A company whose prescription opioid marketing practices are being blamed for sparking the addiction and overdose crisis says it's helping to fund an effort to make a lower-cost overdose antidote.

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma announced Wednesday that it's making a $3.4 million grant to Harm Reduction Therapeutics, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, to help develop a low-cost naloxone nasal spray.

2. In a Comeback Season For Hollywood, a Summer Without Bombs - Monday, August 20, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Have you noticed something oddly tranquil about this summer movie season? For the first time in recent memory, there hasn't been one major bomb.

Usually by now, there would be blockbuster-sized craters left on the charred summer-movie battlefield, the inevitable toll of Hollywood's most high-stakes season. But this year, summer-movie bomb-watching, long one of the most dependable spectator sports of the season, has gone entirely without the sight of a "Lone Ranger"-sized mushroom cloud.

3. Drug Epidemic Ensnares 25-Year-Old Pill for Nerve Pain - Monday, May 7, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – The story line sounds familiar: a popular pain drug becomes a new way to get high as prescribing by doctors soars.

But the latest drug raising red flags is not part of the opioid family at the center of the nation's drug epidemic. It's a 25-year-old generic pill long seen as a low risk way to treat seizures, nerve pain and other ailments.

4. Pfizer's Q1 Profit Up 14 Pct., Sales Just Miss Expectations - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Pfizer posted slightly higher sales and a 14 percent jump in profit in the first quarter, thanks to lower restructuring costs and a much-lower tax rate, but its revenue still missed Wall Street expectations.

5. Unlimited Movie-Theater Deal Could be Too Good to Survive - Monday, February 12, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) – MoviePass is trying to bring to movie theaters what Netflix did for DVDs and online streaming: Let subscribers watch as many movies as they want for $10 a month.

In doing so, MoviePass has struck a chord with moviegoers and a nerve with the movie industry.

6. Disney-Fox Deal May Create a New Nerdy Nirvana - Monday, December 18, 2017

MENLO PARK, California (AP) – The coming union of the Disney and Fox media empires is set to create a new nirvana for fanboys and -girls, one that reunites superheroes and sci-fi characters long separated by an energy barrier of corporate legalism.

7. Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2017: 'Feminism' - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) – This may or may not come as a surprise: Merriam-Webster's word of the year for 2017 is "feminism."

Yes, it's been a big year or two or 100 for the word. In 2017, lookups for feminism increased 70 percent over 2016 on Merriam-Webster.com and spiked several times after key events, lexicographer Peter Sokolowski, the company's editor at large, told The Associated Press ahead of Tuesday's annual word reveal.

8. Net Neutrality Fans Speak Up as FCC Set to Strike Down Rules - Monday, December 11, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) – Net neutrality is a simple concept but a dense and often technical issue normally discussed in tech and telecom circles. Now it's hit the mainstream.

This week, the Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on gutting Obama-era rules meant to stop broadband companies such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon from exercising more control over what people watch and see on the internet.

9. Startup Wants to Bring Back Vioxx for Hemophilia Joint Pain - Wednesday, November 22, 2017

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – Could there be a second life for the once-popular arthritis pill Vioxx? A startup pharmaceutical company hopes so.

Merck & Co. voluntarily pulled the blockbuster drug in 2004 amid evidence that it doubled the chances of having a heart attack or stroke.

10. US Regulators Approve First Digital Pill to Track Patients - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. regulators have approved the first drug with a sensor that alerts doctors when the medication has been taken, offering a new way of monitoring patients but also raising privacy concerns.

11. Last Word: Fairgrounds Surprises, Aquarium Reprise and Six Open Commission Seats - Tuesday, November 7, 2017

There are lots of renderings and blueprints floating around this city of ours these days. Land opening up, locations changing, possibilities revealed, new uses for old places and old places giving way to new. So it’s not surprising to see some smaller changes that are nevertheless highly visible. Thus comes word with the new week that Spin City, the corner tenant at Poplar and Highland in Poplar Plaza, will close with the new year and Spaghetti Warehouse, on Huling Downtown, will close later this month in the week before Thanksgiving.

12. Toys 'R' Us Keeping Stores Open Following Bankruptcy Filing - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

NEW YORK (AP) – Toys 'R' Us, the toy retailer struggling with $5 billion in debt and intense online competition, has filed for bankruptcy protection ahead of the key holiday shopping season – and says its stores will remain open for business as usual.

13. Key Drug Sales Push Pfizer Profit Up 50 Percent - Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Rising sales of most key drugs, lower one-time charges and reduced manufacturing costs helped drive Pfizer's second-quarter profit up 50 percent.

The top U.S. drugmaker beat Wall Street profit forecasts, tweaked its own 2017 forecast, and predicted numerous lucrative drugs will be approved over the next half-decade. Still, cheaper generic competition continues to gnaw away at Pfizer's revenue, which fell short of analyst expectations.

14. Time to Turn Down the Flame on Jones’ Hot Seat - Friday, May 12, 2017

When it comes to Butch Jones and the recent NFL Draft, it’s a matter of perspective.

Remember, no Tennessee Vols were drafted in the previous two years, which is a reflection on the recruiting by Jones’ predecessor, Derek Dooley. The fact that Tennessee had six players picked this time around – all in the first four rounds – speaks volumes, to wit:

15. Apple’s Growing Cash Stash Spurs Talk of Huge Acquisition - Thursday, May 4, 2017

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – As Apple's stash of cash grows, so does the possibility that the world's most valuable company will use some of the money for a huge acquisition that would expand its empire beyond iPhones and other gadgets.

16. Griffin Joins Memphis in May To Lead Marketing Efforts - Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Robert Griffin has joined Memphis in May International Festival as director of marketing, a role in which he’s responsible for all marketing and communication programs, promotions, media and public relations, marketing research and sponsorship activation for the annual festival. 
Griffin comes to Memphis in May with nearly 20 years’ experience in marketing and advertising.

17. Sedgwick to Occupy Thomas & Betts HQ, TNB Shopping Memphis for New Home - Wednesday, February 22, 2017

New details are continuing to emerge after Sedgwick Claims Management Services' blockbuster announcement Monday to consolidate and expand its corporate headquarters.

Sedgwick will apply for a 15-year Expansion PILOT that will enable the company to retain 865 jobs, create 130 new jobs, and invest $33 million into their new facility, according to papers filed with the Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County.

18. Expanded Uptown TIF May Offer Needed Relief for Blighted Areas - Wednesday, January 25, 2017

The announcement of last week’s blockbuster proposal to expand the Uptown Tax Increment Financing area and extend the applications of Downtown’s Tourism Development Zone may have been headlined by the reimagined convention center and multibillion-dollar improvements to the area’s medical facilities, but some of the most significant changes may end up occurring at the neighborhood level.

19. Sports Bind City - Saturday, January 21, 2017

Maybe it is your spouse’s Christmas party. Or a local business conference and no one else from your company is attending. When you give the room the once-over, it’s full of unfamiliar faces.

20. Allergan Paying $639 Million for Vitae Pharmaceuticals - Thursday, September 15, 2016

NEW YORK (AP) – Allergan will buy Vitae Pharmaceuticals Inc. for $639 million, adding potential dermatology products to its development pipeline.

21. Slower Hiring in August Signals Fed Rate Hike Less Likely - Monday, September 5, 2016

WASHINGTON (AP) – After two months of blockbuster gains, U.S. employers slowed their hiring in August to a modest increase of 151,000, reducing the likelihood that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates when it meets this month.

22. Last Word: Delayed Reaction, UTHSC Simulates and Ali Takes On The Fords - Monday, June 6, 2016

If you like to unplug on the weekends, you probably got plugged back in sooner than expected Sunday to the violent rampage Downtown Saturday evening. It ended with a Memphis Police officer dead – run over at Beale and B.B. King – allegedly by a suspect in the shootings of three people on Downtown’s northern end – two of them in critical condition – less than a half hour earlier.

23. Sports Notebook: Woodson Leaving for Butler; Lynch Headed to Jets? - Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The arrival of Tubby Smith to coach the University of Memphis basketball team will not prevent the departure of guard Avery Woodson.

The Indianapolis Star reported that Woodson will transfer to Butler; he also considered Virginia Commonwealth.

24. Report: US Medicine Spending Up 8.5 Percent in 2015 - Friday, April 15, 2016

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – U.S. spending on prescription drugs rose 8.5 percent last year, slightly less than in 2014, driven mainly by growing use of ultra-expensive new drugs and price hikes on other medicines.

25. Last Word: Basketball Intervention, Medical Inventory and Memphis in the 1960s - Monday, April 4, 2016

Five games left for the Grizzlies to win three and then get to play more in the NBA playoffs. And what seemed to be a foregone conclusion is now not such a sure thing based on the Grizz performance in Sunday’s 119-107 loss to the Orlando Magic in Orlando.

26. Apple Releases Small New iPhone, iPad for Business Use - Tuesday, March 22, 2016

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) – Apple unveiled a small new iPhone, a new iPad tablet for business use and price cuts for its Apple Watch at a product event Monday. The announcements, which were largely expected, aim to keep up the company's commercial momentum in the face of mounting challenges.

27. Pfizer, Allergan $160B Deal Forms World's Largest Drugmaker - Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Pfizer and Allergan are joining in the biggest buyout of the year, a $160 billion stock deal that will create the world's largest drugmaker.

It's also the largest so-called inversion, where an American corporation combines with a company headquartered in a country with a lower corporate tax rate, saving potentially millions each year in U.S. taxes.

28. Toys Have Best Year in a Decade - Wednesday, November 11, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) — Toys are staging a comeback.

The U.S. toy industry is expected to have its strongest year in at least a decade after several years of kids choosing videogames and mobile apps over Barbie and stuffed bears.

29. Pfizer, Allergan in Deal Talks to Create Drug Giant - Friday, October 30, 2015

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Pfizer and Botox maker Allergan are discussing a potential deal that could be the biggest of 2015, a year marked by a rapid-fire pace of megadeals, particularly in health care.

30. Symphony Highlights Bass Pro’s ‘Flocktoberfest Fireworks’ - Saturday, October 3, 2015

Though the Sunset Symphony’s 39-year run is over, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid is carrying on the tradition with a free blockbuster event this month.

Flocktoberfest Fireworks will take place at dusk on Friday, Oct. 23, directly outside The

31. Symphony Highlights Bass Pro’s ‘Flocktoberfest Fireworks’ - Friday, October 2, 2015

Though the Sunset Symphony’s 39-year run is over, Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid is carrying on the tradition with a free blockbuster event this month.

Flocktoberfest Fireworks will take place at dusk on Friday, Oct. 23, directly outside The

32. Drug Execs Behind Female Libido Pill Have Run Afoul of FDA - Monday, August 17, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) – A small drugmaker from North Carolina may succeed next week where many of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have failed: in winning approval for the first drug to boost women's sexual desire.

33. Black Lodge Video Looking for New Home - Monday, July 27, 2015

Black Lodge Video’s story has been one of improbable survival, as one by one over the years the independent movie rental shop saw its competitors fall and close their doors.

Today, Memphis-based Black Lodge is still standing. At the moment, though, it’s just that it’s looking for a new home – a bigger home, says co-owner Matt Martin – where it can resume doing so.

34. FDA Weighs Approval of First-in-Class Cholesterol Drug - Monday, June 8, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal health regulators said Friday that a highly-anticipated, experimental drug from Sanofi lowers bad cholesterol more than older drugs. But officials have questions about whether to approve the drug based on that measure alone or wait for additional study results.

35. Media Heads Rule Ranks of Best-Paid CEOs - Wednesday, May 27, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) – They're not Hollywood stars, they're not TV personalities and they don't play in a rock band, but their pay packages are in the same league.

Six of the 10 highest-paid CEOs last year worked in the media industry, according to a study carried out by executive compensation data firm Equilar and The Associated Press.

36. Welcome to the New Era of Automation - Monday, May 4, 2015

When Netflix put the video rental retail stores in their coffins, there was still a sizable segment of people who missed the convenience, were suspect of a mail-order or streaming subscription service or simply didn’t have the connectivity to enjoy it.

37. New Meds Help Drugmakers Weather Strong Dollar, Other Issues - Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Revenue from important new medicines for various cancers, hepatitis C and more helped top U.S. drugmakers weather unfavorable currency exchange rates and other challenges.

Pfizer Inc., Merck & Co. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., which reported first-quarter results Tuesday, all derive at least half their revenue from selling products overseas. Because they're purchased in local currencies, the strong dollar is depressing the sales' value.

38. Outgoing FDA Chief Saw Changes to Food Safety, Tobacco Rules - Friday, February 6, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) – From food safety to tobacco regulation and politically charged drug approvals, Margaret Hamburg reset the course of the embattled Food and Drug Administration.

After nearly six years as FDA commissioner, Hamburg announced her resignation Thursday in an email to staff. She said the agency's chief scientist, Stephen Ostroff, will serve as acting head of FDA.

39. FDA Drug Approvals Reached 18-Year High in 2014 - Monday, January 5, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration approved 41 first-of-a-kind drugs in 2014, including a record number of medicines for rare diseases, pushing the agency's annual tally of drug approvals to its highest level in 18 years.

40. Sponsors Pay Big Bucks to Join College Bowl Games - Monday, December 22, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Ready! Set! Hut, hut: This holiday season's blitz of college football bowl games features a reshuffled roster of corporate sponsors spending millions to thrust their names in front of fans watching on TV and in the stands.

41. Survival of the Fittest - Saturday, November 8, 2014

Back in 2010, as the video rental giant Blockbuster was circling the drain in the wake of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the irony was inescapable to Matt Martin.

Martin, co-owner of Black Lodge Video in Memphis, told a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor how Blockbuster employees “literally laughed in our faces” when the independent video rental shop first opened its doors.

42. Why Experts Live in Fear - Monday, August 11, 2014

More trouble has fallen upon companies that tempt the universe with this ego-inflated statement: "We are the experts.” A sizable lack of innovation occurs in the practice of being perceived as experts instead of practicing humility in the workplace.

43. AbbVie, Shire Agree on $55 Billion Combination - Monday, July 21, 2014

The drugmaker AbbVie has reached a deal worth roughly $55 billion to combine with British counterpart Shire and become the latest U.S. company to seek an overseas haven from tax rates back home.

The companies said Friday they will create a new company that is incorporated on the British island of Jersey, where Shire currently is incorporated. But the new company will be controlled by shareholders of North Chicago, Illinois-based AbbVie, who will own about 75 percent of the new company's stock.

44. Applications Up for US Jobless Aid - Saturday, June 7, 2014

Slightly more Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but claims for jobless aid continue to be anchored near seven-year lows.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits rose 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 312,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 310,250. That’s the lowest average since June 2007.

45. Applications Up for US Jobless Aid - Friday, June 6, 2014

Slightly more Americans sought unemployment benefits last week, but claims for jobless aid continue to be anchored near seven-year lows.

The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly applications for unemployment benefits rose 8,000 to a seasonally adjusted 312,000. The four-week average, a less volatile measure, fell to 310,250. That's the lowest average since June 2007.

46. Milestone Year - Saturday, April 12, 2014

The day after First Tennessee Bank celebrated its 150th birthday a few weeks ago by shooting fireworks over its Downtown Memphis headquarters, with executives and bank stakeholders mingling on a nearby hotel rooftop, the bank’s chairman, president and CEO looked back with pride at his bank’s long history.

47. Memphis Advertising Awards Get Campy - Friday, February 14, 2014

Memphis’ advertising industry has been gearing up to go camping.

“Camp Addywanna” is the theme crafted by local agency inferno that will dominate the awards ceremony held next week by the American Advertising Federation’s Memphis chapter. The ceremony will be held Feb. 22 at the Memphis Zoo’s Teton Trek exhibit, and nearly every aspect of the event will include some allusion to a certain age-old ritual connected to youthful summers that involves tents, s’mores and hiking in the woods.

48. Panel Votes Down Heart Safety Claim for Naproxen - Wednesday, February 12, 2014

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) – A majority of federal health experts said Tuesday that new research is not strong enough to conclude that naproxen, the pain reliever in Aleve and many other medications, is safer on the heart than rival drugs used by millions of Americans to treat arthritis and everyday aches and pains.

49. FDA Reconsiders Heart Safety of Common Pain Pills - Tuesday, February 11, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal health experts are taking a second look this week at the heart safety of pain medications used by millions of Americans to treat arthritis and other everyday aches and pains.

50. New Drug Approvals From FDA Declined in 2013 - Friday, January 3, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration approved 27 first-of-a-kind drugs in 2013, down from 39 new medications in 2012, which was a 15-year high.

Despite the decline, FDA officials say the tally of innovative medications approved last year is in line with the historical trend. On average, the FDA has approved 28 first-of-a-kind drugs annually over the past five years.

51. FDA Overturns Safety Limits on Diabetes Drug - Tuesday, November 26, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration is lifting severe safety restrictions on the former blockbuster diabetes pill Avandia, citing recent data suggesting that the much-debated medication does not increase the risk of heart attack.

52. Wal-Mart Ups Price Matching Before Holiday Start - Wednesday, November 20, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. says it's matching the Black Friday prices on a total of 100 toys and electronics from key rivals one week ahead of the traditional start.

53. Dish to Close Rest of its Blockbuster Stores in US - Thursday, November 7, 2013

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The final curtain is falling on the remaining Blockbuster video-rental stores that Dish Network Corp. runs in the U.S.

54. Airlines Promise a Return to Civility, For a Fee - Tuesday, October 1, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Airlines are introducing a new bevy of fees, but this time passengers might actually like them.

Unlike the first generation of charges which dinged fliers for once-free services like checking a bag, these new fees promise a taste of the good life, or at least a more civil flight.

55. Cordova Building Sees Solid Leasing Activity - Friday, July 19, 2013

The commercial building at 584 N. Germantown Parkway in Cordova has recently seen strong leasing activity. Advanced Prosthetics and Orthotics LLC, which opened in 2004 and provides prosthetic limbs and orthotics to support or supplement weakened or abnormal joints or limbs, inked a lease to occupy the 4,000 square feet of space that once housed a Baptist Memorial Health Care minor medical center. Last year, the center signed a 5,050-square-foot lease at the former Blockbuster space in Trinity Commons, 670 N. Germantown.

56. Measuring Innovation With Money - Wednesday, May 22, 2013

But will it make real money? Innovation is such a heady, ill-defined concept. Innovation is one of those words – like strategy or creativity – that means either nothing or something different to anyone who hears it. But when handled correctly, genuine innovations are the lifeblood of any company’s continued health and success.

57. Steady Groove - Tuesday, April 23, 2013

This year’s Record Store Day, an international celebration held the third Saturday in April, brought casual music fans along with diehards and vinyl evangelists into music shops around the country, including Goner Records and Shangri-La Records in Memphis.

58. Cestaro: Lab Will be First of its Kind - Wednesday, April 3, 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.”

59. Can Big Data Pay Off Big? - Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Perhaps one of the most exciting advances in this decade is the emergence of big data, a collection of data sets so large they cannot be processed with standard database management programs. The analytics that companies glean from this data yield quantitative insight into business strategy that was previously unavailable. The world’s technological per-capita capacity to store information has roughly doubled every 40 months since the 1980s.

60. Ticket Rush: Film Fans Hand Hollywood Record Cash - Thursday, December 27, 2012

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The big deal for Hollywood is not the record $10.8 billion that studios took in domestically in 2012. It's the fact that the number of tickets sold went up for the first time in three years.

61. Retail Therapy - Monday, November 26, 2012

The retail business has been described in recent times as Darwinian in nature to those in the industry, meaning formats come and go as competition intensifies each year.

That concept is apparent in retail chains having trouble finding the best real estate for new locations as antiquated strip centers retain high vacancies. Or in the resurgence of upscale retailers, while dollar stores are simultaneously expanding at a rapid clip.

62. Tuohy Shares Story at Lipscomb Pitts Event - Monday, November 19, 2012

Some stories are so powerful that they don’t seem to get old, no matter how often they’re repeated.

That’s the effect Sean Tuohy’s remarks seemed to have on a crowd gathered for an evening reception Thursday, Nov. 15, at Independent Bank’s office tower in East Memphis.

63. LGSTX Services Expands Local Warehouse - Friday, October 19, 2012

LGSTX Services Inc. is relocating and expanding its Memphis warehouse operations. The Wilmington, Ohio-based firm, which specializes in aviation support and facility services, has leased 184,680 square feet across two facilities in the Southwide Distribution area at 363 Burma Road and 410 Burma Road.

64. After Pandit, a Smaller Citigroup Could Get Smaller Yet - Thursday, October 18, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – The incredible shrinking bank may have to shrink more.

In the hours after Tuesday's surprise announcement that Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit was stepping down, speculation was rife, and facts scant, about what lay ahead for the nation's third-largest bank.

65. High Court Begins New Term With Human Rights Case - Tuesday, October 2, 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.

66. Film Industry Can’t Count on Incentives - Monday, July 16, 2012

The discussion about film and video production incentives has come a long way from the days when incentives meant pile up the cash and push it across the table at the folks from Hollywood.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam was lobbied hard when he was a candidate in 2010 to match what Louisiana was doing in film incentives. And to his credit, he took a hard line saying Tennessee shouldn’t get caught up in what amounted to an arms race for film and television production.

67. StyleCraft Signs Lease At Airways Building E - Friday, July 13, 2012

Home decor company StyleCraft Home Collection Inc. has signed a 167,600-square-foot lease at Industrial Developments International’s Airways Distribution Center Building E.

68. Big-Box Vacancies Prove Hard To Fill - Tuesday, June 26, 2012

The closing of big-box stores in recent years belonging to the likes of Borders Group Inc., Circuit City Inc. and others has left suburban shopping centers around the country with lots of space to fill.

69. Five Guys Opens New Locale in Bartlett - Friday, May 18, 2012

Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened its second Memphis-area restaurant this week in Bartlett’s Stage Centre, 6600 Stage Road, suite 137.

70. Five Guys to Open 2nd Local Burger Joint - Monday, March 5, 2012

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has inked its second Memphis-area lease – this one in Bartlett – and is close to solidifying two other locations, including one in Midtown.

Jubilee Restaurant Group LLC, owner of the Memphis franchise, has signed a 3,100-square-foot lease in Stage Centre. Five Guys is taking the subdivided end-cap of the 6,660-square-foot space formerly occupied by Blockbuster Video.

71. Take a Ride With ‘Biker’ Zinfandel - Monday, March 5, 2012

A wine nicknamed “Biker” would probably conjure the idea of a burly, bearded guy wearing motorcycle colors, midnight black shades and an old German army helmet astride a powerful Harley, hurtling down the highway in a roar of power and arrogance. The Four Vines “Biker” Zinfandel 2009, Paso Robles, however, while being fairly burly, does not come across as a two-fisted, no-holds-barred blockbuster. In fact, there’s a certain paradoxical sense of balance and decorum about the wine, though it is undeniably forthright and flavorful.

72. Five Guys to Open 2nd Local Burger Joint - Friday, March 2, 2012

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has inked its second Memphis-area lease – this one in Bartlett – and is close to solidifying two other locations, one in Midtown and another in Germantown.

Jubilee Restaurant Group LLC, owner of the Memphis franchise, has signed a 3,100-square-foot lease in Stage Centre. Five Guys is taking the subdivided end-cap of the 6,660-square-foot space formerly occupied by Blockbuster Video.

73. Gasol’s Path Leads Him To NBA All-Star Game - Friday, February 17, 2012

People smiled and shook their heads. In high school gyms all across Shelby County, the curious came out to see the novelty act that was Pau Gasol’s younger brother and they dismissed the kid. If he looked soft playing for Lausanne Collegiate School against players a foot shorter and 100 pounds lighter – and he did – then he didn’t exactly project as an NBA player.

74. Verizon to Set Up Streaming Service With Redbox - Tuesday, February 7, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) – Phone company Verizon Communications Inc. will challenge Netflix and start a video streaming service this year with Redbox and its DVD rental kiosks.

75. Renaissance 2012 - Friday, February 3, 2012

It may be the start of a new year for most people, but for arts organizations in Memphis, it’s a new life altogether. Tough economic years in 2009 and 2010 led to creative collaborations in 2011, which some say will bloom into financial success in 2012.

76. Harbor Town Apts. Sell For $31.5M - Friday, December 23, 2011

Dallas-based Behringer Harvard has acquired the Arbors Harbor Town Apartments – a 345-unit multifamily community in Harbor Town on Mud Island – for $31.5 million, or $91,304 per unit.

77. FDA Revokes Approval of Avastin for Breast Cancer - Monday, November 21, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government delivered a blow to some desperate patients Friday as it ruled the blockbuster drug Avastin should no longer be used to treat advanced breast cancer.

Avastin is hailed for treating colon cancer and certain other malignancies. But the Food and Drug Administration said it appeared to be a false hope for breast cancer: Studies haven't found that it helps those patients live longer or brings enough other benefit to outweigh its dangerous side effects.

78. Capitoline Moves To SE Memphis Center - Friday, November 4, 2011

A Rome, Ga.-based surface components manufacturer is relocating its distribution facility to the Southeast Memphis industrial submarket.

Capitoline Products has signed a 23,500-square-foot lease at 5805 Advantage Cove, confirmed the firm’s co-owner, L.G. Smith. The company is currently located off Lamar Avenue.

79. FDA Approves First Diabetes-Cholesterol Combo Pill - Monday, October 10, 2011

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – The first combination pill for the millions of people with the dangerous combination of diabetes and high cholesterol won U.S. approval Friday, offering convenience – and savings – to patients taking multiple pills.

80. Amazon Signs Deal to Stream Fox Movies - Tuesday, September 27, 2011

SEATTLE (AP) – Amazon.com Inc. has signed a deal to stream Fox movies and TV shows including "24" and "Arrested Development" to members of its Amazon Prime premium shipping program.

81. Dish Takes Blockbuster Shot at Reeling Netflix - Monday, September 26, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – The Blockbuster video store chain is seeking some revenge against old nemesis Netflix by offering a less expensive way to watch videos online and rent DVDs through the mail.

82. Pfizer Q2 Net Up 5 Pct. on Lower Charges, Taxes - Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Generic competition cut deeper into drugmaker Pfizer Inc.'s sales in the second quarter – with the U.S. patent expiration for its cholesterol fighter Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug, just five months away.

83. Drug Prices to Plummet in Wave of Expiring Patents - Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The cost of prescription medicines used by millions of people every day is about to plummet.

The next 14 months will bring generic versions of seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs, including the top two: cholesterol fighter Lipitor and blood thinner Plavix.

84. Survey: Most Pharmaceutical Execs Foresee More M&A - Thursday, July 14, 2011

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – A survey of top executives of U.S. drugmakers indicates mergers and acquisitions should pick up in the next couple of years, as companies aim to offset rising generic competition.

85. Germantown Collection Sells for $7.3M in Foreclosure - Monday, July 4, 2011

7810 Poplar Ave.
Germantown, TN 38138
Sale Amount: $7.3 million

Sale Date: June 23, 2011
Buyer: GA Poplar Avenue Germantown LLC (c/o Principal Real Estate Investors)
Seller: Jason A. Strain, substitute trustee
Original Borrower: CH Realty III/Germantown LLC
Original Lender: Principal Life Insurance Co.
Orig. Loan Amount: $8.7 million
Orig. Loan Date: Oct. 12, 2004

86. Principal Buys G’Town Collection for $7.3 Million - Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The 60,724-square-foot Germantown Collection shopping center that includes tenants such as Chili’s and Panera Bread at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Exeter Road has been bought out of foreclosure.

87. Blockbuster Season - Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Memphis’ Malco chain of theaters is in the final stages of converting its more than 300 screens to digital technology, a pricey upgrade that could broaden Malco’s ability to showcase more of the 3-D blockbusters Hollywood is primed to keep pumping out.

88. Pandora Gains Point to Healthy Internet IPO Future - Friday, June 17, 2011

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Internet radio station Pandora Media's IPO struck the right chord with investors Wednesday despite the static in the overall stock market.

Pandora's shares surged by as much 63 percent in their market debut before pulling back later in the session. The stock closed at $17.42, still a decent gain amid the market's broader decline. It marked a 9 percent increase from Pandora's initial public offering price of $16 and a nearly six-fold increase from what Pandora's own board thought the stock was worth just six months ago.

89. Germantown Collection Center in Foreclosure - Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Germantown Collection shopping center that includes tenants such as Chili’s and Panera Bread at the corner of Poplar Avenue and Exeter Road has been foreclosed.

A first-run foreclosure notice for the 6.1 acre, Class A retail property appears in the Wednesday, June 1, edition of The Daily News and at The Daily News Online, www.memphisdailynews.com.

90. Senate: Sanofi Coordinated Lobbying by Physicians - Thursday, May 26, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Drugmaker Sanofi gave millions of dollars to two medical societies which urged the Food and Drug Adminsitration to delay approving a low-cost version of the company's blockbuster blood thinner Lovenox, according to a Senate investigation released Wednesday.

91. Avaniel Perfect Companion for Barbecue Meal - Friday, May 13, 2011

The Ribera del Duero wine region lies north of Madrid in Castilla y Leon on either side of the Duero river. In fact “Ribero del Duero” translates to “the banks of the Duero,” indicating how important that waterway is to grape cultivation in north-central Spain. In Portugal, the Duero becomes the Douro, which flows through the steep hillside vineyards of Port country. The red wines of Ribero del Duero, based primarily on the tempranillo grape, tend to be hearty, robust and flavorful, making them ideal to drink with – barbecue!

92. Cole Takes Reins Of Wolf River Conservancy - Friday, April 22, 2011

Many Memphians might know that the Wolf River Conservancy is a nonprofit and land trust committed to conserving and protecting the Wolf River corridor as a natural sustainable resource.

What many do not know, however, is that, as of 2010, 10,000 adults and children were enrolled in educational and recreational programs either conducted or facilitated by the conservancy itself.

93. Dish Network's $228M Blockbuster Buy Approved - Friday, April 8, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Blockbuster says a bankruptcy judge has approved Dish Network's $228 million offer for the movie-rental chain, paving the way for a combination of the two media companies.

94. Dish's Blockbuster Buy May Mean Brand's Survival - Thursday, April 7, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Dish Network Corp.'s agreement to buy Blockbuster Inc.'s assets out of bankruptcy could keep the movie-rental chain and its blue-and-gold logo from disappearing.

95. Icahn, Dish, Liquidators Vie for Blockbuster - Wednesday, April 6, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Billionaire investor Carl Icahn, Dish Network and a pair of liquidation firms are among the bidders for video-rental chain Blockbuster in an auction Tuesday morning at U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York.

96. Report: Dish, Icahn Join Bidding for Blockbuster - Monday, April 4, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – Several bidders are set to duke it out for Blockbuster Inc. at a bankruptcy auction in New York on Monday. They reportedly include Dish Network Corp. and billionaire investor Carl Icahn.

97. Yes! Reinvent the Wheel! - Monday, March 21, 2011

If you are trying to invent something already invented, somebody, like my father, will say “Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, son.” For instance, when I was younger, I came across a strange-looking screw that wouldn’t work with what I knew to be a screwdriver, so Dad handed me a Phillips to replace mom’s kitchen knife I was trying to make work. “Don’t …….”

98. Judge Expected to Rule on Blockbuster’s Future - Friday, March 11, 2011

A judge was expected to rule Thursday on whether movie-rental chain Blockbuster Inc., operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, can sell itself to a group of investors or will be forced to liquidate.

99. Family Dollar Signs 2 Leases for Stores - Friday, February 11, 2011

Family Dollar has signed a 12,000-square-foot lease at 2754 Lamar Ave. Shawn Massey, partner with The Shopping Center Group LLC, represented the tenant. Harold Blockman with Keller Williams Realty Inc. represented the landlord, Chong K and Dul S. Pae.

100. Blockbuster Shuttering All Memphis Stores - Friday, February 4, 2011

Some Hollywood films are so predictable, viewers can see the ending coming long before the credits roll.

In hindsight, consumers may decide the story of Blockbuster Inc. – the giant video rental chain that in a matter of days will no longer have a brick-and-mortar presence in Memphis – falls in that category.