The Federal Advisory Council, a group of bankers that includes First Horizon National Corp. chairman and CEO Bryan Jordan and which advises the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, is concerned about several specific areas of the economy.

2. Outside Group Sends Warning to the Fed - Thursday, May 09, 2013

The Federal Advisory Council, a group of bankers that includes First Horizon National Corp. chairman and CEO Bryan Jordan and which advises the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, is concerned about several specific areas of the economy.

3. FedEx Wins $10.5 Billion Contract With USPS - Thursday, April 25, 2013

FedEx Corp. said Tuesday, April 23, it won a $10.5 billion contract to carry mail between domestic airports for the U.S. Postal Service.

4. FedEx Earnings Drop on Weakness in International Freight - Wednesday, March 20, 2013

FedEx Corp. reported third quarter earnings that missed analysts’ expectations on continued weakness in international air freight markets and customers that chose less expensive and slower shipping services.

5. New York Mayor: Mississippi ‘Anti-Bloomberg’ Bill Ridiculous - Monday, March 18, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is chiding the Mississippi Legislature for passing a bill pre-empting local food restrictions.

If the Mississippi bill becomes law, cities and counties won't be allowed to enact rules limiting such things as the size of soft drinks, the salt content in food or the shortening used in cookies.

6. Obama, Top Lawmakers to Meet as Cuts Kick In - Thursday, February 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House conceded Wednesday that efforts to avoid automatic budget cuts are unlikely to succeed before they kick in and is initiating new talks with congressional leaders to confront seemingly intractable tax-and-spend issues.

7. Unemployed Complain They Need a Job to Find a Job - Monday, February 25, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Help wanted. Qualifications: Must already have a job.

It's a frustrating catch for those out of work in an era of high unemployment: looking for a job, only to find that some employers don't want anyone who doesn't already have one.

8. FTN Financial Grows With New Offices, Hires - Monday, February 11, 2013

First Tennessee Bank’s capital markets subsidiary has been on a tear lately. FTN Financial has grown on several fronts, including with the addition of a public finance department as it expands into the general market municipal bond sector and with the opening of new offices as part of that expansion. The company also has opened additional new offices around the country and added employees in other areas to handle general growth.

9. Complex Agenda - Friday, January 04, 2013

In the first year of his first full four-year term of office as Memphis mayor, A C Wharton Jr. put his political weight behind shifting priorities at City Hall.

In that year, he attempted to broaden the police department’s anti-crime strategy beyond the Blue CRUSH brand of hot spot crime crackdowns. He moved further in his long-held quest to redefine violence – particularly gun violence – as a public health issue. And Wharton continued to meld private funding with an advancing of public funding from different pockets to move capital construction projects inside and outside of the Downtown core area in a stubborn post-recession environment.

10. Wharton, Lenoir Relaunch ‘Bank on Memphis’ Program - Saturday, December 15, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir are relaunching a financial literacy program, “Bank On Memphis,” with a $10,000 contribution from Regions Bank for renewed marketing and other outreach costs.

11. Wharton, Lenoir Relaunch ‘Bank on Memphis’ - Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir are relaunching a financial literacy program, “Bank On Memphis,” with a $10,000 contribution from Regions Bank for renewed marketing and other outreach costs.

12. Apple to Produce Line of Macs in the US Next Year - Friday, December 07, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will move production of one of its existing lines of Mac computers to the United States next year.

13. Housing, Voting, Power: Problems Abound Post-Sandy - Wednesday, November 07, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – From trying to figure out where people would live to how they would be able to vote and when all the lights will finally come on, government officials are still facing multiple fronts in the efforts to recover from Superstorm Sandy. All that, and there's another storm coming.

14. Airports and Stock Exchange Reopen After Superstorm Sandy - Thursday, November 01, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Two major airports reopened and the New York Stock Exchange got back to business Wednesday, while across the river in New Jersey, National Guardsmen rushed to feed and rescue flood victims two days after Superstorm Sandy struck.

15. Anti-Blight Efforts Kick Into High Gear - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

As mid-day traffic made an s-curve in South Parkway, a block of Bullington Avenue behind the trees in the curve was getting a makeover from work crews from several city departments.

And the fourth house on the block to be demolished in a week’s time started to come down Monday, Oct. 15.

16. Gates, Buffett Again Top Forbes' Billionaires List - Thursday, September 20, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates remains the nation's richest man by far, as the tech and philanthropy giant took the top spot on the Forbes 400 list for the 19th year running, with a net worth of $66 billion.

17. Hayes Returns to PR Following Role in Wharton Administration - Friday, August 17, 2012

Kerry Hayes knows a thing or two about what makes a city tick.

He spent nearly three years as special assistant to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., where he focused on research and innovation. Hayes led the effort to secure a $4.8 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, allowing Wharton to establish an “Innovation Delivery Team” of researchers to reduce handgun violence and accelerate economic development in the inner city.

18. Council OKs Chisca Funding - Thursday, August 09, 2012

The Memphis City Council approved Tuesday, Aug. 7, sending $2 million in city funding to the Center City Development Corp. for blight remediation at the Chisca Hotel on South Main Street.

19. Proposed Gas Tax Advances to November Memphis Ballot - Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Aug. 7, to a second ballot question for the Nov. 6 ballot in Memphis.

On an 8-3 vote, the council approved on third and final reading the referendum ordinance that puts a one-cent-a-gallon local gas tax to Memphis voters. The same ballot will also include a referendum on a proposed half percent local sales tax hike the council approved in July.

20. Former Wharton Aid Hayes Joins Doug Carpenter Agency - Thursday, July 12, 2012

Kerry Hayes, former special assistant to Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., has joined advertising, public relations and consulting firm doug carpenter & associates as director of public relations.

21. 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.

22. Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team Actually Innovates - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Innovation techniques influence how companies launch new products and new lines of business; however, innovation can also have a transformative, positive impact when applied to the social sector.

We have asked Memphis’ Mayor’s Innovation Delivery Team a series of questions about their innovation efforts. (See related story on Page 1.)

23. City Kicks Off Neighborhood Innovation Effort - Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s administration is set to begin a concerted effort to bring back neighborhood retail in three parts of the city.

Wharton and his Innovation Delivery Team, funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies of New York, rolled out the first moves Monday, July 2, for parts of South Memphis, Binghampton and the Madison and Cleveland area.

24. May: A Month of Decelerating - Wednesday, June 06, 2012

May came to a merciful end last week, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average had its biggest monthly decline in two years, retreating by 6 percent. While those returns are discomforting, the real pain was felt outside of our borders.

25. New Efforts Target Youth Gun Violence - Friday, June 01, 2012

When someone is shot and wounded in South Memphis, a team of Memphis Police officers will go to the shooting victim in the hospital and his or her friends and family as another team of officers investigates the crimes itself.

26. JPMorgan Loss Sets Off Call for Heavier Regulation - Monday, May 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A surprise $2 billion trading loss by a division of JPMorgan Chase triggered calls Friday for tougher regulation of banks three years after their near-death experience in the financial crisis.

27. Philippine Spotlight - Monday, May 14, 2012

Tourism is big business, but there are concerns about infrastructure.

New education reforms are going from the drawing board to the classroom.

Government corruption is recognized as a deterrent to economic development efforts.

28. US Phone Subscribers Hang Up on Contracts - Friday, May 11, 2012

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – U.S. consumers have had their fill of expensive, contract-based phone plans.

Figures from T-Mobile USA on Thursday, added to earlier reports from other companies, indicate that the U.S. wireless industry lost subscribers from contract-based plans for the first time in the first quarter. Contract-based plans are the most lucrative ones for phone companies. The industry default over the past several decades, they account for the vast majority of revenue at the big phone companies.

29. Delta Declines to Address Oil Refinery Rumors - Friday, April 27, 2012

When it was time for questions on this week’s earnings conference call by Delta Air Lines Inc., the company’s president evaded questions about reports that Delta is considering buying an oil refinery in Pennsylvania.

30. Retail Consultant To Host Downtown Workshop - Thursday, April 05, 2012

Leading urban retail consultant Robert Gibbs is hosting a workshop for Downtown businesses Friday, April 13, at 8 a.m. at 456 Tennessee St. It’s designed to give retailers and restaurants practical information they can use to increase shopper traffic and sales.

31. Starting Line - Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. describes his first two years at City Hall as “triage,” as his administration responded to crises.

Wharton has run twice in two years for the city’s highest office with the stated goal of changing the character of Memphis politics. With the full term Wharton won in October, he intends to focus more on his long-term goals for specific changes in the way city government operates.

32. Regions CFO: Progress ‘On Schedule’ - Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Regions Financial Corp.’s five-month-old process of selling Memphis-based investment banking company Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc. continues to drag on.

33. Morgan Keegan Bids Reportedly Drop $200M - Monday, November 07, 2011

Executives of Regions Financial Corp. have yet to tip their hand in public comments about the auction process that’s been open since the summer for Regions’ Memphis-based investment banking unit, Morgan Keegan & Co.

34. Wharton Seeks Funds for Local, Minority Biz Owners - Thursday, November 03, 2011

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. should roll out a multipart strategy to promote the growth of locally and minority owned small businesses early next year.

The strategy is a network of grants from private foundations with the goal of the combination of funding being leveraged to get private financing to the table for the business growth.

35. Morgan Keegan Sale ‘Imminent’ - Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Regions Financial Corp. still doesn’t have a deal to announce for Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc., its Memphis-based investment banking unit the company put up for sale this summer.

36. Morgan Keegan Sale ‘Imminent’ - Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Regions Financial Corp. still doesn’t have a deal to announce for Morgan Keegan & Co. Inc., its Memphis-based investment banking unit the company put up for sale this summer.

37. Wharton Names McGowen to Head Innovation Team - Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The former commanding officer of the Millington Naval Support Activity facility is the new head of the Memphis Innovation Delivery Team.

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. named Douglas A. McGowen to lead the team funded by the Bloomberg Philanthropies of New York.

38. iPad Becomes Essential Tool for Brokers - Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Commercial real estate brokers and their clients are warming up to the trend of using the iPad as an everyday tool for conducting business.

Since its debut this past March, the iPad 2 – Apple Inc.’s ubiquitous tablet computer – is quickly gaining a foothold as a standard tool for many in the industry.

39. Deal Expected Soon for Morgan Keegan - Monday, October 17, 2011

Regions Financial Corp., the company whose bank has the No. 2 spot in Memphis when ranked by customer deposit share, reports third-quarter earnings Oct. 25.

40. City Hopes Rewards Program Key Out of Poverty - Monday, September 26, 2011

The same month local leaders began an effort to end homelessness in the next decade, Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. and his administration kicked off a similar effort to reduce the level of poverty in the city by 10 percent over the next 10 years at a rate of 1 percent a year.

41. Reports: Bank of America Considers Huge Job Cuts - Monday, September 12, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Bank of America is considering cutting at least 10 percent of its work force as part of a massive restructuring, according to published reports.

The Wall Street Journal said that officials at the Charlotte, N.C. bank have discussed cutting 40,000 employees, or 14 percent of its 288,000 total staff. Bloomberg put the job cuts at about 10 percent. They each cited people that were not identified by name.

42. Bloomberg to Pay $990M for Legal Research Company - Friday, August 26, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Financial data and news company Bloomberg LP said Thursday that it will pay $990 million for BNA, a publisher of legal, tax and regulatory information.

43. Wells Fargo Bank Under More Scrutiny - Friday, July 29, 2011

Wells Fargo & Co. is reportedly negotiating with the U.S. Justice Department to resolve a federal probe into whether the lender improperly steered black borrowers into high-cost loans – the same issue over which the lender has been sued by cities including Baltimore and Memphis.

44. AP Source: Apple Considering Hulu Bid - Monday, July 25, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Apple Inc. is in talks to potentially bid for video-streaming service Hulu, a person close to the situation said Friday.

45. A Word About Shoes - Friday, July 22, 2011

OH MY WORD, LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE MISSING. My copywriter daughter, Hallie, sent her copywriter old man a link the other day – the ultimate compliment copywriters pay, looking at something and saying, “Damn, I wish I’d written that.”

46. Perl Represents State Chamber At National Labor Talks - Thursday, July 21, 2011

The National Labor Relations Board this week conducted a hearing in Washington at which dozens of speakers were scheduled to testify over a hotly contested matter: moves sought by labor that could lead to speedier elections for unionization at companies.

47. Bloomberg Grant Highlights Big City Challenges - Monday, July 18, 2011

When the nonprofit foundation of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg went looking for cities to award grants for innovation, foundation leaders didn’t just give out an address and wait for applications.

48. Bloomberg Philanthropies Grants Memphis $4.8M - Friday, July 15, 2011

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it the “Mayors Project.” The $4.8 million, three-year grant his foundation announced Thursday, July 14, it is giving the city of Memphis is part of $24 million the Bloomberg Philanthropies will give to five cities including Memphis.

49. Details Emerge About Bloomberg's $4.8M Memphis Grants - Thursday, July 14, 2011

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg calls it the “Mayors Project.”

The $4.8 million, three-year grant his foundation announced Thursday, July 14, it is giving the city of Memphis is part of $24 million the Bloomberg Philanthropies will give to five cities including Memphis.

50. Bloomberg Grants Memphis $4.8M - Thursday, July 14, 2011

The Bloomberg Philanthropies, the non-profit philanthropic organization of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, is giving the city of Memphis $1.6 million every year for the next three years to come up with programs to reduce handgun violence and revitalize vacant property in the core city with new commercial activity and building.

51. Bloomberg LP Names Daniel L. Doctoroff as CEO - Wednesday, July 13, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Bloomberg LP, a provider of business and financial data and news, said Tuesday that its president, Daniel L. Doctoroff, will take the additional role of CEO effective Aug. 1.

52. Buffett Predicts Job Growth When Housing Rebounds - Monday, July 11, 2011

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Billionaire investor Warren Buffett said Friday the nation's employment picture will improve significantly once residential housing construction rebounds.

Buffett spoke to Bloomberg Television Friday morning as the Labor Department released a weaker-than-expected monthly jobs report. He said the report shows the economy is still a long way off from where it should be, but Buffett remains optimistic about the recovery and sees no danger of a second recession.

53. S&P Says US Will Get Lowest Rating if It Defaults - Friday, July 01, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – A Standard & Poor's executive said the agency will give the U.S. government its lowest credit rating if Congress fails to raise the borrowing limit and the United States defaults on its debt.

54. Simmer Down Now - Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Rational behavior reintroduced itself in the markets last week as the commodities market came off spin cycle. With the dust settling, we find oil back at $100, copper at $4, gold at $1,500 and the S&P 500 at 1340 – not far from where we were a month or so ago.

55. Shlaes Takes Stance Against New Deal-Type Recovery - Thursday, April 07, 2011

Most people have either played against or can envision the worst kind of “Monopoly” player.

It might be an overly aggressive banker lustfully multiplying his or her holdings. Or it might be someone who lets out a gleeful “cha-ching” when an opposing player lands on their property.

56. Fed Names Banks That Drew Loans During Crisis - Friday, April 01, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – For the first time in its 98-year history, the Federal Reserve on Thursday identified banks that borrowed from its oldest lending program, naming those that drew emergency loans during the financial crisis.

57. Court Won't Stop Fed From Revealing Loan Data - Tuesday, March 22, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court decided on Monday not to stop the release of Federal Reserve Board documents identifying financial companies that received Fed loans to survive the financial crisis.

58. FTN Financial Gets Right Fit at Top With Kisber - Monday, February 21, 2011

Whenever Bryan Jordan, the president and CEO of Memphis-based First Horizon National Corp., gives a presentation to analysts or other financial industry types, he repeatedly stresses the company’s focus on its two core businesses.

59. Chamber Breakfast to Help Businesses ‘Revive and Thrive’ - Monday, January 31, 2011

Jane Applegate, the leading speaker for Bloomberg Television’s “Financial Forum” speaker series, will discuss growth strategies for small businesses at the Greater Memphis Chamber’s first Small Business Council Breakfast of 2011.

60. Events - Thursday, January 27, 2011

The Buckman Arts Center at St. Mary’s School will present a performance by Leon Redbone Thursday at 7 p.m. at Buckman, 60 Perkins Road Extended. Tickets are $35 for adults and $31.50 for students and seniors. For more information or tickets, call 537-1483 or visit www.buckmanartscenter.com.

61. Events - Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Talk Shoppe will present “The Mastermind Principle: Sharing Ideas, Referrals and Resources with Other Business People in a Small Group” Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Better Business Bureau, 3693 Tyndale Drive. For more information, call 482-0354.

62. Service Firms Grow at Fastest Pace Since 2006 - Thursday, January 06, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) — Strong consumer demand pushed a key measure of the economy's service sector to its highest level in more than four years, the latest evidence that the economy is gaining strength and job growth could pick up in the new year.

63. New York Snow: PR Pros or Schmoes - Wednesday, January 05, 2011

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a two-part series.

I flew into New York City on New Year’s Eve, five days after a historic blizzard – the worst in six decades. The snowpocalypse brought bustling Manhattan and its neighboring boroughs to their knees.

64. Smith & Nephew to Add 100 Memphis Jobs - Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Smith & Nephew’s orthopaedics division will increase its Memphis employee base by about 100 new jobs, or 5 percent, during the first quarter of 2011.

The company said new job postings will appear on Smith-Nephew.com through the end of December and into January.

65. Smith & Nephew to Add 100 Jobs in Memphis - Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Smith & Nephew Orthopaedics will increase its Memphis employee base by about 100 new jobs, or 5 percent, during the first quarter of 2011.

The company said new job postings will appear on Smith-Nephew.com through the end of December and into January.

66. Acquisition Rumors Swirl Around Smith & Nephew - Monday, December 13, 2010

Smith & Nephew PLC’s stock price was up slightly in London amid rumors of an acquisition.

A Bloomberg report said it was the biggest gain in two years for the London-based manufacturer of medical devices, which has operations in 32 countries.

67. Dunavant Poised for New Future in Logistics - Friday, December 03, 2010

After more than four decades in the cotton business, Dunavant Enterprises Inc. has officially shifted gears.

68. Cautious Optimism Marks CRE Market - Tuesday, November 30, 2010

As national commercial real estate rents are expected to rise in 2011, local professionals are cautiously optimistic for the road ahead.

The United States economy expanded at a 2 percent rate in the three months ended in September – the fifth consecutive quarterly increase – according to Bloomberg LP.

69. AmEx Promotes 'Small Business Saturday' - Tuesday, November 09, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) – Hoping to drum up support for independent merchants, American Express' CEO said Monday that his company will promote "Small Business Saturday" on the weekend after Thanksgiving.

70. Murdoch, Bloomberg Embrace Immigration Reform - Friday, October 01, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a man with his own immigration story, told Congress Thursday that securing the U.S. borders must be matched with efforts to ensure that employers can't hire people who are here illegally.

71. Obama Names Consumer Advocate Warren to New Post - Monday, September 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama named Wall Street critic Elizabeth Warren a special adviser Friday and tasked her with setting up a new agency to look out for consumers in their dealings with banks, mortgage companies and other financial institutions.

72. Trade Deficit Narrows to $42.8 Billion in July - Friday, September 10, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – The trade deficit narrowed significantly in July as exports climbed to the highest level in nearly two years, reflecting big gains in sales of U.S.-made airplanes and other manufactured goods while imports declined.

73. Franchising Hope - Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Some of the biggest business success stories of recent years involve red-hot franchises like McDonald’s and Subway.

The model behind those popular brands can also be found in the public sector. Memphis city government, for example, is laying the groundwork to bring an innovative series of social programs here that was started in New York City and is being replicated franchise-style around the country.

74. Memphis to Launch Anti-Poverty Initiative - Friday, July 23, 2010

The city of Memphis will soon launch an ambitious anti-poverty initiative thanks to funding that a group of national foundations has pooled together at the request of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

75. Memphis to Launch Anti-Poverty Initiative - Thursday, July 22, 2010

The city of Memphis will soon launch an ambitious anti-poverty initiative thanks to funding that a group of national foundations has pooled together at the request of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

76. Memphis’ Loss is Mexico’s Gain for Cummins Jobs - Thursday, July 15, 2010

Cummins Inc. is cutting 100 jobs from its engine remanufacturing plant in Memphis and transferring the work to a facility in Mexico.

77. Obama Slams Wall Street Ways While Asking Support - Friday, April 23, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) - President Barack Obama rebuked Wall Street for risky practices Thursday even as he sought its leaders' help for "updated, commonsense" banking regulations to head off any new financial crisis.

78. Administration May Abandon Civilian 9/11 Trial - Monday, February 15, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Eric Holder is leaving open the possibility of trying professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed before a military commission instead of the civilian trial originally planned for New York City.

79. Jobs Bill Includes SGR Delay Money - Friday, February 12, 2010

An $80 billion jobs bill proposed this week by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also would delay a cut in Medicare reimbursements for doctors scheduled to take place March 1, according to reports from Bloomberg/BusinessWeek and National Public Radio.

80. Ford Jr. Makes Tough Bid for Liberal NYers' Affections - Monday, January 18, 2010

NEW YORK (AP) - The last time Harold Ford Jr. ran for the U.S. Senate, he spoke proudly about his pickup truck, his "friend" President George W. Bush, his support for Chief Justice John Roberts and a voting record that "doesn't describe a liberal."

81. Geithner's NY Fed Told AIG to Keep Quiet on Deals - Friday, January 08, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Controversial deals that sent billions of bailout dollars to Goldman Sachs and other banks were kept quiet under pressure from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner.

82. Races an Early Test of Obama Influence - Wednesday, November 04, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - In a very early test of President Barack Obama's political influence, two states are choosing whether to continue Democratic rule while voters elsewhere elect a handful of congressmen and big-city mayors.

83. Tenn. Congressman Criticizes Bloomberg Gun Sting - Friday, October 09, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp spoke out Thursday against an investigation by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg into questionable sales at gun shows in Tennessee and two other states.

84. Hidden Pockets of US Elderly Said to be in Poverty - Tuesday, September 08, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The poverty rate among older Americans could be nearly twice as high as the traditional 10 percent level, according to a revision of a half-century-old formula for calculating medical costs and geographic variations in the cost of living.

85. Citigroup Names Former Banking Regulator to Board - Monday, July 27, 2009

NEW YORK (AP) - Citigroup Inc. named three new outside directors Friday as the bank seeks to shift its focus back to traditional banking after it suffered a bruising hit from risky mortgage-backed securities.

86. SEC Could Bring Enforcement Proceedings to CSG - Thursday, July 09, 2009

At this week’s Shelby County retirement board meeting, board members didn’t appear likely to support any changes to the county’s arrangement with Memphis-based Consulting Services Group, the investment adviser to the county’s pension fund.

It remains to be seen what the effect will be of news about CSG reported by Bloomberg the day after Tuesday’s meeting. CSG was told about a month ago by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission the agency is poised to bring civil charges against the Memphis firm, according to the Bloomberg report.

The SEC sent CSG a Wells Notice, which is a formal alert the federal agency soon will bring a civil enforcement action. Upon receiving the Wells Notice, a firm like CSG would still have a chance to convince representatives of the SEC there’s not enough evidence to bring a case in court.

CSG told the county’s chief administrative officer – who was at this week’s pension board meeting – about the Wells Notice, according to Shelby County mayor A C Wharton Jr. Both Wharton and county CAO Jim Huntzicker knew about the Wells Notice, but neither they nor CSG representatives said anything about it at the meeting.

When asked by one pension board member to elaborate in general on any pending legal action against the firm, CSG co-founder Fred Hodges was blunt.

“We haven’t been charged with anything,” he said.

Hodges added that the company has “never paid as much as a pack of gum to buy an account” and that the company has had three problems with regulators. He did not include the Wells Notice in that list.

Recent critical press coverage of CSG has followed several high profile episodes of late involving the company, including its link to the outer edges of the so-called “pay to play” pension consulting scandal unfolding in New York.

A complaint filed in March by the SEC against two political figures in New York says CSG was approached to pay “what amounted to a kickback demand” to get additional business from New York’s retirement fund.

“I get very emotional about this,” Hodges told the county’s pension board. “The relationship we’ve got down here is very important. How were we to know the New York trustee might be a crook? Or that the chief investment officer might be on the take?”

The day before Bloomberg reported news about the Wells Notice, the county pension board expressed satisfaction with the company and criticized the recent media scrutiny, including an article in the June issue of Forbes magazine titled “Tainted Pension Fund Advice.” That article noted a litany of supposed red flags surrounding CSG’s arrangement with the county.

The general consensus around the table in the mayor’s eighth floor conference room in the County Administration Building was that CSG has served the county well, helped the county’s pension fund perform successfully and that should be what mattered most.

Wharton told the board the group nevertheless will be voting on several items at its August meeting to clear up some lingering questions.

“I still feel there’s a need for the board to have access to a greater level of independent expertise,” Wharton told The Daily News. “I want to go on record on this: performance is not the only indicator. If performance had been the only important barometer, then Bernie Madoff should not be in jail. His investments were performing.”

87. Australian Co. Could Buy MGM Mirage Casinos - Thursday, July 02, 2009

An article in The Australian this week quotes Merrill Lynch gaming analyst Daniel Renshaw as speculating that Crown, which has gambling operations in Australia, is a strong candidate to buy casinos that MGM Mirage is selling.

88. MGM Mirage Mulls Decision to Sell Gold Strike - Tuesday, June 23, 2009

MGM Mirage will decide “within the next month” whether to sell its casinos in Mississippi and Detroit, according to a statement that Chief Executive Officer Jim Murren made in an interview with Bloomberg news service last week.

89. Stanford Attorneys Bail On Humbled Financier - Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Several attorneys working for the billionaire namesake of Stanford Financial Group have filed notice with a Texas court of their intent to withdraw from the case.

Meanwhile, Stanford’s former chairman, R. Allen Stanford, has another opponent chomping at the bit to enter the latest legal fray against him: his estranged wife, Susan.

90. AIG Looking at Alternatives for Government Loan - Wednesday, February 25, 2009

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - Beleaguered insurer American International Group Inc. is apparently asking for its fourth loan from the federal government just days before it is expected to report a fourth-quarter loss.

91. Memphis International Stays at Top for World’s Cargo - Thursday, February 05, 2009

Memphis International Airport, home to FedEx Corp., kept its spot as the world’s busiest airport for cargo in 2008, showing that the airport weathered the decline in shipping last year as well as a challenge for the top spot from Hong Kong, according to an article on Bloomberg.com.

92. Fitzgerald’s Parent Company on Shaky Ground - Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Majestic Star Casino LLC, the company that owns Fitzgerald’s Casino in Tunica, is in dire financial straits, according to statements it issued last week.

93. Merrill to Sell Troubled Assets, Raise Capital - Wednesday, July 30, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - Merrill Lynch & Co., in a broad move to clean up its troubled balance sheet, said Monday it will sell a big slice of its toxic asset-backed securities and issue new stock to raise $8.5 billion of fresh capital.

94. Analyst: Lehman Should be Private; Financials Fall - Tuesday, July 15, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) - Investors bailed out of investment bank stocks Monday as concerns about the credit crisis prompted one analyst to call for Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. to go private.

Financials such as Merrill Lynch & Co. and Morgan Stanley dropped sharply amid more uncertainty about their fate. The most dramatic drop came from Lehman, which tumbled to a 9-year low on fears it does not have enough capital to stay in business.

95. Disclosure Hints at Vaunted Dinner Between Mayors - Friday, March 28, 2008

It's a seemingly run-of-the-mill entry on Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr.'s latest campaign financial disclosure statement filed with the county.

But that entry - listed as "meeting expense" - helps shed light on what Wharton may or may not have discussed with Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton during a private dinner the two shared last year at a Midtown restaurant.

96. City Trust Fund Would Cover Benefits To Future Retirees - Friday, November 09, 2007

David Manning, chief financial officer for Nashville's metro government, told Governing Magazine earlier this year that a new set of governmental accounting rules effectively has forced the city to slap about $2 billion in red ink onto its books.

97. Some RMK Funds Feel Pain of Subprime Meltdown - Monday, August 27, 2007

Once investments tied to the subprime mortgage market began taking a beating - now part of a daily drama unfolding in the national financial press - several Regions Morgan Keegan mutual funds found themselves more bloodied than almost all of their rivals.

98. Bids for ServiceMasterIn the Works - Friday, March 09, 2007
     Two buyout groups are in the process of preparing bids for ServiceMaster Co., a residential and commercial services company that recently began exploring the possibility of putting itself up for sale and is moving its co

99. Mayor AnnouncesVision for the City - Wednesday, January 03, 2007
     At the Mayor's State of the City address and prayer breakfast Monday morning, Mayor Willie Herenton proposed building a "new state of the art football stadium."
     Herenton did not present

100. Youth Villages CEOHonored As Top Leader - Tuesday, October 24, 2006
     Patrick W. Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages, has been named one of America's Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report and Harvard Center for Public Leadership.
     The magazine, which hit newss