Shelby County Commissioners established a certified county property tax rate of $4.32 Monday, May 20, after much debate about what the calculation means in a reappraisal year where reappraisal values went down instead of up or staying roughly even.

2. City Council Mulls Ending Auto Inspections - Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris will propose Tuesday, May 21, exempting Memphis auto owners for two years from required auto emissions inspections.

3. Ousted IRS Chief Regrets Treatment of Tea Party - Monday, May 20, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The ousted head of the Internal Revenue Service apologized to Congress on Friday for his agency's tougher treatment of tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. He said they resulted from a misguided effort to handle a flood of applications, not political bias.

4. Gauge of US Economy’s Future Health Up in April - Monday, May 20, 2013

A measure of the U.S. economy’s future health rose solidly in April, buoyed by a sharp rise in applications to build homes and a better job market.

The Conference Board said Friday that its index of leading indicators increased 0.6 percent last month to a reading of 95. That followed a 0.2 percent decline in March.

5. Commission Begins Busy Week on Schools Front - Monday, May 20, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners may not have much to say at their Monday, May 20, meeting about a critical decision to come on funding for the new consolidated school system.

That’s more likely to happen at a Wednesday committee session, where they will review the $1.18 billion budget proposal formally for the first time since it was approved Thursday by the countywide school board.

6. Senate Confirms Physicist Moniz as Energy Chief - Friday, May 17, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Physicist Ernest Moniz won unanimous Senate confirmation Thursday to be the nation's new energy secretary.

Moniz, 68, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, replaces Steven Chu, who served as Energy secretary in President Barack Obama's first term. Moniz served as an energy undersecretary in the Clinton administration.

7. Holder: Potential Civil Rights Violations at IRS - Thursday, May 16, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The FBI's criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service could include potential civil rights violations, false statements and potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in some partisan political activities, Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday.

8. River Infrastructure Fee Tough Sell in DC - Thursday, May 16, 2013

U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher told a group of business owners and others who work on the Mississippi River that the political environment in Washington is changing.

Fincher is a member of the Congressional Mississippi River Caucus that is pushing for continuing funding for infrastructure along the river.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. Obama Says He Won't Tolerate Political Bias at IRS - Tuesday, May 14, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – When members of Congress repeatedly raised concerns with the Internal Revenue Service about complaints that Tea Party groups were being harassed last year, a deputy IRS commissioner took the lead in assuring lawmakers that the additional scrutiny was a legitimate part of the screening process.

12. City Enticing FBI to Move Downtown - Tuesday, May 14, 2013

City leaders are attempting to bring the FBI Downtown. The FBI is searching for a significant amount of office space, and local leaders, including U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, are urging the law enforcement agency to locate Downtown.

13. Post Office Had $1.9 Billion Second Quarter Loss - Monday, May 13, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. Postal Service said Friday it lost $1.9 billion over the last three months and warned that losses would continue to mount without help from Congress.

The loss for the financial quarter ending March 31 was narrower than a $3.2-billion loss for the same period last year, thanks to slightly higher revenues and lower payments towards health benefits for workers who will retire in the future.

14. IRS Apologizes for Targeting Tea Party Groups - Monday, May 13, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Service apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was "inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.

15. April Surplus of $113 Billion Lowers US Budget Deficit - Monday, May 13, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. government reported a rare surplus of $113 billion for April – the largest in five years and a sign of the nation's improving finances.

Steady economic growth and higher tax rates have boosted the tax revenue in recent months, keeping this year's annual budget deficit on pace to be the smallest since 2008. A smaller deficit is also likely to give negotiators more time to work out a deal on raising the nation's borrowing limit.

16. Medtronic Launches Two Implanted Heart Devices - Saturday, May 11, 2013

Medtronic has put two new implantable heart devices on the market after receiving approval from federal regulators.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the Viva heart resynchronization devices and Evera implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Cardiac resynchronization therapy devices are used to treat heart failure and implantable defibrillators are used to treat rapid heartbeats.

17. Outside Group Sends Warning to the Fed - Saturday, May 11, 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.

18. Record Profit Signals Healthier Fannie Mae - Friday, May 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Fannie Mae said something Thursday that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: It earned a record $58.7 billion profit in the January-March quarter.

And it made clear it's on the cusp of repaying taxpayers for one of the most expensive bailouts of a single company in the financial crisis.

19. US Wholesale Stockpiles Up 0.4 Percent in March - Friday, May 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Wholesale businesses stepped up their restocking of supplies in March, but their sales fell sharply.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that stockpiles held by wholesalers rose 0.4 percent in March compared with February, when they had fallen 0.3 percent.

20. Family’s Values Led Bradshaw to Life’s Mission - Friday, May 10, 2013

Fittingly, Kenya Bradshaw can trace her life’s mission back to her childhood and a family that valued public service.

21. Danish Manufacturer Roxul Brings Facility to Byhalia - Friday, May 10, 2013

Just a few feet beyond the Tennessee-Mississippi state line past the Fayette County line on U.S. 72 is the turn onto Cayce Road in Byhalia and what is soon to be the first U.S. plant of the Danish company Roxul Inc.

22. FAA to Staff 72 Airport Control Towers at Night - Thursday, May 09, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Seventy-two airport towers and other air traffic control facilities that were slated to close at night due to budget cuts will get to stay open, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

23. 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.

24. Celebrating Rails - Thursday, May 09, 2013

More railroad passengers boarded and stepped off Amtrak trains at Memphis Central Station in 2012 as travelers turned to trains amid higher gas prices and improved rail reliability.

Passengers who embarked and alighted in Memphis gained 11.2 percent to 73,116 travelers in the 2012 fiscal year ended Oct. 31, compared with 65,769 passengers a year earlier.

25. Appeals Court Strikes Down Union Poster Rule - Wednesday, May 08, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – In another blow to the nation's dwindling labor unions, an appeals court on Tuesday struck down a federal rule that would have required millions of businesses to put up posters informing workers of their right to form a union.

26. Suburbs Start Second Move To Ballot On Municipal Schools - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Aldermen in five of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County began the move Monday, May 6, to a July 16 referendum date for a second round of referendums on forming municipal school districts possibly as early as the 2014-2015 school year.

27. Nuclear Protester Trial Gets Underway This Week - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – An octogenarian nun and two codefendants used bolt cutters to cut through fences and spent about two hours inside a Tennessee national security plant that has had a hand in making, maintaining or dismantling parts of every nuclear weapon in the country's arsenal, federal authorities allege.

28. Medtronic Launches Two New Implanted Heart Devices - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Medtronic has put two new implantable heart devices on the market after receiving approval from federal regulators.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of the Viva heart resynchronization devices and Evera implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Cardiac resynchronization therapy devices are used to treat heart failure and implantable defibrillators are used to treat rapid heartbeats.

29. Labor Employees Claim White Employees Forced Out - Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Lawsuits filed in local and federal court accuse Department of Labor and Workforce Development leaders of forcing out white employees and replacing them with black employees.

The Tennessean has reported the complaints stem from the two years that Commissioner Karla Davis ran the state agency.

30. APNewsbreak: States Fear Loss of Health Care Aid - Monday, May 06, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Thousands of people with serious medical problems are in danger of losing coverage under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul because of cost overruns, state officials say.

31. Bank of Fayette County Repays TARP Funds - Saturday, May 04, 2013

The Bank of Fayette County has finished paying back the slightly more than $6 million it got from the federal government as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, initiative.

32. US Construction Spending Down 1.7 Percent in March - Saturday, May 04, 2013

Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in March as the biggest drop in government projects in more than a decade overwhelmed strength in home building.

Construction spending fell 1.7 percent in March, compared with February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It marked the second decline in the past three months. January activity plunged a record 4 percent, which represented a downward revision from a previous estimate of a 2.1 percent decline.

33. Obama Nominates Pritzker, Froman for Economic Jobs - Friday, May 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Thursday chose two old friends with corporate executive experience for top posts on his economic team, naming longtime fundraiser Penny Pritzker as Commerce secretary and adviser Michael Froman as U.S. Trade Representative.

34. 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.

35. US Worker Productivity Rises 0.7 Percent in First Quarter - Friday, May 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. worker productivity barely grew from January through March after shrinking in the final three months of 2012. Weak productivity growth could prompt employers to hire more if consumers and businesses continue to increase spending.

36. Metropolitan Bank Earnings Up 43 Percent - Friday, May 03, 2013

Metropolitan Bank is starting off its fifth year by reporting another quarter of increased earnings – the 14th straight quarter in which that’s happened.

37. US Construction Spending Down 1.7 Percent in March - Thursday, May 02, 2013

Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in March as the biggest drop in government projects in more than a decade overwhelmed strength in home building.

Construction spending fell 1.7 percent in March, compared with February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It marked the second decline in the past three months. January activity plunged a record 4 percent, which represented a downward revision from a previous estimate of a 2.1 percent decline.

38. School Board Approached by Suburbs - Thursday, May 02, 2013

A new round of talks about the schools merger and municipal school districts is about to begin.

And this time, the countywide school board may be at the table.

Countywide school board attorney Valerie Speakman told school board members Tuesday, April 30, that attorneys for the leaders of Shelby County’s six suburban municipalities have sent her a letter about possible talks on issues that go beyond the consent decree governing the merger.

39. School Board Delays Supt. Search, Approves Merger Outsourcing Contracts - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Countywide school board members voted Tuesday, April 30, to move their search for a merger superintendent beyond the August start of the merger.

But the board voted down a resolution asking Memphis Federal Court Judge Samuel “Hardy” Mays to consider delaying the merger itself.

40. Brighter View on Jobs and Pay Lifts US Confidence - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Americans are more optimistic the job market is healing and will deliver higher pay later this year. That brighter outlook, along with rising home prices, cheaper gasoline and a surging stock market, could offset some of the drag from the recent tax increases and government spending cuts.

41. Bank of Fayette County Repays TARP Funds - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

The Bank of Fayette County has finished paying back the slightly more than $6 million it got from the federal government as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, initiative.

42. Harahan Bridge Project Plans Nearing Completion - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Design work on the “Main to Main Connector” project is at the halfway point. And the city team overseeing the project is due to complete plans by the end of May to trigger a $15 million appropriation of federal funding in June.

43. Priced to Rent - Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Local property management companies like Lubin Property Management LLC and Renshaw Property Management are capitalizing on the trend for young potential homebuyers choosing to rent instead of buy.

44. Virginia Company Buys Poplar Avenue Retail Property - Tuesday, April 30, 2013

7665 Poplar Ave. Germantown, TN 38138

Sale Amount: $2.9 million

Sale Date: April 19, 2013

45. Kyle, Kelsey Debate Health Care, Government’s Role - Tuesday, April 30, 2013

State Senate Democratic leader Jim Kyle of Memphis says Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly are becoming like “Dixiecrats” – the Southern segregationist Democrats in the U.S. Congress in the late 1940s who formed their own party for a time.

46. Higher Fares Help Southwest Airlines’ Profit - Saturday, April 27, 2013

Higher fares helped Southwest Airlines make more money than Wall Street expected in the first quarter, but the company said Thursday that automatic federal spending cuts could hurt revenue in April.

47. April 26-May 2: This Week in Memphis History - Saturday, April 27, 2013

1993: On the front page of The Daily News is a story looking at the formal opening on the Main Street Trolley, a project eight years in the making that remade what had been the Mid-America Mall. The Memphis Area Transit Authority offered free trolley rides the first two days of operation.

48. Board Continues Delay on Outsourcing Decision - Monday, April 29, 2013

Not every member of the countywide school board who voted against outsourcing custodial services in February is still trying to stop the contract to carry that out.

But enough were at the Thursday, April 25, special meeting of the board that there was another delay in going through with one of the most critical decisions the 23-member body will make about the merger. And another four to six school board members were absent during the series of votes.

49. Metropolitan Bank Still Growing 5 Years In - Saturday, April 27, 2013

Metropolitan Bank has come a long way in five short years. Since being founded amid the worst financial crisis in the U.S. in generations, the bank – which in March celebrated its fifth birthday – has grown its assets from $243 million at the end of 2008 to $722 million at the end of 2012.

50. Capital Requirement - Saturday, April 27, 2013

In early April, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., joined a handful of other senators in drafting a letter in part about new rules of the road governing bank capital requirements.

That letter was sent to Federal Reserve Gov. Daniel Tarullo, Comptroller of the Currency Thomas Curry and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Chairman Martin Gruenberg.

51. School Board Votes Down Custodial Contract Twice - Friday, April 26, 2013

Countywide school board members twice voted down outsourcing custodial services in the merged school district to the company GCA Thursday, April 25, leaving undone the second step of the board’s February decision to outsource the services.

52. Higher Fares Help Southwest Airlines’ Profit - Friday, April 26, 2013

Higher fares helped Southwest Airlines make more money than Wall Street expected in the first quarter, but the company said Thursday automatic federal spending cuts could hurt revenue in April.

The average passenger fare on Southwest is now more than $150 one-way, 4 percent higher than a year ago.

53. Emergency Preparation – Part 1 - Friday, April 26, 2013

A bombing and citywide lockdown in Boston, a chemical explosion in West, Texas; threats of flooding along the Mississippi River; tornadoes; earthquakes; and the all-too-frequent house fire.

These are a few of the disasters we all need to prepare for. We need to get ready at home with our families, at work, at our places of worship and at the nonprofits where we spend our time. Most emergencies come with little warning. Many are unthinkable. Some are a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Others – such as fires – occur every day. How will you get ready?

54. House GOP Gears Up for Debt Showdown This Summer - Thursday, April 25, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Get ready for another debt showdown this summer. House Republicans are preparing for one.

The House Ways and Means Committee passed a bill Wednesday to protect Social Security recipients and investors in Treasury bonds if the government hits the limit of its borrowing authority.

55. Haslams Try to Halt Fallout From FBI Raid on Pilot - Thursday, April 25, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee's Haslam family is furiously trying to control the damage following a federal investigation into the family business that could threaten to unravel decades of growing wealth and influence that spans business, sports and politics in the state and beyond.

56. Public Defender Role Lets Bell Help Others - Thursday, April 25, 2013

For assistant federal defender David Bell, the urge to be a lawyer was precipitated by the urge to help people.

57. Dickerson Learns Unintentional Consequences - Thursday, April 25, 2013

As a freshman lawmaker, state Sen. Steven Dickerson, R-Nashville, said he spent his first legislative session “pretty-tightly circumscribed.”

58. Hopson Proposes Closing 11 Schools In 2014-2015 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Memphis-Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson is proposing the countywide school board close 11 more schools, 10 in the city of Memphis and one in Millington.

The closings which include three Memphis high schools – Northside, Carver and Westwood – would take effect in the 2014-2015 school year if approved by the school board.

59. New-Homes Sales Rise 1.5 Percent in March to 417,000 - Wednesday, April 24, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. sales of new homes rose in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 417,000. The increase added to evidence of a sustained housing recovery at the start of the spring buying season.

60. Flight Delays Pile Up Monday After FAA Budget Cuts - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – It was a tough start to the week for many air travelers. Flight delays piled up all along the East Coast Monday as thousands of air traffic controllers were forced to take an unpaid day off because of federal budget cuts.

61. Fed Survey: Housing, Auto Sales Lift US Economy - Thursday, April 18, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) — A strengthening housing recovery and robust auto sales contributed to moderate economic growth across the United States in late February and March, according to a Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday.

62. Haslam Continues Talks on Medicaid Expansion - Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been talking with President Barack Obama’s administration since his decision last month not to accept federal funding for an expansion of the state’s Medicaid funding at least for now.

63. Municipal Schools Bill Sails Through House, Senate - Wednesday, April 17, 2013

After much speculation about resistance from other parts of the state to lifting the statewide ban on special school districts statewide, the bill to do that sailed through the Tennessee House and Senate Monday, April 15.

64. Legislature Sends Municipal Schools Bill To Haslam - Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Tennessee House and Senate sent a bill permitting municipal school districts in 29 cities including the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County to Gov. Bill Haslam Monday, April 15, for his signature.

65. Federal Cuts Blamed For Modest Tennessee Retail Activity - Saturday, April 13, 2013

State Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes says federal spending cuts and tax hikes are to blame for a dip in consumer confidence in Tennessee.

Emkes in a release Friday said March sales tax collections, which reflect spending activity in the previous month, came in $2.8 million below estimates.

66. April 12-18: This Week in Memphis History - Saturday, April 13, 2013

2012: The largest solar farm in the state opened in Haywood County along Interstate 40. The West Tennessee Solar Farm has 21,000 solar panels, and its opening in Haywood County came one day after Agricenter International formally opened its solar farm, a 998,400 watt photovoltaic system on five acres.

67. JPMorgan CEO: 'Work to Do' on Controls, Compliance - Monday, April 15, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Jamie Dimon, head of JPMorgan Chase, says that grappling with new regulations and strengthening internal controls are the bank's top priorities.

In a call with reporters Friday to discuss first-quarter earnings, he said that the bank would be aggressive in making changes, opting for quick decision-making over consensus building.

68. Cohen Part of Bill Easing State-Federal Pot Conflict - Monday, April 15, 2013

A bill introduced in Congress on Friday would fix the conflict between the federal government’s marijuana prohibition and state laws that allow medical or recreational use.

California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said his bill, which has three Republican and three Democratic sponsors, would assure that state laws on pot are respected by the feds.

69. Commission Weighs Tall Trees Sale - Monday, April 15, 2013

The sale of the old Tall Trees juvenile detention facility, zoning code changes to account for trucks with four back tires and a possible revote on legal fees in the schools consolidation case top the Shelby County Commission agenda for Monday, April 15.

70. Critics Revive Past Promises to Knock Obama Budget - Friday, April 12, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Advocates for seniors say President Barack Obama is breaking his promise to protect Social Security, while conservatives say he is breaking his promise not to raise taxes on the middle class.

71. Mo’ Money Fraud Sparks Fed Shutdown Effort - Friday, April 12, 2013

Less than a week before the April 15 federal tax-filing deadline, U.S. Justice Department attorneys from Washington went to Memphis federal court seeking to shut down a Memphis-based company that operates five tax preparation companies.

72. White House Projecting Slow Economic Gains Ahead - Thursday, April 11, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama's new federal government budget outline depicts a still-fragile economy continuing its slow but steady recovery from the deep 2007-2009 recession. The White House forecast sees the U.S. unemployment rate not falling to pre-recessionary levels of below 6 percent until after Obama has left office.

73. Obama to Nominate Package of Labor Board Members - Wednesday, April 10, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated three candidates for full terms on the National Labor Relations Board, which has been in limbo since a federal appeals court invalidated his recess appointments to the agency.

74. Time Recognizes St. Jude Genome Project - Wednesday, April 10, 2013

In February, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital completed a three-year-effort to sequence the genomes of 700 pediatric cancer tumors. It’s the largest project of its kind in the world.

75. Most Top Issues Decided as Session Hits Final Lap - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – The path may have been rocky at times for the new Republican supermajority in the General Assembly, but leaders are pleased that many of the most contentious issues have been decided as lawmakers enter the final few weeks of the session.

76. Oil Price Changes Little Ahead of Earnings, Fed Report - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

The price of oil was little changed on Monday, as traders awaited the start of the quarterly corporate earnings season and the latest word from the Federal Reserve on the economy.

Benchmark oil for May delivery was up 41 cents to $93.11 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange in afternoon trading.

77. Federal Cuts Blamed for Modest Tennessee Retail Activity - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

State Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes says federal spending cuts and tax hikes are to blame for a dip in consumer confidence in Tennessee.

Emkes in a release Friday said March sales tax collections, which reflect spending activity in the previous month, came in $2.8 million below estimates. That’s a growth rate of just 0.1 percent, well below the 1.8 percent growth rate posted through the first eight months of the budget year.

78. Kelsey: State Confirms Six-Year Auto Inspection Timeframe - Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey of Germantown says he is confident Shelby County vehicle owners outside Memphis won’t have to go through auto inspections for another six years.

79. New Hearing-Impaired Driver Exemptions - Monday, April 08, 2013

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that there will be a 21 percent increase in the job growth for truck drivers over the next 10 years. Currently, more than 20,000 truck driver positions nationwide go unfilled.

80. Cohen, Fincher Offer Differing Views of Sequestration - Friday, April 05, 2013

With sequestration at the one-month mark in Washington, the two congressmen representing Memphis in the nation’s capital offered differing views on the ongoing automatic federal government spending cuts as a result of a lack of a budget agreement.

81. US Service Firms Grow More Slowly, Hiring Weakens - Thursday, April 04, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Two reports Wednesday showed that U.S. service companies grew more slowly in March and private employers pulled back on hiring. The declines suggest businesses may have grown more cautious last month after federal spending cuts took effect.

82. Fannie's Record Profit a Symbol of Housing Rebound - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Home prices are up. Foreclosures are down. Construction is up. And now comes the latest sign of the U.S. home market's revival: Fannie Mae, the mortgage giant that nearly collapsed five years ago, has earned its biggest yearly profit ever.

83. Automakers Report US Sales Up in March - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

DETROIT (AP) – March is turning out to be the best month for auto sales in at least six years.

Major automakers including Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, General Motors and Nissan all reported increases, with some reporting their best monthly totals since the start of the Great Recession in December of 2007.

84. Haslam Insists Medicaid Pursuit No 'Fool's Errand' - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

NASHVILLE (AP) – Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that his ongoing pursuit of a special deal for Medicaid expansion in Tennessee is no "fool's errand" and that an arrangement could still be struck at any time.

85. Cestaro: Lab Will be First of its Kind - Wednesday, April 03, 2013

TriMetis president Phil Cestaro took a year off after he resigned from Nashville-based SCRI Global Services at the Sarah Cannon Research Institute in 2011, where he was president.

“I didn’t know how much time I was going to take off, I just knew I was going to enjoy life and my family,” he said. “It was the best decision I ever made.”

86. Commission Votes Down Residency Referendum, Names Gomes New Judge - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

Shelby County Commissioners gave final approval Monday, April 1, to an exemption to the county government residency requirement for Memphis City Schools teachers and other school system employees.

The commission also voted down an August ballot question that would have put to voters doing away with the residency requirement in the county charter.

87. Survey: US Manufacturing Grew More Slowly in March - Tuesday, April 02, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – A survey shows U.S. manufacturing activity expanded more slowly in March than February, held back by weaker growth in production and new orders. But factories hired at the fastest pace in nine months, an encouraging sign ahead of Friday's report on March employment.

88. 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.

89. Klan Rally, Heavy Police Presence Mix With Rain - Saturday, March 30, 2013

A group of 60 robed Ku Klux Klan members and swastika flag bearing members of the National Socialist Movement rallied Saturday, March 30, outside the Shelby County Courthouse.

The protest and a counter protest came with chilly temperatures and a rain that alternated between a mist and a downpour over several hours.

90. Nuclear Commission Cites TVA, Says Some Parts Not Certified - Monday, April 01, 2013

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has cited the Tennessee Valley Authority for purchasing thousands of parts not documented as nuclear-grade quality. The parts are for the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Spring City, Tenn.

91. March 29-April 4: This Week in Memphis History - Saturday, March 30, 2013

2012: Pinnacle Airlines Corp. filed for federal bankruptcy reorganization after months of trying to reorganize the Memphis-based regional air carrier to compensate for a shift in the airline industry and a move away from the smaller capacity jets used by Pinnacle. It was a dramatic reversal for a company that in October 2010 became the anchor tenant of One Commerce Square. The reorganization plan was later scrapped for another reorganization plan that included Pinnacle moving out of Memphis effective May 2013.

92. Cooper Focused on Improving MED Processes - Saturday, March 30, 2013

Several months into her new role at The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Susan Cooper is focusing on what she calls “quick wins” to improve the quality of patient care throughout the regional health system.

93. Reform Brings Changes to Managed Care - Saturday, March 30, 2013

Historic changes in managed health care are already under way and more are expected over the next year as reform continues to take shape following the Affordable Care Act of 2010.

Since 2010, the trend of alignment between local physicians and hospital systems has swept across the Mid-South, and local hospital professionals brace for more changes and more patients once the new insurance exchanges are online within the next six months.

94. Editorial: Questions Remain After Haslam’s Decision - Saturday, March 30, 2013

Much about the way forward on health care reform is unclear.

The information state leaders need to know from Washington to make critical decisions about the state’s substantial role in the changes now at our doorstep and those following closely haven’t been as forthcoming as they should have been. That was a large part of the reason Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam opted not to form a state exchange to provide health care insurance.

95. Haslam’s Medicaid Option Fuels Debate - Friday, March 29, 2013

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam called it a “third option” as he turned down an expansion of Medicaid funding at least for now with the federal government paying 100 percent of the cost in the first three years.

96. Judge Indicates Support for American-US Airways Deal - Thursday, March 28, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – A federal bankruptcy judge signaled his support for the $11 billion merger of American Airlines and US Airways.

But Judge Sean H. Lane deferred giving his official blessing until he could further consider the timing of a severance package for outgoing American CEO Tom Horton.

97. Hopson Takes Over Public Schools Leadership - Thursday, March 28, 2013

Since Dorsey Hopson became general counsel for Memphis City Schools in 2008, he has experienced a whirlwind of change.

The Memphis City Council cut funding to the school system triggering a landmark court case, city and county school systems have been on a fast and rocky path to a merger, and the countywide board ballooned to 23 members. And then Hopson found himself in January serving as the interim superintendent of Memphis City Schools.

98. Haslam Rejects Medicaid Expansion - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Tennessee will not accept an expansion of Medicaid funding under the Affordable Care Act, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday, March 27, to a joint session of the state’s General Assembly.

But Haslam also told legislators he is pursuing a “third option” between acceptance and rejection of the funding that would use the federal funding to allow uninsured Tennesseans eligible for TennCare, the state’s version of Medicaid, to buy private health insurance.

99. Hopson Heads Both School Systems - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

The city and county school systems have a single school superintendent less than five months from the start of the first school year of the consolidated school system in Shelby County.

Interim Memphis City Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson was appointed interim Shelby County Schools superintendent at the first countywide school board meeting since the board approved a buyout last week of county schools superintendent John Aitken.

100. Sales of New US Homes Slip 4.6 Percent in February - Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Sales of new homes fell in February after climbing to the highest level in more than four years in January.

Sales of new homes dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 411,000 in February, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday. That is a decline of 4.6 percent from the January level of 431,000, which had been the strongest sales pace since September 2008.