VOL. 39 | NO. 47 | Friday, November 20, 2015
From John Merritt to Michael Jordan, his most memorable moments, interviews
I’m blaming Rudy Kalis. As the years passed in a long career as a sports writer, I always swore I’d never be the oldest guy at the press conference.
Although Jim Bouton won a combined 39 games in the 1963-64 seasons with the New York Yankees, he is best known as the author of the ground-breaking book Ball Four, which I had read and reread.
I was in a bar just outside Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta when the bomb went off at the 1996 Summer Games.
The emerald ash borer is an unassuming little bug, an almost-pretty insect that could fit on the head of a penny with three or four of its brothers.
REALTY CHECK
Scott Abernathy of Reliant Realty in Murfreesboro held some 60 Realtors spellbound last week at a property management course offered by the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, sharing knowledge and experience gleaned from his management of properties through the years, including 450 current properties.
REAL ESTATE
Top residential real estate sales, October 2015, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates edged slightly lower this week after two straight weeks of sharp increases. Expectations persist that the Federal Reserve may soon raise its key short-term interest rate.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Almost 12 years since last playoff win
As the Tennessee Titans head down the backstretch of another unproductive season, it might be time to ponder a scary question: Will the Titans ever be good again?
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Rashad Greene fielded the line-drive punt, weaved through a few defenders, broke into the open field and nearly scored.
UT SPORTS
Tennessee’s football team may be headed into a perfect storm Saturday night at Missouri.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
A lasso just won’t do it. Neither will a harness, a come-along, or a whole pack of sheepdogs. No, there are better ways to get customers to your door, but what are they? What’s the secret to snaring new clients?
GUEST COLUMNIST
Tennessee has a unique opportunity to help the state economy and support education. Passage of the “Tuition Equality” bill in the upcoming state legislative session will provide a critical chance to educate thousands of Tennessee youth and narrow the skills gap that exists for Tennessee employers.
NEWSMAKERS
Registered patent attorney William Sekyi has joined Patterson Intellectual Property Law, P.C., as Of Counsel. Sekyi has 14 years of experience in intellectual property law and 16 years of experience as an engineer.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Honda’s HR-V is a value-priced, fuel-efficient and practical sport utility vehicle that’s easy to drive and smartly packaged with a rearview camera and USB port among the standard features.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
As the new year draws closer, it’s an ideal time to reflect on this past year’s marketing strategies, those that hit it out of the park, as well as those that might have struck out.
CAREER CORNER
One of the biggest misconceptions about the holidays is that your career can take a back seat until January.
I SWEAR
The year is 1945. An American soldier on the outskirts of Rapallo, Italy, is approached by a gray-bearded gentleman.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Last week, hubby and I were in Cleveland taking care of some business. We got a hotel close enough to be able to walk to our destination, and pretty much stayed put for the whole week. Most of the downtown area of Cleveland, where we were staying, was under major construction, so venturing out to explore like we usually do wasn’t much of an option.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Over 125 Nashville businesses, civic organizations and faith groups are asking Gov. Bill Haslam to change his stance on resettling Syrian refugees in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Transportation Department will halt all lane closure activity on interstates and state highways during the Thanksgiving holiday.
AUTO INDUSTRY
BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen says it will take less than an hour to bring 1.6 and 2.0 liter turbodiesel engines in Europe into line with emissions rules.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The holiday season is upon us. Here's what shoppers can expect if they're heading out to stores at any point during the holiday shopping season:
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are drifting higher in midday trading as markets start to wind down ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid dropped sharply last week, the Labor Department said Wednesday, the latest sign that businesses are cutting few jobs.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer spending posted a modest increase for a second straight month in October, while personal income rebounded after a sluggish September.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders for long-lasting manufactured goods posted a solid gain in October after two months of weakness, while a key category that tracks business investment plans advanced by the largest amount in three months.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An expanded version of America's annual Thanksgiving travel saga has begun with gas prices low and terrorism fears high.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The State Funding Board has issued its official revenue projections for the current and next budget years that fall below the estimates presented by experts earlier this month.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Jennifer Donnals has been named the new press secretary for Gov. Bill Haslam.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee has filed a lawsuit to protect students' right to free speech in Giles County schools.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose in September from a year earlier at the fastest pace in 13 months as a lack of houses for sale has forced buyers to bid up available properties.
AUTO INDUSTRY
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal transportation officials are rethinking their position on self-driving cars with an eye toward getting the emerging technology into the public's hands.
BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say they have widened their investigation of Volkswagen to include suspicion of tax evasion after revelations that some of its cars were emitting more carbon dioxide than officially reported.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Confidence in the economy eroded this month as Americans became more worried about the job market.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a slightly faster rate in the summer than previously reported, mainly because businesses restocked their goods at a stronger pace than first thought.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks overcame an early stumble Tuesday and finished modestly higher as investors shook off concerns about heightened tensions in the Middle East and a drop in consumer confidence.
NEW YORK (AP) — After the turkey and stuffing comes the kickoff of the holiday shopping season. And even though most retailers are offering the same deals online, many still plan to open their doors on Thanksgiving Day or in the early morning hours of Black Friday. So if you prefer to pick up those discounted TVs, toys and other goods in person, here's a list of what time stores are open on Thanksgiving and Black Friday:
NEW YORK (AP) — A nonprofit founded to combat obesity says the $1.5 million it received from Coke has no influence on its work.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday that a new level of fear has gripped Tennesseans following the terrorist attacks in Paris.
REGION
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority says it surpassed its $500 million goal for reducing operation and maintenance costs over a three-year period. Officials say the utility beat the goal by more than $100 million.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Ford workers narrowly approved a new four-year contract, wrapping up five months of negotiations between the United Auto Workers union and Detroit automakers.
REAL ESTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A Davidson County property assessor says he's expecting to see a "historic" rise in property values during Metro Nashville's next reappraisal.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans bought homes in October, a sign that rising home values may be pushing more would-be buyers to the real estate market's sidelines.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks gained ground early Monday as they came off their best week in 2015, but faded in the afternoon and sustained small losses for the day.
NEW YORK (AP) — Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian, who doesn't exactly struggle to afford a plane ticket, can now likely fly free, in first class, with his whole family, anywhere in the world, for the rest of his life.
Pfizer and Allergan are joining in the biggest buyout of the year, a $160 billion stock deal that will create the world's largest drugmaker.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Thirteen years after mooting the idea, Southeast Asian leaders on Sunday formally created a unified economic community in a region more populous and diverse than both the European Union and North America, and one that hopes to compete with China and India.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to climate science, two of the three Democratic presidential candidates are 'A' students, while most of the Republican contenders are flunking, according to a panel of scientists who reviewed candidates' comments.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee will welcome the 100,000th student to participate in JA BizTown on Friday in Nashville.
MIDSTATE
SPRING HILL (AP) — The Wildlife Habitat Council is recognizing the General Motors plant in Tennessee for promoting biodiversity and working with students to promote conservation.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The executive director of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam's free-tuition program says it has contributed to the spike in students pursuing a higher education.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Volkswagen's emissions cheating scandal widened Friday as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said that clandestine software allowing six-cylinder Volkswagen diesel engines to cheat on pollution tests is on more models than originally thought.
WOLFSBURG, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen will cut its spending by 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) next year and "strictly prioritize" investments as it shores up its finances to deal with its emissions-rigging scandal, CEO Matthias Mueller said Friday after a board meeting.
SPRING HILL (AP) - A top official with the United Auto Workers says he is unworried about provoking more hostility from Republicans in the South over a new cooperative effort with Germany's largest union.
DETROIT (AP) — When Volkswagen submits a plan to fix emissions-cheating diesel engines on Friday, it will have only two options for most of the cars.
HEALTH CARE
Health insurers rallied Friday to ease investor and customer concerns about the Affordable Care Act's public insurance exchanges a day after the nation's biggest insurer questioned its future in that still-developing market.
The nation's largest health insurer is questioning its future in public insurance exchanges, the latest signal of major concerns about the online marketplaces that have helped the Affordable Care Act extend coverage to millions of people.
UnitedHealth Group said Thursday that it is pulling back from its push into the Affordable Care Act's public insurance exchanges only a month after touting future growth prospects for that business.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's still possible in Boston for a mail carrier, an accountant and a Harvard-trained psychiatrist — basically, the crowd from "Cheers" — to live as neighbors.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home rental prices rose at a slower pace in October, a possible sign that apartment costs are testing the upper reaches of renters' incomes.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market closed out its best week of the year Friday as big gains by retailers and technology companies pushed major indexes higher.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Thursday issued new rules aimed at reducing the tax benefits available to companies that move their tax addresses overseas.
NEW YORK (AP) — Corporate America has a profit problem. U.S company earnings are falling for the first time since 2009, when the economy was still reeling from the Great Recession.
NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy shares plunged Thursday after reporting disappointing quarterly sales and a cautious outlook for the key holiday shopping season as it faces price pressures and tougher competition from online stores.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved genetically modified salmon, the first such altered animal allowed for human consumption in the United States.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Subway pitchman Jared Fogle was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison on Thursday for trading in child pornography and having sex with underage prostitutes, with the judge describing his "perversion and lawlessness" as "extreme."