» Subscribe Today!
The Power of Information
Home
The Ledger - EST. 1978 - Nashville Edition
X
Skip Navigation LinksHome
VOL. 44 | NO. 2 | Friday, January 10, 2020

Built in Vrabel's image

Titans playing with toughness, confidence coach had as a player

In the aftermath of the Tennessee Titans’ shocking upset of the New England Patriots on Saturday night, receiver Tajae Sharpe wore a New York Yankees cap as he was heading out of the locker room.

Titans must contain Ravens’ QB, the likely league MVP

The Tennessee Titans shocked the New England Patriots and now advance to the AFC Divisional Playoffs where old rival Baltimore awaits at M&T Bank Stadium Saturday night.

Titans facing toughest task at Baltimore

Road teams did a number on the home teams in the Wild-Card Playoffs last week. The Titans, Vikings and Seahawks all traveled and took care of business, while the Bills fell in overtime at Houston. All the games were low-scoring, as no team scored more than 26 points last weekend.

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

No shortage of ideas in tour of East Nashville homes

“I feel like I’m going to a party at a stranger’s house,” Kayne said as we approached the first stop, which was understandable. That’s pretty much exactly what we were doing.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
41.0°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: Southwest at 4.6 mph
Humidity: 45%

EVENTS

Business After Hours. Hosted by Clarksville Regional Airport, 200 Outlaw Field Road, A, Clarksville. Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Information: 931 245-4342

more events »

TIM GHIANNI: STREET LEVEL

Life’s a blast for CMAC post attack

Former WSMV personality dodges death, hits stage for second career

CMAC & The Heart Attack, a show band raising a ruckus in joints from Leiper’s Fork to Douglas Corner and beyond and between, has its roots – lifeblood really – in a near-fatal occurrence for a luminary in Nashville sports broadcasting history.

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

2019 a record year for sales with 20% jump in $1M-plus

Records were set for 2019 home sales in the Greater Nashville area in both overall transactions and transfers of $1 million or more.

REAL ESTATE

Real estate trends: Rutherford Co. increases 22% in December

Rutherford County home sales jumped 22% in December with 688 sales recorded this December compared to 560 sales recorded last year.

US long-term mortgage rates fall; 30-year loan at 3.64%

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week to their lowest level in 13 weeks, as financial markets roiled by U.S.-Iran conflict pushed investors toward the safety of Treasury bonds.

VANDERBILT SPORTS

VU women, 11-4, learn to ‘fight and claw and scrap’

Vanderbilt’s women’s basketball team came out in new gray and black uniforms in their Southeastern Conference opener against Auburn.

UT SPORTS

Comeback in bowl game a reflection of Vols’ season

Mistakes and missed opportunities caused them to fall behind early. Spectators began losing faith and abandoning hope of a potential turnaround. The quarterback was benched after some bad plays, only to return to lead the team down the stretch.

NEWSMAKERS

Bradley elevates 6 to partner in Nashville

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has selected six of the firm’s attorneys in its Nashville for partner. They are Brandon Bundren, Bart J. Kempf, Sarah K. Laird, Jake Neu, Scarlett Singleton Nokes and John P. Rodgers.

BRIEFS

DeanHouston opens Nashville Office

DeanHouston, Inc., a leading full-service, business-to-business, integrated marketing communications firm, has opened a new office in The Nations.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Best cars for achieving your New Year’s resolutions

People across the country are putting their New Year’s resolutions into practice this week. These goals represent an honest attempt at self-improvement, but they often fall apart as the year progresses. What if the next car you buy can help you get motivated?

BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

Good advice on managing business communications

Hit “send.” That’s what you did when the boss dispatched an email. You replied honestly, hit “send,” and now the guy down the hall is mad, six people are looking at you funny and they’re gossiping about you downstairs. You’re not sure what happened, but read “Kill Reply All” by Victoria Turk. Maybe your message sent the wrong message.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Here’s what bad financial advice could cost you

Good financial advice leaves you better off. Bad advice does the opposite, and may even enrich someone else at your expense.

MILLENNIAL MONEY

How to take charge of your credit situation in 2020

By now, you’ve encountered the world of credit, whether it was renting your first apartment or figuring out how to pay for a kitchen remodel.

CAREER CORNER

Give yourself the gift of a better job, new career

January is finally here. The start of this new year seems to be hitting many people hard. It’s the beginning of a new decade. Even the year, 2020, gives us some pressure to find our way and see the future more clearly.

TENNESSEE TITANS

King Henry running wild in the postseason, carrying Titans

Derrick Henry has the Tennessee Titans one step away from an unlikely trip to the Super Bowl.

Mariota helping Titans on, off field despite being benched

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans benched Marcus Mariota for Ryan Tannehill in mid-October after a 2-4 start. Finding the No. 2 pick overall from the 2015 draft isn't that hard during their amazing playoff run.

VANDERBILT SPORTS

Whitt Jr. scores 30 to lead Arkansas past Vanderbilt 75-55

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Jimmy Whitt Jr. raised both arms in the air and flashed three fingers on his left half and a zero on the right to the Arkansas bench.

UT SPORTS

Edwards, Hammonds lead Georgia to 80-63 rout of Tennessee

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia's older players were motivated by what happened a year ago in Knoxville.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Ghosn's Japan lawyer quits after client's flight to Lebanon

TOKYO (AP) — One of the Japanese lawyers for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn has stepped down from that job after his client fled the country.

HEALTH CARE

Sleep apnea company pays $37.5M to settle kickback lawsuits

SAN DIEGO (AP) — ResMed, a San Diego-based company that sells sleep apnea machines, will pay $37.5 million to settle allegations that it provided kickbacks to obtain customer referrals, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

China-US trade deal a blip in seismic shifts of Asian trade

BANGKOK (AP) — The trade agreement signed by President Donald Trump and Beijing's lead trade envoy comes amid seismic shifts in supply chains and investment hastened by the tariff war that began in 2018.

China welcomes US deal, says 'core concerns' must be met

BEIJING (AP) — China's government welcomed an interim trade deal with Washington and said Thursday the two sides need to address each other's "core concerns."

Confident consumers lift US retail sales in December

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose at a solid pace last month, evidence that Americans were willing to spend during the winter holidays after a sluggish November.

US says its pavilion at Expo 2020 in Dubai sponsored by UAE

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States said its participation at this year's World's Fair in Dubai is being made possible by "the generosity of the Emirati government."

California targets companies with highly paid execs

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is considering raising taxes on some of the country's largest companies, but the size of the tax increase would depend on how much its highest-paid executive makes compared to its employees.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Watchdog: White House violated law in freezing Ukraine aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government's watchdog agency said Thursday a White House office violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine.

Giuliani associate: Trump had knowledge of Ukraine pressure

WASHINGTON (AP) — A close associate of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is claiming Trump was directly involved in the effort to pressure Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden.

'Impartial Justice'? What to watch in Trump's Senate trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — The impeachment of President Donald Trump is the Senate's challenge now.

Democratic impeachment managers will need some GOP help

WASHINGTON (AP) — The managers chosen to prosecute the impeachment case against President Donald Trump will make their case to all 100 senators. But to get the trial they want, they need just four Republicans.


WEDNESDAY, JAN. 15
STATEWIDE

Lockdown ends at air base; resulted from 'misunderstanding'

ALCOA (AP) — A lockdown ended at Tennessee's McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base on Wednesday afternoon and everyone was safe after a report of a suspicious person who appeared to be armed turned out to be a misunderstanding, officials said.

NASHVILLE AREA

Titans viewing party planned for Lower Broadway

Tennessee Titans fans are invited to a free outdoor viewing party on Lower Broadway on Sunday to watch the team play in the AFC Championship Game.

BNA breaks record with nearly 18.3M travelers in 2019

Nashville International Airport again set another record in 2019 with 18.3 million passengers served, marking the airport’s seventh consecutive calendar year of record-setting growth.

Financial firm to add 200 Tennessee jobs at headquarters

NASHVILLE (AP) — A financial firm plans to create 200 more jobs than first announced in relocating its global headquarters from New York to Nashville, state economic development officials said Tuesday.

PREDATORS

Draisaitl's 3-point game lifts Oilers past Predators 4-2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Edmonton has a lousy record against the Nashville Predators. Leon Draisaitl and Mike Smith helped the Oilers take a step toward changing that Tuesday night.

VANDERBILT SPORTS

Late Vanderbilt AD winner of NCAA's 2020 Pat Summitt Award

NASHVILLE (AP) — The late David Williams II, the former athletic director at Vanderbilt, is the 2020 winner of the NCAA President's Pat Summitt Award.

COURTS

'OK, Boomer' makes a Supreme Court appearance in age case

WASHINGTON (AP) — "OK, Boomer" made its first appearance in the Supreme Court Wednesday, invoked by baby boomer Chief Justice John Roberts 12 days before he turns 65.

ENVIRONMENT

Fever chart: Earth had its hottest decade on record in 2010s

WASHINGTON (AP) — The decade that just ended was by far the hottest ever measured on Earth, capped off by the second-warmest year on record, two U.S. agencies reported Wednesday. And scientists said they see no end to the way man-made climate change keeps shattering records.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Think tank: UAW deals increased automakers' labor costs

DETROIT (AP) — New contracts between the United Auto Workers union and Detroit's three automakers substantially increased the cost gap between Detroit and foreign automakers with U.S. factories, an industry think tank says.

GM says over 1,350 temps will get full-time jobs by March 31

DETROIT (AP) — More than 1,350 temporary workers at 14 General Motors facilities in the U.S. will get full-time positions before the end of March, the company says.

TECHNOLOGY

US firm offers free cybersecurity help to federal campaigns

WASHINGTON (AP) — A major U.S. web infrastructure and security company will provide free support to federal election campaigns to help thwart any repeats of the 2016 effort by Russian agents to steal and leak sensitive campaign emails and documents.

HEALTH CARE

UnitedHealth finishes the year with strong profits, again

UnitedHealth Group's net income surged 16% in the fourth quarter, but shares slipped in early trading after it also reported revenue that missed analyst expectations.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Slight gains send Dow Jones Industrial Average above 29,000

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 29,000 points for the first time and the S&P 500 index hit its second record high in three days Wednesday.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump's false superlative on China deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday falsely proclaimed his trade deal with China to be the world's largest agreement. The deal is intended to ease some U.S. economic sanctions on China while Beijing would step up purchases of American farm products and other goods.

US, China deal aims to simmer long-running trade tensions

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a trade agreement Wednesday with China that is expected to boost exports from U.S. farmers and manufacturers and is aimed at lowering tensions in a long-running dispute between the economic powers.

Amazon to invest $1 billion in India

NEW DELHI (AP) — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos said Wednesday that his company plans to invest $1 billion in digitizing small and medium businesses in India.

Want to sell on Amazon? Businesses must weigh pros, cons

NEW YORK (AP) — While many small manufacturers and retailers believe Amazon is the place to be, Lyris Autran is forgoing the opportunity.

US wholesale prices up slight 0.1% in December

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices rose a slight 0.1% in December as a jump in the cost of energy was offset by falling food prices.

Environmental issues top worries for those heading to Davos

LONDON (AP) — Environmental issues make up the top five risks to the global economy for the coming decade, organizers of next week's World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos said Wednesday.

Target, like other retailers, did not have a Merry Christmas

Comparable store sales at Target fell well below the previous year, joining a growing list of retailers reporting meager performances during the critical holiday shopping season.

Goldman Sachs profit falls 24% as legal expenses mar results

NEW YORK (AP) — Goldman Sachs said its fourth-quarter profits dropped by 24% from a year earlier, as the bank had to set aside money to cover its looming settlement with U.S. authorities over its role in a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund scandal.

Bank of America 4Q profits fall with lower interest rates

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumer banking giant Bank of America is saying its fourth-quarter profits fell 4% from a year ago, as the bank was impacted by the rapid decline of interest rates in late 2019.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

House votes to send Trump impeachment to Senate for trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House voted Wednesday to send two articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate and approve House prosecutors for only the third impeachment trial in American history.

Democrats to investigate 'profoundly alarming' Ukraine texts

WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee chairman said his panel will investigate what he says are "profoundly alarming" text messages that have raised questions about the possible surveillance of former Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch before she was ousted by the Trump administration last spring.

Delay over, House to send articles of impeachment to Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to vote Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate for a landmark trial on whether the charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress are grounds for his removal.

The Crossing: What to watch as impeachment heads to Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump don't move to the Senate by themselves.

Trump taps 'strong, silent type' to lead impeachment defense

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pat Cipollone doesn't seem like Donald Trump's kind of fixer.

Analysis: Dems strain for civility, contrasts burst through

WASHINGTON (AP) — Electability questions persist. Anxieties about gender and sexism are resurgent. And three leading candidates are about to get yanked off the campaign trail for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump distorts data, Dems cut some corners

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rallying in swing-state Wisconsin, President Donald Trump used misleading economic data to claim he's created a "blue collar boom" while Democrats vying to replace him cut some corners on the facts in their latest presidential debate.

Ex-Trump aide Michael Flynn seeks to withdraw guilty plea

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn filed court papers Tuesday to withdraw his guilty plea, saying federal prosecutors had acted in "bad faith" and broken their end of the bargain when they sought prison time for him.


TUESDAY, JAN. 14
STATE GOVERNMENT

Lee says he will sign anti-LGBT adoption bill

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced Tuesday that he'll sign into law a measure that would assure continued taxpayer funding of faith-based foster care and adoption agencies even if they exclude LGBT families and others based on religious beliefs.

Tennessee lawmakers kickoff 2020 legislative session

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers begin the 2020 legislative session on Tuesday, kicking off a busy next couple of months expected to be full of debates on criminal justice reform, abortion and other hot-button issues.

MIDSTATE

Russell Stover closing Cookeville facility

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Russell Stover Chocolates plans to close some facilities and stores nationwide but the expected loss of about 400 jobs will be offset by new jobs resulting from expansion in other areas, the company announced Tuesday.

Trump Jr. to visit Tennessee to boost Hagerty US Senate bid

NASHVILLE (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. is coming to Tennessee later this month to help raise money for Republican Bill Hagerty in his bid for an open U.S. Senate seat.

EDUCATION

Survey: Pay for private university presidents climbs 10.5%

BOSTON (AP) — The average pay for America's private university presidents grew by 10.5% in 2017, with dozens receiving more than $1 million and three topping the $5 million mark, according to an annual survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education.

ENVIRONMENT

15 states oppose Trump plan to allow LNG shipments by rail

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The attorneys general of 15 states said this week that they oppose a Trump administration proposal to allow rail shipments of liquefied natural gas, arguing the trains will share tracks with passenger trains and travel through congested areas.

EU lays out 1 trillion-euro plan to support Green Deal

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union plans to dedicate a quarter of its budget to tackling climate change and to help shift 1 trillion euros ($1.1 trillion) in investment towards making the economy more environmentally friendly over the next 10 years.

Climate is changing. Investing needs to, also, BlackRock decides

NEW YORK (AP) — A changing climate means dramatic risks for the world — and for investments too, the chief of the world's largest investment manager said Tuesday.

Vanderbilt University plans to divert 90 percent of waste

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University has committed to diverting 90% of its waste from the landfill by the year 2030.

COURTS

High court skeptical of New Jersey 'Bridgegate' convictions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed broadly skeptical Tuesday of the convictions of two people involved in New Jersey's "Bridgegate" scandal where officials created a massive traffic jam  to punish a mayor who refused to endorse then-governor Chris Christie's reelection.

AUTO INDUSTRY

German prosecutors charge 6 more in VW emissions scandal

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Prosecutors in Germany have filed charges against six more individuals in connection with Volkswagen's diesel emissions scandal, bringing the total to 11.

Volkswagen hits record sales in bid to top auto industry

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen has announced record annual sales that could determine whether it keeps its crown as the world's largest automaker.

Toyota recalls nearly 700K vehicles to fix faulty fuel pumps

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota is recalling nearly 700,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the fuel pumps can fail and cause engines to stall. That can increase the risk of a crash.

TECHNOLOGY

NSA discovers security flaw in Windows, Microsoft issues fix

The National Security Agency has discovered a major security flaw in Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system that could allow hackers to intercept seemingly secure communications.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks cling to tiny gains as investors parse trade signals

Major U.S. stock indexes closed mixed Tuesday, shedding most of their gains from earlier in the day, after a published report revealed that an interim trade deal between the U.S. and China does not remove tariffs on Chinese goods.

Amazon lets third-party sellers use FedEx ground again

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon said it will allow its third-party sellers to start using FedEx's ground service again after banning them  from using it for about a month during the busy holiday shopping season because FedEx purportedly wasn't delivering on time.

Banks post big profits, but lower interest rates are a worry

NEW YORK (AP) — So far, it appears 2019 was another record year for Wall Street.

Max crisis: Boeing airplane orders plunge to a 16-year low

CHICAGO (AP) — Boeing orders and deliveries of new jetliners plunged last year as the company struggled with the worldwide grounding of the 737 Max, which had been its best-selling plane.

US-China pact signing to ease tension but leave much undone

WASHINGTON (AP) — After 18 months of economic combat, the United States and China are set to take a step toward peace Wednesday. At least for now.

Rising energy costs lift US consumer prices 0.2% in December

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rising energy costs drove U.S. consumer prices higher in December, and American workers' earnings couldn't keep up.

Citigroup profits rise 15%, helped by trading like JPMorgan

NEW YORK (AP) — Citigroup's fourth-quarter profits rose by 15%, as the banking conglomerate benefited from a boost in trading similar to competitor JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase's 4Q profits jump 21%, helped by trading

NEW YORK (AP) — Banking giant JPMorgan Chase said profit jumped 21% in the final three months of 2019, as the bank's trading desks had a blowout quarter, which offset the impact of declining interest rates.

Holiday travelers push Delta to $1.1 billion 4Q profit

Delta Air Lines boosted its fourth quarter profit to $1.1 billion by adding more flights over the holiday-packed period and packing them even more full of passengers.

China welcomes currency decision ahead of trade deal with US

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday welcomed a U.S. decision ahead of the signing of a trade deal with Beijing to drop it from a list of governments accused of manipulating the value of their currencies to gain an unfair advantage in trade.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Dem senator says he has 51 votes to restrain Trump on Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator says he has at least 51 votes to support a bipartisan resolution asserting that President Donald Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran.

Senate Republicans plan vote on US-Mexico-Canada trade act

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the Senate are taking advantage of delays in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial to speed up a vote on a modified North American trade pact.

Seattle reins in spending by 'foreign-influenced' companies

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council on Monday unanimously passed a measure to rein in political spending by "foreign-influenced" companies, following city council elections last year that drew unprecedented spending — including a record $1.5 million from Amazon.

Pelosi sets Wednesday votes to send impeachment to Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House is set to vote Wednesday to send the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump to the Senate, and pressure was mounting Tuesday on senators to call fresh witnesses for the historic trial.

Idea to dismiss articles of impeachment cools in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans signaled they would reject the idea of simply voting to dismiss the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump as the House prepares to send the charges to the chamber for the historic trial.

McConnell's challenge: Shaping a trial amid Trump's demands

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump needs Mitch McConnell more than ever.

US officials cite deterrence to defend lethal drone strike

WASHINGTON (AP) — For all of the Trump administration's insistence that the threat of an "imminent" attack led to the American drone strike on Iran's top general, U.S. officials behind the scenes say the strike was motivated as much, if not more, by a broader effort to rein in a dangerously emboldened Iran.

Trump support for Iran protesters could fuel anti-US forces

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's embrace of anti-government protesters in Iran is another departure from his predecessors, who feared such overt support could backfire and inadvertently help hard-liners in the Islamic Republic.


MONDAY, JAN. 13
STATE GOVERNMENT

Governor claims 'executive privilege,' denies public records

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's administration has invoked executive privilege multiple times to withhold documents from public records requests, even though such privilege is not defined in the state's law, nor mentioned in its constitution.

Tennessee lawmakers wrestle with scathing correction audit

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's correction agency failed to provide adequate oversight to ensure the safety of the state's inmates and public, a scathing new audit has found.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Chiefs, Packers join 49ers, Titans in NFL championship round

The conference championships will be all about rematches, including a classic rivalry in the NFC.

Some answers, lots of questions for NFL title games

After a wild weekend of historic offensive performances by Derrick Henry and nearly every Kansas City Chiefs player, spiced by some timely defense from all the winners, we have the answers to the makeup of the NFL's Final Four.

PREDATORS

Juuse Saros, Kyle Turris lead Predators past Jets, 1-0

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — John Hynes is getting some quality play from his goaltenders since taking over as head coach of the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.

UT SPORTS

Vols violations include player promoting replica jersey sale

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee has self-reported an NCAA violation that involved a football player advertising the sale of a replica version of his jersey on Facebook.

ENTERTAINMENT

'Joker' tops Oscar nominations with 11; 3 other films get 10

Todd Phillips' much-debated supervillain origin story and R-rated box-office smash "Joker" topped all films with 11 Academy Awards nominations, while Martin Scorsese's elegiac crime epic "The Irishman," Quentin Tarantino's 1960s Los Angeles fairy tale "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" and Sam Mendes' World War I tale "1917" all trailed close behind with 10 nods apiece.

A box-office breakdown of the Oscar best picture nominees

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A list of the domestic box office totals for the best picture nominees for the 92nd annual Academy Awards that were announced Monday by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Police: General Motors employees caught racing in Corvettes

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — Two General Motors employees driving new 2020 Corvette Stingrays apparently had a need for speed.

HEALTH CARE

Frist launches new long-term health care tech company

NASHVILLE (AP) — Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is launching a new long-term health care technology company backed by more than $40 million in funding, including from the venture capital arm of Google's parent company.

COURTS

Court clears environment protesters over stunt at Swiss bank

GENEVA (AP) — In a verdict that could resonate with  environmentalists , a Swiss court ruled Monday in favor of a dozen young activists who stormed into the office of a Credit Suisse bank in a peaceful protest against its investments in fossil fuels that has ensnared the bank's brand ambassador, Roger Federer.

Justices turn away appeal of women who went topless at beach

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is leaving in place the public nudity convictions of three women who removed their bathing suit tops on a New Hampshire beach as part of a campaign advocating for the rights of women to go topless.

Supreme Court rejects appeal in texting suicide case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday left in place the conviction of a Massachusetts woman who sent her boyfriend text messages urging him to kill himself.

Ex-drug company execs face reckoning in opioid bribery case

BOSTON (AP) — The founder and former top employees of a pharmaceutical company are facing a reckoning for their role in a bribery scheme that prosecutors say boosted sales of a powerful, highly addictive painkiller and helped fuel the national opioid epidemic.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US budget deficit running 11.8% higher this year

The U.S. budget deficit through the first three months of this budget year is up 11.8% from the same period a year ago, putting the country on track to record its first $1 trillion deficit in eight years.

Visa buys financial technology company Plaid for $5.3B

NEW YORK (AP) — Visa is purchasing the financial technology company Plaid for $5.3 billion, a major push by the payment processing giant into other types of money transfer systems outside of Visa's traditional credit and debit card business.

Prosecutor: Former top stockbroker 'built business on lies'

A former financial planner who was kicked out of the securities industry and ordered to pay millions of dollars in damages to customers he allegedly tricked into high-risk investments went on trial Monday on criminal fraud charges.

Stocks climb ahead of trade deal, sending S&P 500 to record

Technology companies led stocks to broad gains on Wall Street Monday, driving the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite indexes to more record highs.

High anxiety: Proposed US hemp rules worry industry

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Hemp growers and entrepreneurs who were joyous a year ago after U.S. lawmakers reclassified the plant as a legal agricultural crop now are worried their businesses could be crippled if federal policymakers move ahead with draft regulations.

New Labor Dept. rule clarifies 'joint employer' standard

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department issued a final rule Sunday that clarifies when a worker is employed by more than one company, an issue that affects franchise businesses such as McDonald's and firms that have outsourced services such as cleaning and maintenance.

Aramco's 'greenshoe option' pushes IPO to record $29.4B

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco announced Sunday that its initial public offering raised a record $29.4 billion, a figure higher than previously announced, after the company used a so-called "greenshoe option" to sell millions more shares to meet investor demand.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Lawyer: Giuliani associate's documents turned over to House

WASHINGTON (AP) — A close associate of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has provided a trove of text messages and photos to the House committee leading the impeachment inquiry.

AP FACT CHECK: No, Trump didn't save preexisting conditions

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump made a striking claim Monday, insisting it was he who ensured that people with preexisting medical problems will always be covered by health insurance.

Esper says he's seen no hard evidence embassies under threat

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper explicitly said Sunday that he had seen no hard evidence that four American embassies had been under possible threat when President Donald Trump authorized the targeting of Iran's top commander, raising questions about the scale of the threat described by Trump last week.

Ahead of impeachment trial, Trump suggests not having it

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the Senate should simply dismiss the impeachment case against him, an extraordinary suggestion as the House prepares to transmit the charges to the chamber for the historic trial.

'Fail Not:' What to watch ahead of Trump's Senate trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hear ye, hear ye: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hitting the send button on President Donald Trump's impeachment.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump says Pelosi, Dems defended Iran general

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's relentless attacks on the impeachment investigation and Democrats' stance on Iran strained the truth on various fronts, from claiming that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani to asserting that even Ukraine's president said Trump did nothing wrong in withholding military aid.


FRIDAY, JAN. 10
REGION

Storms with hurricane-force winds, huge hail threaten South

Hurricane-force wind gusts and hail the size of baseballs could accompany potent storms that also threaten to spin up tornadoes and drench the South with heavy rains, forecasters said Friday.

HEALTH CARE

Vanderbilt seeking teens for depression treatment study

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University is seeking teenagers to participate in a paid study to help improve treatment for teen depression.

PREDATORS

Rinne scores as Predators beat Blackhawks 5-2

CHICAGO (AP) — Pekka Rinne grinned and grinned and grinned.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans LB Jayon Brown to miss playoff game with Ravens

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee starting linebacker Jayon Brown will miss the Titans' AFC divisional playoff game with the Baltimore Ravens because of an injured shoulder.

COURTS

Jackson Life to pay $20M to settle discrimination suit

DENVER (AP) — An insurance company has agreed to pay $20.5 million to settle claims that it discriminated against black and female employees in Nashville and Denver.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Ghosn's lawyer slams minister's gaffe on proving innocence

TOKYO (AP) — A lawyer for Carlos Ghosn, Nissan's former chairman who skipped bail in Japan and fled to Lebanon, on Friday slammed a gaffe by the Japanese justice minister who said that Ghosn should "prove" his innocence.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US stocks pull back from records following jobs report

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell from their record heights on Friday after a report showed hiring was a touch weaker than expected last month.

US adds 145,000 jobs; unemployment holds at 3.5%

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added 145,000 jobs in December and the unemployment rate held steady at 3.5%, signaling that the job market remains strong at the start of 2020 even if hiring and wage gains have slowed somewhat more than a decade into an economic expansion.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

White House considers expanding travel ban to more countries

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is considering expanding its much-litigated travel ban to additional countries amid a renewed election-year focus on immigration issues by President Donald Trump, according to four people familiar with the deliberations.

US tried to take out another Iranian leader, but failed

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military tried, but failed, to take out another senior Iranian commander on the same day that an American airstrike killed the Revolutionary Guard's top general, U.S. officials said Friday.

Pelosi: House moving to send impeachment to Senate next week

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday the House will take steps next week to send articles of impeachment to the Senate ending Democrats' blockade of President Donald Trump's Senate trial.

US blames Iran for Ukrainian jetliner downing, pledges probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. promised "appropriate action" Friday in response to its assessment that an Iranian missile was responsible for downing a Ukrainian jetliner that crashed outside Tehran, as the Iranian government denied playing a role in the killing of all 176 people on board.

US announces new sanctions on Iran after missile strikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Friday announced a new wave of sanctions on Iran following this week's missile strikes by the Islamic Republic on U.S. bases in Iraq.

Trump turns to those he has scorned for help on Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — As tensions fester with Iran, President Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he's spent three years dismissing or alienating: NATO, Western allies and U.S. intelligence agencies.


THURSDAY, JAN. 9
STATE GOVERNMENT

Former Gov. Dunn objects to building honoring him

NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Tennessee governor told a newspaper that he doesn't feel qualified for the honor of having the state's legislative office building renamed for him.

HEALTH CARE

California could launch generic prescription drug label

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could become the first state with its own prescription drug label under a proposal Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Thursday.

ENVIRONMENT

Trump proposes sweeping rollback of environmental oversight

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a dramatic rollback of environmental oversight, President Donald Trump took action Thursday to clear the way and speed up development of a wide range of commercial projects by cutting back federal review of their impact on the environment.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US stocks set records as fear recedes from market; gold dips

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks around the world climbed on Thursday, and U.S. indexes hit records as markets continued a rally sparked after the United States and Iran appeared to step away from the edge of war.

Fed should focus on fighting low inflation, official says

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official believes that the U.S. central bank needs to re-orient its thinking and policies toward fighting inflation that is too low, rather than its historic focus on keeping inflation from getting too high.

Lawmakers approve Brexit bill, UK on course for Jan 31 exit

LONDON (AP) — Britain passed a long-elusive milestone on the road to Brexit on Thursday when the House of Commons approved a bill authorizing the country's departure from the European Union at the end of the month.

China's economy czar going to Washington to sign trade deal

BEIJING (AP) — China's economy czar will visit Washington next week for the signing of an interim trade deal, the government said Thursday.

UK lawmakers vote on Brexit bill; EU warns of choppy waters

LONDON (AP) — Britain is set to pass a major milestone on the road to Brexit Thursday, when the bill authorizing the country's departure from the European Union receives final approval from the House of Commons.

Kohl's, Penney report holiday sales declines

NEW YORK (AP) — Mall-based retailers J.C. Penney, Kohl's and Victoria's Secret parent reported sales declines for the holiday season, underscoring continued challenges ahead from online rivals and other low-price competitors.

Report: Grubhub considers sale as competition intensifies

Grubhub may put itself up for sale with competition in the online delivery business growing increasingly intense.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

US officials: 'Highly likely' Iran downed Ukrainian jetliner

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two U.S. officials said Thursday it was "highly likely" that an Iranian anti-aircraft missile downed a Ukrainian jetliner late Tuesday, killing all 176 people on board.

House to vote on restraining Trump's actions against Iran

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House moved toward approving a non-binding measure Thursday aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to take military action against Iran as criticism of the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general intensifies

White House welcomes court ruling on border wall spending

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall will move forward after a federal appeals court ruling that frees up construction money.

Pelosi to 'soon' send impeachment articles for Senate trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday she will "soon'' transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, signaling a potential thaw in the standoff with Senate Republicans as she warned against rushing to an acquittal without a fair trial.

Pence says Trump to ask European allies to scrap Iran deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Following the U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, President Donald Trump will ask allies to scrap the Iran nuclear deal, Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday. The agreement has been unraveling since Trump pulled the United States from it.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & RSS:
Sign-Up For Our FREE email edition
Get the news first with our free weekly email
Name
Email
TNLedger.com Knoxville Editon
RECORD TOTALS DAY WEEK YEAR
PROPERTY SALES 0 0 0
MORTGAGES 0 0 0
FORECLOSURE NOTICES 0 0 0
BUILDING PERMITS 0 0 0
BANKRUPTCIES 0 0 0
BUSINESS LICENSES 0 0 0
UTILITY CONNECTIONS 0 0 0
MARRIAGE LICENSES 0 0 0