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.

2. Akbari Pulls Petition To Run for State Senate - Tuesday, January 9, 2018

Democratic state Rep. Raumesh Akbari has decided to run for the District 29 state Senate seat being vacated by Lee Harris in the Shelby County legislative delegation.

3. 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.

4. Congress at Crossroads After Another GOP Health Care Failure - Thursday, September 28, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – Congress is at a crossroads after Republicans' stinging failure to repeal Barack Obama's health care law. But what's next – more partisan conflict or a pragmatic shift toward cooperation?

5. Looks Like Another 8-4 Season for Tennessee - Friday, August 25, 2017

Oops. I goofed last year. So did lots of other people who thought Tennessee’s football team would win the SEC East Division and go to the league championship game for the first time since 2007.

6. 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.

7. Official Estimate Could Upend Trump Tax Plan Before Release - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

WASHINGTON (AP) – A new congressional estimate could upend President Donald Trump's tax plan even before he releases it.

Trump is scheduled to unveil the broad outlines of a tax overhaul Wednesday that includes a massive cut in the corporate income tax, reducing the top rate from 35 percent to 15 percent.

8. Jan. 20-26, 2017: This week in Memphis history - Saturday, January 21, 2017

1967: Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs headline the year’s first rock ‘n’ roll show at the Mid-South Coliseum atop a bill that includes Hank Williams Jr., Charlie Rich, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Gentrys, The Yo-Yos, and Flash and the Casuals.
All except Hank Williams Jr. are Memphis entertainers.
It would be a year of 15 such package tours coming through Memphis. Flash and the Casuals played 32 dates opening for Paul Revere & The Raiders on a national tour as the Raiders were at the peak of their popularity, then returned to the road with them for a second tour later in the year.
Source: “Memphis Rocks” by Ron Hall

9. Broke and Broken: Democrats Lose More Ground in State Legislature - Thursday, November 17, 2016

Tennessee House Democrats will have to start calling themselves the “Fighting 25,” down from the “Fighting 26,” after dropping a district in the battle to regain relevance statewide.

10. What Would It Take for Trump to Lose Tennessee Voters? - Thursday, August 11, 2016

Murfreesboro Realtor Larry Sims almost closes his ears when Donald Trump speaks.

“He gets out of bounds. Of course, the press, they love it because they get to exploit his sayings and doings,” says Sims, who traveled to Cleveland, Ohio, as a Trump delegate for the Republican National Convention. 

11. Last Word: Memphis Gets Busy, Elections Future and Past and Dad Rock In C-Y - Tuesday, April 26, 2016

While their folks are still getting settled over in the front office at The Commercial Appeal, Gannett announces Monday an $815 million offer to buy Tribune Publishing which would put The Los Angeles Times and The Chicago Tribune in the expanding USA Today family.

12. Last Word: Lipscomb's Successor, MATA School Buses and Roland's Big Breakfast - Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Paul Young gets a lot more attention these days than he did when he was the first director of the city-county Office of Sustainability. The attention comes with being the city director of Housing and Community Development where virtually all of the funding comes from the federal government.
That federal funding has changed the face of public housing in the city in the last 25 years. There is only one large public housing project left in the city as a result of the federal funding and its use by Young’s predecessor, Robert Lipscomb.
And what Lipscomb did with the job combined with being the executive director of the Memphis Housing Authority is why a lot of people want to get to know Paul Young these days.
Our centerpiece story by Madeline Faber in Tuesday’s edition makes clear that Young has no desire to wield that kind of power. And it is unlikely anyone in the near future will have the kind of autonomy Lipscomb did.
But beyond that there is still the flow of a lot of federal dollars and Young has some ideas based on his experience in government and finance prior to coming to HCD – everything in government is initials.
It’s a much different experience than Lipscomb’s. Lipscomb coined the phrase “ending public housing as we know it” and at times that slogan wasn’t followed with a lot of detail about what came after public housing was demolished, especially with the first of the projects to fall.
The last public housing project, Foote Homes, will be demolished on Young’s watch which makes his tenure important if more limited than Lipscomb’s tenure.

13. If Fear Is Goal, Terrorists Have Won in Tennessee - Thursday, November 26, 2015

The terrorists who struck Paris three weeks ago succeeded in more than killing and wounding hundreds of people. Their attack is pitting Americans against each other in how to respond, and Tennessee politicians are no exception.

14. This Week in Memphis History: March 27-April 2 - Saturday, March 28, 2015

1985: The NCAA Final Four basketball playoffs in Lexington, Ky., with the Memphis State University Tigers among the four top teams, along with St. John’s, Villanova and Georgetown.

The Tigers team of Keith Lee, Baskerville Holmes, Andre Turner, Vincent Askew, William Bedford, Aaron Price and John Wilfong – coached by Dana Kirk and recruited by assistant coach Larry Finch – lost to Villanova, which went on to beat Georgetown.

15. Love Song to a City - Saturday, March 21, 2015

As the story goes, Al Green wrote the lyrics to “Let’s Stay Together” in about five minutes. In 1972, the song – which spans just three minutes and 13 seconds – reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

16. Haslam Wary of Gas Tax Hike - Friday, February 20, 2015

Despite low gas prices, a backlog on road projects and prevailing winds for fuel-tax reform, Gov. Bill Haslam is pulling back from a gas-tax increase this session.

After floating the possibility of raising the tax in December, the Republican governor appears to be changing course, in part because of his loss in a Senate committee on Insure Tennessee, the Medicaid expansion alternative that failed to make debate in the full House or Senate.

17. Lew Says Congress Should Turn Efforts Toward Business Taxes - Friday, January 23, 2015

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is pushing Congress to simplify federal business taxes after Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Democrats and Republicans are too far apart to agree on sweeping changes to taxes paid by individuals and families.

18. Morris: Public Transit Tops Downtown Goals - Thursday, January 15, 2015

A stronger and more vital public transportation presence in Downtown and a plan for development of land south of Central Station are two priorities of the Downtown Memphis Commission for the coming year.

19. Wesley Housing Names New CEO - Saturday, December 27, 2014

The Wesley Housing Corp. of Memphis Inc. board of directors has announced that Jim Nasso, current president and chief operating officer, will become chief executive officer following CEO Larry Kaler’s retirement Dec. 31.

20. Wesley Housing Corp. Names New CEO - Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Wesley Housing Corp. of Memphis Inc. board of directors has announced that Jim Nasso, current president and chief operating officer, will become chief executive officer following CEO Larry Kaler’s retirement Dec. 31.

21. Cohen Prevails, Incumbents Dominate - Friday, August 8, 2014

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen held off Thursday, Aug. 7, the most serious electoral challenge he’s faced since winning the Congressional seat in 2006, in the form of attorney Ricky E. Wilkins.

22. Ask a Lawyer - Friday, August 1, 2014

JUDGED BY LAWYERS. Q: What do you when you have a lawyer buried up to the neck in sand?

A: Not enough sand.

Lawyers can’t catch a break.

Q: What the difference between a lawyer and a catfish?

23. ‘Significant Headwinds’ - Saturday, July 5, 2014

When Gov. Bill Haslam joined local economic development and civic officials at FedExForum in January to announce that Conduit Global would open a call center in Shelby County that would employ 1,000 people over the next three to five years, it provided a much-needed boost to the local office real estate sector.

24. Malone to Challenge Luttrell In August Mayoral Showdown - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Former Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone will challenge incumbent Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell in the August county general election after winning the Tuesday, May 6, Democratic mayoral primary.

25. Harris Files Ford Challenge at Deadline - Thursday, April 3, 2014

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris is challenging Democratic state Sen. Ophelia Ford in the August primary for District 29, the Senate seat held by a member of the Ford family since 1975.

26. May Primary Ballot Almost Complete - Monday, March 3, 2014

The ballot for the May Shelby County primary elections isn’t quite set, although the Shelby County Election Commission has certified 81 candidates.

Still awaiting a decision at a special meeting Wednesday, March 5, are three would-be candidates whose residency is being formally challenged.

27. Roland ReElected At Filing Deadline, Two Countywide Races Set For August - Friday, February 21, 2014

One of the six Shelby County Commission incumbents seeking re-election this year was effectively elected to a new four-year term in a new district with the noon Thursday, Feb. 20, filing deadline for candidates in the May county primaries.

28. Commission Races Generate Early Interest - Saturday, November 30, 2013

The first two days of the period for candidates in the 2014 county elections to pull qualifying petitions has been dominated by incumbents and contenders for the newly configured district seats on the Shelby County Commission.

29. County Commission Races Generate Early Interest - Wednesday, November 27, 2013

The first two days of the period for candidates in the 2014 county elections to pull qualifying petitions has been dominated by incumbents and contenders for the newly configured district seats on the Shelby County Commission.

30. Cohen 'Stunned' Woman Isn't His Daughter - Saturday, July 20, 2013

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, said Thursday that he’s “stunned and dismayed” to learn that DNA tests revealed he is not the father of a woman with whom he had an affectionate Twitter exchange this year.

31. Cohen 'Stunned' Woman Isn't His Daughter - Friday, July 19, 2013

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, said Thursday that he’s “stunned and dismayed” to learn that DNA tests revealed he is not the father of a woman with whom he had an affectionate Twitter exchange this year.

32. Obama Presses On With GOP Charm Offensive - Friday, March 8, 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama pressed on with his Republican charm offensive Thursday, holding a White House lunch with House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan in an effort to soften the ground for potential talks on a long-term deficit reduction deal.

33. Ramsey Steered to the Right by Harvey, Reagan - Thursday, February 14, 2013

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has one issue that has drawn little attention that he wants to pass through this session of the legislature: redrawing the state’s judicial districts.

34. APNewsBreak: Effort Building to Change US Pot Laws - Tuesday, February 5, 2013

SEATTLE (AP) – An effort is building in Congress to change U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a federal pot tax.

While passage this year could be a longshot, lawmakers from both parties have been quietly working on several bills, the first of which Democratic Reps. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Jared Polis of Colorado plan to introduce Tuesday, Blumenauer told The Associated Press.

35. Filling the Voids - Saturday, February 2, 2013

Last year was a banner year for adaptive reuse projects in Midtown and Downtown.

Developers announced plans for the Sears Crosstown building, Overton Square, Hotel Chisca, James Lee House and old United Warehouse in the South Main Historic Arts District. Construction began on The Pyramid, turning it into a 220,000-square-foot mega-Bass Pro Shop Outdoor World, and Memphis in May moved into its new headquarters at 56 S. Front St., a 14,600-square-foot building that’s on the National Register of Historic Places.

36. Guard Lets Vessels Pass Leaking Mississippi River Barge - Thursday, January 31, 2013

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – The Coast Guard is letting southbound vessels pass through a closed section of the Mississippi River at Vicksburg as it evaluates how traffic would affect efforts to remove and clean up oil from a leaking barge, a Guard officer said Wednesday.

37. Pinnacle Departure Brings Real Estate Challenge - Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Pinnacle Airlines Corp.’s relocation of its Memphis headquarters to Minneapolis by May should have long-term leasing effects on the Downtown office market.

38. Ramsey Aide Recommended for GOP Convention Role - Friday, August 24, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – State Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey's top aide has been recommended for an official role at next week's Republican National Convention.

39. Cohen Talks About Opponents, Schools, Race and His Political Past - Monday, July 23, 2012

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is running for a fourth term in Congress starting with the Aug. 2 primary, in which he is being challenged by countywide school board member Tomeka Hart.

40. Obama-Romney Showdown Starts Off With a Harsh Tone - Thursday, April 12, 2012

MENDENHALL, Pa. (AP) — The 2012 presidential general election has begun. It won't be pretty.

Tuesday marked Day One, in essence, of the contest between the two virtually certain nominees, Republican Mitt Romney and Democratic President Barack Obama. Rick Santorum's departure removed the last meaningful bump from Romney's path to the GOP nomination. Romney and Obama wasted no time in portraying the voters' choice in dire, sometimes starkly personal terms.

41. Recovery Threatened by Runaway Student Loan Debt - Wednesday, April 4, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – The federal student loan program seemed like a great idea back in 1965: Borrow to go to college now, pay it back later when you have a job.

But many borrowers these days are close to flunking out, tripped up by painful real-life lessons in math and economics.

42. House GOP Unveils Budget Blueprint - Wednesday, March 21, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Conservative House Republicans on Tuesday set up what appears to be a potential re-run of last year's turbulent domestic policy fight with President Barack Obama, putting forward an election-year budget manifesto that would blend steep social program cuts with reduced tax rates.

43. Following Primary, Races Point to August - Monday, March 12, 2012

Two days after all the votes were counted in the Tennessee presidential primary, state Republican Party leaders had already worked out how many of the state’s at-large delegates would go to their top three candidates.

44. Worldly View - Monday, March 12, 2012

Ron Paul would feel right at home in the Economic Club of Memphis audience next week.

Duke University professor Bruce Caldwell will speak to the club Thursday, March 15, to make a presentation titled “Some (mostly) Austrian insights for these trying times.” That’s Austrian, as in the Austrian school of economic thought represented by a particular brand of deficit hawkishness, bailout-ballyhooing and bristling against big government that Paul the perennial Republican presidential candidate loudly champions.

45. GOP Politics Resemble 2008 In Tennessee - Thursday, March 8, 2012

This time around, leaders of the Tennessee Republican Party were convinced their choice in the Republican presidential contest would be a match with voters in the state’s presidential primary.

Four years ago, when former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee carried Shelby County and took the state, the party argued convincingly that the state’s second choice for the nomination – former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney – was a victim of the move of the Super Tuesday primaries to February.

46. Santorum Carries Shelby and State, Jackson Out As Clerk - Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum carried Shelby County and the state of Tennessee in the Tuesday, March 6, Republican Presidential primary.

And incumbent but suspended General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson finished a poor third in a Democratic primary battle for the clerk’s office that was won by interim clerk Ed Stanton in the closest contest of the night over County Commission chairman Sidney Chism.

47. Postal Closures Concern Election Officials, Voters - Friday, March 2, 2012

Elections officials in several states are concerned that the closing of mail-processing centers and post offices could disrupt vote-by-mail balloting this year, a potential problem that has led some members of Congress to call for a delay until after the November elections.

48. Democratic Court Clerk Primary Tops Early Voting - Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The winner so far on the March 6 election day ballot in Shelby County headlined by the Republican presidential primary appears to the Democratic primary for General Sessions Court clerk.

So far, early voter turnout is greater in the countywide Democratic primaries, which include a hotly contested five-way primary race for General Sessions Court clerk.

49. GOP Critics Hit Obama's $3.8 Trillion Budget - Wednesday, February 15, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress Tuesday that the president's new $3.8 trillion spending plan would impose new taxes on only 2 percent of the nation's wealthiest families and the alternative would be to seek more painful cuts in other government programs such as defense, Social Security and Medicare.

50. Alexander Preps Base For March Republican Primary - Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Political gatherings are often places of unlikely coexistence.

The 37th annual Lincoln Day Gala of the Shelby County Republican Party included an auction as the group of 600 party faithful at the University of Memphis Holiday Inn ate dinner.

51. Tax Reform in This Election year: It's Not Likely - Tuesday, February 7, 2012

WASHINGTON (AP) – Tax reform sounds like a good idea to lots of people, but where to start? Eliminate the popular deduction for home mortgages? End the write-off for charitable contributions? How about expanding the Social Security payroll tax?

52. 4 GOP Candidates Have No Tenn. Delegates - Monday, January 2, 2012

NASHVILLE (AP) – There are nine Republican presidential candidates on Tennessee's primary ballot, but four of them have no committed delegates to the party's nominating convention.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leads in delegates while one-time House Speaker Newt Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul and Texas Gov. Rick Perry have substantial numbers committed to their campaigns, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel (http://bit.ly/uBYhUb). Ex-Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman has three delegates.

53. Wacky Rules Complicate Race for GOP Delegates - Thursday, December 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Look out for some wacky results in the race for delegates in the Republican presidential primaries and caucuses. There might even be a state or two where the second-place candidate gets the most delegates, starting with Tuesday's caucuses in Iowa.

54. Economists: Obama's Policies 'Fair' or 'Poor' - Thursday, December 29, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Barack Obama gets mediocre marks for his handling of the U.S. economy, and Mitt Romney easily outpolls his Republican rivals in an Associated Press survey of economists.

55. White House Blasts New Medicare Plan by GOP's Ryan - Friday, December 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – The White House says a new bipartisan Medicare proposal would cause the health care program for seniors to "wither on the vine."

Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer said Thursday the overhaul proposed by Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican, and Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden "would end Medicare as we know it" by shifting costs to retirees.

56. Study: Twitter Users Tough on Republicans, Obama - Friday, December 9, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) – The 2012 presidential contenders have had a rough go of it on Twitter, according to an analysis of the political conversation taking place on the popular social network.

57. 10 Candidates File for Tenn. Presidential Primary - Tuesday, December 6, 2011

NASHVILLE (AP) – Nine Republican candidates have filed paperwork to be placed on the ballot for Tennessee's March primary.

Secretary of State Tre Hargett said Monday that the only Democrat who has filed is President Barack Obama.

58. Bernanke Shows Fed's Independence With Texas Trip - Thursday, November 10, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – A town hall meeting with Ben Bernanke and a group of military families discussing family finances wouldn't normally draw much notice.

But for this particular event, the Federal Reserve chairman is venturing into Texas. And those who watch the Fed say the visit sends a message to Bernanke's critics: The Fed is independent and won't be intimidated.

59. 100 Lawmakers to Debt Panel: Consider All Options - Thursday, November 3, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – Forty House Republicans joined 60 Democrats Wednesday in pressing Congress' special debt reduction committee to consider all options, including higher revenues, and shoot for $4 trillion in savings.

60. State Issues Can be Tricky for Presidential Field - Friday, October 28, 2011

CINCINNATI (AP) — Mitt Romney gingerly distanced himself from a labor issue on the Ohio ballot one day. The next, he embraced the initiative "110 percent."

The equivocation not only highlighted his record of shifting positions but also underscored the local political minefields national candidates often confront in their state-by-state path to the presidency.

61. Amazon.com Deal Changes Incentives for Company - Tuesday, October 11, 2011

The first tip last week that the latest jobs announcement by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam would be a little different was that he did it in the old Tennessee Supreme Court chambers in Nashville.

The chambers are usually the setting for announcements of statewide importance with a broad political impact and sometimes a new direction for state government.

62. Bernanke is Tolerating Dissent but Pushing Past It - Tuesday, September 20, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – For someone known as a consensus builder, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke sure generates – and shrugs off – a lot of dissent.

Bernanke last month pushed ahead with a plan to keep short-term interest rates near zero through mid-2013 despite three dissenting votes on the Fed's policy-making committee. For decades, the Fed's culture, and sometimes its strong-willed chiefs, have normally capped dissents at two.

63. Allie Prescott to Head U of M Alumni Association - Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Allie Prescott has been elected president of the University of Memphis Alumni Association national executive board of directors.

Prescott holds his bachelor’s and law degrees from the U of M, and he is a life member of the University of Memphis Alumni Association. As a former adviser to the executive director and former vice president for membership, Prescott is serving his fifth year on the national board.

64. Variety Spices Up BPACC Season - Monday, July 4, 2011

If you’re looking for opera, you’re out of luck, but the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center has a little of most every other musical genre slated for the first half of the coming season.

65. Variety Spices Up BPACC Season - Friday, July 1, 2011

If you’re looking for opera, you’re out of luck, but the Bartlett Performing Arts and Conference Center has a little of most every other musical genre slated for the first half of the coming season.

66. Obama Reaps Victory as Judges Uphold Health Law - Thursday, June 30, 2011

CINCINNATI (AP) – In the first ruling by a federal appeals court on President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, a panel in Cincinnati handed the administration a victory Wednesday by agreeing that the government can require a minimum amount of insurance for Americans.

67. Tenn.’s Duncan Among Congressmen Suing Obama Over Libya Strikes - Thursday, June 16, 2011

WASHINGTON (AP) – A bipartisan group of 10 lawmakers is suing President Barack Obama for taking military action against Libya without war authorization from Congress.

Among the lawmakers is U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan, R-Tenn., who represents Tennessee’s Second District: Knox, Blount, Loudon, Monroe and McMinn counties, as well as a potion of Sevier County.

68. Eastgate Sells for $31.5 Million - Tuesday, January 4, 2011

The Eastgate Shopping Center on Park Avenue in East Memphis has sold to a Dallas-based entity for $31.5 million from Belz Enterprises Inc., according to documents filed with the Shelby County Register of Deeds.

69. Outside Group Airs Anti-Haslam TV Ad in Tennessee - Wednesday, July 14, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A national group called the American Future Fund is spending up to $250,000 on television ads hammering Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Haslam for price gouging cases brought against a family-owned Pilot chain of truck stops.

70. Sharp Reaches Solar Panel Milestone - Thursday, July 1, 2010

With a thumbs up from a factory line worker, the 2 millionth solar panel rolled off the assembly line this week at the Memphis Sharp Manufacturing Plant.

Instead of going immediately into a cardboard box, the panel was lifted by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr., Hiroshi Sato, Japan’s Consul General from Nashville, and Paul Shaffer, head of local 474 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, off the assembly line as workers applauded.

71. Governor: Pleased with Budget Compromise - Monday, June 7, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) - Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen said he's largely pleased with the latest form of the budget plan that passed the Senate Thursday night.

Members approved the plan 30-3. The House is expected to take it up on Friday.

72. Anti-Incumbency Takes Down Another Congressman - Thursday, June 3, 2010

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The political shooting-star otherwise known as anti-incumbency fell on Alabama, taking down a first-term congressman who switched from Democrat to Republican just last December.

73. Voters Back Anti-DC, Anti-Establishment Candidates - Thursday, May 20, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – With the electorate’s intense anger reverberating across the country, this is all but certain: It’s an anti-Washington, anti-establishment year. And candidates with ties to either better beware.

74. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 5, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

75. Feds Offer $5B to Shore Up Early Retiree Coverage - Wednesday, May 5, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trying to entice employers to keep early retirees on their medical plans, the Obama administration announced Tuesday it's making $5 billion available until the safety net of the new health care law is in place.

76. New Restaurants Quickly Change Cooper-Young Landscape - Monday, March 8, 2010

Afew weeks ago, you might have heard waves of despair sweeping through the intersection at Cooper Street and Young Avenue, when Dish, the long-running bar/restaurant, and Blue Fish, the upscale seafood restaurant, closed abruptly.

77. Bernanke: Record-Low Rates Still Needed - Thursday, February 25, 2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress on Wednesday that record-low interest rates are still needed to ensure that the economic recovery will last and to help ease the sting of high unemployment.

78. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

79. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

80. Wamp Announces Musical Headliners for Fundraisers - Thursday, February 11, 2010

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Republican gubernatorial candidate Zach Wamp is lining up a series of upcoming fundraisers hosted by country and Christian music stars.

The congressman from Chattanooga announced Wednesday that six events in March and April will feature Michael W. Smith, Casting Crowns, John Rich, T. G. Sheppard, Paul Overstreet, Larry Gatlin and the Oak Ridge Boys.

81. French Quarter Suites Hotel Bought Back by Original Owner - Tuesday, December 8, 2009

2144 Madison Ave.
Memphis, TN 38104
Sale Amounts: $1 Million; $300,000; $200,000

Sale Dates:Nov. 20, Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2009
Buyer:FQI LLC
Sellers:Lodgian Memphis Property Owner LLC, Horace and Ann Proctor, and Martha D. Sutton
Loan Amount:$1.3 million
Loan Date:Nov. 30, 2009
Maturity Date:Nov. 20, 2010
Lender:Triumph Bank

82. Fed Tightens Conflict of Interest Rules - Monday, November 30, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Reserve last week tightened the conflict of interest restrictions governing the boards of directors of its 12 regional banks.

The new rules were passed to deal with potential conflicts such as one that involved Stephen Friedman, a former chairman of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The requirements take effect immediately and spell out the obligations of directors with ties to financial institutions that change status while the official is serving on a Fed regional board.

83. Senate Bill Could Weaken the Fed - Tuesday, September 22, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - Consensus is building in the Senate for legislation that would significantly weaken the Federal Reserve by stripping its power to oversee banks and hand that job to a single federal bank regulator.

84. Stanley’s Rise – and Fall - Monday, August 17, 2009

Paul Stanley is a political result of the conservative backlash that with the 1994 mid-term elections gave the GOP majorities in the U.S. House and Senate for the first time since Dwight Eisenhower was president.

85. Paul Stanley's Fall From Grace - Monday, August 17, 2009

Jim Kyle, a Memphis Democrat who serves as minority leader in the state Senate, gave the first lunchtime address of 2009 to the Memphis Rotary Club.

Rotarians got a bird’s-eye view of the state’s financial picture from Kyle, who described choices needed to close the state’s budget shortfall. Kyle this week announced his candidacy in the 2010 gubernatorial race.

86. Ramsey at Odds with Alexander on Sotomayor Vote - Monday, August 3, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - State Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey on Friday became the first Republican gubernatorial candidate to speak out against U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander's vote in favor of President Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominee.

87. Uncertainty Follows Stanley’s Political Demise - Thursday, July 30, 2009

On his way to the electric chair in the 1934 gangster movie “Manhattan Melodrama,” Clark Gable’s doomed character encourages a fellow prison inmate to “die like you live – all of a sudden.”

All of a sudden is the way state Sen. Paul Stanley’s political career died Tuesday, with the Germantown Republican’s decision late in the afternoon to step down after a nine-year career in the state Legislature. Stanley is resigning effective Aug. 10.

88. Update: Stanley Resigning From State Senate Aug. 10 - Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Tenn. Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey's Office has released a statement that announces the resignation of State Sen. Paul Stanley, R-Germantown, effective Aug. 10.

The statement reads: "Senator Paul Stanley has resigned from the State Senate effective August 10th. I have received his letter of resignation and forwarded it to Secretary of State Hargett and Governor Bredesen."

89. Stanley Leaving Senate Aug. 10 - Wednesday, July 29, 2009

After privately talking things over with his wife Tuesday, State Sen. Paul Stanley decided to resign from the legislature Aug. 10.

Stanley told The Daily News he "went back and forth" with his wife Kristi, director of government affairs for the Memphis Area Home Builders Association, over what to do about his future. Stanley called his decision the best one he could make for his family.

90. Shelby County GOP Chair Calls On Stanley To Resign - Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The first calls for the resignation of State Sen. Paul Stanley have begun within the Republican Party.

91. Local GOP Head Calls On Stanley To Resign - Monday, July 27, 2009
 

The first calls for the resignation of State Sen. Paul Stanley have begun within the Republican Party.

Shelby County GOP chairman Lang Wiseman Monday afternoon called for the Germantown legislator to give up his Senate seat.

Stanley resigned his committee chairmanship last week over an alleged affair with a legislative intern.

The 22-year-old woman’s boyfriend has been charged in Nashville with theft and extortion. He is specifically accused of trying to blackmail Stanley for $10,000 in exchange for explicit pictures of the intern in Stanley’s Nashville apartment.

Stanley, who has refused comment since the incident went public last week, called the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation after the initial threat in April. TBI agents had the 47-year-old legislator arrange a meeting with Joel Watts, the boyfriend of former intern McKensie Morrison.

The TBI took Watts into custody after the exchange behind a Mexican restaurant.

“We are all obviously disappointed in the revelations of the past week,” Wiseman wrote as he praised Stanley for legislative accomplishments. “However, as more and more details continue to surface, it is clear that the time has come for Paul to resign his seat in the Senate. … There are certain basic standards that we require of those persons who we hold up as our leaders, and we have every right to expect that they will respect their position of honor. It is for this reason that the time has come for Sen. Stanley to do the honorable thing and step aside for the benefit of himself, his family, his Senate colleagues, his party and the voters of District 31.”

Wiseman’s statement came after remarks this weekend by Lt. Gov. and Senate speaker Ron Ramsey in Nashville. Ramsey told reporters at a GOP gathering there that he had called on Stanley to give up his committee chairmanship. He also condemned the alleged affair, saying Stanley only told him that he and his wife had separated but said nothing about the photographs and the alleged extortion attempt.

When asked by reporters, Ramsey and other legislators of both parties had said a resignation from the Legislature was up to Stanley.

But Wiseman said he and other local Republican leaders had been talking with Senate Republicans in recent days on what to do if Stanley didn’t step down soon.

Wiseman said his call for Stanley’s resignation is “not about moralizing.”

“We all deserve the chance for forgiveness if sought with a contrite and repentant heart. However, forgiveness is not the same thing as freedom from consequence.”

Wiseman left the timing of a resignation up to Stanley to minimize the cost of a special election.

92. US Financial Oversight Reform Debated - Monday, July 27, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said Friday that a new agency focused on protecting U.S. consumers is needed because the mission currently is too scattered among various regulators.

93. Stanley Resigns Committee Chairmanship - Thursday, July 23, 2009

Speaking with The Daily News Wednesday, top leaders of both political parties in the state Senate hesitated to condemn their colleague, Sen. Paul Stanley of Germantown, for his alleged relationship with a 22-year-old legislative intern.

94. Bernanke Says Fed Can Take on Supercop Role - Wednesday, July 22, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke ran into skepticism Tuesday from lawmakers wary of expanding the Fed's duties to police big financial companies. They argued that the Fed failed to spot problems that led to the financial crisis in the first place.

95. UAW Boss Backs Ford Contract Concessions - Thursday, February 26, 2009

DETROIT (AP) - United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger urged union members to vote for contract concessions to Ford Motor Co., saying the automaker can't survive in the long term without major restructuring.

96. Cohen Wants to Block Congress Pay Raise - Friday, January 9, 2009

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, has signed on to legislation that would block a nearly $4,700 automatic pay raise members of Congress could receive next year.

97. Analysts Blame Easy Credit for Restaurant Woes ? - Friday, August 1, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) – Restaurant companies may have depended too much on easy-to-borrow money to back aggressive expansion plans, industry experts say – a move that may lead to more bankrupt chains and fewer new eateries opening in the months to come.

98. Filing Deadline For Elections Is Thursday - Tuesday, April 1, 2008

A healthy voter turnout doesn't necessarily mean every race on the ballot gets the benefit. Politicos call it "ballot falloff." It means races such as those for president or mayor get voters to the polls. But those same voters might decide not to vote in the other races.

99. Children's Museum VotesMirror Real Primaries - Friday, February 8, 2008
     All of the local votes in the presidential primary are in - the ones that were counted and the ones that weren't.
     The Children's Museum of Memphis held a mock primary election and the re

100. Clinton Campaign Set to Run Television Ads in Tenn. - Wednesday, January 23, 2008

NASHVILLE (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton plans to run television advertisements in Nashville, Memphis, Jackson, Chattanooga and Knoxville.

The announcement by the Clinton campaign Tuesday comes after her chief rival Barack Obama's announced plans on Thursday to run ads in Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville.