VOL. 44 | NO. 3 | Friday, January 17, 2020
KANSAS CITY – This story here really has nothing to do with Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the Titans and Chiefs, except for the timing of what happened.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The Tennessee Titans are the most improbable of the four teams left standing in the NFL playoffs.
The Titans have a chance to win in the postseason as long as they can ride the running of Derrick Henry.
My family keeps telling me the Titans win when I pick against them. The opposite happens when I pick them to win.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
Tony Locke, the go-to structural engineer for Realtors in need of structural advice in Nashville, has a dual life with a second calling as a philosopher. Once, he was called to assess a project and noted that the concrete contractor was installing the rebar incorrectly in a sidewalk.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates rose slightly last week after financial markets that had been roiled by the U.S.-Iran conflict stabilized.
UT SPORTS
For much of the last few seasons, Tennessee’s offensive line has been the subject of ridicule and frustration.
NEWSMAKERS
Bass, Berry & Sims PLC has elected eight new members in the firm. They are:
BRIEFS
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Nashville have released details on the 143 homes to be available for purchase and scheduled to open in 2022.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Automakers use the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to get creative. Sometimes the results can seem a little too creative – we don’t expect to see connected streetlights or adaptive sidewalks, as some companies have pitched in years past, anytime soon.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Most retirees regret not saving more. A 2018 study by Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found 73% wish they’d put aside more money on a consistent basis, and half felt they waited too long to get serious about retirement saving.
CAREER CORNER
One of the most common questions I receive from job seekers is: “What is a headhunter and should I use one?”
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Attorney General William Barr has tapped two Tennesseans to join a new presidential panel on law enforcement.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
Nashville (AP) — When John Petty Jr. gets his shot going, he's almost impossible to stop.
ENVIRONMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration appears ready to move ahead with its plan to remove protections for some of the nation's millions of miles, streams and arroyos, completing one of its most far-reaching environmental rollbacks.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The United States, the European Union and what will soon be post-Brexit Britain have all raised the prospect of concluding trade deals between themselves by the end of this year, setting up an intense few months of negotiations.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank has decided to launch a top-to-bottom review of how it steers the economy for 342 million people in the 19 countries that use the euro currency.
DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines' fourth-quarter profit rose 27% to $414 million on strong travel demand that resulted in record occupancy levels on its planes.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday published new visa rules aimed at restricting "birth tourism," in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. passport.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House prosecutors faced fidgeting senators as they rolled out their case against President Donald Trump on Wednesday, the trial's previous session having lasted a fatigue-inducing 13 hours. Trump was busy himself, returning from an international business conference but finding time to send 120-plus tweets that included trial commentary and criticism.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The challenge is becoming increasingly clear for House Democrats prosecuting President Donald Trump's impeachment case as the Senate convenes for a second day of arguments in the landmark trial.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is in no position to give economic advice until she's gone to college and come out with an economics degree.
WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22
STATEWIDE
Dozens of mayors from across the United States have formed a task force opposing a proposal by Major League Baseball to eliminate 42 affiliated minor league franchises for the 2021 season.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — What started as a joke on Twitter about an unwritten rule among country radio stations not to play two female artists in a row prompted outrage by country music stars, but also pledges to give women equal airtime.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University announced a renewable energy deal Wednesday aimed at offsetting a portion of the school's greenhouse gas emissions.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — A civil rights group is raising questions about the legality of a Tennessee proposal 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.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers grilled the state's correction agency for answers on Tuesday after a scathing audit found the department failed on many levels to ensure the safety of inmates and the public.
MIDSTATE
GALLATIN (AP) — A federal utility is considering relocating cemeteries within a Tennessee power plant's property lines to expand coal ash storage.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee continued its recent surge by playing the stingy defense that has carried the Volunteers for much of the season.
COURTS
Nashville (AP) — A Tennessee inmate has chosen the electric chair for his scheduled execution next month, opting like four other inmates in little more than a year for electrocution over the state's preferred execution method of lethal injection.
SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge says it's likely that Microsoft was trying to avoid or evade paying U.S. taxes and is ordering the company to hand over financial documents from more than a decade ago.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared ready Wednesday to reinvigorate a Montana scholarship program that could make it easier to use public money to pay for religious schooling in many states.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia is suing President Donald Trump's inaugural committee and two companies that control the Trump International Hotel in the nation's capital, accusing them of throwing parties for the Trump family with nonprofit funds, and overpaying for event space at the hotel.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home sales climbed 3.6% in December, but a record-low inventory of houses on the market has caused prices to surge as affordability is worsening.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — The meteoric rise of Tesla shares that pushed the company's value over $100 billion could turn into a supercharged payday for CEO Elon Musk.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan on Wednesday agreed to revise decade-long tax breaks for General Motors in exchange for the company's commitment to spend at least $3.5 billion more over 10 years, including to build electric pickup trucks in Detroit.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Germany's Daimler AG, maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, saw operating earnings fall by half in 2019 as its flagship luxury brand suffered in a tougher global market, and due to more expenses tied to regulatory and legal issues with diesel cars.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — General Motors' self-driving car company will attempt to deliver on its long-running promise to provide a more environmentally friendly ride-hailing service in an unorthodox vehicle designed to eliminate the need for human operators to transport people around crowded cities.
DETROIT (AP) — Two different air bag glitches have forced Toyota and Honda to recall over 6 million vehicles worldwide, and both problems present different dangers to motorists.
TRANSPORTATION
Airlines might soon be able to turn away cats, rabbits and all animals other than dogs that passengers try to bring with them in the cabin.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Major U.S. stock indexes ended little changed Wednesday after an early rebound rally faded in the final minutes of trading.
PARIS (AP) — China is stealing "massive amounts" of data from Western companies and Iran has stolen data from some 200 universities, the top U.S. cybersecurity diplomat said Wednesday .
BANGKOK (AP) — News that a new virus that has afflicted hundreds of people in central China can spread between humans has rattled financial markets and raised concern it might wallop the economy just as it might be regaining momentum.
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday will approve a right-of-way allowing the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline to be built across U.S. land, federal officials told The Associated Press, pushing the controversial $8 billion project closer to construction though court challenges still loom.
NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, Jay Gatsby, Daisy Buchanan and other characters from "The Great Gatsby" have been as real to millions of readers as people in their own lives, exemplars and victims of the American pursuit of wealth and status.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — France's finance minister said Wednesday that his country will delay its tax on the digital business of big tech firms like Google and Faceook in exchange for the United States's promise to hold off retaliatory sanctions.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump appeared to suggest in a television interview Wednesday that he's willing to consider entitlement cuts in the future, a move that would mark a tectonic shift from his stance during his 2016 run for the White House.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday the U.S. would soon be imposing visa restrictions on more countries — though it's not clear yet how many nations will be affected by his expansion of the travel ban.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate began hearing opening arguments Wednesday in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial with proceedings now on a fast track. First up: Democratic House managers making their case that Trump abused his presidential power and should be removed from office.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is coming out with new visa restrictions aimed at restricting "birth tourism," in which women travel to the U.S. to give birth so their children can have a coveted U.S. passport.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump gave a false account Wednesday of some of the circumstances that got him impeached.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he's open to new witnesses at his impeachment trial, a major demand by Democratic prosecutors, but he immediately backtracked, suggesting it could never happen despite what he said was his willingness.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate plunged into President Donald Trump's impeachment trial with Republicans abruptly abandoning plans to cram opening arguments into two days but solidly rejecting Democratic demands for more witnesses to expose what they deem Trump's "trifecta" of offenses.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Schiff was still speaking — about witnesses, documents, future presidents and the impeachment of President Donald Trump. He'd said it all before, but five hours into the Senate trial, Schiff, the lead prosecutor, was saying it again.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts drew little attention to himself in the beginning 12 hours of his first impeachment trial. But it was just before 1 a.m., as tempers on the floor had started to wear thin, that he reminded senators, House impeachment managers and President Donald Trump's defense team who was in charge.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In opening arguments of the impeachment trial, President Donald Trump's defense misrepresented the findings of a special counsel's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election by claiming the president was cleared of obstruction of justice.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he wants to deliver the State of the Union as scheduled even if his impeachment trial is ongoing.
TUESDAY, JAN. 21
NASHVILLE AREA
FB Financial Corporation, parent company of FirstBank, and Franklin Financial Network, Inc., parent company of Franklin Synergy Bank, have jointly announced their entry into a definitive merger agreement pursuant to which Franklin will be merged with and into FB Financial.
MEDIA
NASHVILLE (AP) — A nonprofit press freedom group announced on Tuesday that it would provide pro bono legal services in five states to help local news organizations defend their right to gather and report the news.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has revealed in a new interview that her mother has a brain tumor.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — A state panel approved another $3.3 million in incentives Tuesday for a financial firm to create 200 more jobs than first announced for the relocation of its global headquarters from New York to Nashville.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — An automotive seat manufacturer is planning a $23.5 million expansion in West Tennessee expected to create 330 new jobs.
REGION
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Krystal Co., the Georgia-based restaurant chain known for tiny hamburgers and late-night service across the Southeast, has filed for bankruptcy, but said Tuesday that all of its locations would remain open.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alarmed by a deadly new twist in the nation's drug addiction crisis, the government will allow states to use federal money earmarked for the opioid epidemic to help growing numbers of people struggling with meth and cocaine.
ENVIRONMENT
MADRID (AP) — Spain's new government declared a national climate emergency on Tuesday, taking a formal first step toward enacting ambitious measures to fight climate change.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to consider a fast-track review of a lawsuit that threatens the Obama-era health care law, making it highly unlikely that the justices would decide the case before the 2020 election.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court refused Tuesday to get involved in a dispute about judges' authority to order the disclosure of secret grand jury material in rare circumstances.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has declined to take a case stemming from the 2014 water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming and Montana asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to rule on Washington State's denial of a permit for a port facility that could boost U.S. coal exports.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Banks led a slide in U.S. stocks Tuesday as a virus outbreak in China rattled global markets, prompting investors to shift assets into bonds and defensive sector companies.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix added 8.8 million worldwide subscribers during its fourth quarter, surpassing expectations at a time when it faces heated competition from new streaming challengers such as Disney.
Shares of the three U.S. airlines that fly to China fell on Tuesday as fear grew about a virus that authorities say has killed six people and sickened 300 more.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Major central banks have joined together to explore whether they should issue cryptocurrencies as the use of cash declines and more people turn to electronic forms of paying.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — American economist Kenneth Rogoff noted that President Donald Trump largely avoided sensitive topics like climate change in his speech at the World Economic Forum.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump spread distorted information about the U.S. economy and his administration's involvement with historically black colleges in a preening performance Tuesday at the Davos economic conference in the Swiss Alps.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell abruptly eased his restrictive proposed rules for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial , backing off the condensed two-day schedule to add a third for opening arguments after protests from senators, including Republicans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Clinton says "nobody likes" her former presidential rival Bernie Sanders, even as the Vermont senator remains entrenched among the front-runners in the Democratic race, with the Iowa caucus beginning in less than two weeks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's impeachment trial quickly burst into a partisan fight Tuesday as proceedings began unfolding at the Capitol. Democrats objected strongly to rules proposed by the Republican leader for compressed arguments and a speedy trial.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senators like to float above messy politics in what's known by some as the dignified "upper chamber," home of Congress' cooler heads and lofty rhetoric.
MONDAY, JAN. 20
STATEWIDE
JACKSBORO (AP) — A small earthquake hit East Tennessee on Monday, officials said.
TENNESSEE TITANS
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — With his best imitation of a tightrope walker, Patrick Mahomes high-wired the Kansas City Chiefs into their first Super Bowl since 1970.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans hoped to follow the same game plan against the Kansas City Chiefs that had carried them to playoff wins in Baltimore and New England, giving the ball to running back Derrick Henry as much as possible.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
SANTA ROSA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — David Olney, a folk singer who wrote songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris, died following a heart attack while performing in Florida, his publicist said Sunday.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — With health care an election-year priority, a major doctors' organization on Monday called for sweeping government action to guarantee coverage for all, reduce costs and improve the basic well-being of Americans.
TECHNOLOGY
LONDON (AP) — Google's chief executive called Monday for a balanced approach to regulating artificial intelligence, telling a European audience that the technology brings benefits but also "negative consequences."
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Climate issues are set to be one of the main talking points at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos this week, but a survey of CEOs released Monday shows that they are not even ranked among the top ten threats to business growth.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit plans hit a hurdle Monday when Parliament's upper chamber told the government to give European Union citizens living in the U.K. physical proof of their right to remain after the country leaves the bloc.
NEW YORK (AP) — Recent economic indicators point to an easier time ahead for small manufacturers and companies in the home remodeling industry.
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Libya's major oil fields and production facilities remained closed on Monday, its National Oil Corporation said, in a sign that the country's east-based forces are not backing down after an international summit to end the Libyan civil war.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Rising income inequality is undermining confidence in capitalism around the world, according to a survey conducted by public relations firm Edelman ahead of the gathering of the elites in the Swiss ski resort of Davos.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Low interest rates and reduced trade tensions will likely buoy the global economy over the next two years and help nurture steady if modest growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's trade deal with China last week opened up export opportunities for American farmers, manufacturers and energy producers. And his trade pact with Canada and Mexico, approved Thursday by the Senate, could help restore some auto production in the United States.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Hundreds of disgruntled protesters against the elite World Economic Forum are marching through the Alpine snows toward its annual gathering in Davos, as officials on Monday detailed extra security measures like vehicle checks and webcam shutdowns with U.S. President Donald Trump and other notables set to arrive.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Prince Harry touted the U.K. as an ideal business partner for Africa on Monday as their country prepares for post-Brexit dealings with the world.
NEW YORK (AP) — Zachariah Mohammed's living room is filled with stuff he doesn't own.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's defense team and the prosecutors of his impeachment are laying out their arguments over whether his conduct toward Ukraine warrants his removal from office.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's defense against impeachment charges, as laid out in his legal argument released Monday, has distortions at its core.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing U.S. intelligence agencies of withholding documents from Congress on Ukraine that could be significant to President Donald Trump's impeachment trial.
FRIDAY, JAN. 17
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville songwriters are showing up at the Grammys this year, but not just in the country music categories. The city's writing talent has been increasingly tapped to help craft nominated soundtracks, pop songs and R&B albums over the last couple of years.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — The director of Tennessee's Medicaid program plans to leave his job to return to the private sector, TennCare announced Friday.
COURTS
MURFREESBORO (AP) — A grand jury has brought charges in a sex trafficking case against former NBA player and one-time University of Alabama basketball standout Jim Farmer, who was caught up in an undercover law enforcement sting last October.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Vanderbilt men's basketball program has received a $5 million donation from Seattle-based alumnus George B. Huber and his wife Cathy.
PREDATORS
NEW YORK (AP) — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson has been fined $2,000 by the NHL under the league's rules regarding diving and embellishment.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks have just two wins in 2020, both against the Nashville Predators.
AUTO INDUSTRY
Volkswagen is partnering with the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to create the company's first innovation hub for developing new technology in North America, officials said Friday in a statement.
DETROIT (AP) — BMW is recalling nearly 357,000 older vehicles in the U.S. to replace dangerous Takata front air bag inflators.
PRINCETON, Indiana (AP) — Toyota will stop making its Tacoma small pickup in San Antonio next year as it shifts production to Mexico, but the company says no U.S. jobs will be lost.
TOKYO (AP) — The legal team of Nissan's former chairman Carlos Ghosn issued a statement Friday refuting the latest allegations by the Japanese automaker against the fugitive businessman.
MILAN (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is in talks with the Chinese company Foxconn to develop and manufacture battery-powered vehicles, the U.S.-Italian automaker said Friday.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction of new homes surged in December to the highest level in 13 years, capping a year in which falling mortgage rates and a strong labor market helped lift the prospects of the housing industry.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The deadly shooting of three U.S. sailors at a Navy installation in December could reignite a long-simmering fight between the federal government and tech companies over data privacy and encryption.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Wall Street capped a milestone-setting week Friday with a few more as modest gains nudged the major stock indexes to all-time highs.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of available jobs fell sharply in November, dropping to 6.8 million, a decline of 7.6% from the October level.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. industrial production fell 0.3% in December, as unseasonably warm weather reduced demand for heating from utilities.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he intends to nominate two people to serve on the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors, an institution he has repeatedly attacked for not cutting rates deeply enough.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury, faced with financing budget deficits topping $1 trillion annually, is introducing a new 20-year bond.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday broke nearly 72 hours of silence over alleged surveillance and threats to the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, saying he believed the allegations would prove to be wrong but that he had an obligation to evaluate and investigate the matter.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has assembled a made-for-TV legal team for his Senate trial that includes household names like Ken Starr, the prosecutor whose investigation two decades ago resulted in the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz will deliver constitutional arguments meant to shield Trump from allegations that he abused his power.
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.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump with quiet ceremony Thursday — senators standing at their desks to swear an oath of "impartial justice" as jurors, House prosecutors formally reciting the charges and Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The impeachment trial of President Donald Trump has barely started and already journalists are getting a glimpse of how hard it will be cover the event under harsh new media restrictions imposed by the Senate.
THURSDAY, JAN. 16
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The campaign arm for U.S. Senate Democrats endorsed James Mackler on Thursday for an open seat in Tennessee.
TENNESSEE TITANS
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.
King Henry is running wild in the postseason.
TRANSPORTATION
A government committee reviewing how the Federal Aviation Administration certifies new passenger planes for flight has determined that the system is safe and effective but small changes need to be made.
AUTO INDUSTRY
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.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Another rally on Wall Street powered stock indexes to more records Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new North American trade agreement Thursday that rewrites the rules of trade with Canada and Mexico and gives President Donald Trump a major policy win before senators turn their full attention to his impeachment trial.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department will begin restricting news organizations' use of economic data by barring computers from the rooms where reporters receive such data before its public release.
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation's largest retail trade group says holiday sales increased 4.1%, the top end of its forecast.
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.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Top officials at the European Central Bank say economic growth remains weak though they see a few upbeat signs after the U.S. and China moved toward lowering trade tensions.
DETROIT (AP) — Starbucks is expanding a program that tries to help low-income communities by opening coffee shops and hiring local workers.
BERLIN (AP) — Germany will pay utility companies billions of euros to speed up the shutdown of their coal-fired power plants as part of the country's efforts to fight climate change, the government said Thursday.
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.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate opened the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump with quiet ceremony Thursday — senators standing at their desks to swear an oath of "impartial justice" as jurors, House prosecutors formally reciting the charges and Chief Justice John Roberts presiding.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House violated federal law in withholding security assistance to Ukraine, an action at the center of President Donald Trump's impeachment, a federal watchdog agency said Thursday.
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.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday postponed the sentencing of former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, two days after Flynn moved to withdraw his guilty plea.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts is likely to play a modest role when he presides over the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump, in keeping with his frequently repeated insistence that judges are not politicians.