it's a bad time for a bad mood because households are starting to make their holiday budgets.

97. Corporate Mentoring Plays Valuable Role - Monday, October 24, 2011

Mentoring was going on long before it was called that and long before it was included in corporate annual reports and mission statements.

The first mentor in business was probably someone who didn’t start a business but found themselves running the business, looked around for help and found no one there with experience on what it was like to be the one making decisions.

98. Obama Signs 3 Trade Deals, Biggest Since NAFTA - Monday, October 24, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama signed off Friday on the first three – and possibly last – free trade agreements of his administration, deals with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama that could be worth billions to American exporters and create tens of thousands of jobs.

99. No Deal: NBA Cancels First Two Weeks of Season - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Two weeks of NBA games are lost. Many more could be in jeopardy.

There's a "gulf" that separates owners and players, and they will have to close it quickly to avoid further damage to the schedule.

100. AP IMPACT: Hospital Drug Shortages Deadly, Costly - Monday, September 26, 2011

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A drug for dangerously high blood pressure, normally priced at $25.90 per dose, offered to hospitals for $1,200. Fifteen deaths in 15 months blamed on shortages of life-saving medications.