Early in his U.S. Senate campaign, former governor Phil Bredesen shied away from talking about his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, preferring to focus instead on ideas.

2. Leadership Holes in State Legislature - Thursday, September 6, 2018

With apologies to Robert Zimmerman, “the times they are a-changing.”

Unlike Bob Dylan’s 1964 song of rebellion, Capitol Hill isn’t turning into a bed of liberals, although someday the first could be last. In fact, it could turn more conservative this fall before things take a different direction. But leadership down the line in both parties is due for a big turnover.

3. Karl Dean Pledges Commitment to Completing Megasite - Thursday, September 6, 2018

Pointing at the need to bolster distressed West Tennessee counties, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Karl Dean is pledging to complete the Memphis Regional Megasite and appoint an adviser to oversee the project.

4. In New Orleans, A Regulation Reboot For Short-Term Rentals - Tuesday, September 4, 2018

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The sounds of a raucous pool party drift over a privacy fence amid brightly colored cottages that have become vacation rentals in New Orleans' Marigny neighborhood, and Allen Johnson laments the dwindling number of full-time neighbors.

5. White House Faces Brain Drain at Perilous Moment - Monday, September 3, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — Increasingly convinced that the West Wing is wholly unprepared to handle the expected assault from Democrats if they win the House in November, President Donald Trump's aides and allies are privately raising alarm as his circle of legal and communications advisers continues to shrink.

6. David Hawk Seeks Speaker post - Monday, August 20, 2018

Republican state Rep. David Hawk, an opponent of the 2017 IMPROVE Act and gas-tax increase, delivered the second shot for the House Speaker’s post, entering a race expected to hotly contested as the 111^th General Assembly prepares to convene.

7. State Rep. David Hawk Announces Tennessee House Speaker Bid in Contested Race - Friday, August 17, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Republican Rep. David Hawk has announced that he is running for state House speaker, setting up a contested race to succeed Speaker Beth Harwell.

8. Last Word: Hotel on the Mall, The Twist in Council Day and Rallings on Surveillance - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

At this point, the second convention center hotel is a bit like the Pyramid was at one point. Before the first dirt was turned on the Pyramid in the late 1980s, there was the discussion about where it should go and there were a lot of ideas on that covering a lot of territory – so much so that then-Shelby County Mayor Bill Morris had a model of a pretty generic looking Pyramid on his desk that had some lego wheels attached to it.

9. Trump says he has 'no problem' shutting down government - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he would have "no problem" shutting down the federal government this year if congressional lawmakers don't agree to provide additional border security funding.

10. Cardinals Look for Spark After Manager's Shock Firing - Monday, July 16, 2018

ST. LOUIS (AP) — As the St. Louis Cardinals took stock of their situation a day after the firing of manager Mike Matheny, some players said they bear some responsibility for Matheny's sudden dismissal.

11. Students Write Bill to Open Civil Rights Files - Monday, July 16, 2018

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Doug Jones introduced a bill this month that would clear the way to open records from civil rights cold cases – a bill written by high school students.

12. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush to Join 59 Scholars in Arkansas - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will join dozens of scholars who've been focusing on topics ranging from immigration to veterans issues.

13. Bar Assn. Poll Recommends All Four Appointed Judges - Saturday, July 7, 2018

The Memphis Bar Association poll of the most qualified candidates in the special judicial races on the Aug. 2 ballot recommends all four of the judges appointed to those positions in the interim.

Just over 1,000 attorneys participated in the poll, which asked respondents to pick who is the most qualified among the contenders in those races as well as court clerks on the August ballot.

14. Bar Assn. Poll Recommends All Four Appointed Judges - Friday, July 6, 2018

The Memphis Bar Association poll of the most qualified candidates in the special judicial races on the Aug. 2 ballot recommends all four of the judges appointed to those positions in the interim.

Just over 1,000 attorneys participated in the poll, which asked respondents to pick who is the most qualified among the contenders in those races as well as court clerks on the August ballot.

15. McCormick: No Evidence of Any Scandal - Thursday, June 28, 2018

Mercurial Republican Rep. Gerald McCormick went from kicking ass to kicking back. Only three days after saying his now-former Democratic opponent, David Jones, would realize how little he has in common with District 26 in Chattanooga “when he gets his ass beat in November,” McCormick abruptly announced he would not seek re-election this year and would be leaving the House effective Oct. 1.

16. New state law seeks to stop 'stalking by way of the courts' - Tuesday, June 26, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Advocates for domestic violence victims are praising a new Tennessee law that seeks to stop a common tactic that batterers use after their victims have fled to safety: Filing frivolous lawsuits designed to bankrupt or inflict more harm on the people they already have abused.

17. Last Word: Bird Is The Word, Governors Quartet and Charlie Morris's Secret - Friday, June 15, 2018

Former Vice President Joe Biden plays the Orpheum Friday evening. Maybe that isn't the right way to put it -- unless there's a drum solo no one is talking about. Free Bird?

I'll take it as further evidence of the new American politics that is evolving and is far from settled at this point. Politicians do paid speaking gigs all the time. And at times it is controversial. But the gigs are usually some kind of speaking fee to make remarks at a corporate function -- not selling individual tickets on line. This is ostensibly to promote Biden's new book and book deals and politicians go way back. But in a lot of cases, those are free events in a book store. When Biden was last here, it was as vice president at the Norfolk Southern intermodal rail yard in Rossville.

18. Last Word: Kiwanis Debate, Haslam on the Gov. Race and Street Work - Thursday, June 14, 2018

For the last couple of days there has been this brewing story that Kim Kardashian West was on her way to the city to meet with Alice Marie Johnson, the convicted drug dealer sentenced to life in prison who was pardoned by President Donald Trump last week after serving 21 years in federal prison. And that is just what happened Wednesday – almost. The meeting was in Southaven. And, according to People, it included lessons in how to use Snapchat. The meeting included an interview with the Today show that will air Thursday morning.

19. Last Word: The Heat and The Memphis Identity and Stackhouse to Grizz - Monday, June 11, 2018

What is it that draws us to social events outside when it is this hot? This is a topic where the specifics counsel against generalities. So it could be argued that the beckoning of summer heat – pre-summer heat in this case – that smothers you after greeting you like a brick wall at any door opening is an indication of the degree to which you are of Memphis.

20. Last Word: Firestone's Legacy, Malco In Lakeland and Alexander on Cell Phones - Friday, June 8, 2018

What about Firestone? That’s the quick way of getting into the latest turn in our ongoing civic discussion about whether there should be changes to how Memphis approaches economic development and the growth it brings. Eric Robertson, the president of Community LIFT, which works with community development corporations across the city, says the definition of economic development should be broader and the approach to it should go beyond answering the questions of site consultants to keep them from walking away to the next city on their list.

21. 'It's About Time': Trump Pardons Late Boxer Jack Johnson - Friday, May 25, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Thursday granted a rare posthumous pardon to boxing's first black heavyweight champion, clearing Jack Johnson's name more than 100 years after what many see as his racially-charged conviction.

22. East Meets West as 2 Legislators Run Out of Time - Thursday, May 3, 2018

It wasn’t quite a constitutional crisis, but when Reps. Micah Van Huss and Joe Towns start teaming up, something is amiss.

23. Harris, Lenoir to Battle for County Mayor - Thursday, May 3, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

24. Lenoir and Harris Advance in County Mayor's Race - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County Mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

25. Last Word: Trolleys Roll, Primary Election Day and The Rise of South City - Tuesday, May 1, 2018

MATA CEO Gary Rosenfeld likes to joke that the new trolleys are quieter since the transit authority decided to change from using square wheels. Transit humor. They really are quieter. And that may be because MATA wasn’t doing much of anything in the way of maintenance on them four years ago and even less in the way of record keeping when a second trolley car burst into flames causing MATA to shut down everything it ran on rails. So the trolley that rolled out of the MATA barn on North Main Street Monday morning and into service was symbolic of more than getting a trolley or three ready for service. It was about building a new system around the operation of the trolleys.

26. What Statewide Candidates Say About Opioid Crisis, Public Safety - Saturday, April 14, 2018

The spread of opioid abuse claimed over 1,600 lives in Tennessee in 2016, and it is getting worse. Methamphetamine abuse, while not getting the headlines, has increased. Gun violence and murder is increasing. What proposals do our candidates have to help Tennesseans address these public safety issues?

27. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Deadline - Monday, April 9, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

28. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, April 6, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

29. Audit: Tennessee Valley Authority's $17M Planes Unjustified - Monday, April 2, 2018

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The $17.7 million the Tennessee Valley Authority spent on two corporate planes was not justified, an internal audit said.

The TVA Office of the Inspector General has found TVA's reasons for buying an $11.2 million jet and a $6.4 million turboprop did not justify the purchases, news outlets reported Thursday. The U.S. government-owned electricity corporation may have also violated federal code in improper justifications for its aircraft use, according to the audit.

30. Football Can’t Arrive Soon Enough for Vols Fans - Friday, March 30, 2018

Thank goodness Tennessee spring football is here. Vol Nation needs a diversion with all that’s happened the past couple of weeks, like the men’s basketball team losing to Loyola-Chicago in the NCAA Tournament’s second round, and Loyola advancing to the Final Four.

31. Questions for Feds Delay TennCare Work Requirement Bill - Tuesday, March 27, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers have temporarily hit pause on their push to make many able-bodied adults either work, volunteer, or take classes if they don't have children younger than 6, in order to keep their TennCare health coverage.

32. Prescription for Tragedy - Saturday, March 24, 2018

He has his own GPS, an internal shield that keeps him from driving anywhere near 637 Poplar Ave. Home to the Memphis morgue. That’s where they showed Jerry Davidson his 22-year-old son, Oliver, his eyes closed and his lips purple.

33. Sexual Misconduct Allegation at Playhouse Could Trigger Report to Authorities - Thursday, March 22, 2018

Playhouse on the Square will not be making public the details of its investigation or a report it commissioned on an allegation of “sexual misconduct” by theater founder Jackie Nichols. But the theater’s board could be required to report the allegation to authorities if it hasn’t already, Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich confirmed Tuesday, March 20.

34. Playhouse on the Square Founder Nichols Retiring - Saturday, March 17, 2018

Jackie Nichols, the founder of Playhouse on the Square, has retired. The theater board has named Michael Detroit as the new executive producer of the 49-year-old organization that includes Circuit Playhouse and Evergreen Theatre.

35. A Look Back At UT’s History In NCAA Tourney - Friday, March 16, 2018

Basketball coach Rick Barnes was fired by Texas in late March of 2015 when he refused to fire members of his coaching staff.

36. Playhouse Founder Nichols Retiring - Thursday, March 15, 2018

Jackie Nichols, the founder of Playhouse on the Square, has retired. The theater board has named Michael Detroit as the new executive producer of the 49-year-old organization that includes Circuit Playhouse and Evergreen Theatre.

37. TVA Proposal Would Calculate ‘Grid Access’ Fee in Utility Rate - Tuesday, March 13, 2018

The Tennessee Valley Authority is formally considering a change in the structure for what it charges local utilities, including its largest customer Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division, for wholesale electricity. And it includes a percentage of the rate for underlying fixed costs, or what the federal agency calls a “grid access charge.”

38. Triumph Adds Bankers, Expands Into Nashville - Tuesday, March 13, 2018

As its annual meeting approaches, Triumph Bank finds itself in a protracted growth spurt, with activity encompassing everything from a pickup in mortgage activity to the addition of new bankers and an expansion into Nashville.

39. Wells at New TVA Plant to Stay Idle for Now - Friday, March 9, 2018

The Tennessee Valley Authority has no plans to use the wells it drilled into the Memphis Aquifer earlier in the construction of the Allen Combined Cycle Plant, the $1 billion natural gas-fired power plant it is building in southwest Memphis.

40. What’s Best for State, Education or Punishment? - Thursday, March 8, 2018

Carlos Reyes, a graduate of Murfreesboro Oakland High School’s Class of 2017, would be in his second semester at MTSU majoring in business administration – if he could afford it.

41. Last Word: City Hall Fallout, 8Ball on Room 306 and Clark Tower Update - Tuesday, February 27, 2018

A group of students at Maxine Smith STEAM Academy at the Fairgrounds started the school week Monday with a gathering in a circle outside the art deco school building at Central and East Parkway in a student-led memorial for the students killed in Parkland, Florida almost two weeks ago. There was a moment of silence followed by reading the names of the 17 students who died in the massacre.

42. Governor Hopeful's Group to Manage Minor League Ballclub - Tuesday, February 27, 2018

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A company owned by Tennessee candidate for governor Randy Boyd will manage day-to-day operations of another minor league baseball team.

43. Last Word: Looking In The Lookout, Women in Business and The Race for Governor - Monday, February 19, 2018

What would bring a Memphian on his own to The Lookout – the restaurant and bar at the top of the Pyramid? The view, of course. So after the obligatory walk outside to the views south along the riverfront and west across the river, I settled in Sunday for the view from within. I lined up with both of the tree stumps in the round fish tank in the center of the Pyramid’s apex, a steampunk frog watching from above.

44. County Primary Ballot Includes Partisan Match-Ups, Automatic Wins - Monday, February 19, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

45. Two County Commissioners Re-elected At May Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, February 16, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

46. Group Wants Probe of TVA's Jets, Luxury Helicopter - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A clean-energy advocacy group called for an investigation Tuesday after finding that the Tennessee Valley Authority bought two corporate jets, a Mercedes-Benz luxury helicopter and another plane in recent years.

47. Trump Plan Would Study Sale of TVA’s Assets - Tuesday, February 13, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – The infrastructure plan outlined by President Donald Trump on Monday suggests studying whether the nation's largest public utility should sell its transmission assets, which Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander called "a looney idea" with "zero chance of becoming law."

48. Digest - Monday, January 29, 2018

Memphis Toys R Us

To Remain Open

A representative with Toys R Us has confirmed to The Daily News that the retailer’s Memphis location, at 7676 Polo Ground Blvd., won’t close after all.

49. Last Word: 50 Years Ago, Skeleton Hotel in Court and New Moves on Forrest - Thursday, February 1, 2018

It was 50 years ago Thursday that the event that sparked the 1968 sanitation workers strike happened near Colonial and Sea Isle in East Memphis. City sanitation workers Robert Walker and Echol Cole were killed when the trash compactor on back of their city truck malfunctioned and crushed them.

50. Last Word: Credit Hours & Tn Promise, Opioid Differences and Nikki's Hot Rebrand - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

A very busy Monday and I feel like some of this is may be fueled by some of us just now getting completely over the flu or someone close who has the flu for the first time in the New Year. Whatever the case, Monday came with a curtain call of sorts by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam, a court order on the Confederate monuments, year-end stats on crime in Memphis and countywide… a PILOT here, a building permit or three there.

51. Luttrell Slower to Move on Opioid Lawsuit - Tuesday, January 30, 2018

An opioid epidemic lawsuit the county will bring against defendants still needs questions answered and a better focus, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell said on the WKNO/Channel 10 program “Behind The Headlines.”

52. Last Word: End of the Camp Out, Megasite Views and The Glory Years - Monday, January 29, 2018

No camp out this year for the opening of applications for optional schools because it is online at Shelby County Schools this year. Also the applications are available at the same time – Monday morning at 10 a.m. – for the open enrollment at any other SCS school that has available space. Those were some hardcore campers that in some cases had been at this for a couple of generations. Persisting through barcodes and a 99.9 percent probability that their first choice of school would happen without the tent, generator and heaters.

53. TVA CEO Talks Water, Economic Development, Solar and Fixed Costs - Monday, January 29, 2018

During his visit to Memphis last week, Tennessee Valley Authority CEO Bill Johnson left the door open to a change in TVA’s plans to use its own water wells when the new TVA natural gas-fired plant in southwest Memphis goes online later this year.

54. Last Word: Megasite Changes, Jubilee Schools to End and The Day at City Hall - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Back to the drawing board for the megasite in Haywood County. State officials have decided the wastewater flow they had planned from the site along Interstate 40 won’t empty into the Mississippi River near Randolph in Tipton County after all. It’s the latest attempt by the state to make the decade-old site set aside for industrial or manufacturing development shovel ready.

55. Last Word: Shutdown Over?, Glen Farms Plans and Billy Richmond - Wing Guru - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

The federal government shutdown for many of us outside the Beltway amounted to a message on a website saying the agency we were looking up was closed Monday. And Monday was the third and final day of the most recent shutdown. But the immigration policy known as DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals – is the issue to be explored by Congress in the three weeks that the continuing resolution covers. It’s an issue that there has been plenty of local discussion about

56. Council Talks With Head of TVA, Votes on Two More Ballot Questions - Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Memphis City Council members talk with Tennessee Valley Authority president Bill Johnson Tuesday, Jan. 23, meet Mayor Jim Strickland’s nominee to replace retiring Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division president Jerry Collins and may renew discussions of electric and gas rate hikes proposed by MLGW that it voted down two weeks ago.

57. Some Utility Rates Could Go Down After US Corporate Tax Cuts - Tuesday, January 16, 2018

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – Public utility regulators from Oklahoma to Massachusetts are considering lowering the rates that homeowners and businesses pay for electricity and natural gas after a federal tax overhaul signed into law by President Donald Trump reduced the corporate income tax rate by 14 percent.

58. City Council Rejects MLGW Gas, Electric Rate Hikes - Thursday, January 11, 2018

Memphis City Council members voted down proposed electric and gas rate hikes Tuesday, Jan. 9, but left the door open to reconsider that.

Approval of Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division’s annual budget, which is based in part on such rate revenue, was delayed for two weeks.

59. Final Goodbye: Roll Call of Some Who Died in 2017 - Monday, January 1, 2018

They made music that inspired legions of fans. Rock 'n' roll founding fathers Chuck Berry and Fats Domino, rockers Tom Petty and Gregg Allman, grunge icon Chris Cornell, country superstar Glen Campbell and jazz great Al Jarreau were among the notable figures who died in 2017, leaving a void in virtually every genre of music.

60. Memphis Sound at 60 - Saturday, December 23, 2017

As Stax Records and Royal Studios both wrap up a year of celebrating their 60th anniversary, The Memphis News looks back at the creators and purveyors of the Memphis sound and its significance, both in its heyday and today.

61. Last Word: California Extradition, Corker's Vote on Tax Reform and Post Kirk & Crum - Monday, December 18, 2017

The ex-wife of Tigers and Grizz basketball great Lorenzen Wright is due in a California courtroom Monday morning as extradition proceedings begin following Sherra Wright’s arrest there Friday evening on a Shelby County grand jury indictment here on charges of conspiracy, first degree murder and attempted murder.

62. Former AD Dickey has Confidence in Fulmer, Pruitt - Friday, December 15, 2017

Doug Dickey lived and breathed some of Tennessee’s football glory days, and he would like nothing better than to see those days return.

Dickey, 85, retired and living in Jacksonville, Florida, still loves Tennessee football. He coached the Vols to the Litkenhous national championship in 1967 when the Vols finished 9-2. USC, 9-1, was declared the national champs in the AP, Coaches, FWAA and NFF polls.

63. Piece by Piece: Construction Projects Flourishing Throughout Mid-South - Saturday, December 9, 2017

With $11 billion spread out among more than 300 active projects in the Memphis area, according to data from brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors, it’s safe to say business in the region is good.

64. Trump Promises Americans 'Huge Tax Cut' for Christmas - Tuesday, November 21, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Monday promised a tax overhaul by Christmas, a day after the White House signaled its willingness to strike a health care provision from Senate tax legislation if it's an impediment to passing the tax bill.

65. County Primary Filing Opens With Paperwork Flurry - Monday, November 20, 2017

A total of 37 prospective candidates in the May 2018 county primaries pulled qualifying petitions last week on the first day of the filing period Friday, Nov. 17.

And the first contenders through the doors at the Shelby County Election Commission in a period that extends to a February deadline confirms a few trends.

66. The Next Four Years - Saturday, November 18, 2017

A week before candidates for the 2018 Shelby County elections could pull qualifying petitions to run, Shelby County Commissioner David Reaves was thinking out loud on Facebook.

“Next four years,” was how it began.

67. Repeal of Health Insurance Mandate Would Remake Market for Consumers - Thursday, November 16, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Millions are expected to forgo coverage if Congress repeals the unpopular requirement that Americans get health insurance, gambling that they won't get sick and boosting premiums for others in a sharp break with the idea that everyone should contribute toward health care.

68. Despite Massive Turnover, GOP Owns Legislature - Thursday, November 16, 2017

2018 will be a year of change for the Tennessee General Assembly, and 2019 will bring even more, especially in leadership – much depending on the popularity of President Donald Trump.

Not only is the Legislature moving to the Cordell Hull Building, vacating the Legislative Plaza after 45 years or so, a number of legislative faces are changing, too, even before next year’s election.

69. Goodin Joins Hagwood Adelman As Memphis Managing Attorney - Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Michael T. Goodin has joined Hagwood Adelman Tipton PC as managing attorney of the Memphis office. In that role, he provides legal services to HAT’s clients in matters such as medical malpractice and senior housing litigation for health care providers along the continuum of care, including skilled nursing, assisted living, behavioral health, home health and hospice litigation. In addition, he assists in supervising the attorney and paraprofessional teams.

70. Hartnell: ‘It’s Very Comforting’ to be Back - Friday, October 13, 2017

Scott Hartnell ran into unexpected difficulty back in 2000 on one of his very first road trips with the Nashville Predators.

It happened during “Rookie Night,” a time-honored tradition in which the team’s first-year players pay for the pricey dinners of their teammates and trainers.

71. City Announces 10-Member Zoo Parking Advisory Team - Saturday, October 7, 2017

A 10-member city advisory panel will be part of the process for settling on a specific design for expansion and reconfiguration of Memphis Zoo parking in Overton Park.

The city administration announced Thursday, Oct. 5, the names of 10 people to the panel, which will first offer feedback on the preliminary work of designers and then select a concept plan.

72. City Announces 10-Member Zoo Parking Advisory Team - Friday, October 6, 2017

A 10-member city advisory panel will be part of the process for settling on a specific design for expansion and reconfiguration of parking for the Memphis Zoo in Overton Park.

The city administration announced Thursday, Oct. 5, the names of 10 people to the panel, which will first offer feedback on the preliminary work of designers and then select a concept plan.

73. Trump Nominates 4 for TVA Board - Friday, September 22, 2017

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – President Donald Trump will nominate people from four states to serve on the nine-member board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the White House said Thursday.

74. Republicans Unveil Long-Shot Effort on Health Care - Thursday, September 14, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senators on Wednesday rolled out competing plans for the nation's health care system, with a group of GOP senators making a last, long-shot effort to undo Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act and independent Sen. Bernie Sanders proposing universal government-run coverage.

75. Senate GOP Struggles With Deficit in Work on Budget, Taxes - Wednesday, September 13, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Senate Republicans are struggling with how many billions of dollars President Donald Trump's tax code overhaul will add to the deficit as they work on a GOP budget plan that's a prerequisite to any far-reaching change in the nation's tax system.

76. ‘Divisive Symbols’: Mississippi Case Offers Hope for Forrest Bust Removal - Thursday, September 7, 2017

State Sen. Lee Harris is encouraged by the U.S. Supreme Court’s request for the state of Mississippi to respond to a lawsuit seeking to remove the Confederate battle flag from its state flag.

77. Nathan Bedford Forrest Bust to Stay in Capitol - Friday, September 1, 2017

The Tennessee Capitol Commission blocked Gov. Bill Haslam’s request Friday, Sept. 1, to move the embattled Nathan Bedford Forrest bust out of the State Capitol to the Tennessee State Museum.

78. New Life for Medicaid After GOP's Health Care Debacle - Tuesday, August 15, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – It may not equal Social Security and Medicare as a "third rail" program that politicians touch at their own risk, yet Medicaid seems to have gotten stronger after the Republican failure to pass health care legislation.

79. Repairs to Tennessee Dam to Cost $450M - Monday, August 14, 2017

KINGSPORT, Tenn. (AP) – The cost of repairing a 65-year-old dam in northeast Tennessee has risen by nearly 50 percent from what the Tennessee Valley Authority had originally estimated it would cost.

80. Senate Passes Legislation to Ensure No Halt in FDA Reviews - Friday, August 4, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Drug and medical device makers would pay higher user fees under legislation the Senate approved and sent to the president on Thursday. The revenue raised would help pay for the government reviews required to bring their products to the market.

81. Saturday Legal Aid Clinic To Celebrate 10 Years - Saturday, July 8, 2017

A ceremony and reception will be held Saturday, July 8, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2nd Saturday Legal Aid Clinic, or 2SLAC, serving the Memphis community.

The event will be from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar Ave.

82. Last Word: Harold Ford Jr. on Change, Tourism Turns a Corner and Sim at UTHSC - Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Very different outlooks along party lines still in our delegation to Washington over the Senate’s version of Trumpcare.

On the day the Congressional Budget Office estimated the proposal would end health insurance coverage for 22 million Americans, Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander’s reaction:

83. GOP Leaders Add Penalty for Lapsed Coverage to Health Bill - Tuesday, June 27, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leaders added a penalty for people who've let their insurance lapse Monday as party leaders prepared to begin pushing their health care measure through the Senate, despite a rebellion within GOP ranks.

84. Gibson Becomes First African-American Woman Partner at Burch, Porter & Johnson - Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Tannera Gibson knew she wanted to be more than an attorney. She wanted to be an attorney at Burch, Porter & Johnson PLLC, one of the city’s oldest law firms with a deep history in and out of court and the business of law.

85. A New Life Made Possible by a $170 Discount - Thursday, June 8, 2017

A harassment conviction lingered on the record of Memphis resident Brenda A. for 10 years, the high cost of expungement making it difficult to erase the past.

Like many people convicted of misdemeanors and felonies, she paid her court fees and fines, along with probation costs, years ago, but had trouble cobbling together the money to expunge her record, making it hard to land a good job and make a fresh start.

86. Wide Receiver U? That’s So 20 Years Ago - Friday, May 26, 2017

At the 2015 SEC Media Days, Tennessee coach Butch Jones referred to his school as “the original Wide Receiver U.”

The reference goes back to the days when the Vols were loaded with fast, talented pass receivers on the perimeter. In a heady stretch from 1982-91, UT had six wide receivers selected in the first round of the NFL draft – Anthony Hancock, Willie Gault, Clyde Duncan, Tim McGee, Anthony Miller and Alvin Harper.

87. Fields Out at Ford; New CEO Hackett Known for Turnarounds - Tuesday, May 23, 2017

DEARBORN, Michigan (AP) – Ford is replacing CEO Mark Fields as it struggles to keep its traditional auto-manufacturing business running smoothly while remaking itself as a nimble, high-tech provider of new mobility services.

88. KISS Costumes Added To Graceland’s ‘Icons’ Exhibit - Saturday, May 20, 2017

Elvis Presley’s Memphis has added stage costumes from the rock band KISS to the entertainment complex’s “Icons” exhibit.

The exhibit includes items from 30 musicians and entertainers influenced by Elvis Presley.

89. KISS Costumes Added To Graceland’s ‘Icons’ Exhibit - Friday, May 19, 2017

Elvis Presley’s Memphis has added stage costumes from the rock band KISS to the entertainment complex’s “Icons” exhibit.

The exhibit includes items from 30 musicians and entertainers influenced by Elvis Presley.

90. Progress Reducing US Uninsured Rate Comes to a Halt - Wednesday, May 17, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Five years of progress reducing the number of Americans without health insurance has come to a halt, according to a government report out Tuesday. More than a factoid, it shows the stakes in the Republican drive to roll back the Affordable Care Act.

91. Hernando Mayor Johnson Upset in Primary Election - Saturday, May 6, 2017

Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite and Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimer won Republican primary re-election bids in local elections across Mississippi Tuesday, May 4, and won re-election to new terms of office by virtue of being unopposed in the June local general elections.

92. Trump Limits IRS Action Over Church Political Activity - Friday, May 5, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump is seeking to further weaken enforcement of an IRS rule barring churches and tax-exempt groups from endorsing political candidates, though his executive order on religious freedom is disappointing some of his supporters.

93. Last Word: Three Gs React, More CA Changes and the Forrest Controversy Defined - Thursday, May 4, 2017

The day after Germantown leaders offered his school system $25 million for Germantown Elementary, Middle and High Schools, SCS superintendent Dorsey Hopson was fielding calls from parents of students at the schools – the “three Gs” as they are known.

94. Hernando Mayor Johnson Upset in Republican Primary - Thursday, May 4, 2017

Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite and Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimer won Republican primary re-election bids in local elections across Mississippi Tuesday, May 4, and won re-election to new terms of office by virtue of being unopposed in the June local general elections.

95. Medicaid Failure Behind Him, Governor Gets Road Funding Win - Monday, May 1, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Not long after seeing fellow Republicans in the Legislature reject his effort to expand Medicaid, Gov. Bill Haslam toured Tennessee to pitch another politically difficult proposal: a transportation plan that would end up including the state's first gas tax hike in nearly 30 years.

96. Tennessee Lawmakers Seek To Ban Sexting By Minors - Monday, May 1, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers want to make it against the law for minors to send or keep sexually explicit messages on smartphones.

The Tennessean reports (http://tnne.ws/2oQOAQw ) that the measure introduced on behalf of state prosecutors and juvenile court judges passed the House on an 84-0 vote last week, and is headed for full Senate vote next week.

97. View From the Hill: IMPROVE Act an Insight Into Testy Election Ahead - Thursday, April 27, 2017

In case anyone’s keeping stats, Senate leadership soundly defeated House leadership this session in the gas tax/tax cut battle.

Whether this is a forerunner to a Republican gubernatorial primary remains to be seen as Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris and House Speaker Beth Harwell weigh decisions. It’s not as if they’d be facing off against each other, though, since businessman Bill Lee and former Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd are definitely in the race and not hurting for money.

98. Memphis Democrats Prepare To Reorganize - Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Shelby County Democrats hope to have the local party up and running by the Fourth of July. The Shelby County Democratic Party was disbanded by the Tennessee Democratic Party in August after two disastrous county election cycles for the Democratic slate and increasing dysfunction by the local party’s executive committee.

99. Veterans Want Tax Relief Addressed Separately - Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Members of the Legislature’s Veterans Caucus are renewing a call to increase property tax relief statewide for veterans and the elderly in a measure separate from the governor’s IMPROVE Act.

100. Last Word: Signs of Life in San Antonio, Steel & Rice and Marco Pave's Rap Opera - Tuesday, April 18, 2017

The Grizz were down 19 to the Spurs at the end of the first half in Monday’s game two of the NBA playoff’s opening round – 26 earlier in the game -- and had it down to four at the point in the fourth quarter when Grit & Grind came back to life. It was a short if eventful and promising return to life with the Spurs winning 96 – 82. Game 3 Wednesday at the Forum. And Tigers basketball is well into an eventful off-season of Snapchat moments and “junior college” signings.