VOL. 47 | NO. 4 | Friday, January 20, 2023
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
While overall – at least transactionally speaking – residential real estate sales are off as much as 40% in the Midstate, many segments of the market continue to experience frenzied buyers flocking to listings. The multiple-offer scenario continues to plague buyers and benefit sellers as many homes are selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars more than list price upon their introduction to the market.
REAL ESTATE
Top Davidson County residential real estate sales for December 2022, as compiled by the Nashville Ledger.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate fell this week to its lowest level since September, a potential boost to the housing market which has been in decline for nearly a year.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots will each play international games during the NFL's 2023 regular season.
Beyond hiring a new general manager and a new offensive coordinator, one of the biggest questions the Tennessee Titans will have to answer this offseason is who will play quarterback.
If the Tennessee Titans decide that 2023 is time for a new start, and decide to move on from Ryan Tannehill, they likely won’t have the chance to replace him with a first-round pick in the draft.
Moving into the Divisional Round, the matchups become much more intriguing, and as good as the games were on Wild-Card Weekend, there could be even better games on tap – at least on paper – this weekend.
NEWSMAKERS
Benjamin C. Aaron and Callie K. Hinson have been elevated to members at Neal & Harwell, PLC.
BRIEFS
For months, Tennessee’s Republican leaders have maintained that the state’s abortion ban – known as one of the strictest in the U.S. – allows doctors to perform the procedure, should they need to in order to save the patient’s life, even though the statute doesn’t explicitly say so.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
CES – formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show – in Las Vegas tends to showcase vehicles and technology that are further out than one might find at a traditional auto show. Edmunds attended this year and reports on the most notable vehicles and what new technology car shoppers might see in the coming years.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
The two of you have been seeing one another for ages. It’s time to take the next step, but hard conversations must be had first.
PERSONAL FINANCE
After years of being in debt, Rachel Kramer Bussel came to a realization: “If I don’t become proactive about it, I will be in debt for the rest of my life.”
MILLENNIAL MONEY
When inflation rises, child care expenses rise. If you’re a parent, you may be hoping to get a little financial relief during the upcoming tax season through deductions or credits. But since there have been recent reductions to both of the child tax credits, you may not get as much back as you anticipated.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 26
STATEWIDE
Two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee's lethal injection drugs "incorrectly testified" under oath that they were testing the chemicals for bacterial contamination, the state attorney general's office conceded in a court filing.
CLASSIFIED DOCU-DRAMA
WASHINGTON (AP) — On a winter's day in 1984, a briefcase stuffed with classified government documents showed up in a building in Pittsburgh, borne by someone who most certainly wasn't supposed to have them.
U.S. ECONOMY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The second consecutive quarter of economic growth that the government reported Thursday underscored that the nation isn't in a recession despite high inflation and the Federal Reserve's fastest pace of interest rate hikes in four decades.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy likely rolled out of 2022 with momentum, registering decent growth in the face of painful inflation, high interest rates and rising concern that a recession may be months away.
EMPLOYMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week as the labor market remains tight, even as the Federal Reserve has tried to cool the economy and inflation by raising interest rates.
TRAVEL
DALLAS (AP) — The U.S. Transportation Department said Wednesday it is investigating whether Southwest Airlines deceived customers by knowingly scheduling more flights in late December than it realistically could handle.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines gave more proof Thursday of the recovery in air travel, posting a better-than-expected profit for the fourth quarter, while Southwest Airlines lost money because of massive flight cancellations last month.
MARKETS
Wall Street was mixed in muted trading early Thursday as investors waited for more U.S. economic data amid rising hope that Western economies can avoid a recession despite higher interest rates meant to cool inflation.
OVERNIGHT
The West's move to send tanks to Ukraine was greeted enthusiastically from Kyiv, Berlin and Washington. But Moscow sought to downplay it. The Kremlin has warned the West that supplying tanks would be a dangerous escalation of the conflict and denounced the decision. But it insists the move won't deter Russia from its goals in Ukraine. Some Russian experts also emphasized that the supply of the deadly armor will be relatively limited and could take months to reach the front. On Thursday, Russia launched a new wave of missile and self-exploding drone attacks across Ukraine. The attack initially appeared to be a continuation of previous attacks rather than retaliation for the announcements on the tanks.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman announced a contract extension for athletic director Danny White on Wednesday, a day after the Volunteers disclosed a big pay raise for football coach Josh Heupel.
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tanner Jeannot scored early in the third period and Juuse Saros made 32 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Oscar Tshiebwe scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 69-53 Tuesday night for the Wildcats' longest winning streak this season at four straight.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville International Airport has opened its new 200,000-square-foot grand lobby, with two-dozen security screening lanes and new art displays.
WEST TENNESSEE
MEMPHIS (AP) — The U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday the federal investigation into the death of Tyre Nichols, a Black man who died after a violent arrest by Memphis police, "may take some time."
STATE GOVERNMENT
MEMPHIS (AP) — A Memphis community activist who led the charge against plans for an oil pipeline over an aquifer that provides drinking water to 1 million people has won a seat in the Tennessee Legislature.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department and eight states filed an antitrust suit against Google on Tuesday, seeking to shatter its alleged monopoly on the entire ecosystem of online advertising as a hurtful burden to advertisers, consumers and even the U.S. government.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Canadian woman pleaded guilty Wednesday to mailing a threatening letter containing the poison ricin to then-President Donald Trump at the White House.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The month before the riot at the U.S. Capitol, members of the Proud Boys were growing increasingly angry about the outcome of the 2020 election and were expecting a "civil war," a former member told jurors on Tuesday as he took the stand in the seditious conspiracy case against the group's former leader.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has abandoned efforts to revive his federal lawsuit against New York Attorney General Letitia James — the second time he's halted legal action against her after a judge last week fined him and his lawyers nearly $1 million for filing frivolous cases.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of abortion rights filed separate lawsuits Wednesday challenging two states' abortion pill restrictions, the opening salvo in what's expected to a be a protracted legal battle over access to the medications.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A record 16.3 million people sought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act this year, double the number covered when the marketplaces first launched nearly a decade ago, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ratcheting up his criticism of the Biden administration, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Wednesday moved to delay new tax credits for electric vehicles, a key feature of President Joe Biden's landmark climate law.
MEDIA
NEW YORK (AP) — Rupert Murdoch has pulled the plug on a proposal to bring back together his News Corp. and Fox Corp., saying the merger isn't coming at the right time for shareholders.
TECHNOLOGY
LONDON (AP) — Microsoft said it's investigating problems with its online services including its Teams messaging platform and Outlook email system after users around the world reported outages Wednesday.
BANKING
NEW YORK (AP) — Goldman Sachs no longer wants to be the bank for everyone.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations forecast Wednesday that global economic growth will fall significantly to 1.9% this year as a result of the food and energy crisis sparked by the war in Ukraine, the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, persistently high inflation and the climate emergency.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — With egg prices more than doubling in the past year, calls are coming for an investigation into possible price gouging.
LONDON (AP) — Amazon warehouse workers went on strike for the first time in Britain on Wednesday because of a dispute over pay and working conditions, adding to a wave of industrial labor action across the country fueled by the soaring cost of living.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German government on Wednesday said it expects to eke out economic growth this year instead of a decline as Europe's largest economy manages its energy divorce from Russia and shells out support for consumers and businesses hit by higher energy costs.
Boeing said Wednesday it lost $663 million in the fourth quarter as higher production costs and supply-chain problems offset rising revenue.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans renewed their investigation Wednesday into the art dealings of Hunter Biden, pushing for details on who is purchasing his work as part of the party's long-promised probe into President Joe Biden and his family.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden hosted the Democratic congressional leaders Tuesday at the White House as they face a new era of divided government in Washington, staring down a debt ceiling crisis and running up against a new House Republican majority eager for confrontation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaker Kevin McCarthy reiterated Tuesday that he will block Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell of California from serving on the House committee that oversees national intelligence, saying the decision was not based on political payback but because "integrity matters, and they have failed in that place."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats responded with aggrieved fury when former President Donald Trump was found in possession of classified documents that should have been turned over to the government when he left office. Then disclosures that President Joe Biden also mishandled secret papers set loose a Republican "well, what about" roar.
WASHINGTON (AP) — At least three presidents. A vice president, a secretary of state, an attorney general. The mishandling of classified documents is not a problem unique to President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
UKRAINE
BERLIN (AP) — After weeks of hesitation that created impatience among Germany's allies, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced Wednesday that his government would provide Ukraine with Leopard 2 battle tanks and approve requests by other countries to do the same.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the U.S. will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, reversing months of persistent arguments that the tanks were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the specter of nuclear weapon use, Earth crept its closest to Armageddon, a science-oriented advocacy group said, moving its famous "Doomsday Clock" up to just 90 seconds before midnight.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee gave coach Josh Heupel a big raise that puts him among the highest-paid coaches in college football after he led the Volunteers to their best season in more than 20 years.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
Senators are expected to grill Ticketmaster Tuesday, questioning whether the company's dominance in the ticketing industry led to its spectacular breakdown last year during a sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Texas troubadour Willie Nelson will celebrate his 90th birthday with his friends and family at an all-star two-day concert at the Hollywood Bowl this April.
REGION
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — The Southeastern Grasslands Institute is developing a grasslands conservation plan for the Cumberland Plateau in Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee, thanks to a $495,000 federal grant.
WEST TENNESSEE
MEMPHIS (AP) — The release of police video related to the death of a Black man after a violent arrest — which could take until next week — will be carefully timed to avoid the chance that suspects or witnesses tailor their statements to what they saw in the footage, the top prosecutor in Memphis said Tuesday.
MEMPHIS (AP) — Memphis police officers beat motorist Tyre Nichols for three minutes, treating him like "a human piñata" in a "savage" encounter reminiscent of the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King, attorneys for the family said Monday.
COURTS
ATLANTA (AP) — A report by a special grand jury in Georgia investigating possible interference in the 2020 election will remain secret for now while a judge considers its release.
HEALTH CARE
Amazon is adding a prescription drug discount program to its growing health care business.
MEDIA
LONDON (AP) — More landlords are taking Twitter to court over unpaid rent, this time at the social media company's headquarters in San Francisco and its British offices — the latest sign that owner Elon Musk's extreme cost-cutting strategy includes simply not paying the bills.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Artificial intelligence is writing fiction, making images inspired by Van Gogh and fighting wildfires. Now it's competing in another endeavor once limited to humans — creating propaganda and disinformation.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sooner or later, either Wall Street or the Federal Reserve has to blink.
3M, maker of Post-it notes, industrial coatings and ceramics, is cutting about 2,500 manufacturing jobs worldwide as it looks to align itself with adjusted production volumes.
Johnson & Johnson beat earnings expectations in the final quarter of 2022 even as a strong dollar and sinking COVID-19 vaccine sales hurt revenue.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is hosting the Democratic congressional leaders Tuesday at the White House as they face a new era of divided government in Washington, staring down a debt ceiling crisis, the Russian war in Ukraine and their own party priorities running up against a new House Republican majority eager for confrontation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter Tuesday to congressional leaders saying she's suspending the reinvestment of federal bonds in a government workers' savings plan — an additional "extraordinary" measure to buy time for President Joe Biden and Congress to raise the nation's debt limit.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The debate around raising the debt ceiling sounds eerily similar: Newly elected House Republicans, eager to confront the Democratic president in the White House, refused to raise the debt limit without cuts to federal spending.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's decision allowing the FBI to search his home in Delaware last week is laying him open to fresh negative attention and embarrassment following the earlier discoveries of classified documents at that home and a former office. But it's a legal and political calculation that aides hope will pay off in the long run as he prepares to seek reelection.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are picking an early fight with the House Republican majority over committee seats, nominating two California lawmakers for the Intelligence Committee in open defiance of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's vow to block them.
HELSINKI (AP) — Finland's top diplomat appeared to suggest Tuesday that the country may have to consider joining NATO without Sweden after Turkey's president cast serious doubt on the expansion of the military alliance.
MONDAY, JANUARY 23
WEST TENNESSEE
MEMPHIS (AP) — A lawyer for the family of a Black man who died at a hospital three days after a confrontation with police during a traffic stop said Monday that video of the encounter shows it was "violent" and "troublesome on every level."
MEMPHIS (AP) — Lisa Marie Presley, a singer, songwriter and the daughter of Elvis Presley, was remembered during a funeral service Sunday as a loving mother and an "old soul" who endured tragedy but persevered as a dedicated protector of her father's legacy as a rock 'n' roll pioneer and pop icon.
COURTS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk returned to federal court Monday in San Francisco, testifying that he believed he had locked up financial backing to take Tesla private during 2018 meetings with representatives from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund — although no specific funding amount or price was discussed.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four members of the Oath Keepers were convicted Monday of seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack in the second major trial of far-right extremists accused of plotting to forcibly keep President Donald Trump in power.
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arkansas man who propped his feet up on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office during the U.S. Capitol riot was convicted on Monday of joining a mob's attack on the building two years ago.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials want to make COVID-19 vaccinations more like the annual flu shot.
ENVIRONMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden persuaded Democrats in Congress to provide hundreds of billions of dollars to fight climate change. Now comes another formidable task: enticing Americans to buy millions of electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels and more efficient appliances.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government's road safety agency has closed a more than six-year investigation into exhaust odors in Ford Explorer passenger cabins, determining that the SUVs don't have high levels of carbon monoxide and don't need to be recalled.
NONPROFITS
NEW YORK (AP) — The winners of this year's Elevate Prize include social entrepreneurs who help Detroit children prepare for school, build technology labs in rural Kenya, and improve road safety in India.
TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft says it is making a "multiyear, multibillion dollar investment" in the artificial intelligence startup OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT and other tools that can write readable text and generate new images.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Stocks closed higher on Wall Street as investors grow more convinced the Federal Reserve will keep downshifting the size of its rate hikes and as several major companies prepare to report their latest results.
NEW YORK (AP) — Across the country, there's a silent frustration brewing about an age-old practice that many say is getting out of hand: tipping.
NEW YORK (AP) — A survey of national economists found that more businesses now expect job reductions at their firms and to spend less on expansions for the first time since the pandemic, a sign that the Federal Reserve's push to raise interest rates is doing its job to slow the economy.
LONDON (AP) — Music streaming service Spotify said Monday it's cutting 6% of its global workforce, becoming yet another tech company resorting to layoffs as the post-pandemic economic outlook weakens.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — From beach cities to snow-covered streets, abortion supporters rallied by the thousands on Sunday to demand protections for reproductive rights and mark the 50th anniversary of the now-overturned Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision that established federal protections for the procedure.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senior Democrats, dismayed by a steady stream of startling disclosures, expressed criticism Sunday of how President Joe Biden handled classified material after leaving office as vice president and disappointment that the White House has not been more forthcoming with the public.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to name Jeff Zients, who ran the administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic at the start of Biden's term, as his next chief of staff, according to two people familiar with the matter.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Monday imposed sanctions on dozens of Iranian officials, including a government minister, regional governors and lawmakers, suspected in the security crackdown on protestors, but did not add Iran's Revolutionary Guard to its terror group blacklist.
LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak opened an investigation Monday into allegations that the chairman of the governing Conservative Party settled a multimillion-dollar unpaid tax bill while he was in charge of the country's Treasury.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 20
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Thomas and Brendan Saad each had a goal and an assist, sending the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 victory Thursday night over the Nashville Predators.
NASHVILLE AREA
Longtime leader of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp Butch Spyridon will retire from the organization June 30, after 32 years as its top executive. Deana Ivey, who currently holds the title of president, will be promoted to president and CEO July 1.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for vandalism at a women's health clinic in Nashville.
COURTS
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A judge in Romania has granted prosecutors another request to extend by 30 days the arrest of Andrew Tate, the social media personality who has been detained in the country for weeks as prosecutors investigate a case of human trafficking case and rape, an official said Friday.
DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge has ordered Boeing Co. to be arraigned on a felony charge stemming from crashes of two 737 Max jets, a ruling that threatens to unravel an agreement Boeing negotiated to avoid prosecution.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Eight months, 126 formal interviews and a 23-page report later, the Supreme Court said it has failed to discover who leaked a draft of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights.
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Arkansas man testified Thursday that he was "going with the flow" when he propped up his feet on a desk in then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, posing for photographs that made him one of the most memorable figures from the U.S. Capitol riot two years ago.
REAL ESTATE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. home sales tumbled to the slowest pace in nearly a decade as soaring mortgage rates and sky high prices in 2022 pushed homeownership out of reach for many Americans.
AUTO INDUSTRY
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — General Motors says it will spend more than $900 million to update four factories, with the bulk going to an engine plant in Flint, Michigan, to build the next-generation V8 for big pickup trucks and SUVs.
ENVIRONMENT
The world's largest poultry producer, Tyson Foods, is among nearly a dozen poultry companies that have less than two months to reach agreement with the state of Oklahoma on how to clean a watershed polluted by chicken litter.
MEDIA
Netflix's subscriber growth is surging again, providing an early sign that its shift to include ads in a cheaper version of its video streaming service is helping to combat tougher competition and attract cost-conscious customers grappling with inflation.
ENERGY
TONOPAH, Ariz. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and two cabinet secretaries on Thursday celebrated the start of construction of a new high-capacity power transmission line between Arizona and California, which they hope will lead to future solar energy farms in the desert outside Phoenix.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
A rally for tech stocks applied some salve on Wall Street's rough week, one dominated by worries about a weakening economy.
LONDON (AP) — Google is laying off 12,000 workers, or about 6% of its workforce, becoming the latest tech company to trim staff as the economic boom that the industry rode during the COVID-19 pandemic ebbs.
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Elites from politics, business, academia and the arts on Friday wrapped up the World Economic Forum 's annual conclave in the Swiss town of Davos — where worries about the war in Ukraine, a warming planet and a cooling global economy dominated discussions about the world's ills.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (AP) — A landmark bill mandating that women make up 30% of Sierra Leone's workforce and government positions went into effect on Friday along with paid maternity leave benefits extended to 14 weeks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The most far-right House Republicans, early opponents of Speaker Kevin McCarthy and even embattled new Rep. George Santos all are in line for coveted committee assignments. Some are set to serve on the high-profile oversight committee investigating President Joe Biden's administration.
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — On a humid but remarkably cool Friday in Dakar, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen caravanned from a government building to a business incubator, set to end her day at the president's residence, spreading a message of mutually beneficial U.S.-Africa relations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A half century after Roe v. Wade, March for Life supporters on Friday celebrated the Supreme Court's dismantling of that constitutional right to abortion and heralded the political struggle set loose by the court's decision. President Joe Biden pledged to do all in his limited power to restore core abortion rights.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The case of a defeated New Mexico candidate arrested in a politically motivated shooting spree has turned a spotlight on an issue that has been evolving in the states: whether people with criminal convictions are eligible to run for public office.
WASHINGTON (AP) — CIA Director William Burns visited Kyiv last week to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a U.S. official said Thursday, in the latest example of high-level contacts between the U.S. and Ukraine.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 19
NASHVILLE PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville forward Michael McCarron is available to the Predators after entering the player assistance program of the NHL and NHL Players' Association.
MIDSTATE
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — The Clarksville Healthy Yards is sponsoring an event to help the public plant pollinator-friendly Tennessee native plants that need to experience cold weather before they germinate.
REGION
NASHVILLE (AP) — The nation's largest public utility has appointed an independent panel to look into power failures that spurred the decision to implement rolling blackouts during dangerously cold conditions late last year, the Tennessee Valley Authority announced Thursday.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Thursday it has not determined who leaked a draft of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has never been so slow. For the first time, the justices have gone more than three months without resolving any cases in which they heard arguments, since their term began in early October.
HEALTH CARE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Tennessee correctional officer will receive $160,000 in back pay and damages after he was forced to resign for taking Suboxone to treat his opioid use disorder, if a judge approves a landmark consent decree filed in federal court in Nashville on Wednesday.
ENVIRONMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — Search for the word "climate" on Twitter and the first automatic recommendation isn't "climate crisis" or "climate jobs" or even "climate change" but instead "climate scam."
DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg on Thursday slammed corporate bigwigs meeting in Davos, Switzerland, for "fueling the destruction of the planet" by investing in fossil fuels and prioritizing short-term profits over people affected by the climate crisis.
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III has asked that annual profits from a 1 billion-pound ($1.2 billion) Crown Estate windfarm deal be used for the public good rather than the royal family.
TRAVEL
The CEO of United Airlines said Wednesday that other airlines won't be able to handle all the flights they plan to operate this year, leading to more disruptions for travelers.
MEDIA
LONDON (AP) — The European Union's digital policy chief warned TikTok's boss Thursday that the social media app will have to fall in line with tough new rules for online platforms set to take effect later this year.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that he was "deeply concerned" about the Chinese government's artificial intelligence program, asserting that it was "not constrained by the rule of law."
NEW YORK (AP) — Countless artists have taken inspiration from "The Starry Night" since Vincent Van Gogh painted the swirling scene in 1889.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Stocks fell on Wall Street as worries build that the U.S. may be headed for a painful recession.
The U.S. union membership rate reached an all-time low last year despite high-profile unionization campaigns at Starbucks, Amazon and other companies.
NEW YORK (AP) — Easing inflation and a cooling job market are raising hopes on Wall Street that a gentler Federal Reserve is on the way in 2023. That's despite the central bank's own adamance that it will keep raising rates from their current 15-year high and hold them there into 2024.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said Thursday that high inflation in the United States is easing and suggested it was possible that the Fed's interest rate hikes could slow price acceleration without causing significant job losses.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking unemployment benefits in the U.S. reached a four-month low last week, a sign that employers are holding on to their workers despite the Federal Reserve's efforts to slow the economy and tamp down inflation.
XAPURI, Brazil (AP) — Rubber tapper Raimundo Mendes de Barros prepares to leave his home, surrounded by rainforest, for an errand in the Brazilian Amazon city of Xapuri. He slides his long, scarred, 77-year-old feet into a pair of sneakers made by Veja, a French brand.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government bumped up against its debt limit Thursday, prompting the Treasury Department to take "extraordinary" accounting steps to avoid default — as friction between President Joe Biden and House Republicans raised concern about whether the U.S. can sidestep an economic crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Hillary Clinton was running for president, her campaign wanted a gentler way to talk about the criminal investigation into her private email server, so they called it a "security review."
The Biden administration's big push to engage more with Africa is underway as Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen begins a 10-day visit aimed at promoting all the economic possibilities that lie between the U.S. and the world's second-largest continent.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The countdown toward a possible U.S. government default is in the offing — with frictions between President Joe Biden and House Republicans raising alarms about whether the U.S. can sidestep a potential economic crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to tour damage and be briefed on recovery efforts after devastating storms hit California in recent weeks, killing at least 20 people and causing destruction across 41 of the state's 58 counties.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Everyday Americans will be able to help refugees adjust to life in the U.S. in a program being launched by the State Department as a way to give private citizens a role in resettling the thousands of refugees who arrive every year.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union's assembly called on the member states on Thursday to back the creation of a special court to judge any war crime of aggression by Russia in Ukraine.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The new executive director of European Union border agency Frontex pledged Thursday to ensure that illegal pushbacks of migrants trying to reach Europe wouldn't take place under his watch.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament on Thursday called for Iran's Revolutionary Guard to be put on the European Union's terrorist list and insisted that sanctions targeting Tehran had to be expanded after the violent suppression of protests.