VOL. 38 | NO. 44 | Friday, October 31, 2014
REALTY CHECK
Here is a scary Halloween tale: Many real estate transactions do not close on the actual date specified by the legally binding contract.
REAL ESTATE
Top September 2014 commercial real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
TENNESSEE TITANS
If the Tennessee Titans were looking for something to divert their attention from bad football, they may have found it – thanks in part to J.J. Watt.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE – University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones faces a big question this week about his starting quarterback for Saturday night’s game at South Carolina.
NEWSMAKERS
Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slatery has announced that Andrée Sophia Blumstein will join the office as solicitor general. Blumstein will oversee appellate litigation in state and federal courts, review written opinions, and advise the attorney general.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Driving the 2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata roadster is like letting go.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
The average company spends 3 to 5 percent of revenue on marketing, which is certainly not a trivial expense. Why, then, do so many companies invest so little time in the construction of the marketing plan that ensures that investment is well spent?
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
The global economy is a symphony of regional and local economies interconnected by trade, interest rates and currency movements. We can generalize the influence of our leading instrumentalists in the following ways:
I SWEAR
‘Twas many and many a year ago when I acquired a genuine witch’s hat. That Halloween I covered my face with clown-white and donned an old choir robe. I was trying to be the funniest witch imaginable.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
This past weekend, on a sunny Saturday morning, hubby and one of my sons went with me to a pumpkin patch. I wanted to get a few pumpkins to bake with, so I dragged them along.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Miranda Lambert has reached new heights as a female country performer: The fiery singer is the most decorated female artist in the history of the Country Music Association Awards.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Winners of the 48th annual Country Music Association Awards presented Wednesday night in Nashville:
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Attorney General Herbert Slatery says local legislative bodies like county commissions can establish partisan caucuses but that they would likely be subject to Tennessee's open meetings law.
NASHVILLE (AP) — State Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney is running for a fourth term.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — A Middle Tennessee State University professor is driving from Key West, Florida, to Seattle in a vehicle fueled by waste chicken fat and waste vegetable oil from school dining facilities.
AUTO INDUSTRY
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. says it wants to produce 507,000 vehicles a year at its Mississippi plant by 2017, an expansion that would add about 1,000 employees to the current 6,300 workers at the complex.
TECHNOLOGY
Palo Alto Networks has discovered a new form of malware that may have affected hundreds of thousands of Apple mobile device users, largely in China.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. long-term mortgage rates rose this week, with the benchmark 30-year loan crawling back over 4 percent. It was the second straight week of increases in rates after they had fallen for five weeks amid concern over global economic weakness.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Nothing is going gold's way. Inflation remains tame, the dollar looks strong and Americans are increasingly confident.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Postal Service will deliver packages on Sundays in major cities and high volume areas during the holiday season.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, adding to signs that the job market should continue to improve.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. workers' productivity increased in the July-September period at a slower pace than in the previous quarter while labor costs accelerated but still remained at an extremely low level.
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market drifted in Thursday trading, a day after closing at a record high. In Europe, markets climbed after the head of the European Central Bank said he was ready to take more steps to revive the region's struggling economy.
If you're flying somewhere for Thanksgiving, expect planes and airports to be even more crowded this year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Government-controlled mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac posted profits for the July-September period as the U.S. housing market continued to recover. Gains in recent years have enabled them to fully repay their government aid after being rescued during the financial crisis in 2008.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fewer investors are going all-in with their retirement savings.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - When Dierks Bentley readied the release of his seventh album earlier this year, he led with the single "Bourbon in Kentucky."
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is about to gain new clout in the U.S. Senate following national gains by Republicans in Tuesday's election.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A look at some of the state's top races in Tuesday's general election in Tennessee:
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee voters Tuesday approved a constitutional change that will give state lawmakers more power to regulate abortion and also gave a nod to three other amendments on the ballot, including one that will give the Legislature more power over the selection of judges.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler Group's third-quarter net profit rose 32 percent as worldwide sales continued to climb, helping the U.S. company prop up its ailing parent.
Nearly everyone agrees that texting and driving is dangerous. Most people do it anyway.
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota raised its annual earnings forecast after posting a 23 percent jump in quarterly profit Wednesday as a favorable exchange rate added to the momentum of the Japanese automaker's sales growth.
DETROIT (AP) — Audi is recalling nearly 102,000 luxury cars because the front air bags may not inflate in a crash.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks returned to record levels on Wednesday as a rebound in oil prices boosted energy stocks. The stock market also gained after the completion of midterm elections that saw Republicans take control of the Senate.
VIENNA (AP) — Saudi Arabia showed little concern for fellow OPEC members by unilaterally cutting its oil prices to the U.S. this week, a move that casts doubts on the cartel's credibility and its ability to find a common plan to stabilize the slumping energy market.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. services firms expanded more slowly in October, but the pace of growth was still healthy. Hiring also rose to the fastest pace in more than nine years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies added 230,000 jobs in October, the most in four months and a sign that businesses are still willing to hire despite signs of slowing growth overseas.
COIMBRA, Portugal (AP) — The American diplomat turns heads when he rides into rural Portuguese towns on a roaring Harley Davidson or behind the wheel of a vintage Ford Mustang, bringing what he says is an important message: the free trade deal being negotiated between the United States and the European Union is nothing to be afraid of.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - In one corner you've got the starring members of the country boys' club: The veteran George Strait; the Australian guitar player who rocks the shaggy bangs, Keith Urban; the best-selling party boy Luke Bryan; and the funny, tall guy, Blake Shelton.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is challenging Gov. Bill Haslam to another "food fight."
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — State election officials are reminding voters where they can turn if they have questions or concerns.
MEMPHIS (AP) — Discount retailer Fred's has named a new chief executive officer.
AUTO INDUSTRY
LONDON (AP) — Airplane engine-maker Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC says it will reduce its staff by 2,600 over the next 18 months as part of a restructuring focused on its aerospace decision.
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling more than 202,000 cars, vans and trucks in North America in five separate recalls to fix gas leaks, air bag sensors, stalling and other issues.
TOKYO (AP) — Nissan's quarterly profit jumped nearly 15 percent to a better-than-expected 124.9 billion yen ($1.1 billion) as vehicle sales improved in almost all regions.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. housing market cooled off in September, as home prices rose at an ever slowing pace.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The ongoing slump in oil prices weighed on stocks again on Tuesday, pushing energy companies to another day of big losses. Disappointing earnings outlooks from a range of companies, including Priceline and Michael Kors also weighed on the market.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union cut its already low economic growth forecasts further on Tuesday, indicating the recovery will remain sluggish amid problems for the bigger countries, particularly France and Germany.
LONDON (AP) — Oil prices slumped to multi-year lows on Tuesday after Saudi Arabia cut the price of oil sold to the U.S., a move that is shaking an already volatile market but will likely give the world economy an unexpected stimulus.
DALLAS (AP) — The federal government is suing Southwest Airlines Co. after failing to reach a settlement with the carrier over allegations that repairs to dozens of planes didn't meet safety standards.
NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan Chase says the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into its foreign exchange business.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Here is a look at some of the state's top races in Tuesday's general election in Tennessee:
NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said Monday he's not concerned about the margin of the outcome of Tuesday's election - so long as he emerges the winner.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The barrage of television ads and campaigning in Tennessee is heading into its last full day before Tuesday's vote.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee has been ranked the top state in the nation for foreign direct investment job commitments in 2013.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee State Board of Education has announced that Sara Heyburn will succeed Gary Nixon as executive director of the policymaking panel.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Falling gas prices improved buyers' moods and boosted sales of SUVs and trucks in October.
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors says its October U.S. sales rose slightly as pickup truck sales jumped while some top-selling car models faltered.
TECHNOLOGY
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A space tourism rocket broke apart in flight over California's Mojave Desert after a device to slow the experimental spaceship's descent deployed too soon, federal investigators said.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. construction spending fell for a second straight month in September as a slight rebound in housing was offset by further declines in nonresidential building and in government projects.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market held close to record levels on Monday as a report showed that manufacturing remains on sound footing in the U.S. even as other parts of the global economy struggle. Falling oil prices weighed on energy stocks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories were busier in October. Orders, productivity and hiring all grew faster than they did in September, according to a private survey.
NEW YORK (AP) — Hotels don't want guests to have to linger at the front desk — or even stop by at all.
NEW YORK (AP) — Thirteen years after the 9/11 terrorist attack, the resurrected World Trade Center is again opening for business — marking an emotional milestone for both New Yorkers and the nation.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The midterm slugfest for control of the U.S. Senate could have far-reaching effects on the economy.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The passage of several months since a heated legislative debate over the legal definition of Tennessee whiskey has done little to mellow the dispute between two global liquor giants and the growing number of craft distillers caught between them.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A new poll by Middle Tennessee State University indicates Gov. Bill Haslam and fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander hold wide leads over their Democratic challengers, but that support for the incumbents hovered around or below 50 percent.
NEW YORK (AP) — The average price of gasoline in the U.S. hit $3 a gallon Friday, and should soon drop below the benchmark for the first time since December 2010.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee man has been indicted on a three counts of bankruptcy fraud after prosecutors say he gave false testimony to a U.S. trustee.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it drugs for the departed: A quirky bureaucratic rule led Medicare's prescription drug program to pay for costly medications even after the patients were dead.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — For stock investors, there was no shortage of drama in October. Stocks started the month modestly below a record high, only to cascade to their worst slump in two years. But after flirting with a correction, or a 10 percent drop, the U.S. market rebounded and closed at all-time highs on the last day of the month.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers expect better economic growth and rising incomes in the coming months, pushing a measure of confidence to a seven-year high in October.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer cut spending in September for the first time in eight months, as incomes grew at the slowest pace this year. The figures underscore nagging economic soft spots that are expected to ease in the coming months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart is doing whatever it takes to rope in holiday shoppers however they want to buy.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ever thought that big, pink Gulf coast shrimp you ordered at the restaurant or bought from the store didn't taste juicy or salty enough?
NEW YORK (AP) — That bowl of chocolates for ninjas and ghosts won't cost you more this Halloween. Picking the perfect sweet for your Valentine could.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is considering matching online prices from competitors such as Amazon.com, raising the stakes for the holiday shopping season.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For-profit colleges with graduates unable to pay back their student loans could soon face scrutiny by the federal government.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. long-term mortgage rates arrested their five-week decline this week but the benchmark 30-year loan remained below 4 percent.