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VOL. 45 | NO. 44 | Friday, October 29, 2021

Stars aligning for Titans

Big wins, favorable schedule flip the story line

With back-to-back home wins against what was supposed to be two of the best teams the AFC has to offer – Buffalo and Kansas City – you can expect the Tennessee Titans to begin getting some long-sought – at least in the eyes of fans – national recognition.

Titans' Henry will have surgery, no timetable for return

NASHVILLE (AP) — NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry will have surgery Tuesday morning on his right foot, and coach Mike Vrabel says the Tennessee Titans are not putting a timeline on when he will return.

Titans sign Peterson to help replace Derrick Henry

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have signed 2012 NFL MVP and four-time All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson to help replace NFL rushing leader Derrick Henry.

Titans will have to get creative without NFL rushing leader

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have had plenty of experience dealing with injuries this season and now must adapt to their biggest challenge yet.

Yes, Henry is MVP-worthy, but the NFL is a QB league

With Derrick Henry’s work Monday Night Football came the type of attention that rarely finds its way to the Tennessee Titans.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
44.1°F
Overcast
Wind: North at 10.4 mph
Humidity: 68%

EVENTS

Off the Clock – Business after Hours. A networking event for business professionals. Each month a different local nonprofit is selected to receive the proceeds of the meeting. This month’s recipient is the Sumner County Food Bank. All Access Coach Leasing, 364 N. Water Ave., Gallatin. Thursday, 5-6:30 p.m. Information

more events »

Titans at Colts: What to watch

The Titans have a golden opportunity to all but lock up the AFC South if they can win at Indianapolis Sunday. The Titans are 5-2 and already have a win against the Colts Sept. 26. That game was played when Colts QB Carson Wentz was hampered by two ankle sprains, and the Titans were able to take advantage and cruise to an early season win. In the rematch, the Titans can really gain the upper hand with a win or breathe life back into the Colts’ season with a loss.

Colts defense faces daunting task of taking down Henry

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two-time All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard understands what he's facing Sunday.

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

Sunday Halloween shouldn’t always be this difficult

Here we are, 28 years down the road, same situation, no better off. I wrote about it then, for The Tennessean. My lead now could be the same:

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

The Terminators: They’ll be back to kill more deals

The 2021 real estate market is a paradoxical mélange of sales juxtaposed with contract terminations, some houses selling in minutes while some homes linger on the market for months.

REAL ESTATE

US average mortgage rates rise; 30-year sat 3.14%

WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term mortgage rate rose this week as inflation pressures, the coronavirus pandemic and some supply shortages linger.

UT SPORTS

Watching daughter play fuels soccer mom’s cancer battle

The infinity ring hidden under white athletic tape is a constant source of inspiration during games for Tara Katz. The University of Tennessee junior outside back never removes it from her left hand.

QB Bailey leaving Tennessee for transfer portal

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Sophomore quarterback Harrison Bailey is leaving Tennessee after finding himself third on the depth chart under first-year coach Josh Heupel.

NEWSMAKERS

Bradley adds East to real estate group

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP has hired Van P. East III to the firm’s real estate practice group as a partner in the Nashville office.

BRIEFS

LifePoint, Kindred to launch new company

LifePoint Health and Kindred Healthcare have announced plans to establish a new health care company operating under the name ScionHealth upon closing of their previously announced transaction.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Little differences: VW Taos vs. Chevy Trailblazer

The Volkswagen Taos and Chevrolet Trailblazer are two of the latest in a growing crowd of extra-small crossover SUVs. These entry-level crossovers provide plenty of utility in a relatively small package and offer many features found in larger SUVs. Cutting back on size doesn’t mean cutting back on convenience.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Mounting money mistakes could signal dementia

Some of the early signs of dementia are financial, forgetting to pay bills, for example, or having trouble calculating a tip. People who develop dementia also are more likely to miss credit card payments and have subprime credit scores years before they’re diagnosed, a study published last year in medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine finds.

BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

Women seldom get credit – or credit – for inventions

Well, this is not working. You can clearly see a problem, and everyone online agrees with you. It’s not working and the fix, duh!, is painfully obvious. So, now where do you take this idea of yours? To a network TV show or a corporation, a laboratory or a bank? Or, as Katrine Marçal explains in her new book, “Mother of Invention,” it might depend on your gender.

CAREER CORNER

Put difficult interview experience to work for you

Happy Halloween! In celebration, I want to share a frightening job interview story.

MILLENNIAL MONEY

Scary money tasks to tackle now with your family

There are some things no one wants to think about until they have to, like caregiving for your parents as they age and figuring out what happens to your finances when you die. But planning for these events now can spare you and your loved ones a lot of hassle later on.

PREDATORS

Duchene's overtime goal sends Predators past Flames 3-2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Matt Duchene scored at 1:37 of overtime, giving the Nashville Predators a 3-2 win over Calgary on Tuesday night and snapping the Flames six-game win streak.

STATEWIDE

Tennessee to hold free flu vaccination events

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Department of Health is urging the public to get a flu shot if they have not already received one.

COURTS

High court seems ready to strike down New York gun law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed ready to strike down a restrictive New York gun permitting law, but the justices also seemed worried that a broad ruling could threaten gun restrictions on subways, bars, stadiums and other gathering places.

GEO ordered to pay $23.2M in detainee minimum wage cases

SEATTLE (AP) — A private prison company has been ordered to pay more than $23 million over lawsuits that accused it of running its for-profit immigration lockup in Washington state on the backs of detainees.

REAL ESTATE

Zillow to stop home-flipping amid pricing 'unpredictability'

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zillow Group said Tuesday that it will stop buying and selling homes, citing the "unpredictability" of forecasting housing prices.

EDUCATION

Waste Management commits $300K for research, scholarships

NASHVILLE (AP) — Environmental services company Waste Management has announced a three-year commitment of $300,000 for environmental sustainability research at Tennessee State University and scholarships and internships for the school's students.

ENVIRONMENT

UK tells private sector it must invest big to save planet

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Britain called Wednesday for the world's financial industry to channel its vast funds towards greener investments to ensure that global efforts to curb global warming succeed.

RESTAURANTS

DoorDash adds safety features to help protect drivers

DoorDash is adding security features to its app to help protect drivers.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks rise after Fed says it will dial back aid for economy

Stocks climbed to more record highs Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it will begin dialing back the extraordinary aid for the economy it has been providing since the early days of the pandemic.

Fed to begin slowing economic aid as inflation worries rise

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve will begin dialing back the extraordinary economic aid it's provided since the pandemic erupted last year, a response to high inflation that now looks likely to persist longer than it did just a few months ago.

Text of the Federal Reserve's statement after its meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Below is the statement the Fed released Wednesday after its policy meeting ended:

US service sector expands at record pace in October

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — The rate of expansion in the U.S. services sector, where most Americans work, hit a record high in October as demand remained strong even as supply chain problems persisted.

Treasury to trim debt auctions that accelerated in pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department plans to start scaling back the size of some of its government debt auctions, a sign that the government's huge pandemic-driven borrowing needs are starting to ease.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Divided Democrats call for new strategy after disaster in VA

WASHINGTON (AP) — A brutal loss in blue-leaning Virginia and a too-close-for-comfort race in New Jersey sent divided Democrats in Washington scrambling for answers Wednesday, and calling for new strategies to unstick a stalled legislative agenda before they sustain more political damage.

Bucking Manchin, House puts paid leave back in budget bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats in the House said Wednesday that paid family and medical leave will be added back into their $1.75 trillion social services and environmental bill, reviving a key element of President Joe Biden's agenda as they rush to finish the package after dismal overnight election results.

Youngkin's Virginia win jolts Democrats, tight race in NJ

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Republican Glenn Youngkin won the Virginia governor's race early Wednesday, tapping into culture war fights over schools and race to unite former President Donald Trump's most fervent supporters with enough suburban voters to become the first GOP candidate to win statewide office in a dozen years.


TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2
STATE GOVERNMENT

A look at what's in Tennessee's far-reaching COVID-19 bill

NASHVILLE (AP) — Sprawling legislation against COVID-19 prevention measures is awaiting Gov. Bill Lee's decision on whether sign on to efforts to undercut vaccine requirements, mask mandates and more.

Schools face strict hurdles for mask mandates under new bill

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee schools will have to jump through even more hoops if they want to implement mask mandates to prevent the spread of COVID-19 under legislation recently approved by the state's GOP-controlled General Assembly.

COURTS

Supreme Court questions controversial Texas abortion law

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of the Supreme Court signaled Monday they would allow abortion providers to pursue a court challenge to the controversial Texas law that has virtually ended abortion in the nation's second-largest state after six weeks of pregnancy.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Tesla falls on Musk tweet saying Hertz deal not signed yet

SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — Shares of Tesla Inc. tumbled almost 4% in midday trading on Tuesday after its CEO and founder Elon Musk tweeted that a contract to sell 100,000 cars to Hertz had not been signed, suggesting the deal had not been finalized.

Tesla software recall may head off fight with US regulators

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla has issued a recall that automatically sent a software update fixing a safety problem in its electric vehicles, apparently heading off a looming confrontation with U.S. safety regulators.

ENVIRONMENT

After California oil spill, environmentalists plan to sue US

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A month after a Southern California offshore oil spill, environmental advocates said Tuesday that they plan to sue the federal government over the failure to review and update plans for platforms off the coast.

US says oil, gas sales damage climate — won't stop them

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration is planning to sell oil and gas leases on huge tracts of public land in the U.S. West, despite the Interior Department's conclusion that doing so could cost society billions of dollars in climate change impacts.

Biden's climate plan aims to reduce methane emissions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday launched a wide-ranging plan to reduce methane emissions, targeting a potent greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming and packs a stronger short-term punch than even carbon dioxide.

TECHNOLOGY

Robots hit the streets as demand for food delivery grows

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But you may not see it in your neighborhood anytime soon.

Amid US sanctions, Huawei highlights uses for 5G technology

BEIJING (AP) — China's Huawei Technologies Co. is providing smart services and 5G technology to industries such as healthcare, creating new revenue streams that might offset the damage to its smartphone business from U.S. sanctions.

MEDIA

Facebook to shut down face-recognition system, delete data

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Facebook said it will shut down its face-recognition system and delete the faceprints of more than 1 billion people amid growing concerns about the technology and its misuse by governments, police and others.

US files antitrust suit to stop major book publisher merger

The Justice Department is suing to block a $2.2 billion book publishing deal  that would have reshaped the industry, saying consolidation would hurt authors and, ultimately, readers.

NONPROFITS

Giving to top charities rose 3.7% in 2020, driven by wealthy

In the wake of the most devastating public-health emergency in a century and the resulting economic uncertainty, Americans provided more charitable dollars to United Way Worldwide than any other nonprofit focused on direct aid, followed by the Salvation Army and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, according to new rankings by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Military weighs penalties for those who refuse COVID vaccine

WASHINGTON (AP) — As deadlines loom for military and defense civilians to get mandated COVID-19 vaccines, senior leaders must now wrestle with the fate of those who flatly refuse the shots or are seeking exemptions, and how to make sure they are treated fairly and equally.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks gain, pushing the Dow Jones industrials past 36,000

Wall Street added to its recent run of milestones Tuesday as stock indexes hit new highs again and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 36,000 points for the first time.

Democratic chair issues subpoenas to oil executives

WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairwoman of the House Oversight Committee issued subpoenas Tuesday to top executives of ExxonMobil, Chevron and other oil giants, charging that the companies have not turned over documents needed by the committee to investigate allegations that the oil industry concealed evidence about the dangers of global warming.

Hotels rethink the concierge: From selfies to sustainability

Looking to increase your vacation selfie game? Don't worry, Eduardo Vallin has you covered.

BP warns of 'tight' gas market ahead as profits surge

LONDON (AP) — BP reported soaring profits Tuesday on the back of surging oil and gas prices as the global economy recovers from the coronavirus pandemic. The British energy giant also warned that gas markets would remain "tight" over the coming months, which will likely further pressure household budgets.

World's biggest shipper Maersk reports 68% rise in revenue

COPENHAGEN (AP) — The world's biggest shipping company, Denmark's A.P. Moeller-Maersk, reported Tuesday a sharp rise in earnings amid strong worldwide demand for shipments of goods as the economy bounces back from the coronavirus pandemic.

Pfizer tops Q3 forecasts as total COVID vaccine sales soar

Pfizer beat third-quarter expectations and raised its 2021 forecast again even as sales of its top product, the COVID-19 vaccine Comirnaty, slipped in the U.S.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

White House rolls out new plan to combat gun suicides in US

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is rolling out a new initiative aimed at reducing suicides by gun and combating the significant increases in suicides by members of the military and veterans.

US to cut Ethiopia from trade program over rights abuses

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday said he's decided to cut out Ethiopia from a U.S. trade program, setting the path for further sanctions against the African nation over its failure to end a nearly yearlong war in the Tigray region that has led to "gross violations" of human rights.

Governors and more: What to watch in Tuesday's elections

It may be an odd-numbered year but Tuesday's elections aren't sleepy, local contests. Voters in Virginia are weighing in on a governor's race that could rattle President Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington. In Minneapolis, a city still shaken by George Floyd's murder will vote on whether to disband its police department and create a new public safety agency. School board races across the country have become the new battlegrounds for partisan debates over race.

Census analysis finds undercount but not as bad as predicted

The 2020 census missed an estimated 1.6 million people, but given hurdles posed by the pandemic and natural disasters, the undercount was smaller than expected, according to an analysis by a think tank that did computer simulations of the nation's head count.


MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1
TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans use late turnovers to pull off 34-31 OT win at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tennessee safety Kevin Byard promised to do everything he could to redeem himself after a late pass interference call in the end zone Sunday.

NASHVILLE SC

Nashville SC ties, debies Orlando City chance to clinch playoff spot

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Hany Mukhtar tied it for Nashville early in the second half in a 1-1 draw with Orlando City on Sunday, with the Florida team missing a chance to clinch a playoffspot.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Country stars celebrate Grand Ole Opry broadcast milestone

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Grand Ole Opry's broadcast of its 5,000th Saturday show attracted a host of big country music stars to its historic venue.

COURTS

Supreme Court won't hear case involving transgender rights

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is declining to wade into a case involving transgender rights and leaving in place a lower court decision against a Catholic hospital that wouldn't allow a transgender man to have a hysterectomy there.

Supreme Court rejects appeal over secretive court's work

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal over whether the public should have access to opinions of the secretive court that reviews bulk email collection, warrantless internet searches and other government surveillance programs.

Supreme Court questions Texas law banning most abortions

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of the Supreme Court signaled Monday they would allow abortion providers to pursue a court challenge to a Texas law that has virtually ended abortion in the nation's second-largest state after six weeks of pregnancy.

High court won't take case involving Hunter Biden ex-partner

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from a former business partner of presidential son Hunter Biden who was seeking to overturn his criminal conviction for securities fraud.

MEDIA

An "eraser button?" Focused ideas could help bridle Big Tech

WASHINGTON (AP) — Break up Big Tech? How about shrinking the tech companies' shield against liability in cases where the content they push to users causes harm? Or creating a new regulator to strictly oversee the industry?

TRANSPORTATION

American plagued by major flight cancellations for 4th day

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines struggled to fix its operation but still canceled more than 350 flights on Monday as disruptions caused by staffing shortages at the big carrier continued for a fourth straight day.

AUTO INDUSTRY

GM halts second shift at Corvette plant in Kentucky

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — General Motors has temporarily halted second-shift production at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green.

TOURISM

Canadian snowbirds primed to flock south as US opens border

PHOENIX (AP) — Canadians Ian and Heather Stewart are savoring the idea of leaving behind this winter's subzero temperatures when the U.S. reopens its borders to nonessential land travel next week and they launch a long-delayed drive to their seasonal home in Fort Myers, Florida.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

COVID vaccine for younger kids already being packed, shipped

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anticipating a green light from vaccine advisers, the Biden administration is assembling and shipping millions of COVID-19 shots for children ages 5-11, the White House said Monday. The first could go into kids' arms by midweek.

US will make large firms give paid time off for vaccinations

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government will require companies with at least 100 workers to provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and paid sick leave to recover from effects of the shots, a Biden administration official said Monday.

Moderna: FDA delaying decision on its shot for adolescents

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — U.S. regulators are delaying their decision on Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine for 12- to 17-year-olds while they study the rare risk of heart inflammation, the company said Sunday.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Major Wall Street stock indexes eke out more record highs

Stocks ended a wobbly day modestly higher on Wall Street, enough to notch more all-time highs for major indexes.

American distillers look to rebuild business in Europe

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — American whiskey producers raised a glass to celebrate a trans-Atlantic agreement to end retaliatory tariffs that sank their sales in Europe. Now comes the challenge of rebuilding brands that were stymied in those ultra-competitive markets during the lengthy trade dispute.

Treasury says plans to borrow $1.02 trillion this quarter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department said Monday it plans to borrow $1.02 trillion during the current quarter, the largest amount since the government began passing trillion-dollar rescue packages for the economy in the spring of 2020.

Treasury report calls for stricter oversight of stablecoins

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is calling on Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen government regulation of stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency that has soared in popularity in the past year.

Fed to start reining in economic aid as inflation risk rises

WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation at its highest point in three decades, the Federal Reserve is set this week to begin winding down the extraordinary stimulus it has given the economy since the pandemic recession struck early last year, a process that could prove to be a risky balancing act.

US manufacturing growth slows in October to 60.8% reading

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing growth slowed in October amid growing headaches from supply chain bottlenecks.

Fossil fuel divestment gains momentum in philanthropy

A movement to divest from fossil fuel is gaining support among foundations as activists push for funding to be shifted away from coal, oil and natural gas.

Poll: Americans sour on economy amid inflation woes

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Americans' opinions on the U.S. economy have soured noticeably in the past month, a new poll finds, with nearly half expecting economic conditions to worsen in the next year.

China's manufacturing slows for 2nd straight month in Oct

BEIJING (AP) — China's manufacturing activity contracted for a second straight month in October amid materials shortages and a widespread power crunch.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Manchin wavers on Biden's plan, rebuffs progressives

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Joe Manchin wavered Monday on his support for President Joe Biden's sweeping $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal, saying instead it's "time to vote" on a slimmer $1 trillion infrastructure package that has stalled amid talks.

Tussling Dems tumble toward deal on Biden's economic plans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fractious congressional Democrats coalesced significantly around President Joe Biden's multitrillion-dollar domestic ambitions last week. But the two measures boosting resources for social, environment and infrastructure programs remained works in progress, and lawmakers also managed to embarrass Biden and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Dems see progress in adding drug cost curbs to budget bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have made significant progress toward adding compromise provisions curbing prescription drug prices to their massive social and environment package, two congressional aides said Sunday.

Paid leave's demise tough on backers in Manchin's home state

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Jessi Garman, the mother of 3-year-old twin girls, has been searching for a job while also trying to have a third child with her husband, who's in the military. Optimistic that Congress finally would approve paid family medical leave, she thought the time seemed right.

White House press secretary Psaki says she has COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday she has contracted COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms.

Japan's Kishida wins mandate, though economic agenda unclear

TOKYO (AP) — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says Japan should revitalize its economy through "new capitalism." Many in this avidly capitalist country are puzzled over exactly what he has in mind.


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29
TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans' improved D sacking more QBs, allowing fewer points

NASHVILLE (AP) — Swapping out a bunch of players for new ones combined with others playing better has made a world of difference for the Tennessee defense.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Tennessee GOP lawmakers sprint in bid to curb COVID rules

NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Tennessee could be voting within days on whether to ban most businesses from solely requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for their customers and workers and severely limit when companies and government entities — including schools — can require masks.

EDUCATION

Amazon to give Tennessee State $800K for professorship chair

NASHVILLE (AP) — Amazon is donating $800,000 to Tennessee State University for an endowed professorship chair in the computer science department.

Cumberland University lands largest single donation

LEBANON (AP) — Cumberland University in Tennessee has announced the largest single donation ever given to the school, a $5 million gift from a graduate.

AUTO INDUSTRY

US cites 'crisis' as road deaths rise 18% in first-half 2021

DETROIT (AP) — The number of U.S. traffic deaths in the first six months of 2021 hit 20,160, the highest first-half total since 2006, the government reported Thursday, a sign of growing reckless driving during the coronavirus pandemic.

ENVIRONMENT

'Everything is at stake' as world gathers for climate talks

More than one world leader says humanity's future, even survival, hangs in the balance when international officials meet in Scotland to try to accelerate efforts to curb climate change. Temperatures, tempers and hyperbole have all ratcheted up ahead of the United Nations summit.

A look at the top issues for this year's UN climate summit

BERLIN (AP) — This year's U.N. climate summit renews an urgent question to the international community: Can the world come together to confront the common enemy of global warming before it's too late?

Protesters gather in London ahead of climate summit

LONDON (AP) — Protesters started gathering Friday in the heart of London's historic financial district to lobby against the use of fossil fuels in the run-up to the start of the U.N. climate summit in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

US intel doesn't expect to determine origins of COVID-19

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barring an unforeseen breakthrough, intelligence agencies won't be able to conclude whether COVID-19 spread by animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab, officials said Friday in releasing a fuller version of their review into the origins of the pandemic.

FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine.

Japan keeps tourism freeze despite plunge in virus cases

TOKYO (AP) — Filled with pink and fuzzy things and cuddly bears, 6%DOKIDOKI, a tiny store in the heart of Tokyo's Harajuku district, is bursting with "kawaii," the Japanese for "cuteness."

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street closes at new highs after day of choppy trading

Stocks are ending higher Friday as Wall Street closed out a milestone-setting week.

US to look at climate emissions from oil and gas lease sales

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — The Biden administration announced Friday that industry regulators for the first time have begun analyzing greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas leases on a national scale, as they prepare to hold sales in numerous Western states next year amid a fierce debate over federal fossil fuel reserves.

US wages jump by the most in records dating back 20 years

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wages jumped in the three months ending in September by the most on records dating back 20 years, a stark illustration of the growing ability of workers to demand higher pay from companies that are desperate to fill a near-record number of available jobs.

US consumer spending up a modest 0.6% with inflation high

WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers slowed their spending to a gain of just 0.6% in September, a cautionary sign for an economy that remains in the grip of a pandemic and a prolonged bout of high inflation.

Amazon stumbles on slower sales growth, higher labor costs

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon isn't just grappling with the easing of pandemic-induced shopping splurges. The online retail behemoth is also contending with surging costs as it navigates a snarled supply chain and labor shortages.

Profitable Exxon, Chevron emerge as global economy rebounds

Exxon Mobil reversed the losses it suffered last year during the pandemic with a $6.75 billion third quarter profit as demand pushes the price for a barrel of crude past $80 for the first time in years.

Starbucks workers will vote on union at 3 Buffalo stores

Workers hoping to unionize Starbucks stores in the U.S. have won a preliminary victory before the National Labor Relations Board.

Huawei sales off 32% after US sanctions, smartphone sale

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese tech giant Huawei's sales fell 32% from a year earlier in the first nine months of 2021 under U.S. sanctions and following the sale of its Honor smartphone brand, according to figures released Friday.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

US hits Iran with sanctions ahead of key nuke talks meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Friday hit Iran with a fresh set of sanctions as President Joe Biden prepares for a key weekend meeting with European leaders to discuss the possible resumption of nuclear talks with the Islamic Republic.

Biden seeks votes for his $1.75T plan: 'Let's get this done'

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said he and Democrats in Congress reached a "historic" framework for his sweeping domestic policy package. But he still needs to lock down votes from key colleagues for what's now a dramatically scaled-back bill.

Analysis: Biden faces liberal angst after under-delivering

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden set out to be a president who under-promised and over-delivered.

Medicaid issues, not Medicare's, get fixes in Biden budget

WASHINGTON (AP) — Medicaid issues are turning up as winners in President Joe Biden's social agenda framework even as divisions force Democrats to hit pause on far-reaching improvements to Medicare.

Paid leave loss hits hard for Dems after decades of advocacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, who was elected in 1992 as a self described "mom in tennis shoes," has been fighting for paid family and medical leave for decades. For much of this year she appeared to be winning.


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
NASHVILLE SC

Nashville secures playoff spot with 6-3 win over Cincinnati

CINCINNATI (AP) — C.J. Sapong and Randall Leal each scored two goals and Nashville beat Cincinnati 6-3 on Wednesday night to clinch a playoff spot.

STATEWIDE

Tennessee warning horse owners of West Nile danger

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's state veterinarian this week reminded horse owners to protect their animals from West Nile Virus after a horse in Weakley County that contracted the disease had to be euthanized.

Tennessee State Museum building named for ex-Gov. Haslam

NASHVILLE (AP) — The building that houses the new Tennessee State Museum now bears the name of former Gov. Bill Haslam.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Indicted senator steps aside as education chairman

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee senator who was recently indicted on charges that he violated federal campaign finance laws announced Wednesday that he will step aside as chairman of the Senate Education Committee.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Volkswagen lowers sales outlook as chip shortage hits profit

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen lowered its forecast for deliveries to customers Thursday and reported a decrease in operating profits for the third quarter as the global shortage of semiconductors disproportionately hit the company's business in China despite strong demand for its cars there.

Ford, GM profits fall as sales drop due to chip shortage

DETROIT (AP) — The global computer chip shortage cut into third-quarter profits at both Ford and crosstown rival General Motors, with both companies having to temporarily close factories, pinching supplies on dealer lots.

MEDIA

Facebook Inc. rebrands as Meta to stress 'metaverse' plan

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company is rebranding itself as Meta in an effort to encompass its virtual-reality vision for the future — what Zuckerberg calls the " metaverse."

Facebook Inc.: A look at other corporate rebranding efforts

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook Inc. announced Thursday that it is changing its name to Meta Platforms Inc., joining a long list of companies that have tried to rebrand themselves over the years.

Facebook, Google, Twitter face grilling by UK lawmakers

LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers grilled Facebook on Thursday over how it handles online safety as European countries move to rein in the power of social media companies, with the tech giant's head of safety saying the company supports regulation and has no business interest in providing people with an "unsafe experience."

ENVIRONMENT

China offers few new climate targets ahead of UN conference

WASHINGTON (AP) — China is offering no significant new goals for reducing climate-changing emissions ahead of the UN climate summit set to start next week in Glasgow.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Is it OK to go trick-or-treating during the pandemic?

NEW YORK (AP) — Is it OK to go trick-or-treating during the pandemic?

Cheap antidepressant shows promise treating early COVID-19

A cheap antidepressant reduced the need for hospitalization among high-risk adults with COVID-19 in a study hunting for existing drugs that could be repurposed to treat coronavirus.

Vaccine reluctance in Eastern Europe brings high COVID cost

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Truck driver Andriy Melnik never took the coronavirus seriously. With a friend, he bought a fake vaccination certificate so his travel documents would appear in order when he hauled cargo to other parts of Europe.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Broad gains for stocks push S&P 500, Nasdaq to record highs

Stocks closed broadly higher on Wall Street Thursday, marking more record highs for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq.

US jobless claims drop to pandemic low of 281,000

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell to a pandemic low last week as the job market continues to recover from last year's coronavirus recession.

US economy slowed to a 2% rate last quarter in face of COVID

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hampered by rising COVID-19 cases and persistent supply shortages, the U.S. economy slowed sharply to a 2% annual growth rate in the July-September period, the weakest quarterly expansion since the recovery from the pandemic recession began last year.

Oil giants deny spreading disinformation on climate change

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top executives of ExxonMobil and other oil giants denied spreading disinformation about climate change as they sparred Thursday with congressional Democrats over allegations that the industry concealed evidence about the dangers of global warming.

Starbucks raising US workers' pay as union effort looms

Starbucks said Wednesday it is raising its U.S. employees' pay and making other changes to improve working conditions in its stores.

Sony raises forecast as sales hold up amid COVID damage

TOKYO (AP) — Sony reported Thursday that its profit fell 54% in the last quarter, mainly due to a one-time tax-related gain that inflated last year's number.

Samsung reports robust profit thanks to chip demand

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Samsung Electronics on Thursday reported its highest quarterly profit in three years as it continues to see robust global demand for its computer memory chips.

European Central Bank leaves pandemic stimulus unchanged

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank decided Thursday to keep its pandemic stimulus efforts unchanged even as consumer prices spike and central banks in other parts of the world look to dial back support as their economies bounce back from the worst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Sen. Burr under investigation again for pandemic stock sales

WASHINGTON (AP) — North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr and his brother-in-law are being investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission for potential insider trading, a case that stems from their abrupt sales of financial holdings during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, according to recent federal court filings.

Biden announces 'historic' deal — but still must win votes

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden declared Thursday he had reached a "historic economic framework" with Democrats in Congress on his sweeping domestic policy package, a hard-fought yet dramatically scaled-back deal announced just before he departed for overseas summits.

'Stupid' and 'insane': Some billionaires vent over tax plan

Elon Musk isn't happy. With a personal fortune that is flirting with $300 billion, the Tesla CEO — the richest person on earth — has been attacking a Democratic proposal to tax the assets of billionaires like him.

What's in, and what's out, as Biden offers scaled-back plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — After months of talks with Democratic lawmakers, President Joe Biden outlined Thursday a $1.75 trillion framework to support families and education as well as protect against global warming.

Garland defends school violence memo against GOP criticism

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland defended a Justice Department memo aimed at combating threats and violence against teachers, administrators and other school officials while Republicans insisted that he rescind the directive. He signaled no plans to do so despite their criticism

Biden bound for global summits, aims to pass domestic agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden promised to show the world that democracies can work to meet the challenges of the 21st century. As he prepares to push that message at a pair of global summits, his case could hinge on what's happening in Washington, where he is rushing to finalize a major domestic legislative package.

Paid family leave falls out of Biden bill as tempers rise

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Democrats signaled a deal is within reach on President Joe Biden's big domestic bill but momentum fizzled and tempers flared late Wednesday as a paid family leave proposal fell out and a billionaires' tax appeared scrapped, mostly to satisfy a pivotal member of the 50-50 Senate.

Poll: Biden, Dems get low marks on spending talks

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Joe Biden and Democrats try to get a roughly $2 trillion package over the finish line, a new poll shows that fewer than half of Americans approve of how they have handled the spending bill. And many say they know little to nothing about it.

EXPLAINER: Why Congress is looking closely at Jan. 6 rally

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection has focused some of its early work on the planning of the rally at which President Donald Trump told his supporters to "fight like hell." The rally, held that morning and planned by former White House and campaign aides, became a staging ground for hundreds of supporters who marched to the Capitol, pushed past police and broke inside.

China and Serbia praise 'steel friendship' amid growing ties

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian officials praised their "steel friendship" with China during talks on Thursday with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi amid fears in the West that by heavily investing in the Balkan state, Beijing is trying to exert its political influence in that part of Europe.

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