Republican Sen. Bill Frist, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), has recruited former Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour to be the organization’s finance chairman. The move is considered to be a highly political overture by Frist, who is said to have ambitions to challenge Trent Lott for minority leader. “Frist wants to raise his visibility nationally, and Barbour will do that for him,” an NRSC staffer told the American Spectator.

So sorry

Metro Police Chief Emmett Turner has apologized for losing his temper in a verbal altercation four years ago with an airport security officer, and he says that he hopes the matter—recently raised by several disgruntled police officers—is resolved soon. The officers were taken off active duty during an investigation about whether they failed to report abuse of Hispanics by a private security firm. To get back at Turner, they provided audiotapes of the chief’s verbal berating to the media and to the Police Department’s Office of Professional Accountability for internal review.

Hoop hopes

Memphis is a step closer to getting an NBA team after the state Legislature passed a bill allowing the West Tennessee city to collect a 2-percent tax on rental cars to finance a new arena. City officials are trying to get a $250 million facility built for the Vancouver Grizzlies, who want to move to the Bluff City.

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