VOL. 37 | NO. 46 | Friday, November 15, 2013
Top October 2013 residential real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
REALTY CHECK
The Greater Nashville Association of Realtors’ sale figures for October show there were 2,469 closings for the month, up 6.79 percent from the same period last year. It was noted in this column last month that pending sales for September were up only 8.7 percent, signaling the end of double-digit increases.
TERRY McCORMICK
Rock bottom. For a team that has had plenty of lows over the past several seasons, the Titans probably bottomed out with Sunday’s home loss to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars.
NEWSMAKERS
Saint Thomas Health has named Jennifer Elliott, RN, vice president of Clinical Operations and chief nursing officer for Saint Thomas West Hospital and Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
This morning, you were stylin’. You left for work, in fact, feeling like a million bucks in your favorite shirt, your most comfortable suit, and your lucky undies.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Google holds the title of world’s most powerful search engine with comScore reporting an estimated 13 billion searches in July of this year, compared to 3.5 million for its the next largest competitor, Bing.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
Markets bounced around a bit last week due to the continued volley between economic/earnings expectations and interest rate expectations. As a market observer, you must fully grasp this dynamic to translate daily volatility.
I SWEAR
HOT SPRINGS, ARK. – “Old Pond” cartoonist big hit at haiku Hot Springs: Jessica Tremblay.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
It’s chili time! I know chili can be eaten year-round and not just in the fall. But when there is a chill in the air, there’s something about a good bowl of hearty chili to banish the chill.
NASHVILLE AREA
Kirkland's Inc. shares soared Thursday after the home decor retailer reported a better-than-expected fiscal third quarter and raised its full-year forecast.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville Mayor Karl Dean is being recognized by the Country Music Association.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government expects to sell the last of its stake in General Motors by the end of the year, bringing an end to a sad chapter in the 105-year-old company's history.
HEALTH CARE
NEW YORK (AP) — Technology experts say healing what ails the Healthcare.gov website will be a tougher task than the Obama administration acknowledges.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits fell 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 323,000 last week, the lowest since late September and further evidence of an improving job market.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell in October for the second straight month, driven down again by cheaper gasoline costs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose on Wall Street Thursday after the number of people applying for U.S. unemployment benefits fell to the lowest since September.
The price of oil rose slightly Thursday, to above $94 a barrel, as talks between Iran and six powers to curb Tehran's nuclear program seemed to be at an impasse.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages declined this week after two weeks of increases, keeping home-buying affordable.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel has advanced Janet Yellen's nomination to lead the Federal Reserve, setting up a final vote in the full Senate. The timing of a Senate vote isn't clear, but Yellen is widely expected to win confirmation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats eased the way for swift approval of President Barack Obama's current and future nominees on Thursday, voting unilaterally to overturn decades of Senate precedent and undermine Republicans' ability to block final votes.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - Four same-sex couples are asking a federal judge for a preliminary injunction that would force Tennessee to recognize their marriages.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
MEMPHIS (AP) — The money-making enterprise called Elvis Presley has been sold.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Cars that run on hydrogen and exhaust only water vapor are emerging to challenge electric vehicles as the world's transportation of the future.
DETROIT (AP) — GM has reimagined its small pickup truck to cater to outdoorsy folks who haul smelly wet dogs and kayaks. In other words, Subaru buyers.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stock and bond prices are lower on Wall Street after the Federal Reserve said it could reduce its the support of the U.S. economy in "coming months" so long as the job market continues to improve.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil showed little change Wednesday after the minutes of the last Federal Reserve meeting indicated that policymakers intend to soon begin winding down the central banks' economic stimulus.
CHICAGO (AP) — Tribune Co. says it's eliminating about 700 jobs as part of a restructuring of its newspaper business.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve wrestled at its October meeting with how to assure investors that even after it started to pull back on its economic stimulus, it still intends to keep its keep short-term rate near record lows.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans bought existing homes in October, as higher mortgage rates, the 16-day partial government shutdown and a limited supply of houses on the market reduced sales.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers shrugged off the 16-day partial government shutdown and spent more on autos, clothing and furniture in October, boosting U.S. retail sales by the most in four months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cheaper gasoline lowered overall U.S. consumer prices slightly in October. But outside the steep drop at the pump, inflation stayed mild.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More Americans fell behind on their credit card payments in the third quarter, when many consumers traditionally hit stores for back-to-school supplies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $13 billion settlement that JPMorgan Chase agreed to Tuesday is the largest ever between the Justice Department and a corporation. Yet it isn't likely the end of the bank's legal troubles over the risky mortgage securities it sold before the financial crisis.
MOORESVILE, N.C. (AP) — Lowe's third-quarter net income increased 26 percent, as the home-improvement retailer was bolstered by the housing market's ongoing recovery.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Johnson & Johnson said late Tuesday that it will pay $2.5 billion to settle thousands of lawsuits brought by hip replacement patients who accuse the company of selling faulty implants that led to injuries and additional surgeries.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on Capitol Hill have launched a drive to renew jobless benefits averaging less than $300 a week nationwide for people out of work for more than six months.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville-area public transit will be free on Black Friday.
MIDSTATE
DICKSON (AP) — Freed-Hardeman University says it has agreed to assume ownership of the Renaissance Center in Dickson, with plans to offer a four-year undergraduate program and graduate degrees there.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) - The U.S. government's auto safety watchdog is investigating whether Tesla's Model S electric car is vulnerable to fires because roadway debris can pierce the car's underbody and battery.
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — The manager of the Chrysler assembly plant in Toledo says the facility will build more than a half-million Jeeps next year — making it one of the highest-volume assembly plants in North America.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Comedian Ron White will host CMT's celebration of 2013's top country music stars, making this year's show something of a boys club.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A large monument honoring the late country singer George Jones has been unveiled at his Nashville gravesite and his widow has announced a college scholarship in his name.
HEALTH CARE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that he will allow an extension to Tennessee residents whose health insurance plans were deemed invalid under the federal health care law.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Growth in global prescription drug spending will slow to the lowest rate in decades as low-cost generic drugs continue replacing former blockbusters in the U.S. and Europe, where governments face new pressure to reduce health care spending, according to a new forecast.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama urged his supporters Monday to help Americans enroll for health insurance by mail, in person and over the phone, seeking to tamp down expectations that the error-riddled HealthCare.gov website will ever be a panacea for the uninsured — even once it's fixed.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Disappointing earnings news helped push the stock market lower on Tuesday.
The price of oil rose slightly Tuesday as traders waited for new clues on U.S. economic strength and the amount of oil and gasoline in supply.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A Silicon Valley jury asked a judge for calculators Tuesday to help it determine how much Samsung Electronics owes Apple for copying key features of the iPhone and iPad.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Compensation costs for U.S. workers rose modestly in the July-September quarter as the cost of benefits such as health insurance rose more rapidly than wages and salaries.
WASHINGTON (AP) — JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to pay $13 billion in a landmark settlement after it acknowledged that it misled investors about the quality of risky mortgage-backed securities ahead of the 2008 financial crisis.
ATLANTA (AP) — Home Depot's fiscal third-quarter profit climbed as sales at its U.S. stores strengthened amid the improvement of the housing market.
NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy says it Is committed to "winning" the holiday season with price matching, doorbusters and deals as well as its earliest ever opening hours on Thanksgiving — even if that means profit pressure for the electronics retailer in the fourth quarter.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of state laws that regulate everything from the size of a hen's cage to the safe consumption of Gulf oysters may be at stake as farm bill negotiators work to resolve a long-simmering fight between agriculture and animal welfare interests.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The State Building Commission has unanimously voted to name Peter Heimbach as Tennessee's new state architect.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is scheduled to continue his annual budget hearings on Monday.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ending mostly lower after the market reached two major milestones earlier in the day.
NEW YORK (AP) — Is the stock market due for a pullback?
The price of oil slipped close to $93 a barrel on Monday, ahead of the resumption of negotiations in Geneva meant to curb Iran's nuclear program.
U.S. homebuilders' confidence in the housing market held steady this month, but many are worried that another fight over the federal budget could cause would-be buyers to put off home purchases.
NEW YORK (AP) — The president and CEO of Forbes Media says the family owned magazine publisher has put itself up for sale.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Throughout President Barack Obama's first four years in office, he prided himself on his ability to bounce back when much of Washington thought his presidency was in peril.
NATIONAL POLITICS
LAS VEGAS (AP) — If Congress makes no progress on a national framework for online gambling this session, it won't be for a lack of legislation.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Nashville Symphony will make its next recording thanks to help from a Kickstarter campaign.
REGION
The nation's largest public utility voted Thursday to close six coal-powered units in Alabama and replace two more in Kentucky with a new natural gas plant.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam wants to help veterans seeking a higher education.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam says the state has benefited from a company hired to manage its assets, despite a comptroller's report that suggests the company may have benefited from its own advice, creating a conflict of interest.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Friday proposed to reduce the amount of ethanol in the nation's fuel supply for the first time, acknowledging that the biofuel law championed by both parties in 2007 is not working as well as expected.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A top Volkswagen labor official says a pending decision about union representation for workers at the automaker's lone U.S. plant will have no bearing on whether the company will decide to add the production of another vehicle there.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government is speeding up research on safety systems that automatically prevent drivers from operating their cars if they are drunk or aren't properly buckled in.
BERLIN (AP) — Germany's Volkswagen AG issued a global recall Thursday for 800,000 of its Tiguan models, saying it needs to replace a problematic fuse that can cause the cars' lights to fail.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama says he brought health insurance CEOs to the White House to brainstorm ways to make sure Americans know what their coverage options are under the law.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Brushing aside a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled House voted Friday to let insurance companies sell individual health coverage to all comers, even if it falls short of the required standards in "Obamacare."
WASHINGTON (AP) — His personal and political credibility on the line, President Barack Obama reversed course Thursday and said millions of Americans should be allowed to renew individual coverage plans now ticketed for cancellation under the health care law that is likely to be at the heart of the 2014 elections.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Just when you thought you had the president's health care law figured out, it's changing.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors stayed upbeat Friday, pushing U.S. stock indexes deeper into record territory.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories increased production for a third straight month in October, as stronger output of primary metals and furniture offset declines in auto production.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Software engineers wearing jeans and flip flops test the latest smartphone apps. Walls and windows double as whiteboards where ideas are jotted down. And a mini basketball net is in the center of it all.
LONDON (AP) — The price of oil rose toward $94 a barrel Friday after incoming Federal Reserve chief Janet Yellen indicated that economic stimulus will remain in place pending further improvement in the U.S. economy.
HAMPSTEAD, Md. (AP) — Jos. A. Bank withdrew its $2.3 billion offer to buy rival Men's Wearhouse.
NEW YORK (AP) — Remember a time before "Angry Birds," the iPad and the iPhone? No?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Janet Yellen said Thursday that the U.S. economy has regained ground lost to Great Recession but still needs the Federal Reserve's support because unemployment remains too high at 7.3 percent.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has become less likely to comply with government demands for its users' online communications and other activities as authorities in the U.S. and other countries become more aggressive about mining the Internet for personal data.
NEW YORK (AP) — Activist investor Bill Ackman's company has disclosed stakes in government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have a new mantra in budget talks: Close tax loopholes.