VOL. 126 | NO. 138 | Monday, July 18, 2011
Controlling what we can control. That was a talking point used by the leadership of First Tennessee Bank’s parent company a handful of times during its second quarter earnings presentation to analysts Friday morning. It reflects things outside the company’s influence, like a volatile interest rate environment, as well as controllable factors like aggressive cost-cutting moves intended to dramatically lower the company’s efficiency ratio by 2013.
Realtor duo use radio show for unique advertising
In the world of advertising, persistence is key. That can be through mail-outs, billboards, print advertising or, as in the recent case of Carol and Amanda Lott, broadcasting.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Temple-Inland says its board has again rejected an unsolicited takeover bid by larger rival Memphis-bsed International Paper, saying it "grossly undervalues" the company.
This week’s meeting of the Memphis-Shelby County Industrial Development Board will be the last one – ever.
The topic was contentious, but the discourse remained civil Thursday, July 14, during The Daily News’ Healthcare Reform Seminar, the third in a series of six seminars hosted by the newspaper this year.
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.
Court filings in Circuit, Chancery and Probate courts were down for the second quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago and the first quarter of 2011, according to The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.
With a classic sense of fashion and an idea to help people in need, Joe Williams created apparel company Agape North that donates a portion of the profit made to children in Peru as well as various nonprofit organizations.
LOCAL COLUMNISTS
Getting up proposals for prospects is usually fun and positive. It somewhat resembles cooking. I am not a cook and I microwave everything, but I like the analogy. Brew up some inventory, bake the price, add in a discount, a dash of free stuff, make some weird hand and facial gestures over it, let cool and deliver in a nice-looking package. Cha-Ching!? One hopes.
Last week we spotlighted Agape’s Powerlines Community Network, which is a “place-based” program connecting under-resourced neighborhoods with resources and services needed to help create a more nurturing environment for children and families. This week let us refocus on the genesis of this column by discussing how community engagement makes a good growth strategy.
THE MEMPHIS NEWS
Buy Local campaign seeks to promote Memphis businesses
For some Memphis consumers, it’s a completely natural impulse to go out of the way to keep from going far away when there’s money to spend. Those particular consumers will run over a TCBY to get to YoLo, shove past a Starbucks to get their caffeine fix at Otherlands, Republic or Cafe Eclectic, hop over an IHOP to stand in line at Brother Juniper’s and dodge Dillard’s to suit up at shops like Oak Hall and James Davis.
At a time when so many elements of a daily life in our city can change by choice, the “Buy Local” campaign is another part of a movement that is reconfiguring modern Memphis in ways that have nothing to do with bricks and mortar.
Summer sequels and Hollywood blockbusters are dominating the big screen this season, but a slightly smaller screen in Midtown is offering something off the beaten path.
The first in an occasional series, “The Anatomy of a Sandwich.”
Don’t run screaming for the door: I’m going to recommend a sweet wine.
STATEWIDE
LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) – Restaurant operator Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. said Friday that it eliminated about 60 jobs as part of a cost-cutting program.
NASHVILLE (AP) – The Tennessee Electronic Library is now offering material from World Book encyclopedia.
REGIONAL
BYHALIA, Miss. (AP) – Officials say there was an explosion at the Cargill Animal Nutrition feed plant in north Mississippi, but it didn't cause a fire and nobody was injured.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) – Real estate listing and information service Zillow Inc. said Friday it now hopes to raise up to $71.6 million through an initial public offering, up from its original expectation of as much as $55.7 million.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Consumer prices fell last month for the first time in a year because of a steep drop in gas costs. But Americans paid more for autos, clothes and hotel stays, driving prices outside of volatile food and energy costs up.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's said on Thursday that there is a 50 percent chance it will downgrade the U.S. government's credit rating within three months because of the congressional impasse over approving an increase in the debt ceiling.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama on Friday challenged Congress to compromise and "do something big" to reduce long-term deficits, insisting he was willing to make his own tough choices including trimming benefits for wealthy Medicare recipients. Facing a critical Aug. 2 deadline to raise the nation's debt limit, Obama said the public was on his side but "we're running out of time."
WASHINGTON (AP) – As lawmakers argued over long-term deficit reduction, the Republican-led House on Friday cut 20 percent from President Barack Obama's budget request for energy and water projects.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Five dollars for a pillow, $10 to jump ahead in the boarding line – all those annoying airline fees can add up.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) – The head of the Food and Drug Administration pledged Friday, July 15, to work more closely with small medical technology companies, which have spent the last year alleging that the agency is needlessly slowing approvals of new drugs and devices.