SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday that he is giving $2 billion to start a fund that will open preschools in low-income neighborhoods and give money to nonprofits that helps homeless families.

2. Amazon is 2nd U.S. Company to Reach $1 trillion Market Value - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon on Tuesday became the second publicly traded company to be worth $1 trillion, hot on the heels of iPhone maker Apple.

Launched as an online bookstore in 1995, Amazon.com has changed the way people shop for toilet paper, TVs and just about anything else. In its two decades, the company has expanded far beyond those bookseller beginnings, combining its world-spanning retail operations with less flashy but very profitable advertising and cloud computing businesses. It's now expanding into the health care industry and increasing its brick-and-mortar presence.

3. Manafort's Defense Rests After Calling No Witnesses - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Paul Manafort's defense rested its case Tuesday without calling any witnesses in the former Trump campaign chairman's tax evasion and fraud trial. Manafort chose not to testify.

4. Gates, Star Witness Against Manafort, Concludes Testimony - Thursday, August 9, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Paul Manafort's protégé wrapped up his testimony Wednesday after implicating the former Trump campaign chairman and himself in financial crimes while also enduring stinging attacks on his character and credibility.

5. Rick Gates Says He and Paul Manafort Disguised Foreign Income as Loans - Wednesday, August 8, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Paul Manafort's longtime deputy told jurors Tuesday how he spent years disguising millions of dollars in foreign income as loans to lower the former Trump campaign chairman's tax bill.

6. US Government: Over 1,800 Migrant Kids Reunited by Deadline - Monday, July 30, 2018

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Shy children were given a meal and a plane or bus ticket to locations around the U.S. as nonprofit groups tried to smooth the way for kids reunited with their parents following their separations at the U.S. Mexico border.

7. Billionaires Fuel US Charter Schools Movement - Tuesday, July 17, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) – Dollar for dollar, the beleaguered movement to bring charter schools to Wash-ington state has had no bigger champion than billionaire Bill Gates.

8. The Week Ahead: July 9-15 - Monday, July 9, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! This week delivers a blast with some entertainment straight out of the '80s, plus your chance to tour a midcentury property in the midst of a restoration. Plus, we share what you need to know about early voting, I-240 closures, and plenty of other local happenings in The Week Ahead...

9. The Week Ahead: June 11-17 - Monday, June 11, 2018

Good morning, Memphis! Father’s Day is this weekend – and no matter whether yours is a rocker, a runner or a reader, there’s something to do with dear ol’ dad. Plus, check out where to see Gov. Bill Haslam, former VP Joe Biden and the “winningest woman in racing” in The Week Ahead.

10. Bill Gates Gives $44M to Influence State Education Plans - Thursday, May 17, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) – Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates saw an opportunity with a new federal education law that has widespread repercussions for American classrooms.

11. Bill Gates Pumps $158 Million Into Push to Combat US Poverty - Friday, May 4, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) – Bill Gates launched a new fight against systemic poverty in the U.S., with his private foundation on Thursday announcing millions of dollars toward initiatives ranging from data projects to funding for community activists.

12. Sex Week Seems Tame Compared to Session Antics - Thursday, April 19, 2018

Why should UT Knoxville be limited to its annual Sex Week when Tennessee legislators are celebrating year-round?

Based on the scurrilous reports published in these parts over the last couple of years, state legislators are doing more than collecting per diems in Nashville, and there’s plenty of evidence to prove it.

13. Selfie Medicine: Phone Apps Push People to Take Their Pills - Monday, April 2, 2018

SEATTLE (AP) – Take two tablets and a selfie? Your doctor's orders may one day include a smartphone video to make sure you took your medicine.

Smartphone apps that monitor pill-taking are now available, and researchers are testing how well they work when medication matters. Experts praise the efficiency, but some say the technology raises privacy and data security concerns.

14. Tesla Proposes Big Payout If Musk Meets Lofty Goals - Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Elon Musk is known for his bold predictions on electric and self-driving cars. Now his pay could depend on whether those predictions come true.

Under a new all-or-nothing pay package, Musk would remain at Tesla Inc. for the next decade and see his compensation tied to ambitious growth targets.

15. Liberty Bowl Game Parking, Shuttle Services Announced - Saturday, December 30, 2017

With a sold-out AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, parking spaces at the Fairgrounds are expected to go fast and there will be shuttle services available.

The stadium parking lots open at 6 a.m. at $20 per space, cash only. The stadium gates open at 9:30 a.m. with kickoff at 11:30 a.m.

16. Plans for Liberty Bowl Game Parking, Shuttles Announced - Friday, December 29, 2017

With a sold-out AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 30, parking spaces at the Fairgrounds are expected to go fast and there will be shuttle services available.

The stadium parking lots open at 6 a.m. at $20 per space, cash only. The stadium gates open at 9:30 a.m. with kickoff at 11:30 a.m.

17. Bill Gates Gives $50M To Combat Alzheimer’s - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Bill Gates says he’s giving $50 million to help fight Alzheimer’s disease.

The Microsoft co-founder said Monday, Nov. 13, that the donation to the Dementia Discovery Fund is personal and not through his charitable foundation.

18. Cohen Seeks Amendment To Limit Presidential Pardons - Tuesday, October 31, 2017

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen said Monday, Oct. 30, he will introduce a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution limiting the power of a president to make pardons.

19. Trump Distances Himself From Indicted Former Aides - Tuesday, October 31, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump moved quickly Monday to distance himself and the White House from the indictment of his former campaign chairman and another aide, saying Paul Manafort's alleged misdeeds occurred "years ago" and insisting there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

20. The Week Ahead: Sept. 11-18 - Monday, September 11, 2017

Hey, Memphis! This week we’re gearing up for the Cooper Young Festival and a packed house at the Tigers vs. UCLA game. Plus, Uptown Funk heads Downtown and The Joker hits East Memphis. Here’s what else you need to know about in The Week Ahead…

21. Memphis Meats Startup Raises $17M in Funding - Saturday, August 26, 2017

A San Francisco-based startup with local connections and which is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells – without the need to breed or slaughter animals – has raised $17 million in funding from some big-name investors.

22. Memphis Meats Startup Raises $17M in Funding - Friday, August 25, 2017

A San Francisco-based startup with local connections and which is developing methods to produce meat directly from animal cells – without the need to breed or slaughter animals – has raised $17 million in funding from some big-name investors.

23. The Week Ahead: July 17-23 - Monday, July 17, 2017

Hello, Memphis! Young, local artists are in the spotlight this week with a couple of art shows where you can meet these talented youths and someday say, “I knew them before they were famous.” Check out details on those, plus more cool events and hot happenings in The Week Ahead…

24. 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:

25. The Week Ahead: June 26-July 2 - Monday, June 26, 2017

Hello, Memphis! The start of the fiscal year comes this week for local governments, but the county commission still has some work to do. A few other important government meetings are slated this week, as is some fun – Boston is in concert Saturday night at Live at the Garden.

26. Southwest Tennessee Community College Moves Toward Change - Friday, May 12, 2017

Kenyatta Lovett, the executive director of the nonprofit education advocacy group Complete Tennessee, says there is an old joke in higher education that sometimes comes to the surface when change is promised or pledged.

27. Last Word: BSMF, Budget Books and Milli Vanilli - Monday, May 8, 2017

Three days of sun and mild temperatures for the Beale Street Music Festival. Not to be all “Dawn Lazarus” about the weather. Of course, it wasn’t just that way over Tom Lee Park. And many of us continue to find there is life outside after you have determined your festival days may be behind you. We were all over the place this weekend including Tom Lee Park and Shelby Farms Park and backyards and trails and on a rising river. Can you still claim you were at BSMF if you were within earshot of it?

28. Rudd Says University Redirecting Neighborhood - Tuesday, March 28, 2017

The railroad tracks between Highland Avenue and Zach Curlin Drive have been a fact of life and a border of sorts for as long as there has been a University of Memphis – even before it was called the University of Memphis.

29. Last Word: No More Lottery Balls, The Voucher Bill Advances and UCLA - Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Spring is in the air, which can only mean one thing – the Overton Park Greensward controversy is back on. Just this past weekend, I was in the park noting the metal barrier that separates Greensward pedestrians from Zoo parkers and that the barrier was not “decorated” with save the greensward paraphernalia as much as it has been the previous three springs.

30. SCS Enters Budget Talks With Some Flexibility - Wednesday, March 15, 2017

At this time of year, Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson confesses that he’s usually not feeling quite this optimistic.

“It’s a weird situation for me because I’m usually very frustrated and depressed,” Hopson said Monday, March 13, as he unveiled a budget proposal that goes to the school board first and then the Shelby County Commission.

31. Arkansas Legislator Wants to Pack Heat at State Capitol - Tuesday, March 7, 2017

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – Despite metal detectors and armed guards at the doors to the Capitol and leading to galleries overlooking the Arkansas House, a state lawmaker says he would feel safer if he were allowed to pack his own heat.

32. Last Word: Changes on EP Boulevard, March Madness at Rhodes and Cheffies - Friday, March 3, 2017

I don’t think it worked out this way on purpose – but the $45 million, 200,000 square foot entertainment complex “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” opens the same day that episode two of “Sun Records” airs on CMT.

33. Last Word: How Do You Get On The List, Sedgwick & Thornwood and Musicals - Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Monday was Presidents Day and thus a holiday at City Hall. But for the occupant on City Hall’s top floor it was anything but a holiday. The list Memphis Police made for who has to have a uniformed police officer next to them to go anywhere in City Hall is turning into a controversy over possible surveillance of citizens participating in the last year or so of protests around the city.

34. UTHSC Professor Wins Gates Foundation Award - Saturday, December 17, 2016

Dr. Arash Shaban-Nejad, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Shaban-Nejad will pursue a global health and development research project titled, “A Semantic Framework to Support Evolution and Interoperability.”

35. UTHSC Professor Wins Gates Foundation Award - Monday, December 12, 2016

Dr. Arash Shaban-Nejad, an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, has received a $100,000 Grand Challenges Explorations award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

36. St. Jude Area Focus of $37M Investment from Memphis, State - Thursday, December 8, 2016

State government and the city of Memphis have announced multimillion-dollar contributions to improve the public infrastructure around the Downtown campus of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

37. Seeing Needs Beyond Good Teachers, Teacher Town Memphis Changes its Approach and Name - Monday, November 28, 2016

A Memphis philanthropic collaborative is revising its public image as its leaders rethink the ways they want to help the city’s schools change.

Teacher Town is becoming the Memphis Education Fund and adopting the goal of improving the lowest-scoring 10 percent of schools in the city, the group announced this month.

38. Grizzlies’ New Speaker Series to Enhance Bond With Businesses, Fans - Thursday, November 17, 2016

On the court, the Memphis Grizzlies have a new head coach in David Fizdale and have remixed the roster with a heavier sprinkling of youth.

Change in the NBA is inevitable. And that’s true off the court, too, where business-side and sales employees are always seeking new ways to engage with the community and grow the fan base.

39. New Data Tracking System Will Save Memphis Educators Hours Every Week, Officials Say - Monday, September 12, 2016

The system for sharing student data with educators in Tennessee’s largest school district has been laborsome and time-intensive at best, but that’s about to change.

Shelby County Schools has begun trainings with team leaders from each school as part of this year’s rollout of a new database system called Ed-Fi.

40. American Contract Bridge League Committed to Teaching Youths Game - Thursday, September 8, 2016

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett and Paul Firemen, CEO of Reebok International. All three of these men have achieved success in life few could fathom, and all are regular players of the card game bridge.

41. Former Titan Dyson Finally Reaching His Goal - Saturday, July 2, 2016

When is it too late to go back to school and prepare for a new career? Most experts and older students who’ve returned to school at 30, 40, 50 – or even 60 and beyond – will tell you there’s really no limit as long as an older student is motivated and focused.

42. XQ Super Schools Reform Effort Looks at Memphis - Tuesday, June 21, 2016

On a dry erase board by the National Civil Rights Museum, a new education reform group in town last week asked citizens to fill in the blanks about their high school experience with a sentence that began, “I thought high school would be…”

43. Last Word: Mud Island Money, Elvis Mystery and Beyond Barbecue - Friday, May 13, 2016

It looks like the dry rub will be in order for Memphis in May's barbecue weekend with a shower or two keeping the dust down in Tom Lee Park Wednesday.

If you can see it through the smoke, Mud Island might strike a first-tme observer as a marked contrast to all of the activity in Tom Lee Park that goes right up to the bluff's edge.

44. A UT Hall of Fame without Neyland? How’s that possible? - Saturday, April 16, 2016

His name is on the football stadium, where a twice-life-size statue of him is displayed between gates 15A and 17.

The roadway that runs between the stadium and the Tennessee River bears his name.

45. Stop Settling for Ordinary - Wednesday, March 16, 2016

We live in a world of stiff competition with so much noise competing for consumer attention that it can be painfully difficult for brands to get noticed and stand apart from their competition.

That’s why the lion’s share of brands simply settle for being ordinary. It’s just easier. As football coaching legend Lou Holtz said, “In this world you’re either growing or you’re dying, so get in motion and grow.”

46. Farm and Gin Show Features Startup-Ag Combo - Monday, February 29, 2016

The annual Mid-South Farm and Gin Show looks like any other gathering of farmers over the years, but there is a distinct entrepreneurial underpinning this year merging technology with venture capital.

47. Chancellor Steps Aside, Avoids Fight - Thursday, January 14, 2016

Gov. Bill Haslam’s plan to restructure higher education didn’t take long to shake up the hierarchy.

It led to the early retirement of Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan, who blasted the proposal in a letter to the governor, before legislation even hit the printing press. The longtime state official said he would rather step down than support a plan he feels will be detrimental to colleges and universities.

48. Last Word: The Crest, OPEB Fever, Armstrong Leaves and An Elvis Warning - Friday, January 8, 2016

The crest is here and it is not quite 40 feet on the Mississippi River gauge. The projections Thursday evening going into Friday’s crest of the river at Memphis changed a bit from the 40.3 foot level. The crest is 39.8 feet.
No reports of major damage anywhere in Shelby County, according to the Shelby County Office of Prepardness.
But the river’s high water is still a sight to behold.

49. One Step Initiative Taking Education Beyond Memphis - Friday, December 11, 2015

For some high school seniors, college is the first time they leave home. For others, college isn’t in the cards. A local nonprofit, One Step Initiative, is looking to make college a nearer possibility by sending high school seniors abroad and providing them with ongoing professional support.

50. Gates Foundation to Fund U of M Teacher Prep Program - Saturday, December 5, 2015

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed to provide $34.7 million over three years to a set of five Teacher Preparation Transformation Centers, including one at the University of Memphis.

51. Gates Foundation to Fund U of M Teacher Prep Program - Wednesday, December 2, 2015

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has committed to provide $34.7 million over three years to a set of five Teacher Preparation Transformation Centers, including one at the University of Memphis.

52. TBR to Use $2M Grant to Help Increase Graduation Rates - Wednesday, November 25, 2015

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Board of Regents says it will invest a $2 million grant received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation into programs that will help increase graduation rates, especially among first-generation and low-income students.

53. New Websites Dig Into Memphis Community, Nonprofit Data - Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Supporting Memphis just got much easier with two new websites recently launched by the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, WHEREweLIVEmidsouth.org and WHEREtoGIVEmidsouth.org.

54. Shelby County Schools Eyes Crosstown - Thursday, November 19, 2015

Shelby County Schools wants to open a high school at Crosstown Concourse. SCS superintendent Dorsey Hopson confirmed the school district’s interest Wednesday, Nov. 18.

“We’ve spoken with some of the local funders about putting together some plan to ensure that there are some high-quality options there,” Hopson said. “There are a number of different ways that we’re thinking about it. But absolutely we would love to be a part of it.”

55. Hopson Calls Off Hillcrest-Whitehaven Merger For Now - Thursday, October 1, 2015

Shelby County Schools superintendent Dorsey Hopson is calling off a plan to merge Hillcrest High School into Whitehaven High School and turn Hillcrest into a ninth grade academy.

Hopson told school board members Tuesday, Sept. 29, that the school system will wait to see if the state-run Achievement School District matches Hillcrest with a charter school operator and takes it into the ASD next school year.

56. NCRM Highlights Teacher Effectiveness Initiative - Saturday, September 19, 2015

It’s not the kind of history you normally see at the National Civil Rights Museum, even with the museum’s 2014 technological update and expanded exhibits.

A temporary exhibit on display through Oct. 4 reviews Shelby County Schools’ historic shift in teacher effectiveness training that began in 2009.

57. Microsoft Names Brad Smith President and Chief Legal Officer - Monday, September 14, 2015

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft has given longtime executive Brad Smith the title of president, as the company continues its transition to a new generation of leadership.

58. Hollis Price Middle College Makes Newsweek Rankings - Friday, August 21, 2015

Hollis F. Price Middle College High School made the recent Newsweek ranking of the nation’s top 10 high schools “beating the odds.”

The rankings – from Newsweek and Westat, a research firm that developed the rankings’ methodology – include a list of America’s Top High Schools, which identifies 500 public high schools nationwide that excel at preparing students for college. They also include “Beating the Odds,” a list of 500 public high schools doing an exceptional job of preparing students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

59. Two ZeroTo510 Companies Win Pair of Honors - Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Memphis’ emerging status as a hub of medical device activity is getting some major international recognition this month via honors flowing to two startups being incubated here.

Two of the four companies participating in this year’s ZeroTo510 medical device accelerator program have, in different ways, scored honors from separate international innovation and entrepreneurial programs.

60. I Choose Memphis: Isaac Rodriguez - Monday, July 6, 2015

“I Choose Memphis” spotlights Memphians who are passionate about calling this community home. New Memphis Institute provides the profiles.

Name: Dr. Isaac Rodriguez

61. 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.

62. Cutting-Edge Creations - Saturday, May 23, 2015

Over a selection of beverages and light hors d’oeuvres at a recent gathering, a group of entrepreneurs and startup teams held court at the Memphis Bioworks Foundation for a networking session, introduced themselves to the community and got a general welcome to Memphis.

63. Daily News Seminar Brings Focus to Economy - Monday, May 11, 2015

As part of his keynote address during The Daily News’ latest seminar, this time focused on the economy, Century Wealth Management president and founder Jay Healy pointed to a photo depicting a crowd a decade ago assembled near St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.

64. Riverfront Restaurant Will Open for Memphis In May - Saturday, May 2, 2015

Riverfront Bar & Grill at Beale Street Landing will remain open during the Memphis In May International Festival activities in Tom Lee Park.

65. Graceland Buys Jets, Will Keep Them at Graceland - Saturday, May 2, 2015

Two jets once owned by Elvis Presley will remain at Graceland, according to a Tweet Sunday afternoon by the late entertainer’s daughter.

“I wanted 2 b the first to tell U: The Planes will remain at Graceland 4 ever!” tweeted Lisa Marie Presley. “We own them and have fun plans 4 them as well.”

66. Riverfront Bar & Grill Remains Open During Memphis in May - Thursday, April 30, 2015

Riverfront Bar & Grill at Beale Street Landing will remain open during the Memphis In May International Festival activities in Tom Lee Park.

67. Graceland Buys Jets, Will Keep Them at Graceland - Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Two jets once owned by Elvis Presley will remain at Graceland, according to a Tweet Sunday afternoon by the late entertainer’s daughter.

“I wanted 2 b the first to tell U: The Planes will remain at Graceland 4 ever!” tweeted Lisa Marie Presley. “We own them and have fun plans 4 them as well.”

68. Shelby County Schools Seeks New Funding for Classroom Investments - Thursday, April 23, 2015

The bottom line on the Shelby County Schools budget proposal headed to Shelby County Commissioners is $973.5 million, but the dollar figure commissioners will be considering is $14 million.

That’s the amount of new funding the system is seeking from county government for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Otherwise, the school system’s budget is balanced.

69. Apple CEO Tim Cook Plans to Give Away Most of His Fortune - Monday, March 30, 2015

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – Apple CEO Tim Cook is joining a long list of magnates promising to give away most of the wealth that they amass during their careers.

70. Digital Marketing for All Generations - Wednesday, March 4, 2015

A few years ago when speaking to the Vancouver Board of Trade, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz talked about the need for companies to use social media to build a “reservoir of trust” rather than just to sell more products.

71. Common Core is Working – So Kill It - Friday, February 13, 2015

Common Core determines what Tennessee’s K-12 students should know and when they should learn it, yet like many other issues it has become a political pariah, especially for the state’s Republican leaders.

72. White House Focuses on Computer Science in Schools - Tuesday, December 9, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – Smartphones and laptops have become essential tools for today's teenagers. But learning how these devices work has often taken a backseat to other priorities in U.S. schools.

73. How Much Do You Know About How the Internet Works? - Wednesday, November 26, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) – We may be the Internet generation. But we don't know much about how it works.

A new Pew Research Center survey released Tuesday found most people can recognize Microsoft founder Bill Gates and know that hashtags belong in tweets, but are confused about whether having a privacy policy means that a company actually keeps consumer information confidential.

74. 'Success is a Lousy Teacher' - Wednesday, November 12, 2014

In sales, as in life, many a person throws in the towel after failure, not realizing that failure is actually an inevitable outcome of the innovative. Thomas Edison is reported to have had more than 1,000 failures before finally inventing a practical electric light bulb. Aptly, he said, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

75. Raising Concerns Over Education Coverage - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

With just one person reporting on schools in a metropolitan area of more than 1.3 million people, The Commercial Appeal is forging ahead with a relationship with a nonprofit journalism organization dedicated to covering education.

76. Education Secretary Calls for System-Wide Reforms - Friday, September 12, 2014

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan saw much that he liked in Memphis Wednesday, Sept. 10, at the end of his three-day “back to school” bus tour of schools in three states.

The last stop was Cornerstone Prep Elementary School in Binghampton.

77. Duncan Bus Tour Ends With Binghampton Kudos - Thursday, September 11, 2014

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrapped up a three-day “back to school” bus tour of schools in several states Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Cornerstone Prep Elementary School in Binghampton.

78. We’re All Invited - Friday, July 11, 2014

MEMPHIS, SERVED IN THE SHELL. Following up last week’s column, this from a reader:

“We have no civic pride, half the population is intent on killing as many as they can and the other part lives behind walls or gates. There was a time in the fifties when you could leave your front door unlocked and keys in the car.”

79. Schools Leaders Outline Budget Goals - Friday, April 11, 2014

The Shelby County Commission and Shelby County Schools leaders eased into what is likely to be the most difficult discussion of county government’s budget season – funding the county’s school district in the first academic year of the demerger.

80. Stephens Joins Maintenance Team at Commercial Advisors - Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Timothy Stephens has joined Cushman & Wakefield/Commercial Advisors as a maintenance mechanic at One Commerce Square. In his new role, Stephens will performing plumbing, painting and general maintenance services.

81. Microsoft Names Cloud Computing Chief as Next CEO - Wednesday, February 5, 2014

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Microsoft has named the head of its cloud computing business as the company's next CEO, tapping a longtime insider to lead efforts to catch rivals in mobile devices and offer more software and services over the Internet.

82. Thompson: Microsoft to Pick CEO Early Next Year - Wednesday, December 18, 2013

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) – Microsoft expects to finish its search for CEO Steve Ballmer's replacement by early next year.

Board director John Thompson, who heads the company's executive search committee, said so in a blog post Tuesday.

83. Stephens Among Finalists for Bartlett Schools Post - Saturday, December 14, 2013

Shelby County Schools deputy superintendent David Stephens is among the three finalists to lead the Bartlett Schools system.

84. Stephens Among Finalists for Bartlett Schools Post - Friday, December 13, 2013

Shelby County Schools deputy superintendent David Stephens is among the three finalists to lead the Bartlett Schools system.

85. Broadband in US Schools Gets Boost From Tech Gurus - Saturday, December 7, 2013

The effort to get high-speed broadband in every school is getting a boost from the philanthropy of two technology gurus – Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates.

86. Broadband in US Schools Gets Boost From Tech Gurus - Thursday, December 5, 2013

The effort to get high-speed broadband in every school is getting a boost from the philanthropy of two technology gurus — Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates.

87. School Board Questions Teacher Residency - Monday, December 2, 2013

One of the coming debates about education reform in Shelby County will be about the role of teacher residency programs in preparing future Shelby County Schools system teachers.

Shelby County Schools board members approved two contracts before the Thanksgiving holiday with Memphis Teacher Residency and Teach For America, the two dominant residency programs working in Shelby County.

88. Entrepreneurs Not Always Leaders, and Vice Versa - Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Seventy percent of startup businesses fail within the first 10 years, according to a 2013 study conducted by Bradley University and the University of Tennessee. It’s a devastating reality given that the lion’s share of those are small businesses, from which more than half of domestic sales are generated.

89. Define Your Core Business - Monday, November 25, 2013

Most successful new businesses begin by taking advantage of a new, untapped opportunity that develops in the marketplace. These businesses can grow organically for many years by continuing to take advantage of their formula for success.

90. How American-US Airways Deal Impacts Competitors - Wednesday, November 13, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – The Department of Justice announced Tuesday that it would let the merger of American Airlines and US Airways proceed after the two carriers agreed to give up landing and takeoff slots and gates at key airports, notably Washington's Reagan National and New York's LaGuardia. With the agreement, the government hopes to increase access to the nation's busiest airports for low-cost airlines and to maintain flights to smaller cities.

91. Teachers’ Voices Matter - Tuesday, November 12, 2013

I recently experienced one of the proudest and most poignant moments of my career as an educator during the Elevating and Celebrating Effective Teaching and Teachers (ECET2) convening, a teacher-inspired, teacher-led conference held Nov. 7 and 8 at the Mid-South Convention Center in Robinsonville, Miss.

92. Plan Your Legacy - Thursday, October 31, 2013

Ray’s Take Webster defines legacy as “something received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past.” Our personal legacy is what we are remembered for; the contributions we have made to our family, our community, and our world.

93. Leadership Memphis Boosting School Success - Monday, October 21, 2013

It is often said that good leaders inspire others to have confidence in their leadership. Great leaders inspire others to have confidence in themselves. This is exactly what the great leaders who have been a part of Leadership Memphis for the past thirty-five years have done; encourage the greatness in the emerging leadership in Memphis.

94. Shutdown Over, Obama Surveys Damage and Blames GOP - Friday, October 18, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – The government unlocked its doors Thursday after 16 days, with President Barack Obama saluting the resolution of Congress' bitter standoff but lambasting Republicans for the partial shutdown that he said had damaged the U.S. economy and America's credibility around the world.

95. Martin Institute Launches New Teacher Network - Friday, October 11, 2013

The proposal that kick-started education reform in Memphis began with the statistic that 40 percent of teachers in the former Memphis City Schools system left by their third year as an educator.

It was the basis for the Teacher Effectiveness Initiative, which won $90 million in funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as well as funding from local nonprofits – all in a seven-year period.

96. Combined Net Worth of America's Richest Rises - Tuesday, September 17, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Life is good for America's super wealthy.

Forbes on Monday released its annual list of the top 400 richest Americans. While most of the top names and rankings didn't change from a year ago, the majority of the elite club's members saw their fortunes grow over the past year, helped by strong stock and real estate markets.

97. Microsoft Says CEO Ballmer to Retire in 12 Months - Monday, August 26, 2013

NEW YORK (AP) – Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, known as much for his zany personality as his business discipline, will leave a legacy of mixed results and a monumental challenge for his yet-to-be-named successor.

98. Events - Saturday, August 17, 2013

Playhouse on the Square will host a performance of “Les Miserables” to benefit the Memphis Child Advocacy Center Saturday, Aug. 17, at 8 p.m. at Playhouse, 66 S. Cooper St. A pre-performance reception and silent auction begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $60 and are available through MCAC, 888-4342.

99. Grizzlies Owner’s Company Riding High - Thursday, August 15, 2013

Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera has enjoyed a run of good news lately surrounding the technology company he founded, Ubiquiti Networks Inc.

100. Events - Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The Fayette County chapter of West Tennessee Home Builders Association will meet Wednesday, Aug. 14, at 11:30 a.m. at Somerville Bank & Trust, 16790 U.S. 64. U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher will discuss proposed government-sponsored enterprises reform bill. The meeting is open to the public. Cost is $10. Email rterry@mahba.com.