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VOL. 48 | NO. 4 | Friday, January 26, 2024

Who owns your Airbnb? Probably not mom and pop

Short-term rental companies like Sonder are having a moment in Nashville, other tourist destinations

Some weeks the Nashville subreddit has a steady stream of visitors asking locals to share the city’s “hidden gems.”

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

Entrepreneurial spirit or snow job? Maybe bit of both

Three enterprising young lads presented themselves at our front door recently offering a fee-for-service transaction. They proposed to remove the snow that had accumulated on our walkway, and perhaps also the snow on our front sidewalk, for a mutually acceptable price. To be determined.

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

Is Groundly’s land lease a good deal? It’s complicated

There is a new kid in town in the residential real estate market, and this new arrival is going to require some ’splainin,’ as Ricky Ricardo might have said.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
42.1°F
Overcast
Wind: Southwest at 5.8 mph
Humidity: 43%

EVENTS

YP Nashville Connect Fair. Join YP at Saint Elle for the YP Nashville Connect Fair. This after-hours, trade show-style event connects young professionals to community impact opportunities with YP Nashville member organizations. Display booths are staffed by members of young professional organizations partnered with YP Nashville, so you can learn about the benefits and offerings of each organization. YP Nashville Connect is the best opportunity to find where you can make a difference and actively shape the Nashville region. Bring plenty of business cards. Fee: $20-$30. Wednesday, 4:30-6 p.m., Saint Elle, 1420 3rd Ave. S. Information

more events »

REAL ESTATE

Top Davidson County commercial real estate transactions for 2023

Top Davidson County commercial real estate sales for 2023, as compiled by the Nashville Ledger.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans emerge from the ’80s

New coach brings long-overdue offensive overhaul

For the first time since before the franchise moved to Tennessee, the Titans are going in a completely different direction with a head coach replacement.

Callahan hire might be best thing to ever happen to Levis

There should be no member of the Tennessee Titans happier with the Brian Callahan hire than quarterback Will Levis.

Championship Sunday: Can the lowly Lions finally reach the Super Bowl?

There were plenty of entertaining games in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs last weekend, and coincidentally, the Nos. 1 and 3 seeds survived in both conferences.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Predators look like sellers again in advance of trade deadline

With about six weeks remaining before the NHL’s March 8 trade deadline, the Predators will need to decide if they are sellers – again – or buyers with an eye toward a playoff run.

Josi cements legacy as one of team’s greats

In Nashville’s 3-2 Jan. 20 loss in Arizona against the Coyotes, Predators captain Roman Josi scored one of Nashville’s two goals. The goal was the defenseman’s ninth of the season, but more notably, it was the 167th of his career. That goal moved Josi past Shea Weber for most goals scored by a Predators blueliner and into third place in franchise history for goals scored.

Three Periods: Strong finish needed before break

Three games remain for the Predators before their combination All-Star break and bye week will see them not play another game until Feb. 10.

Predators use 3-goal third period to edge Wild 3-2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Alexandre Carrier and Filip Forsberg scored 35 seconds apart to open a three-goal third period, Juuse Saros made 22 saves and the Nashville Predators came back to beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 on Thursday night.

NEWSMAKERS

Polsinelli adds Miltimore as shareholder in Nashville

Polsinelli has welcomed Richard Miltimore as a shareholder in the firm’s growing Nashville office and to the real estate & financial services department.

BRIEFS

Lee to deliver State of the State Feb. 5

Gov. Bill Lee will deliver his sixth State of the State address to the General Assembly and fellow Tennesseans Monday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. CST. The joint session will take place in the House Chamber of the Tennessee State Capitol.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Most compelling car-tech trends from CES ’24

CES provides an annual insight into where and how cutting-edge innovations will reshape how people work, study, communicate and, in many cases, how they’ll drive. This year CES saw a number of automakers present concept vehicles that seem both years into the future and on the very cusp of production.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Retiring wasn’t easy – even after years of writing about it

A couple of years ago, I wrote a column about how to have a retirement worth saving for. It ended with a quote from personal finance educator Barbara O’Neill, who reflected on how the pandemic disrupted many retirees’ plans.

CAREER CORNER

Build your online brand

Employees are switching jobs, sticking with the same employer for a shorter time than their parents or grandparents.

MILLENNIAL MONEY

You’d be smart to tackle overdue taxes this year

For some, the new tax season might serve as a stressful reminder of past taxes that have yet to be filed and paid.

UT SPORTS

Tennessee, Virginia AGs suing NCAA over NIL-related recruiting rules with Vols under investigation

The attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday, a day after the University of Tennessee's chancellor ripped the association for investigating the school for potential recruiting violations related to name, image and likeness compensation rules.

COURTS

6 activists convicted of illegally blocking abortion clinic in Tennessee

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee jury has convicted six anti-abortion protesters of violating federal laws after they blocked the entrance of a reproductive clinic outside Nashville nearly three years ago.

EBay will pay $59 million settlement over pill presses sold online as US undergoes overdose epidemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The e-commerce giant eBay will pay $59 million in a settlement with the Justice Department over thousands of pill press machines sold on the the platform.

Hunter Biden's lawyers press for dismissal of gun charges by arguing they are politically motivated

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden again asked a judge to dismiss the federal gun case against him on Tuesday, arguing it is politically motivated and key evidence was tested after charges were filed.

ELECTION 2024

Trump meets with the Teamsters in Washington as he tries to cut into Biden's union support

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he looks past the GOP primary and toward a likely general election rematch against President Joe Biden, Donald Trump is meeting with members of the Teamsters Union in Washington on Wednesday as he tries to cut into Biden's organized labor support.

Biden will visit Ohio community that was devastated by a fiery train derailment nearly a year ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit the eastern Ohio community that was devastated by a fiery train derailment in February 2023 that displaced thousands of residents and left many fearing potential health effects from the toxic chemicals that spilled when a Norfolk Southern train went off the tracks.

HEALTH CARE

Biogen plans to shut down its controversial Alzheimer's drug Aduhelm

Biogen will stop developing its Alzheimer's treatment Aduhelm, a drug once seen as a potential blockbuster before stumbling soon after its launch a couple years ago.

MEDIA

Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and others may vanish from TikTok as licensing dispute boils over

Universal Music Group, which represents artists including Taylor Swift, Drake, Adele, Bad Bunny and Billie Eilish, says that it will no longer allow its music on TikTok now that a licensing deal between the two parties has expired.

Meta, TikTok and other social media CEOs testify in heated Senate hearing on child exploitation

Sexual predators. Addictive features. Suicide and eating disorders. Unrealistic beauty standards. Bullying. These are just some of the issues young people are dealing with on social media — and children's advocates and lawmakers say companies are not doing enough to protect them.

ECONOMY

US worker paycheck growth slowed late last year, pointing to cooling in a very strong job market

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pay and benefits for America's workers grew in the final three months of last year at the slowest pace in two and a half years, a trend that could affect the Federal Reserve's decision about when to begin cutting interest rates.

Federal Reserve signals that interest rate cuts aren't imminent, leaves them unchanged for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve indicated Wednesday that it's nearing a long-awaited shift toward cutting interest rates, a sign that its officials have grown confident that they're close to fully taming inflation. But the Fed also signaled that the first rate cut is likely months away.

Mexico's economy ekes out 0.1% expansion in 4th quarter, posts growth of 3.1% for 2023

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's economy barely eked out a 0.1% increase in the fourth quarter, bringing estimated growth for 2023 to 3.1%, according to preliminary figures published Tuesday by Mexico's National Statistics Institute.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Slumping tech stocks, dashed hopes of quick rate cuts push Wall Street lower

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street fell to its worst loss in since September after Big Tech stocks got burned by the downside of high expectations and the Federal Reserve indicated cuts to interest rates likely aren't imminent.

Walmart to build or convert 150-plus stores in next 5 years. It hasn't opened new stores in 3 years

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart plans to build or convert more than 150 stores in the next five years, while continuing to remodel existing stores.

Boeing cuts its 4Q loss to $30 million, but that was before one of its jets lost a panel in flight

Boeing narrowed its fourth-quarter loss to $30 million and increased production of its best-selling plane just before one of them suffered a blowout of a side panel during a flight, an accident that has raised new safety concerns about the aircraft manufacturer.

H&M's top leader steps down in surprise move as earnings disappoint

LONDON (AP) — H&M's top executive unexpectedly stepped down Wednesday and the company's stock plunged as the fashion giant reported a drop in sales over the holiday shopping season.

Order to liquidate property giant China Evergrande is just one step in fixing China's debt crisis

BANGKOK (AP) — A Hong Kong court's order to liquidate China Evergrande, the world's most heavily indebted real estate developer, is only a tentative step toward resolving a debt crisis that is haunting financial markets and dragging on the Chinese economy.

Samsung reports decline in profit but anticipates business improvement driven by chips

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics on Wednesday reported an annual 34% decline in operating profit for the last quarter as sluggish demands for its TVs and other consumer electronics products offset hard-won gains from a slowly recovering computer chip market.

Microsoft profit soars 33% on AI, cloud-computing investments

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft Corp. said Tuesday that its profit for the October-December quarter soared 33%, powered by its significant investments in artificial intelligence technology. The company said that increase largely reflected growth in its cloud-computing unit, where Microsoft focuses most of its AI investments.

Starbucks reports record Q1 revenue but lowers outlook as consumer spending falls in some markets

Starbucks reported record revenue in its fiscal first quarter but lowered its sales outlook for the rest of the year as spending weakens in China and other markets.

Google's parent posts double-digit revenue growth in 4th quarter, but ad sales rise at slower pace

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google's corporate parent returned to double-digit revenue growth during last year's final quarter, signaling the internet powerhouse has regained its footing even as it grapples with regulatory and competitive threats to its digital empire.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Deal on wartime aid and border security stalls in Congress as time runs short to bolster Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — With time slipping to bolster Ukraine's defenses, Senate negotiators struggled Wednesday to finalize a bipartisan deal that would pair policy changes at the U.S. southern border with wartime aid for Kyiv as their carefully negotiated compromise ran into strong resistance from House Republicans and Donald Trump.

Secret history: Even before the revolution, America was a nation of conspiracy theorists

WASHINGTON (AP) — A brutal conflict in Europe was fresh in people's minds and the race for the White House turned ugly as talk of secret societies and corruption roiled the United States.

Chinese hackers are determined to 'wreak havoc' on US critical infrastructure, FBI director warns

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials said Wednesday they disrupted a Chinese-backed effort to plant malware that could damage civilian infrastructure, as the head of the FBI warned that Beijing is positioning itself to disrupt the daily lives of Americans if the United States and China ever go to war.

House GOP takes party-line vote toward Mayorkas impeachment as border becomes 2024 campaign issue

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans voted along party lines early Wednesday to move toward impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for a "willful and systematic" refusal to enforce immigration laws as border security becomes a top 2024 election issue.


TUESDAY, JANUARY 30
UT SPORTS

Tennessee chancellor says NCAA allegations of NIL rules violations are untrue and flawed

Chancellor Donde Plowman told the NCAA president that allegations Tennessee violated rules overseeing name, image and likeness are "factually untrue and procedurally flawed," according to a letter released Tuesday by the university.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Giroux scores in OT as Senators rally to beat Predators 4-3

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Claude Giroux scored 3:36 into overtime, and the Ottawa Senators rallied from three goals down to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Monday night.

COURTS

Attorney General Merrick Garland to undergo surgery, Justice Department says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland will undergo back surgery this weekend and delegate his duties to the deputy attorney general during the procedure, the Justice Department said Monday.

ELECTION 2024

Trump stays on Illinois' ballot as election board declines to ban him over insurrection amendment

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois' election board on Tuesday kept former President Donald Trump on the state's primary ballot, a week before the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on whether the Republican's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol disqualifies him from the presidency.

Biden to soak up sunshine and campaign cash in Florida trip

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will spend Tuesday raising money in Florida, a onetime swing state that has since become a Republican stronghold and the home turf of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

AUTO INDUSTRY

GM made $10B last year despite autoworkers strike, says it will bring back plug-in hybrids to US

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors' net income rose 12% last year despite losing more than $1 billion when many of its plants were shut down by a six-week autoworkers' strike. The company also announced that it will bring back some plug-in gas-electric hybrids as electric vehicle sales growth slows.

Japanese officials raid a Toyota group plant after the company admitted cheating on engine testing

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese transport officials raided a Toyota-affiliated plant Tuesday after the company admitted to cheating on engine testing, as Toyota Motor Corp. reported it sold over 11 million vehicles in 2023 to retain its status as the world's top car manufacturer.

TECHNOLOGY

ChatGPT violated European privacy laws, Italy tells chatbot maker OpenAI

LONDON (AP) — Italian regulators said they told OpenAI that its ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot has violated European Union's stringent data privacy rules.

MEDIA

X restores Taylor Swift searches after deepfake explicit images triggered temporary block

LONDON (AP) — Elon Musk's social media platform X has restored searches for Taylor Swift after temporarily blocking users from seeing some results as pornographic deepfake images of the singer circulated online.

BANKING

UK fines HSBC bank for not going far enough to protect deposits in case it collapsed

LONDON (AP) — HSBC, Europe's biggest bank, has been fined 57.4 million pounds ($72.8 million) for failing to adequately protect customer deposits in the event that the bank collapsed, U.K. regulators said Tuesday.

ENERGY

After a record year, Norway's giant oil fund pledges to push sustainable energy

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — The manager of the world's largest sovereign wealth fund pledged Tuesday to push major oil and gas companies to speed up preparations for the "inescapable" transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels while also twisting arms in U.S. boardrooms to take control of executive pay.

Saudi Arabia's oil giant Aramco says it will not increase maximum daily production on state orders

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia's oil giant Saudi Aramco said Tuesday it will not try to increase its maximum daily oil production to 13 million barrels a day after receiving an order from the country's Energy Ministry.

ECONOMY

American consumers feeling more confident than they have in two years

American consumers, fresh off strong holiday spending, are feeling more confident than they have in two years.

US job openings rose in December, pointing to a still-durable labor market

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's employers posted 9 million job openings in December, an increase from November and another sign that the U.S. job market remains resilient despite the headwind of higher interest rates.

IMF sketches a brighter view of global economy, upgrading growth forecast and seeing lower inflation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund has upgraded its outlook for the world economy this year, envisioning resilient growth led by the United States and a slower pace of inflation.

Europe's economic blahs drag on with zero growth at the end of last year

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe's economy failed to expand at the end of 2023, with the stagnation now lasting for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and lagging growth in powerhouse Germany.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street holds near its record heights

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks drifted through a quiet day and held near their record heights following a mixed set of profit reports.

Pfizer stays the course on 2024 outlook after delivering better earnings than Wall Street forecast

Pfizer turned in a better-than-expected fourth quarter, boosted by products outside the drugmaker's slumping COVID-19 vaccine and treatment.

UPS stock down before market open as company says it's eliminating about 12,000 jobs

UPS slid before the opening bell Tuesday as the package delivery company announced that it's eliminating approximately 12,000 jobs and looking at strategic options for its Coyote truck load brokerage business.

Order to liquidate property giant China Evergrande is just one step in fixing China's debt crisis

BANGKOK (AP) — A Hong Kong court's order to liquidate China Evergrande, the world's most heavily indebted real estate developer, is only a tentative step toward resolving a debt crisis that is haunting financial markets and dragging on the Chinese economy.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Biden says he's decided on response to killing of 3 US troops, plans to attend dignified transfer

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday indicated he had decided how to respond after the killing of three American service members Sunday in a drone attack in Jordan that his administration has pinned on Iran-backed militia groups, saying he does not want to expand the war in the Middle East but demurring on specifics.

House Republicans taking a key vote toward impeaching Mayorkas as border becomes 2024 campaign issue

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are preparing to take a key vote Tuesday toward impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over what they call his "willful and systematic" refusal to enforce immigration laws as border security becomes a top 2024 election issue.


MONDAY, JANUARY 29
COURTS

Ex-IRS contractor gets five years in prison for leak of tax return information of Trump, rich people

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service who pleaded guilty to leaking tax information to news outlets about former President Donald Trump and thousands of the country's wealthiest people was sentenced to five years in prison Monday.

Supreme Court is urged to rule Trump is ineligible to be president again because of the Jan. 6 riot

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court should declare that Donald Trump is ineligible to be president again because he spearheaded the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in an effort to overturn his 2020 election loss, lawyers leading the fight to keep him off the ballot told the justices on Friday.

Key points from AP analysis of Trump's New York civil fraud case

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump could potentially have his real estate empire ordered "dissolved" for repeated misrepresentations on financial statements to lenders in violation of New York's powerful anti-fraud law.

Taking away Trump's business empire would stand alone under New York fraud law

NEW YORK (AP) — Within days, Donald Trump could potentially have his sprawling real estate business empire ordered "dissolved" for repeated misrepresentations on financial statements to lenders, adding him to a short list of scam marketers, con artists and others who have been hit with the ultimate punishment for violating New York's powerful anti-fraud law.

ELECTION 2024

Republicans see an opportunity with Black voters, prompting mobilization in Biden campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump isn't known for fostering deep connections with the Black community.

Illinois election officials to weigh recommendation to remove Trump's name from March primary ballot

CHICAGO (AP) — Former President Donald Trump should be removed from Illinois' primary ballot, but the decision should be left to the courts, a retired judge recommended Sunday to the state's election board, arguing that it was clear Trump engaged in insurrection in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Tax season is under way. Here are some tips to navigate it

NEW YORK (AP) — Tax season began Monday and for many people filing U.S. tax returns — especially those doing it for their first time — it can be a daunting task that's often left to the last minute. But if you want to avoid the stress of the looming deadline, start getting organized as soon as possible.

HEALTH CARE

Maker of millions of recalled sleep apnea machines agrees to halt sales in US

WASHINGTON (AP) — The company behind a global recall of sleep apnea machines said Monday it will stop selling the devices in the U.S., under a tentative agreement with regulators that could cost the company nearly $400 million.

MILITARY

Enemy drone that killed US troops in Jordan was mistaken for a US drone, preliminary report suggests

WASHINGTON (AP) — An enemy drone that killed three American troops and wounded dozens of others in Jordan may have been confused with an American drone returning to the U.S. installation, two U.S. officials said Monday.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Toyota urges owners of old Corolla, Matrix and RAV4 models to park them until air bags are replaced

DETROIT (AP) — Toyota and General Motors are telling the owners of about 61,000 older Corolla, Matrix, RAV4 and Pontiac Vibe models to stop driving them because their Takata air bag inflators are at risk of exploding and hurling shrapnel.

Toyota chief apologizes for cheating on testing at group company – again

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota chief Koji Sato apologized Monday to customers, suppliers and dealers for flawed testing at a group company, following a series of similar problems in recent years.

TECHNOLOGY

AI companies will need to start reporting their safety tests to the US government

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will start implementing a new requirement for the developers of major artificial intelligence systems to disclose their safety test results to the government.

Science sleuths are using technology to find fakery and plagiarism in published research

Allegations of research fakery at a leading cancer center have turned a spotlight on scientific integrity and the amateur sleuths uncovering image manipulation in published research.

ECONOMY

Inflation has slowed. Now the Federal Reserve faces expectations for rate cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chair Jerome Powell will enter this week's Federal Reserve meeting in a much more desirable position than he likely ever expected: Inflation is getting close to the Fed's target rate, the economy is still growing at a healthy pace, consumers keep spending and the unemployment rate is near a half-century low.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street climbs ahead of Big Tech profit reports and Fed meeting

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Monday to kick off a week where Wall Street's most influential stocks may show whether the huge expectations built up for them are justified.

Walmart's latest perk for U.S. store managers? Stock grants

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is further sweetening the perks for its U.S. store managers as the nation's largest retailer and private employer seeks to retain its leaders and attract new ones in a still competitive job market.

Amazon calls off bid to buy robot vacuum cleaner iRobot amid scrutiny in the US and Europe

LONDON (AP) — Amazon on Monday called off its proposed acquisition of iRobot, which was facing antitrust scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic, with the ecommerce giant blaming "undue and disproportionate regulatory hurdles."

Small biz owners scale back their office space or go remote altogether. Some move to the suburbs

NEW YORK (AP) — After 46 years, Steve Replin has decided to give up his office space.

Prisoners in the US are part of a hidden workforce linked to hundreds of popular food brands

ANGOLA, La. (AP) — A hidden path to America's dinner tables begins here, at an unlikely source – a former Southern slave plantation that is now the country's largest maximum-security prison.

Biden is marking the 15th anniversary of landmark pay equity law with steps to help federal workers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is marking Monday's 15th anniversary of a landmark federal pay equity law with new action to help close gaps in pay for federal employees and employees of federal contractors.

Shares of building materials maker Holcim jump as it plans to list unit in the US

GENEVA (AP) — Shares of Holcim Ltd. jumped Monday after the Swiss-based cement and building materials company announced plans to spin off its North American unit and list its shares in the U.S.

Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are idling car factories and delaying new fashion. Will it get worse?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Car factories have idled in Belgium and Germany. Spring fashion lines are delayed at a popular British department store. A Maryland company that makes hospital supplies doesn't know when to expect parts from Asia.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

President Biden has said he'd shut the U.S.-Mexico border if given the ability. What does that mean?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made some strong claims over the past few days about shutting down the U.S.-Mexico border as he tries to salvage a border deal in Congress that would also unlock money for Ukraine.

Defense Secretary Austin returns to work after cancer surgery complications

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin returned to work at the Pentagon on Monday after nearly a month's absence because of prostate cancer and was meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

House GOP releases impeachment articles in bid to oust Homeland Security's Mayorkas over the border

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans on Sunday released two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as they vowed to swiftly push forward with election-year efforts to oust him over what they call his failure to manage the U.S.-Mexico border. The rare step against a Cabinet member drew outrage from Democrats and the agency as a politically motivated stunt lacking the constitutional basis to remove Mayorkas from office.


FRIDAY, JANUARY 26
STOCK MARKETS

Markets Final: Wall Street closes its 12th winning week in the last 13 with a mixed finish

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street closed out its latest winning week with a mixed finish on Friday, as drops for technology stocks dragged on the market.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Bipartisan Tennessee proposal would ask voters to expand judges' ability to deny bail

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A bipartisan group of Tennessee lawmakers on Friday announced their support for a proposed constitutional amendment that would give judges more latitude to hold someone without bail before trial for certain violent criminal charges.

Lee says education commissioner meets requirements, despite lack of teaching license

LEBANON, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee on Friday said his administration was aware of the qualifications required under Tennessee law before appointing Lizzette Reynolds as education commissioner, rebuffing Democratic lawmakers' criticism that his appointee is not licensed to teach in Tennessee, despite a statute that says she should be qualified to do so.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Johnson warns Senate against border deal, suggesting it will be 'dead on arrival'

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson took a strong stand Friday against a bipartisan Senate deal to pair border enforcement measures with Ukraine aid, sending a letter to colleagues that aligns him with hardline conservatives determined to sink the compromise on border and immigration policy.

ECONOMY

Inflation slowed further in December as an economic 'soft landing' moves into sharper focus

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge cooled further last month even as the economy kept growing briskly, a trend sure to be welcomed at the White House as President Joe Biden seeks re-election in a race that could pivot on his economic stewardship.

ELECTION 2024

RNC pulls resolution declaring Trump as the 'presumptive 2024 nominee'

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — The Republican National Committee has pulled a resolution to consider declaring Donald Trump the party's "presumptive 2024 nominee" before he formally clinches the requisite number of delegates, a person familiar with the decision said Thursday.

COURTS

Jury says Trump must pay an additional $83.3 million to Carroll in defamation case

NEW YORK (AP) — A jury has awarded an additional $83.3 million to former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says former President Donald Trump damaged her reputation by calling her a liar after she accused him of sexual assault.

INTERNATIONAL

JetBlue tells Spirit Airlines that it may terminate its $3.8 billion buyout offer challenged by US

NEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue Airways warned that it may end its bid to acquire low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines as soon as this weekend after a federal judge blocked the deal, sending Spirit shares sharply lower Friday.

TRANSPORTATION

Yemen Houthi rebels fire a missile at a US warship, escalating Mideast sea conflict

JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels launched a missile Friday at a U.S. warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile, and struck a British vessel as their aggressive attacks on maritime traffic continue.

Top UN court stops short of ordering cease-fire in Gaza and demands Israel contain deaths

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The United Nations' top court stopped short Friday of ordering a cease-fire in Gaza in a case accusing Israel of genocide in the tiny coastal enclave, but demanded that Israel try to limit deaths and damage caused by its military offensive there.

An unlikely challenger to Putin brings a rare show of defiance, creating a dilemma for the Kremlin

They have lined up by the thousands across Russia in recent days, standing in the bitter cold for a chance to sign petitions to support an unlikely challenger to President Vladimir Putin.

UN: Global trade is being disrupted by Red Sea attacks, war in Ukraine, low water in Panama Canal

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. trade body sounded an alarm Thursday that global trade is being disrupted by attacks in the Red Sea, the war in Ukraine, and low water levels in the Panama Canal.

TECHNOLOGY

Carlin estate sues over fake comedy special purportedly generated by AI

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The estate of George Carlin has filed a lawsuit against the media company behind a fake hourlong comedy special that purportedly uses artificial intelligence to recreate the late standup comic's style and material.


THURSDAY, JANUARY 25
STATE GOVERNMENT

State GOP leaders see no issue with state's voting-rights restoration system

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's top Republican lawmakers say they have no issue with the state's strict policy on restoring voting rights for those convicted of a felony, arguing that people shouldn't have violated the law if they wanted to continue casting ballots.

ECONOMY

US economy grew at a 3.3% pace last quarter, pointing to continued resilience

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's economy grew at an unexpectedly brisk 3.3% annual pace from October through December as Americans showed a continued willingness to spend freely despite high interest rates and price levels that have frustrated many households.

US applications for jobless benefits rise, but layoffs remain at historically low levels

More Americans filed jobless benefits last week but layoffs remain at historically low levels despite elevated interest rates and a flurry of job cuts in the media and technology sectors.

Financial markets are jonesing for interest rate cuts. Not so fast, says the European Central Bank

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde will likely push back Thursday against expectations for quick interest rate cuts even as Europe's economy sputters and financial markets froth in hopes of cheaper credit that would boost business activity and stock prices.

REGION

Alabama prepares to carry out the first US execution by nitrogen gas

ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — Unless blocked by the U.S. Supreme Court, Alabama will attempt to put a man to death with nitrogen gas Thursday night, a never used execution method that the state claims will be humane but critics call cruel and experimental.

TRANSPORTATION

Southwest Airlines is reporting a loss, and American expects to start the new year with a loss

DALLAS (AP) — Fourth-quarter profit fell sharply at American Airlines, and the carrier predicted it would lose money in early 2024, while Southwest Airlines posted a loss, as both carriers struggled to cover rising labor costs.

COURTS

Trump testifies in his defense in defamation suit -- for less than 3 minutes

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump was on and off the witness stand at a jury trial Thursday in less than 3 minutes but not before breaking a judge's rules on what he could say by claiming that a writer's sexual assault allegations were a "false accusation" and he wanted to defend himself and the presidency.

Trump White House official convicted of defying Jan. 6 congressional subpoena to be sentenced

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Trump White House official convicted of contempt of Congress for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol is set to be sentenced Thursday.

Maine's top court dismisses appeal of judge's decision on Trump ballot status

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Maine's top court Wednesday evening declined to weigh in on whether former President Donald Trump can stay on the state's ballot, keeping intact a judge's decision that the U.S. Supreme Court must first rule on a similar case in Colorado.

ELECTION 2024

Trump's live appearances pose a riddle that news executives still haven't solved

NEW YORK (AP) — Even as Donald Trump seeks his third straight Republican presidential nomination, his live appearances still present an unsolved riddle for many news outlets: How do you cover him?

Biden, eager for a 2020 rematch in November, is quick to anoint Trump as his 2024 rival

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is zeroing in on an expected rematch against Donald Trump after this week's New Hampshire primaries, eager to sharpen the contrast with his predecessor.

Trump racks up endorsements from Republicans in Congress as resistance fades

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long before Donald Trump announced his campaign to retake the White House, he launched a quieter campaign to rack up Republican endorsements.

'Honored to have your back, and you have mine': Biden endorsed by United Auto Workers in election

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden picked up an endorsement from the United Auto Workers union Wednesday, an important boost to the Democratic president's reelection bid as he pushes to sway blue-collar workers his way in critical auto-making swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin.

TECHNOLOGY

How To Tech: Why it's important to turn on Apple's new Stolen Device Protection

LONDON (AP) — You're in a crowded bar when a thief watches you unlock your iPhone with your passcode, then swipes it. That sinking feeling hits when you realize it's gone, along with priceless photos, important files, passwords on banking apps and other vital parts of your digital life.

Ring will no longer allow police to request doorbell camera footage from users

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon-owned Ring will stop allowing police departments to request doorbell camera footage from users, marking an end to a feature that has drawn criticism from privacy advocates.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Tesla 4Q earnings fall short of analyst estimates as company warns of lower sales growth this year

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla's net income more than doubled last quarter thanks to a big one-time tax benefit, but it warned of "notably lower" sales growth this year.

TRANSPORTATION

FAA approves inspection process that could clear the way for grounded Boeing planes to fly again

Federal regulators have approved an inspection process that will let airlines resume flying their Boeing 737 Max 9 jetliners, which have been grounded since a side panel blew out of a plane in midflight earlier this month.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Nokia sales and profit drop as economic challenges lead to cutback on 5G investment

HELSINKI (AP) — Nokia on Thursday reported a double-digit decline in sales and a fall in profit in the last three months of 2023, with the wireless and fixed-network equipment maker saying operators are cutting back on investments into 5G and other technology because of economic uncertainty.

Saudi Arabia opens its first liquor store in over 70 years as kingdom further liberalizes

JERUSALEM (AP) — A liquor store has opened in Saudi Arabia for the first time in over 70 years, a diplomat reported Wednesday, a further socially liberalizing step in the once-ultraconservative kingdom that is home to the holiest sites in Islam.

CSX 4Q profit slips but railroad keeps its trains running smoothly and predicts profitable 2024

CSX's fourth quarter profit slipped 13%, but the railroad hauled slightly more freight and kept its trains running smoothly.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

White House launches gun safety initiative with first lady Jill Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is trying to enlist school leaders to help spread the word about the importance of safely storing firearms to protect children.

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