FAYETTEVILLE, ARK. (AP) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke said Friday that the retailer is committed to integrity in the wake of recent bribery allegations in Mexico.

Duke joined other executives including chairman Robson Walton, the son of founder Sam Walton, at the company's annual meeting on Friday in pledging that Wal-Mart will get to the bottom of the allegations.

2. Optimism Growing on Deal to Avoid Federal Shutdown - Friday, December 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The endgame at hand, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders expressed optimism Thursday at prospects for swift compromise to extend Social Security tax cuts, keep long-term jobless benefits flowing and avoid a partial government shutdown at midnight Friday.

3. Nashville Hosts National Folk Festival Sept. 2-4 - Thursday, August 04, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Nashville has no theme park, no beach and no casinos.

But it has music. Lots of it.

The National Folk Festival, which is coming to Nashville Labor Day weekend, caps off several months of major events held here that validate Nashville's self-proclaimed moniker "Music City USA."

4. Grim Jobs Report Casts Shadow Over Debt Talks - Monday, July 11, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Beset by a weak jobs report, President Barack Obama on Friday called for swift action by Congress to raise the nation's borrowing limit, saying the uncertainty over the debt ceiling has hindered hiring in the private sector.

5. ‘Glass Half Full’ - Monday, April 11, 2011

The Nashville-area recording studio Robin Crow created has played host to such marquee acts as Faith Hill, Neil Diamond, Jewel and Taylor Swift. It’s where the band Matchbox 20 will be recording soon.

6. Evolving Concert Scene Far From Going Dark - Monday, February 28, 2011

Memphis was a great market for concerts once upon a time, you might hear some old timers say of the golden age of arena rock.

But the market has changed dramatically from the time when Bob Kelley’s Mid-South Concerts took out a black and white quarter page ad in The Commercial Appeal’s Playbook section every week to announce his newest booking.

7. Social Media Icons - Monday, March 29, 2010

It’s been 46 years since Marshall McLuhan declared, “The medium is the message.”

In that time, the visionary media critic’s five-word analysis has been debated and interpreted in ways even he likely couldn’t imagine.

8. Furniture Designer Opens First Outlet Store in Memphis - Monday, November 30, 2009

Mid-South shoppers can now buy at discount prices the intricately crafted furniture Amy Howard creates for dignitaries, celebrities and five-star hotels.

9. Circuit City Ripples Go Beyond Vacancies, Layoffs - Thursday, February 05, 2009

Circuit City will finally flicker out when its last 567 stores close this year, but the bankruptcy of the nation's second-largest electronics retailer will ripple across the U.S. economy for years.