WASHINGTON (AP) – The man who led the Internal Revenue Service when it was giving extra scrutiny to tea party and other conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status told Congress on Tuesday that he knew little about what was happening while he was still commissioner.

2. Kramer Given Crystal Award by Carwash Association - Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Bruce Kramer, an attorney with Apperson Crump PLC, has been given the Crystal Award by the International Carwash Association for his 20 years of service as the association’s general counsel. The association, which was started in Memphis in 1955, is comprised of 15,000 professional car wash operators, retailers and suppliers in 25 nations.

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. Obama: No Special Prosecutor to Investigate IRS - Friday, May 17, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama dismissed the idea of a special prosecutor to investigate the Internal Revenue Service Thursday, saying probes by Congress and the Justice Department should be able to figure out who was responsible for improperly targeting tea party groups when they applied for tax-exempt status.

5. 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.

6. Justice Department to Investigate IRS Targeting of Tea Party - Wednesday, May 15, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation into the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of tea party groups for extra scrutiny over whether they qualified for tax exempt status, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Tuesday.

7. 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.

8. Workforce Investment Network Director Looks to Broaden Program - Tuesday, May 14, 2013

The new director of the local Workforce Investment Network program wants to take the employment-training program a step further by broadening its impact and continuing to work closely with employers.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. Fed Stands by Stimulus, Sees Stronger US Economy - Thursday, March 21, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the U.S. economy has strengthened after pausing late last year but still needs the Fed's extraordinary support to help lower high unemployment.

14. Obama Nominates Justice Official to Top Labor Slot - Tuesday, March 19, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Thomas Perez, President Barack Obama's choice for Labor secretary, has used his perch as the nation's chief civil rights enforcer to crack down on voter suppression, discrimination and police brutality.

15. Terminix Expands Commercial Sales Team - Saturday, March 16, 2013

Terminix, the Memphis-based pest control provider, has added three national account managers to its commercial sales team.

The new roles will allow the company to grow new business and better service existing commercial accounts, and all three will report to vice president of commercial sales Michele Vance, who joined the company last fall through its acquisition of Schendel Pest Services.

16. 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.

17. Terminix Expands Commercial Sales Team - Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Terminix, the Memphis-based pest control provider, has added three national account managers to its commercial sales team.

The new roles will allow the company to grow new business and better service existing commercial accounts, and all three will report to vice president of commercial sales Michele Vance, who joined the company last fall through its acquisition of Schendel Pest Services.

18. Exterior Plans for Bass Pro Approved - Friday, March 08, 2013

Bass Pro Shops’ exterior building and site improvements for repurposing the city-owned Pyramid as a destination retailer were approved by the Design Review Board Wednesday, March 6, but the board asked for more time to digest the company’s controversial signage requests.

19. Exterior Plans for Bass Pro Approved - Thursday, March 07, 2013

Bass Pro Shops’ exterior building and site improvements for repurposing the city-owned Pyramid as a destination retailer were approved by the Design Review Board Wednesday, March 6, but the board asked for more time to digest the company’s controversial signage requests.

20. Congressional Democrats Seek to Raise Minimum Wage - Wednesday, March 06, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – House and Senate Democrats want to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, more than a dollar higher than President Barack Obama proposed in his State of the Union address.

21. Justices Voice Skepticism of Voting Rights Law - Thursday, February 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court's conservative justices voiced deep skepticism Wednesday about a section of a landmark civil rights law that has helped millions of Americans exercise their right to vote.

22. Time in D.C. Helped Shape Kelsey’s Political Philosophy - Thursday, February 21, 2013

State Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Memphis, came to politics young, specifically as a second-year law student.

Today, at age 35, he sits in a unique position, sponsoring not one but two amendments to the Tennessee Constitution that appear likely to pass the legislature.

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

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

24. Obama Seeks to Avoid Sequester With Short-Term Fix - Wednesday, February 06, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama is asking Congress for a short-term deficit reduction package of spending cuts and tax revenue that will delay the effective date of steeper automatic cuts now scheduled to kick in on March 1. Obama said the looming cuts would be economically damaging and must be avoided.

25. Federal Budget Deficit Estimated at $845 Billion - Wednesday, February 06, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal budget deficit will drop below $1 trillion for the first time in President Barack Obama's tenure in office, a new report said Tuesday.

The Congressional Budget Office analysis said the government will run a $845 billion deficit this year, a modest improvement compared to last year's $1.1 trillion shortfall but still enough red ink to require the government to borrow 24 cents of every dollar it spends.

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

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

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

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

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

28. Court: Obama Appointments are Unconstitutional - Monday, January 28, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – In a setback for President Barack Obama, a federal appeals court ruled Friday that he violated the Constitution in making recess appointments last year, a decision that could severely curtail the president's ability to bypass the Senate to fill administration vacancies.

29. Interior Chief Salazar Stepping Down in March - Thursday, January 17, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversaw a moratorium on offshore drilling after the BP oil spill and promoted alternative energy sources throughout the nation, will step down in March.

30. Taxes Rising for Most People Despite Fiscal Deal - Thursday, January 03, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – While the tax package that Congress passed New Year's Day will protect 99 percent of Americans from an income tax increase, most of them will still end up paying more federal taxes in 2013.

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

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

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

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

33. Narrow 'Fiscal Cliff' Bargain Gains Currency - Monday, December 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Hopes dimming for a wide-ranging bargain, the White House and many congressional Republicans are setting their sights on a more modest deal that would extend current tax rates for most Americans, raise rates for top earners and leave other, vexing issues for the new year.

34. US Budget Deficit Reaches $172 Billion in November - Thursday, December 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The U.S. federal government's budget deficit widened in November compared to October, a sign that the nation is on a path to its fifth straight $1 trillion-plus deficit.

35. Obama Seeks to Put Personal Touch on Cliff Talks - Friday, December 07, 2012

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) – President Barack Obama, trying to put a personal touch on "fiscal cliff" negotiations, visited a northern Virginia family's basement apartment Thursday to press his hardline on tax rate increases for the wealthy.

36. Endocrinologist Detti Joins UT Medical Group - Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Laura Detti has joined the Germantown office of UT Medical Group Inc., where she specializes in male and female infertility. Detti provides genetic diagnosis and counseling; management of conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, recurrent miscarriages and premature menopause; and pre- and post-cancer care for fertility issues.

37. Securities and Exchange Official Elisse Walter Chosen to Lead Agency - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama has chosen Elisse Walter, one of five members of the Securities and Exchange Commission, to head the agency. Chairman Mary Schapiro will leave next month after a tumultuous tenure in which she helped lead the government's regulatory response to the financial crisis.

38. White House: Tax Hike Threat Could Hurt Retailers - Tuesday, November 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – White House economists warned Monday that the uncertainty of a potential hike in taxes next year for middle class taxpayers under the looming fiscal cliff could hurt consumer confidence during the crucial holiday shopping season.

39. Development Accelerator - Friday, November 16, 2012

The city of Millington didn’t have a city engineer until 2008 when it had to have one in order to have local control over the Veterans Parkway road construction project.

“I thought it was kind of my cross to bear since I was hired in 2008,” Millington City Engineer Darek Baskin said this week of the road.

40. Obama Pressing Business and Labor on Fiscal Cliff - Thursday, November 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – In a challenge to Republicans, President Barack Obama urged Congress on Wednesday to extend expiring tax cuts immediately for all but the highest income earners as a way to eliminate half of the so-called fiscal cliff that threatens to send the economy back into recession.

41. US Government Runs $120 Billion October Deficit - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal government started the 2013 budget year with a $120 billion deficit in October, an indication that the nation is on a path to its fifth straight $1 trillion-plus annual deficit.

42. Labor Heads Say Obama Backs Them on 'Fiscal Cliff' - Wednesday, November 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Labor leaders said Tuesday that President Barack Obama remains committed to preserving tax cuts for middle class families and ensuring the wealthy pay more in taxes, outlining plans for a public campaign to pressure Republican lawmakers.

43. Obama: Americans Agree With My Approach on Deficit - Monday, November 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama, laying down his marker for grueling "fiscal cliff" negotiations, said Friday he won't accept any approach to federal deficit reduction that doesn't ask the wealthy to pay more in taxes.

44. Portrait Unveiling Scheduled for Longtime Judge - Thursday, November 08, 2012

George Brown, who graduated from Booker T. Washington in 1956, grew up in a Memphis that still was years away from stamping out the last vestiges of segregation.

45. Sports Connection - Thursday, November 08, 2012

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

46. Great Outdoors University Hits Milestone, Eyes Expansion - Tuesday, November 06, 2012

The Tennessee Wildlife Federation’s Great Outdoors University program is fulfilling its goal to connect inner-city children with nature in meaningful, life-changing ways.

The youth conservation education and outdoor experience program recently surpassed the 12,000 meaningful experiences milestone and now prepares for expansion into North Carolina and Missouri, as well as growing in Tennessee.

47. Cohen, Flinn Sparring Heats Up as Election Nears - Monday, October 29, 2012

It’s been an election year in Shelby County dominated by something other than candidates in a local political arena where personality and name recognition usually go far.

There have been significant problems with the accuracy of the vote count, presidential campaigns only momentarily interested in the local Republican and Democratic bases and the politics of tax increases and municipal school districts.

48. Harris’ Legal Career Leans On Desire to Help Community - Thursday, October 25, 2012

It seems like with so many people, Lee Harris’ eventual career interest was sparked by television.

“All I knew was what I saw on TV, and lawyers seemed very, very powerful and able to get things done,” he said.

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

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

50. Political Outsourcing - Monday, October 15, 2012

It has been 12 years since Shelby County voters have encountered a Democratic or Republican presidential nominee on the general election ballot who had some kind of political presence in the region, if not the city, before they made their bid for president.

51. High Court Begins New Term With Human Rights Case - Tuesday, October 02, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court opened its new term Monday with a high-stakes dispute between businesses and human rights groups over accountability for foreign atrocities.

The justices appeared ready to impose new limits on lawsuits brought in U.S. courts over human rights violations abroad.

52. AP-GfK Poll: Most See Health Law Being Implemented - Thursday, September 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – It still divides us, but most Americans think President Barack Obama's health care law is here to stay.

More than 7 in 10 say the law will fully go into effect with some changes, ranging from minor to major alterations, a new Associated Press-GfK poll finds.

53. Economists Say US Needs More Taxes, Cuts - Tuesday, September 25, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – The best way to reduce the federal deficit is through a combination of higher taxes and spending cuts, according to a group of economists.

The 236 members of the National Association for Business Economics recently surveyed say the country needs more fiscal stimulus through 2013, but by 2014 it should be time to throttle back. The reason for the delay: the sluggish nature of the country’s economic recovery.

54. Facebook Friends Get Out the Vote in Large Numbers - Thursday, September 13, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Here's something most politicians can "like": Facebook friends played a big role in getting hundreds of thousands of people to vote in 2010, a new scientific study claims.

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

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

56. IRS Missing Billions in ID Theft - Friday, August 03, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Internal Revenue Service may have delivered more than $5 billion in refund checks to identity thieves who filed fraudulent tax returns for 2011, Treasury Department investigators said Thursday. They estimate another $21 billion could make its way to ID thieves' pockets over the next five years.

57. As Election Nears, New Rules are Facing Delays - Tuesday, July 31, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – When the Obama administration agreed to set the first-ever federal limits on runoff in Florida, environmental groups were pleased. They thought the state's waters would finally get a break from a nutrient overdose that spawns algae, suffocates rivers, lakes and streams and forms byproducts in drinking water that could make people sick.

58. Court Leaves Ruling Against Big Tobacco Intact - Monday, July 30, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A federal appeals court on Friday left intact a court judgment that ordered tobacco companies to do corrective advertising about the dangers of smoking.

The companies sought to overturn a federal judge's order on grounds that the order had been superceded by a 2009 law that gave the Food and Drug Administration authority over the industry, including power to require graphic cigarette warnings.

59. Unemployment Could Stay High as US Economy Slows - Monday, July 30, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – High unemployment isn't going away – not as long as the economy grows as slowly as it did in the April-June quarter.

Weak consumer spending held growth to an annual rate of just 1.5 percent, even less than the 2 percent rate in the first quarter. And few expect the economy to accelerate in the second half of the year as Europe's financial woes and a U.S. budget crisis restrain businesses and consumers.

60. Senate Passes Cuts for All but Richest Americans - Friday, July 27, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has debated, sniped and voted on the politically fraught issue of tax cuts, and next week the House is likely to do it all over again. Still, Americans won't know until after the November elections how much more of their paychecks will go to the government next year.

61. GOP: Geithner Failed to Tell Congress About LIBOR - Thursday, July 26, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Republican lawmakers are criticizing Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner for failing to alert Congress four years ago that banks could have been manipulating a key global interest rate.

62. Airline Bid to Block Consumer Protections Rejected - Wednesday, July 25, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government can require airlines to show consumers a total ticket price that includes taxes and fees in print and online ads, the U.S. Court of Appeals said Tuesday, rejecting an industry challenge to a series of consumer protection regulations.

63. Bernanke: Recession Likely if Congress Doesn't Act - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke painted a dark picture of where the U.S. economy is headed if Congress fails to reach agreement soon to avert a budget crisis.

"It would probably knock the recovery back into a recession and cost a lot of jobs, and would greatly delay the recovery that we're hoping to facilitate," said Bernanke at the end of two hours of testimony Tuesday before the Senate Banking Committee.

64. Lawmakers Seize on Report Detailing Impact of Cuts - Wednesday, July 18, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans and Democrats seized on a new report estimating that automatic budget cuts will cost the economy 2 million jobs to level election-year charges that underscored the deep political divide over how to avert the looming crisis.

65. Repealing Obama's Health Care Law Won't be Easy - Tuesday, July 17, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Yes, if Mitt Romney wins the White House and his Republican allies retake the Senate, he could shred most of President Barack Obama's health care law without having to overpower a Democratic filibuster.

66. Democrats Block Senate Vote on Obama Tax Plan - Thursday, July 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats blocked a Senate vote Wednesday on President Barack Obama's plan to extend expiring tax cuts for a year for everyone but the highest-earning Americans as the two parties maneuvered to try embarrassing each other on one of the election year's foremost issues.

67. A Battle for Internet Freedom as UN Meeting Nears - Monday, June 25, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – A year after the Internet helped fuel the Arab Spring uprisings, the role cyberspace plays in launching revolutions is being threatened by proposed changes to a United Nations telecommunications treaty that could allow countries to clamp down on the free flow of information.

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

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

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

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

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

70. 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.

71. In Campaign Move, Obama Releases Old Returns Again - Monday, April 16, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama's re-election campaign has re-released years of his old tax returns in an attempt to pressure the presumptive Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, to do the same.

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

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

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

73. US Budget Deficit Hits Record High for March - Thursday, April 12, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. budget deficit is running slightly lower than last year's through the first six months of the budget year but is still on track to top $1 trillion for a fourth straight year.

74. Conspiracy Theory - Thursday, April 12, 2012

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

75. Kobernus Takes Reins of MAAR Commercial Council - Monday, April 02, 2012

When Aubrie Kobernus goes home at night, she has a new hat to hang by her door. The 33-year-old was recently promoted to director of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors’ Commercial Council.

76. Court Takes Health Care Case Behind Closed Doors - Thursday, March 29, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The survival of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul rests with a Supreme Court seemingly split over ideology and, more particularly, in the hands of two Republican-appointed justices.

77. Obama: New Jobs Report a Sign Economy on Rebound - Monday, March 12, 2012

PRINCE GEORGE, Va. (AP) – President Barack Obama on Friday praised another month of added jobs as a sign the economy is building strength in this election year. But with millions still looking for work, Obama warned of the challenges ahead and urged Congress to rally behind his agenda to boost American manufacturing.

78. Diversified Trust Promotes Smithwick - Monday, March 12, 2012

Diversified Trust, a Memphis-based comprehensive wealth management firm, has a new managing principal of its Memphis office.

Robert “Robin” Smithwick III assumed the role effective Jan. 1. He’s taking the role previously held by Samuel Graham, who became the firm’s CEO in 2011.

79. Soaring Cost Estimate Prompts Health Law Doubts - Monday, March 05, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Cost estimates for a key portion of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul law have ballooned by $111 billion from last year's budget, and a senior Republican lawmaker on Friday demanded an explanation.

80. Obama Takes Tougher Stance on Higher Education - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Access to college has been the driving force in federal higher education policy for decades. But the Obama administration is pushing a fundamental agenda shift that aggressively brings a new question into the debate: What are people getting for their money?

81. Deal Trims Maximum Jobless Benefits to 73 Weeks - Monday, February 20, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Millions of Americans will continue to receive long-term unemployment benefits under legislation approved Friday in Congress, but the scope of the program is being scaled back to cover fewer people by the end of the year.

82. Obama's Proposed Tax Hikes at Odds With GOP Rivals - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama proposed tax increases on wealthy individuals and some corporations Monday, setting the stage for an ideological battle that won't be resolved until after the November election – if then.

83. Tax Reform in This Election year: It's Not Likely - Tuesday, February 07, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Call it the changing of the guard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

91. Obama Nominates 2 to Federal Reserve Board - Wednesday, December 28, 2011

HONOLULU (AP) – A vacationing President Barack Obama on Tuesday nominated a Harvard University professor and a former Treasury official under President George H.W. Bush – a Democrat and a Republican – to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

92. House Passes $1T Budget Bill, Avoids Shutdown - Monday, December 19, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The House has passed a $1 trillion-plus catchall budget bill paying for day-to-day operations of 10 Cabinet departments and averting a government shutdown, while Senate talks on renewing a payroll tax cut and jobless benefits reached a critical phase.

93. Justice Dept Wants to Put Off AT&T-T-Mobile Trial - Monday, December 12, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Justice Department said Friday it wants to withdraw or postpone its antitrust case against the proposed merger between AT&T Inc. and smaller rival T-Mobile USA now that the two companies pulled their application with the Federal Communications Commission to approve the deal.

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

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

95. AP Sources: House GOP Bill Renews Jobless Benefit - Friday, December 02, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – House Republicans are drafting legislation to renew an expiring unemployment benefits program, officials said Thursday, and intend to add it to a planned extension of a Social Security payroll tax cut due to run out on Dec. 31.

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

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

97. Occupy Protests: Shop Mom-and-Pop on Black Friday - Thursday, November 24, 2011

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Occupy protesters want shoppers to occupy something besides door-buster sales and crowded mall parking lots on Black Friday.

Some don't want people to shop at all. Others just want to divert shoppers from big chains and giant shopping malls to local mom-and-pops. And while the actions don't appear coordinated, they have similar themes: supporting small businesses while criticizing the day's dedication to conspicuous consumption and the shopping frenzy that fuels big corporations.

98. Defense Hawks Insist on Sparing Military From Cuts - Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress' defense hawks insist the military should be spared from automatic spending cuts after a special panel failed to reach a deal on reducing the deficit.

No way, says President Barack Obama, who vowed Monday to veto any effort to undo the roughly $1 trillion in across-the-board cuts, half from domestic programs and half from defense.

99. House Says No to Mandating Balanced Federal Budget - Monday, November 21, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Rejecting the idea Congress can't control its spending impulses, the House turned back a Republican proposal Friday to amend the Constitution to dam the rising flood of federal red ink. Democrats – and a few GOP lawmakers – said damage from the balanced-budget mandate would outweigh any benefits.

100. House Sets Friday Vote on Balanced Budget Proposal - Friday, November 18, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – With the federal government racking up deficits of more than $1 trillion a year and lawmakers paralyzed by political differences, the House on Thursday is taking up a proposed constitutional amendment that would force Congress to balance its budget.