VOL. 39 | NO. 42 | Friday, October 16, 2015
STREET LEVEL
Mark Twain holds out cash as sprightly bar mistress Gena Brown (aka “Miss Flat Rock”) puts another longneck into his beer cozy.
REALTY CHECK
Just when Nashville starts buying into its “Itness,” Niall McCarthy of Statista sends an e-mail to Music Row mogul Rick Sanjek with some staggering data.
REAL ESTATE
September 2015 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
Third quarter 2015 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
TENNESSEE TITANS
The whispers are already out there. How much job security does Ken Whisenhunt really have with the Tennessee Titans?
UT SPORTS
Order has been restored in Vol Nation, at least for now.
NEWSMAKERS
Wayne R. Halper, a music industry veteran and member of the Nashville recording and arts community, has joined Cole Law Group as senior attorney and head of the firm’s Entertainment Law Practice Group.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
The two-seat Mazda MX-5 Miata isn’t cute anymore. Instead, the best-selling roadster in the world is arriving in U.S. showrooms with a sleek, upscale look that many will compare to the BMW Z4.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Is greatness born, or is it made? While sales skills can be taught, the learning curve is shorter for candidates with two key character traits: empathy and drive.
CAREER CORNER
If you’ve ever worked for a large corporation, you’re probably familiar with the phrase, “You can only pick two: good, fast or cheap.”
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
September typically delivers negative performance, and this September was no exception. September’s poor performance punctuated a dismal third quarter. Using MSCI stock indices, the USA, Europe and the emerging markets fell 7 percent, 9 percent and 18 percent respectively. Feeling down? You are not alone…
I SWEAR
TAMPA – “Inspiring architecture complements the warm palette and modern touches of the new Le Meridien Tampa.” Thus begins an online promo for the building I am sitting in – a century-old federal court building that’s been transformed into an unusual boutique hotel.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Oranges, golds, burgundy reds, rich browns and bright yellows – that is what comes to my mind when I think of autumn.
MIDSTATE
LEBANON (AP) — Amazon's fulfillment center in Lebanon is hiring more than 2,000 seasonal workers.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A lobbyist for the state's cable industry on Wednesday declared all government-owned broadband services in Tennessee to be a failure.
AUTO INDUSTRY
BERLIN (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen said Thursday that the U.S. cars identified as having been fitted with software to cheat on emissions tests include some vehicles with a newer diesel engine.
DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union has approved a new four-year contract with Fiat Chrysler.
BERLIN (AP) — The former CEO and CFO of Porsche have gone on trial in Stuttgart on market manipulation charges related to the sports car maker's failed attempt to take over Volkswagen AG in 2009.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans snapped up more homes in September, suggesting that the U.S. housing sector remains insulated from global economic turmoil.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits rose slightly last week but the four-week average declined to the lowest level in more than four decades, another sign the job market is healthy.
Encouraging earnings from McDonald's, eBay and other companies sent U.S. stocks higher in midday trading Thursday. The market also got a lift from a rally in European stocks after the head of the European Central Bank said the bank will consider expanding its stimulus program in December. Industrials stocks were among the biggest gainers.
NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald's sales edged up at established U.S. locations during the third quarter, snapping a streak of about two years of quarterly declines.
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) on Thursday reported third-quarter net income of $368 million.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Thursday will take a blueprint for the economic rescue of Puerto Rico before a Republican controlled Congress dedicated to driving down government spending.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - A former Democratic gubernatorial nominee who is terminally ill is asking the Tennessee Supreme Court to take up the question of whether he has a constitutional right to die with the aid of a doctor.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — An advisory panel is scheduled to hold hearings Wednesday on broadband access in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State auditors say financial mismanagement has put the future of a Tennessee prison food program in jeopardy.
AUTO INDUSTRY
Ferrari roared onto the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday and its shares, trading under the ticker symbol RACE, jumped sharply in their public debut.
BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen has stopped sales in the 28-country European Union of the remaining new cars that contain the diesel engine fitted with the software that was used to cheat on U.S. emissions tests.
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. is recalling 6.5 million vehicles worldwide for a defective power window switch that can overheat, melt and lead to fires.
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors' third-quarter profit fell slightly, but the company rode strong North American sales to overcome $1.5 billion in costs from its deadly ignition switch recall. Its shares rose almost 6 percent in midday trading Wednesday.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stocks closed lower on Wednesday after a late-afternoon slide erased modest gains made earlier in the day.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state and some of its local governments will receive $1.2 million from UPS Inc. as part of a settlement with the shipping company following allegations it overcharged government customers in 14 states.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton warned Wednesday that two major health insurers preparing multibillion dollar acquisitions could tip "the balance of power" too far away from consumers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite record auto recalls and rising highway deaths, Congress is ignoring changes sought by safety advocates and proposing giveaways to the auto and trucking industries that the Obama administration and others say could make matters worse.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Supreme Court has vacated a Hamilton County trial court's ruling that a state law capping certain personal injury damages is unconstitutional.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Law enforcement officials on Monday urged Tennessee lawmakers not to join other states in dialing back police powers to seize cash and vehicles without first gaining criminal convictions.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Vendors of a Nashville newspaper that benefits the homeless are upset over a proposal that they say would destroy sales.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville School of Law administrators say they are surprised by news that just 28 percent of the school's law students who took the Tennessee bar exam this summer passed.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University says scholars from around the world are expected this week for the 12th biennial Holocaust Studies Conference at the university in Murfreesboro.
STATEWIDE
MEMPHIS (AP) — Pilots for FedEx Corp. have voted to approve a six-year contract that includes pay raises, according to their union.
AUTO INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam on Tuesday raised the prospect of Volkswagen locating its new North American headquarters in the state, only to try to walk back those comments later in the day.
WARREN, Mich. (AP) — General Motors' entry into the long-range electric vehicle market should be able to go more than 200 miles on a single charge, company officials said Tuesday.
DETROIT (AP) — Elaborate new transmissions are helping automakers meet rising fuel economy standards, but they're also requiring more trips to the repair shop.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With billions of dollars at stake in restitution and penalties, U.S. states are moving quickly to try to hold Volkswagen accountable for its emissions-cheating scandal.
MILAN (AP) — Ferrari is racing toward a public share offering this week, making it possible for investors to buy a piece of the legendary maker of luxury sports cars and Formula One racing machines.
TECHNOLOGY
Do you trust online reviews? Now that Amazon is suing more than 1,000 people who allegedly offered to write glowing product reviews for cash, you might reasonably be concerned.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction companies built more apartment complexes in September, sparking a temporary rise in housing starts for a real estate market that otherwise appears to have crested during the summer.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers, fueled by job growth, cheaper gas and higher home values, would drive the U.S. economy through a global slump.
U.S. stocks snapped a three-day winning streak Tuesday as weak company earnings and outlooks weighed on the market.
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon plans to hire 100,000 people for the holidays, a 25 percent jump from last year that reveals a shift in the way we shop.
BEIJING (AP) — China's official data show economic growth slowing but skeptics say the downturn is much deeper than Beijing admits.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Badly outspent and targeted by a withering Chamber of Commerce television ad, Woody White lost the Republican primary for an open House seat from North Carolina last year. Yet with anti-establishment Republicans riding high in the presidential race and Congress these days, the tea party-backed lawyer senses a better environment should he force a 2016 rematch with his GOP rival.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday that when he touted outsourcing management of state facilities in recent presentations to New York bond-rating agencies, he was showing the state is being fiscally responsible.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam is raising questions about a legislative proposal to ban Tennessee schools from teaching about "religious doctrine" before the 10th grade, saying it could have unexpected consequences.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Volkswagen almost inevitably will have to compensate owners of diesel cars equipped with emissions-rigging software. Some legal experts say the automaker could be forced to buy back the cars altogether.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The math is harsh: The federal penalty for having no health insurance is set to jump to $695, and the Obama administration is being urged to highlight that cold fact to help drive its new pitch for health law sign-ups.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is stepping up its fight against bogus product reviews on its site, suing more than 1,000 people for allegedly offering to post glowing write-ups for as little as $5 apiece.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government will require many drone aircraft to be registered, a move prompted by the growing number of reported close calls and incidents that pose safety risks, officials announced Monday.
REAL ESTATE
U.S. homebuilders are feeling more optimistic about the housing market, lifting their confidence this month to the highest level in 10 years.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Stocks are closing with tiny gains after spending most of the day in the red.
BEIJING (AP) — China's economy decelerated in the latest quarter but stronger spending by consumers who are emerging as an important pillar of growth helped to avert a deeper downturn.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oprah Winfrey is going on a diet again, but this time she stands to gain a lot of money from her efforts.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - Sportscaster and TV host Erin Andrews is seeking a $75 million judgment against the Marriott hotel chain and a man who admitted making secret nude tapes of her in 2008.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Country star Willie Nelson has rescheduled two shows and canceled another due to an unspecified health issue.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam is defending a practice among his outsourcing advisers to avoid email correspondence to prevent information getting out to the public.
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Chattanooga has launched Internet service at 10 gigabits per second through its municipal broadband network.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Jeb Bush's presidential campaign has announced that it is the first to organize a full slate of Tennessee delegates to represent the former Florida governor at the Republican National Convention.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry is urging residents to practice safe debris burning.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State officials say Tennessee's unemployment rate for September remained at 5.7 percent for the fourth consecutive month.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A Republican state lawmaker says he might offer legislation authorizing faculty and employees at Tennessee's public higher education institutions to carry firearms and have "the best chance possible to defend themselves" if there's a campus shooting.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The health care law's historic gains in coverage may be leveling off: The Obama administration announced Thursday it expects only a slight overall increase in enrollment next year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The estimated number of Tennesseans without health insurance has dropped again, according to a recent annual report by the University of Tennessee Center for Business and Economic Research.
AUTO INDUSTRY
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Corporate and government leaders gathered Thursday in Los Angeles to announce that hundreds more electric vehicles will be coming to California roads — and they'll have hundreds more places to charge up.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen is hiring a top anti-corruption manager from competitor Daimler as it struggles to clean up a scandal over cheating on U.S. diesel emissions tests.
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities on Thursday ordered a recall of all Volkswagen cars fitted with emissions test-cheating software, a decision that will affect 8.5 million VW diesel vehicles across the 28-nation European Union.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators say they expect to receive a proposed fix later this week for some diesel Volkswagens caught up in the German automaker's emissions-rigging scandal.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Stocks are closing higher after a day of meandering, giving the market its third straight week of gains.
NEW YORK (AP) — Google is not violating copyright laws by digitizing books for a massive online library, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a decadelong dispute.
BETHELEHEM, Pa. (AP) — Christmas won't come early this year, but the gifts might.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Labor Department says employers advertised fewer job openings in August and kept hiring flat.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing production fell for the second straight month in September as factories cranked out fewer appliances, computers, and electronics.
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The chief executives of 10 of the world's biggest oil and gas companies have pledged support for an "effective" deal to fight global warming at a Paris conference next month.
NEW YORK (AP) — The largest initial public offering of the year fell short of expectations and the proposed second-largest was postponed in a sign that IPOs are struggling while investors worry about the health of the global markets.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. budget deficit in 2015 fell to its lowest level in eight years, spurred by gains in tax revenue that outpaced greater government spending.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Older Americans got a double dose of bad news Thursday: There will be no cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits next year, and Medicare bills are set to soar for many.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department on Thursday told Congress that it needs to act by Nov. 3 or the government will be dangerously close to being unable to pay all its bills.