Here comes Trader Joe’s with a Friday opening in Germantown after lots of mystery and delays and changes for what is a pretty simple concept. For so many of us, this has been a long-hoped for goal. It’s kind of up there with smuggling in Coors beer from the west in the 70s before it became available everywhere and Coors had a brewery here.

2. Bredesen Defends Wait-And-See Stand on Kavanaugh Nomination - Friday, September 14, 2018

Democratic U.S. Senate contender Phil Bredesen met a crowd of 500 at Rhodes College Thursday, Sept. 13, that consisted mostly of supporters on what was originally planned as a debate with Republican rival Marsha Blackburn. Blackburn bowed out of the debate.

3. Bredesen Defends Wait-And-See Stand on Kavanaugh Nomination - Friday, September 14, 2018

Democratic U.S. Senate contender Phil Bredesen met a crowd of 500 at Rhodes College Thursday, Sept. 13, that consisted mostly of supporters on what was originally planned as a debate with Republican rival Marsha Blackburn. Blackburn bowed out of the debate.

4. Last Word: Jagger, Jerry Lee, Whalum & More and Harris' Plans on BTH - Thursday, September 13, 2018

Sir Mick Jagger and Jerry Lee Lewis walk into Sun Studio Wednesday. That’s not the start of a joke. Variety has reported that Jagger’s film company has signed on to the Elvis biopic being made from Peter Guralnick’s definitive two volume biography of the king. You connect the dots or don’t – who knows if there is a connection? Yes, but they aren’t talking.

5. Bredesen, Blackburn Differ on Plans to Deal With Federal Budget - Thursday, September 13, 2018

U.S. Senate candidates, Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn and former Gov. Phil Bredesen, are proposing two very different paths to rein in the nation’s budget deficit and $21.4 trillion national debt.

6. Some Tennessee Lawmakers Living the Life - Thursday, September 13, 2018

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.

7. Bredesen Says Senate Race is Different Than Previous Statewide Runs - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Phil Bredesen says his fourth statewide campaign is different. It’s different even from the two campaigns for Nashville mayor before his three campaigns for governor.

8. Last Word: Gun Group Endorsements, Kirby Complexities and Purple Haze Closes - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Two races on the Nov. 6 ballot within the Shelby County legislative delegation to Nashville getting some attention as our Nashville correspondent Sam Stockard takes a look at “gun sense” ratings from the group Moms Demand Action, which has called for stricter gun laws.

9. Pence to Headline Knoxville Fundraiser for Blackburn's U.S. Senate Bid - Tuesday, September 11, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence will headline another Tennessee fundraiser for Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in her Senate bid.

10. Last Word: Rain and Lightning, Recycling Blues and Polls and Campaigns - Monday, September 10, 2018

Signs of festival season in the air Sunday after what was left of Tropical Storm Gordon dumped most of its remaining rain and wind on the city Saturday. The Central Gardens home tour was doing a brisk business Sunday afternoon with lots of foot traffic in light jackets and lines outside a few of the homes on Belvedere as Birds and golf carts buzzed around. Further south Cooper-Young practicing moderation a week ahead of its milestone event for festival season – a new mural on Young west of Cooper toward the Fairgrounds awaiting your judgment next weekend.

11. Poll Gives Bredesen Edge Over Blackburn in Senate Race - Friday, September 7, 2018

An NBC/Marist poll is giving former Democratic governor Phil Bredesen a slight edge over Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in a race that could change the makeup of the U.S. Senate.

12. 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.

13. Last Word: Southbrook Mall, Dean on Development and Cats & Thyroids - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Public money for a shopping mall with public uses is on the agenda for a special meeting this week of the EDGE board. And the Southbrook Mall saga is an extended story over several years with several different plans to get public money that at first blush was to fix the roof and perhaps HVAC and then let the private property owned by a nonprofit be on its way. It’s much more complex than that.

14. Blackburn Names Campaign Finance Chairmen - Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn’s Senate campaign received an injection of old-school political support Tuesday, Sept. 4, from Pilot Corp. founder Jim Haslam II and Middle Tennessee State University board of trustees chairman Stephen Smith.

15. Rhodes Debate Canceled After Blackburn Declines to Participate - Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Rhodes College has canceled a mid-September debate planned for the U.S. Senate race after Republican candidate Rep. Marsha Blackburn declined to participate, according a school spokesman.

16. Last Word: End of Term, After The Testimony and John McCain - Monday, August 27, 2018

Shelby County commissioners meet Monday for what is the last regularly scheduled meeting of their four-year term of office. Eight of the 13 commissioners are leaving the body of 13 at the end of this month as is Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell.

17. Bredesen Wants Criticized Blackburn-Backed Opioid Law Repeal - Monday, August 27, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Democratic ex-Gov. Phil Bredesen says his first U.S. Senate action would be introducing or co-sponsoring legislation to repeal a 2016 law criticized for weakening federal authority to curb opioid distribution. His opponent, Republican Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn, supported it.

18. Last Word: Court Watch, Haslam on Education and George Will on the Senate Race - Friday, August 24, 2018

The last of the testimony concluded in Memphis Federal Court Thursday with legal briefs due from all sides in the case of Memphis Police Department surveillance of protesters by Sept. 24. Then U.S. District Judge Jon P. McCalla will make his ruling on whether the Tennessee ACLU has standing to bring the lawsuit. And if he rules the organization does have standing, he will then rule on what sanctions the police department will face for the surveillance over the last two years.

19. Last Word: Day Two in Federal Court, Cohen on Manafort and Saturation Concerns - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings on the witness stand Tuesday in Memphis Federal Court for day two of the trial on police surveillance of protesters.

And Rallings testified that he had only a “vague” knowledge of the 1978 federal consent decree banning such surveillance prior to the lawsuit filed in 2017 by protesters put on the City Hall security list. As a supervisor at the police training academy, Rallings also testified that the rules set by the decree to prevent political surveillance of protesters were not taught to police officers to his knowledge.

20. Bredesen Seeks Rural Broadband Access Through TVA - Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen is calling for congressional action enabling the Tennessee Valley Authority to deliver broadband internet access to rural parts of the state, a plan his opponent, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, says would be “anti-competitive.”

21. Nonprofit Objects to Remarks by Blackburn Consultant - Monday, August 20, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A left-leaning Tennessee nonprofit has objected to comments by a paid political consultant to U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn's Senate campaign, claiming the remarks signal illegal coordination with outside political groups.

22. Bredesen Agrees To Four Senate Debates - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen has agreed to participate in four U.S. Senate debates with Republican contender Marsha Blackburn covering East, Middle and West Tennessee.

23. Harris Claims County Mayor, Democrats Sweep Other Countywide Offices - Monday, August 6, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

24. Harris Elected County Mayor, Bonner as Sheriff - Friday, August 3, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

25. Blackburn Releases 1st TV Ad in Tennessee U.S. Senate Bid - Thursday, August 2, 2018

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn has released her first TV ad in her Senate bid.

26. Turnout Growing With 2 Days to Vote Before Aug. 2 - Friday, July 27, 2018

With two days left in the early voting period, 63,244 citizens had cast ballots in Shelby County in advance of the Aug. 2 election day. The last day of the early voting period is Saturday, July 28.

27. Senate Hopeful Bredesen Calls Pence Tweet 'Name-Calling' - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen has said Vice President Mike Pence was "name-calling" in a tweet against him, and wondered if Pence can't think of something better to say than calling him liberal.

28. Pence Touts Conservative Credentials of Blackburn, Black - Monday, July 23, 2018

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence touted Republican tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks Saturday, using a visit to Tennessee to also heap praise on the conservative credentials of two GOP congresswomen waging tough campaigns for statewide offices.

29. Last Word: MemFix 4's Big Weekend, Early Voting Six Days In and Grizz Moves - Friday, July 20, 2018

A big weekend to avoid the interstate with a rare closing of I-240 between the 385 split and the I-40 split and Poplar over I-240 also closed in both directions. This kicks in Friday evening and runs up to Monday morning’s rush hour as TDOT crews work to replace four bridges in East Memphis using a relatively new process in which parts of the bridges are assembled in advance and then moved into place. The bridges are both Poplar bridges, the Park Avenue bridge and the Norfolk Southern rail bridge. And this will happen all over again in about a week’s time using the same schedule, weather permitting. Weekenders on the interstate already have some experience with a milder version of this with the interstate projects on the south leg

30. Tennessee Senators, Hopefuls Oppose Trump Remarks on Russia - Wednesday, July 18, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee's Republican senators and two Senate candidates are speaking out against President Donald Trump's refusal to condemn Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

31. GOP, Dem Rivals Raise Millions in Tennessee US Senate Race - Tuesday, July 17, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn narrowly outraised Democratic former Gov. Phil Bredesen last quarter in Tennessee's open contest for U.S. Senate, with Blackburn maintaining a 2-to-1 cash-on-hand advantage.

32. Early Opening - Friday, July 13, 2018

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 2 Election Day opens Friday, July 13, at five locations across Shelby County. On Tuesday, 22 additional sites will be open through July 28. Between the Shelby County Election Commission and Chancery Court there were three other sets of early-voting locations and hours in a three-week period before Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins signed off Tuesday afternoon on a fourth set.

33. Last Word: Another Twist in Court, Harris-Lenoir at NCRM and Fairgrounds Specifics - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

One more twist in the early voting schedule that kicks off Friday. It came in the second day of hearings Tuesday in Chancery Court as Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins was preparing to sign the court order from Monday night’s hearing. The election commission said it couldn’t meet the order’s deadline of opening all 27 sites on Monday. Jenkins made it a Tuesday opening but this nearly went off the rails.

34. Blackburn Backs Supreme Court Pick; Bredesen Awaits Hearings - Wednesday, July 11, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — In Tennessee's U.S. Senate race, Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn is backing President Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee and Democratic ex-Gov. Phil Bredesen is holding judgment until after confirmation hearings.

35. Last Word: The Jenkins Ruling, No More City Court Clerk and Harwell's Quest - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Making your early voting plan for Friday’s debut of the voting period in advance of the Aug. 2 election day? Well, you might want to hold off until after Tuesday morning. That’s when the latest changes could get set in stone … or not.

36. In Tennessee, Trump's Tariffs Become a Political Issue - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Jimmy Tosh's sprawling hog farm in rural Tennessee is an unlikely battleground in the fight for control of the U.S. Senate.

Yet his 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) two hours west of Nashville showcase the practical risks of President Donald Trump's trade policies and the political threat to red-state Republican Senate candidates such as Tennessee's Marsha Blackburn.

37. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Education in Tennessee? - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam and the General Assembly have invested in education during the last eight years. Has that been a good investment and should it continue? What do the candidates propose for the next four to eight years?

38. 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...

39. Blackburn Looks to Supreme Court Vacancy to Boost Senate Bid - Friday, June 29, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn's Senate campaign is quickly trying to capitalize on Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy's retirement.

40. Bredesen to push for TVA to help expand broadband access - Thursday, June 28, 2018

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen said Tuesday he would push to get the Tennessee Valley Authority to help expand broadband internet access to rural areas if elected.

41. Bredesen Talks Tariffs in Memphis Stops As New TV, Social Media Ads Begin to Air - Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Phil Bredesen came to Memphis Monday, June 25, to talk about tariffs – specifically the trade tariffs proposed by President Donald Trump on European allies Canada and Mexico.

42. Tennessee GOP Senate Hopeful Blames Liberals in Separations - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee's leading U.S. Senate candidates are decrying the separation of immigrant families at the border, with Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn blaming liberals.

43. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Health Care in Tennessee? - Tuesday, June 19, 2018

According to Think Tennessee’s State of Our State dashboard, the state ranks near the bottom in the number of adults with heart disease, obesity and diabetes. It also ranks near the bottom of all states for the health of senior citizens, infant mortality, number of adults who smoke, and at the absolute bottom in childhood obesity. Tennesseans are, on the whole, not healthy. What can and should our next political leaders do about it?

44. Line Between ‘Get Out the Vote,’ ‘Crossover’ Melts In Campaign Heat - Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Get Out The Vote – the plan known among politicos by the shorthand GOTV – has slipped across the line that separates it from “crossover” – the sometimes-controversial act of pushing to get those on the other side of the partisan divide to cross political lines and vote for the other party’s nominee.

45. Last Word: The Commutation, Tuition Freeze and Blackburn and Sundquist - Thursday, June 7, 2018

Alice Marie Johnson walked out of a federal prison in Alabama Wednesday after serving 21 years of a life prison sentence for dealing drugs and laundering money as part of a Memphis drug ring with Texas connections in the 1990s. Johnson’s release came the same day that President Donald Trump commuted her life sentence less than a week after he met with reality television personality Kim Kardashian West who appealed for Johnson’s release. Here is the Associated Press story.

46. Blackburn’s Scattershot Hits Surprise Targets - Thursday, June 7, 2018

Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn is doubling down against Democratic opponent Phil Bredesen in the race for an open U.S. Senate seat, hammering him as a liberal in the vein of Obama, Clinton, Schumer and Pelosi.

47. Women Seek to Add to Senate Numbers, But Challenges Await - Thursday, May 31, 2018

PHOENIX (AP) – A record number of women are on track to run for the U.S. Senate, though it will be a challenge to capture those seats and help make the chamber more diverse.

Many face uphill campaigns and two Democratic incumbents in particular among the 23 women in the Senate are seen as politically vulnerable in the November election.

48. Last Word: SCS Budget Travels, Carlisle on One Beale and Hickman's Comeback - Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Shelby County Schools officials are Downtown Wednesday to formally present the school system’s budget proposal to the Shelby County Commission. The budget committee hearing Wednesday morning won’t see any decision just yet. But the school system’s ask of county government is a big part of the commission getting to a more complete view of county government’s budget since north of $400 million of the county’s $1.3 billion consolidated budget is funding for public education across seven school districts in the county.

49. Last Word: Mimeo Move, Food Fight and Sundquist for Blackburn - Monday, May 14, 2018

There aren’t any renderings just yet of what a second convention center hotel with the 100 North Main Building as its centerpiece would look like. That’s probably a good thing for now because some of the specs and the footprint are still in flux. The developers of the proposed convention center hotel said as the weekend began that they plan a 600 room hotel and a complex that includes two 30-story towers in addition to the 37-story tall 100 North Main Building – the tallest building in the city. And the foot print will likely jump Second Street to take in the vacant Jefferson Plaza building. Here is the update and some perspective on how we got to this point.

50. Trump to Headline Blackburn Senate Fundraiser in Tennessee - Monday, May 14, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – President Donald Trump will headline a Tennessee fundraiser for Rep. Marsha Blackburn in her Senate bid.

51. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Rural Tennessee? - Saturday, May 12, 2018

Like most of America, Tennessee’s metropolitan areas have prospered during the last eight years, while the rural areas have lagged in almost every measure. The state has 19 of its 95 counties classified as “distressed.” What can and should we do to give every Tennessean a chance to succeed?

52. Local Republicans and Democrats Regroup From May County Primaries for Unity - Thursday, May 10, 2018

Shelby County Republican Party chairman Lee Mills knows what it is like to lose an election. Four years ago he ran for alderman in Arlington and lost by 21 votes.

53. Last Word: BSMF Opens, Germantown's New Elementary and Links at St. Jude - Friday, May 4, 2018

The Beale Street Music Festival opens Friday and the clouds appear right on cue. But that, in and of itself, doesn’t stop the proceedings in Tom Lee Park. Lightning is another matter, of course. Poncho and boots are a part of the Memphis In May identity. And one day there will be a digital map of the park’s terrain that shows the areas that are the mud pits and those that are largely mud proof. That’s for some of you to avoid them and others among you to find them and “celebrate” them.

54. Last Word: Last Day of Early Voting, Senate Poll and Legislature Goes to Overtime - Thursday, April 26, 2018

The last day of early voting before the May 1 election day is Thursday. And the turnout count through Wednesday has eclipsed the total early voting turnout in this same set of elections in 2010 and 2014. You can find a list of early voting locations and the hours at www.shelbyvote.com, the website of the Shelby County Election Commission. The winners on election night next Tuesday advance to the August county general election.

55. Corker Says He Won't Oppose Democrat Seeking His Senate Seat - Tuesday, April 24, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) – Outgoing Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee is sticking by his decision not to campaign against the Democrat seeking to fill his seat.

Corker says he considers the Democrat, former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen (BRED'-uh-sen), a "friend." Corker backs Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn but says he won't oppose Bredesen.

56. Last Word: Reading Early Voting Tea Leaves, Corker Qualifies and New Carrot - Monday, April 23, 2018

This should be the week that the Tennessee Legislature adjourns and state Senators and state Representatives return to their districts to begin campaigning in earnest for the August primaries and the November general election beyond that. The only hold-up to adjournment this week would be any more tremors surrounding education policy, specifically the TNReady test debacle of last week.

57. Last Word: TNReady Blinks Again, Gov. Debate Thoughts and Mud Island's Museum - Friday, April 20, 2018

There was a point Thursday morning during the troubled TNReady testing at some Tennessee school districts when there was a “brief” slow down in the online testing, according to the Tennessee Education commissioner’s office. By noon that had been resolved and more than 250,000 completed tests had been submitted since testing began Monday. One can only imagine what some of the thoughts were in the office during the slow down and the gap between how long the slow down seemed and how long it actually was.

58. Trump Backs Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee GOP US Senate Bid - Friday, April 20, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has endorsed Marsha Blackburn in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat from Tennessee.

59. Last Word: 'Poking The Bear,' National Walk Out Day and McQueen on Capitol Hill - Thursday, April 19, 2018

The state House’s Tuesday action cutting $250k in funding for Memphis from Gov. Bill Haslam’s budget proposal is turning into a cause back here, starting with a GoFundMe page. Elsewhere on social media, you can see the unmistakable outline of a party or parties for the cause beginning to form. This is near the end of session for the Legislature when the budget is the last action before going back to the district to run for re-election. Different timing over here, with multiple crawfish outings leading into Memphis in May.

60. 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?

61. Sen. Bob Corker Donates to Republican Running to Succeed Him - Wednesday, April 11, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – U.S. Sen. Bob Corker says he is donating money to another Tennessee Republican's campaign to succeed him.

News outlets report Corker tweeted his support Monday for U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn after the Tennessee Republican Party ended the primary over the weekend. Seven Senate candidates and one gubernatorial candidate were removed from the August ballot for lacking voting credentials to justify running as Republicans.

62. Last Word: Pera's Move, The Catechism of 1968 and Whitehaven's ER - Tuesday, April 10, 2018

A day ahead of the last game of the season for the Grizz on the road, the team’s majority owner, Robert Pera, acted Monday to clear up questions about the ownership of the team going forward. Pera emailed season ticket holders Monday evening that he will not be exercising a buy-sell agreement with his partners who have minority shares of the franchise.

63. Republicans Pare Tennessee Senate Primary As Bredesen-Blackburn Race Shapes Up - Tuesday, April 10, 2018

The race for the U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee got much closer to becoming the two-candidate contest Democratic and Republican leaders have already decided it is.

The Tennessee Republican Party’s executive committee, meeting in Nashville Saturday, pared the field of 10 contenders who filed by the April 5 deadline for the August primary to three. Seven contenders were dropped from the primary ballot by the party’s leadership for not being “bona fide” Republicans based on their recent voting record.

64. 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.

65. 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.

66. Last Word: Yoga's Return, Strickland on MLK50 and The Broad Water Tower Move - Thursday, March 29, 2018

The two parks where Confederate monuments were removed this past December will feature some new experiences now that spring is here both by the calendar and by all that flowers and clouds that are heavy with rain. Memphis Greenspace, the nonprofit that bought Health Sciences and Memphis Parks from the city at the end of 2017, will roll out its first programming for the two parks next week including a Truth Booth at Memphis Park along with the return of Downtown Yoga. It will be tai chi Tuesdays and yoga Thursdays at Health Sciences Park along with a lunchtime music series.

67. What Do Statewide Candidates Say About Infrastructure Investment? - Saturday, March 24, 2018

Is investment in public infrastructure important? And should Tennessee have more dedicated revenue sources to pay for construction and maintenance of infrastructure across the state, or is the existing tax structure – primarily the state tax on fuel, and wheel taxes – sufficient to pay for what Tennessee needs to sustain and grow its economy?

68. Dems Need Viable Candidates to Catch Blue Wave - Thursday, March 22, 2018

Republicans called it the “kickoff” to what they hope will be a great election season.

Democrats are downplaying a lopsided loss in the 14th Senate District special election, saying it won’t represent results later this year in President Donald Trump’s midterm.

69. Haslam Joins Chorus Of Concerns Over Tariffs - Saturday, March 17, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam is joining several other Tennessee officials voicing concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday, March 13, he’s concerned about additional costs to manufacturers, particularly the state’s car industry. He said that a trade war wouldn’t be good for Tennessee, a manufacturing state.

70. Haslam Joins Chorus Of Concerns Over Trump Tariffs - Thursday, March 15, 2018

Gov. Bill Haslam is joining several other Tennessee officials voicing concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

The Republican governor told reporters Tuesday, March 13, he’s concerned about additional costs to manufacturers, particularly the state’s car industry. He said that a trade war wouldn’t be good for Tennessee, a manufacturing state.

71. Bredesen TV Ad Says He's 'Not Running Against Donald Trump' - Tuesday, March 13, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen says in his U.S. Senate campaign's second TV ad that he's "not running against Donald Trump."

Bredesen says he learned long ago to "separate the message from the messenger."

72. Blackburn, Bredesen Have Concerns About Trump's Tariffs - Monday, March 12, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – In Tennessee's U.S. Senate race, Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and ex-Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen are concerned about President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

73. GOP Averts Ugly Battle with Corker Opting Out - Thursday, March 1, 2018

It’s not often Tennessee’s Republican legislative leaders have to endorse a congressional candidate against a vacillating opponent. But the General Assembly’s GOP must have been worried about losing to a Democrat as they consolidated forces behind U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in an effort to maintain a hold on the U.S. Senate seat Bob Corker might be vacating.

74. Corker Stays Out of Senate Race - Thursday, March 1, 2018

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee will remain on the sidelines and not get into the 2018 race for the Senate seat.

Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, broke the news Tuesday, Feb. 27, in an interview with Politico.

75. Corker Stays Out of Senate Race - Tuesday, February 27, 2018

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee will remain on the sidelines and not get into the 2018 race for the Senate seat.

Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, broke the news Tuesday, Feb. 27, in an interview with Politico.

76. Local Political Partisans Begin Looking Beyond Trump - Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The founder of one of the city’s Trump “resistance” groups is among those looking for something beyond the resistance.

“We don’t want to resist Trump forever,” Emily Fulmer, the founder of Indivisible Memphis, told a gathering of 50 Friday, Feb. 23, at the National Civil Rights Museum under the “Take Back Tennessee” banner. “The goal is not to be in a state of resistance forever.”

77. Corker Mum On Possible Senate Return Run - Monday, February 26, 2018

When Shelby County Republican party leaders gathered Saturday, Feb. 26, for their annual Lincoln Day Gala, the local party’s largest fundraiser, much of the attention was on the elected official who delivered the shortest speech of the night.

78. Last Word: Corker & Blackburn, More Frost and Dale Watson's Move to The Haven - Friday, February 23, 2018

It's possible around City Hall these days to get your RFQs mixed up with your RFPs. And there is a difference in requests for qualifications and requests for proposals. Usually RFQs come before RFPs – but there are exceptions – loopholes. The latest RFQ out of City Hall – album title or t-shirt slogan? – is for the adaptive reuse of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

79. State Senate Speaker, 18 Other Senators Endorse Blackburn - Friday, February 23, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennessee's Senate leader and 18 other Republican state senators have endorsed U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn in her U.S. Senate bid.

80. Last Word: Patio Test, St. Jude's Edge and Bredesen Runs For the Center - Tuesday, February 20, 2018

All across the city Monday afternoon into the evening, the city was tested just about a month away from spring by the calendar. And I am happy to report that the dry run for the patio season proved Memphis is vigilant and prepared. The test, in extreme temperatures that reached 77 degrees – breaking the record of 76 degrees set in 1986, prompted some of you to break out the running gear and give it a spin just before the early sunset. Others among you were spotted on patios pondering what ever became of Mr. Mister and Glass Tiger.

81. Bredesen: U.S. Senate Win Possible For Democrats - Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The last Democrat to win statewide elected office in Tennessee eight years ago acknowledges times have changed.

“The Democratic brand is damaged in Tennessee,” former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said last week in Memphis. “The Republican percentage has stayed the same over the last decade. What’s changed is people have abandoned the Democrats and started calling themselves independents.”

82. 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.

83. Fincher Exits Republican Senate Primary, Urges Corker to Get In - Saturday, February 17, 2018

Former U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher is out of the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate and is urging Senator Bob Corker to get into the race whose only major contender is U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn.

84. Last Word: Corker & The Senate Poll, Memphis BBQ in Texas and Chandler Numbers - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

The new owner of the city’s tallest building has bought two parcels next to the 100 North Main Building as the other part of the plan to bring the 37-story tall building back to life as a combo apartment-hotel building with the Loew’s hotel brand. The row of older buildings on the south side of 100 North Main all the way up to Jefferson would give way to a 34-story tall office tower.

85. Campaign: Only 'Sexist Pig' Would Think Blackburn Can't Win - Wednesday, February 14, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn's campaign says anyone who thinks she can't win her U.S. Senate race's general election is a "plain sexist pig."

86. Last Word: The Mural Takedown, Corker's Calculation and Beale Crowd Control - Monday, February 12, 2018

Cue the organ music from the old-fashioned television soap operas: As the weekend began, city public works crews had painted over – either completely or partially – a lot of the Paint Memphis program murals on the west side of Willett near Lamar. That would be the ones city council members complained about and others that no one complained about.

87. Last Word: Shutdown Round Two, The Pastner Charges and 1968 Virtual Reality - Friday, February 9, 2018

The federal government technically shutdown at midnight in Washington, D.C., Friday for the second time in 17 days. But the House and Senate were still going for a vote on a two-year budget compromise before dawn Friday morning as this is posted.

88. Blackburn Reserves $1M in TV Ad Time Before Senate Primary - Friday, February 9, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A top adviser to U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn's Senate campaign says the Republican has reserved nearly $1 million for a statewide TV advertising buy before the Aug. 2 primary.

89. Last Word: Saturday In The Parks, The Citizen and Kroger Backlash - Friday, January 5, 2018

No protest or march permits applied for at City Hall as of Thursday morning in anticipation of a Saturday Confederate monuments protest, according to city chief legal officer Bruce McMullen at Thursday’s taping of “Behind The Headlines.” Our discussion included lots about the city’s move toward taking down the monuments Dec. 20 and what could happen next. Also, McMullen tells us there were some other nonprofits that talked with the city about Health Sciences and Memphis Parks before Memphis Greenspace. The show airs Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on WKNO TV.

90. Memphis Experts See Economic Growth Building Off 2017 Into 2018 - Saturday, January 6, 2018

With resolutions made and the new year now, another annual exercise rises to the forefront – predictions on what Memphis and its economy can expect in 2018.

If 2017 taught us anything, it’s that there’s so much we won’t be able to even remotely see coming, from Memphis bidding to become the potential home for Amazon’s second headquarters to action finally being taken on the Confederate monuments in city parks and so much more.

91. Blackburn, Fincher to Report Money Raised in US Senate Race - Friday, January 5, 2018

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Republican U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn says she raised $2 million in the last quarter of 2017 in her bid to succeed U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, while former U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher says he raised $1.45 million in about two months.

92. Candidates in August State and Federal Primaries Start Pulling Petitions Friday - Thursday, January 4, 2018

Contenders for the May Shelby County primaries are still coming out of the political woodwork. And starting Friday, Jan. 5, candidates in the August state and federal primaries can begin pulling qualifying petitions for the second of three elections in 2018.

93. Buoyed by Alabama Win, Democrats Eye Tennessee Senate Race - Wednesday, December 27, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Democrats eager to take control of the Senate next year are turning to the state of Tennessee, where a popular Democratic former governor is running for the seat being vacated by the retirement of Republican Sen. Bob Corker.

94. Songwriter Drops Bid for Blackburn’s US House Seat - Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Tennessee songwriter Lee Thomas Miller is dropping out of the race for the Republican nomination to succeed Rep. Marsha Blackburn in Congress.

95. Party Leaders: Voter Turnout Trumps Trump - Tuesday, December 19, 2017

The chairmen of the local Democratic and Republican parties are leading very different game plans into the 2018 elections.

While the focus may be local politics and voter turnout, Shelby County Democratic Party chairman Corey Strong and Shelby County Republican Party chairman Lee Mills are not blind to what is happening nationally.

96. Last Word: Early Statewide Poll, New Chandler Numbers and Lyfe in East Memphis - Friday, December 15, 2017

Vanderbilt has a new statewide fall poll out that shows a few things – most of them very preliminary other than this is still early for voters who don’t live and breathe politics. Diane Black and Randy Boyd are tops in terms of name recognition in the Republican six-pack running for Governor. And the Marsha Blackburn-Phil Bredesen November general election matchup for the U.S. Senate is rapidly becoming a lock before Christmas 2017.

97. Mackler Exits Senate Race, Clearing Side for Ex-Governor Bredesen - Friday, December 15, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Democrat James Mackler says he's dropping out of the U.S. Senate race in Tennessee to replace Sen. Bob Corker, a move that appears to clear the path to the Democratic nomination for former Gov. Phil Bredesen.

98. Poll: Tennessee Voters More Moderate Than Some Think - Friday, December 15, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Tennesseans are more moderate than their neighbors think they are, and their views of Congress and President Donald Trump have soured some in the past few months, according to a Vanderbilt University poll released Thursday.

99. Democrat Bredesen Doesn't Plan Anti-Trump Senate Campaign - Monday, December 11, 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – While former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen's Democratic bid for the U.S. Senate will focus on "fixing the mess" in Washington, he doesn't plan to talk about Republican President Donald Trump all that much.

100. Last Word: Bredesen's Return, Ford's Exit and Otis Redding 50 Years On - Friday, December 8, 2017

Former Tennessee Gov. and Nashville mayor Phil Bredesen formally entered the 2018 race for the U.S. Senate Thursday via a YouTube video. AP on Bredesen’s entry and his background. Republican partisans are already assuming Bredesen is the Democratic nominee and Democratic partisans are already assuming U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn is the Republican nominee. And the expectation of such a match up automatically went on the list of midterm races that those on both sides and pundits inbetween will be watching to get a read on national trends.