VOL. 127 | NO. 229 | Thursday, November 22, 2012
Medtronic Inc., the world’s largest medical device maker, on Tuesday, Nov. 20, announced overall net income of $902 million, or $0.88 per share, for its second quarter of fiscal year 2013, which ended Oct. 26.

Memphis International Airport gears up for busy travel season
Memphis International Airport ramps up for the busy holiday travel season with the unveiling of its redesigned and expanded checkpoint at Terminal B, which has been under construction for nearly two years.
A Durham, N.C.-based biologics company is relocating its Memphis presence, signifying a boon to the Northeast office submarket.
Corporate America has been warming to social media. Businesses as stodgy as banks have taken to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, including local institutions from Magna Bank to First Tennessee Bank and several others.
MEMPHIS LAW TALK
“I went to law school so I could hear myself talk,” jokes Kirk Caraway, a partner with Allen, Summers, Simpson, Lillie & Gresham PLLC.
MEMPHIS STANDOUT
Ashley Cullum, the vice president of business development for Paragon National Bank, has added some new institutions to what’s become a long list of civic groups she works with outside the bank.
SPORTS
On the court, the Grizzlies have given away next to nothing. They reeled off an eight-game winning streak. Night after night, 48 minutes at a time, they have been stingy – selfish, even.
Chaos. That’s the word, apparently the only word, to describe the current state of the Bowl Championship Series. I know this because last Sunday, after a bloody Saturday in which No. 1 Kansas State and No. 2 Oregon both lost, I performed the ultimate modern-day “scientific” test: I Googled “BCS” and “chaos” and got 3,620,000 results.
LOCAL COLUMNISTS
Ray’s Take While most companies have abandoned pension plans for 401(k) programs, there are still countless employees counting on their pension plan to fund their retirement years. The question is: Will that pension plan still be around when the time comes?
LOOK FOR THE WONDER. REPEAT. Right outside my window is a female ginkgo tree, her boyfriend is on the other side of the house, and every fall they engage in an ancient mating dance, a spectacular competition for attention. So exhausting is the effort, it doesn’t last long. So intense is the result, it’s explosive. And then it’s gone, leaving only a memory.
For whatever reason, the other day I found myself reviewing some missives that are Pretty Old. And, as usually happens, one really jumped out at me.
Part three of a three-part series on mobile giving. Mobile giving and mobile donating are two ways technology is changing nonprofit fundraising and communication. Communicating and giving are now happening via text and mobile devices.
REGIONAL
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – Mississippi's unemployment rate dropped slightly to 8.9 percent in October, down 0.3 percent from September.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) – The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services says the state's unemployment rate crept up to 7.2 percent in October from 7.1 percent a month earlier.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) – Toys are safer than ever before, consumer advocates say, but parents should remain vigilant in keeping their little ones away from powerful magnets and small items that can easily cause choking.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday urged Congress and the Obama administration to strike a budget deal to avert tax increases and spending cuts that could trigger a recession next year.