VOL. 37 | NO. 48 | Friday, November 29, 2013
Floating market, show strives to ‘get the best folks possible’
Jennifer Jeremias had given up on making jewelry. But it wasn’t for lack of talent or for trying.
Meagan Hall, 31, grew up in Rockvale and Murfreesboro before heading to the Appalachian Center for Craft in Smithville for a degree in textiles and fiber design.
Porter Flea co-founder Jessica Maloan recently open a brick and mortar shop, PULP Nashville, at 729 Porter Rd.
Black Friday is now a weeklong sales event for most national retail chains, and Cyber Monday continues to gain steam for those who wish to do their holiday shopping online.
When the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee named businessman Francis S. Guess its 2013 Kraft Humanitarian Award recipient, the only real surprise was that he hadn’t won it already.
As retailers shift marketing budgets from paper to digital, more consumers are getting coupons and discounts on their computers and mobile devices.
REALTY CHECK
“Remember the Alamo!” was one of the most widely used slogans, catchphrases, rallying cries or cheers in the 1800s, and was perhaps coined by Sam Houston at the Battle of San Jacinto, which most feel was the decisive battle in the War for Texas Independence.
TERRY McCORMICK
In watching Saturday night’s epic struggle (emphasis on “struggle”) between Tennessee and Vanderbilt, one thought came to mind regarding these two football programs.
NEWSMAKERS
Crowder comes to Tennessee from Denver, where she served for the past four years as executive director of the combined Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Denver Association of Education Office Professionals and DCTA-Retired.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
You thought you’d never reach the door.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Seventy percent of startup businesses fail within the first 10 years, according to a 2013 study conducted by Bradley University and the University of Tennessee.
I SWEAR
“Virtue is like a rich stone, best plain set.” Francis Bacon wrote that.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
I have already written an article on peanuts. As you might remember, it was all about how George Washington Carver discovered the many uses of peanuts – one of them being peanut butter – after the Civil War.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Former Titans safety Chris Hope and some other current and former Titans will be serving pizzas for charity next week.
AUTO INDUSTRY
HUADU, China (AP) — His Chinese sedan was a disappointment. So when truck driver Xie Yanzhen needed to replace it, he turned to Venucia, a 2-year-old no-frills brand launched by Nissan and a Chinese partner.
DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — America's first pony car — the Ford Mustang — is celebrating its 50th birthday with a swoon-worthy new design and plans to go global.
BERLIN (AP) — General Motors Co. says it plans to largely withdraw its Chevrolet brand from Europe from the beginning of 2016, focusing more sharply on its main Opel and Vauxhall brands.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter has named Marjorie Scardino as a director, adding a woman to the all-white male board for which it's been sharply criticized.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a 3.6 percent annual rate from July through September, the fastest since early 2012. But nearly half the growth came from a buildup in business stockpiles, a trend that could reverse in the current quarter and hold back growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits tumbled 23,000 last week to 298,000, nearly a six-year low that shows companies are laying off fewer workers.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks edged lower in early trading Thursday as more positive news on the economy led investors to anticipate that the Federal Reserve is getting closer to reducing its economic stimulus program.
The price of oil edged higher above $97 a barrel Thursday as investors reacted to a drop in U.S. stockpiles, but concerns of oversupply in the Middle East capped gains.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates for fixed mortgages rose sharply this week, making home-buying slightly less affordable.
ISSAQUAH, Wash. (AP) — Costco's sales at stores open at least a year rose 2 percent in November, missing Wall Street's expectations for a period that included the critical Black Friday holiday shopping weekend.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fast-food workers and labor organizers are marching, waving signs and chanting in cities across the country Thursday amid a push for higher wages.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Creative industries led by Hollywood account for about $504 billion, or at least 3.2 percent of U.S. goods and services, the government said in its first official measure of how the arts and culture affect the economy.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Saying the government should lead by example, President Barack Obama is ordering the federal government to nearly triple its use of renewable sources for electricity by 2020.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Hermitage is offering evening tours for the holidays. President Andrew Jackson's home will be decorated for a Jacksonian Christmas as historical interpreters guide guests through the mansion.
MIDSTATE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Liquor producer Brown-Forman Corp. says its second-quarter net income rose 19 percent, fueled by strong demand for its flagship Jack Daniel's brand.
AUTO INDUSTRY
TOKYO (AP) — General Motors says it's in Japan for the long haul despite sales of Cadillac and Chevrolet models barely surpassing 1,000 vehicles a year.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market continued its sluggish start to the month on Wednesday.
The price of oil rose for a fourth straight day as the government reported the first drop in crude oil supplies in 11 weeks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey of chief executives at the largest U.S. companies shows a growing number are optimistic about the economy's prospects for the next six months and expect to boost hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans ramped up purchases of new homes in October after three months of soft sales, evidence that the housing recovery is improving fitfully.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. service sector firms grew in November at the weakest pace since June, evidence that cautious spending by consumers and businesses may be slowing growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A private survey shows U.S. businesses last month added the most jobs in a year, powered by big gains in manufacturing and construction.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit fell in October, helped by America's energy boom that lifted exports to an all-time high.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans controlling the House oppose a drive by Democrats to renew jobless benefits averaging less than $300 a week nationwide for the long-term unemployed, a senior GOP lawmaker said Tuesday.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3
NASHVILLE AREA
HANCOCK, Mich. (AP) — A joint venture between Brentwood-based LifePoint Hospitals Inc. and Portage Health is expected to bring $60 million in capital improvements to a health system serving Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, are hosting their third annual "Tennessee's Home for the Holidays" open house at the governor's mansion in Nashville.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — The holiday weekend was good to U.S. automakers, as sales reports indicate the auto industry is on track to beat strong numbers from a year ago.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has ruled that employers can require their workers to sign arbitration agreements waiving all rights to class action lawsuits over workplace grievances.
DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Detroit can use bankruptcy to cut employee pensions and relieve itself of other crushing debts, handing a defeat to the city's unions and retirees and shifting the case into a delicate new phase.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to regroup from his health care law's disastrous rollout, President Barack Obama on Tuesday insisted that the sweeping overhaul is working and warned Republican critics that he would fight any efforts to strip away its protections.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Counselors helping people use the federal government's online health exchange are giving mixed reviews to the updated site, with some zipping through the application process while others are facing the same old sputters and even crashes.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — After eight weeks of gains, maybe the stock market pullback long anticipated by investors has arrived.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil jumped more than 2 percent Tuesday on the prospect of more oil flowing out of a key storage hub in the middle of the country.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of U.S. home prices rose only modestly in October, adding to signs that prices have stabilized after experiencing big gains earlier this year
LONDON (AP) — Volkswagen turns off some employees' email 30 minutes after their shifts end. Goldman Sachs is urging junior staff to take weekends off. BMW is planning new rules that will keep workers from being contacted after hours.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal consumer finance watchdog is expanding its oversight to Sallie Mae and other companies that collect student loan payments.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 2
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Blake Shelton and Luke Bryan are returning as hosts of the next year's Academy of Country Music Awards.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam and his wife, Crissy, are hosting a Christmas tree lighting event at the state Capitol on Monday evening.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has a new mobile app that allows users to take along the latest agency info whenever they go.
AUTO INDUSTRY
CANTON, Miss. (AP) — The president of the Madison County Board of Supervisors said officials will negotiate with Nissan over property taxes in early 2014.
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two and a half years after Saab shut down production due to financial trouble, the Swedish car rolled a new sedan off its assembly lines in Trollhattan, in south-west Sweden, on Monday.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider throwing out New York state's taxes on Internet purchases on websites like Amazon.com, a move that could change the way Internet commerce works.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Computer crashes should be giving way to insurance coverage — if the government's diagnosis of its health care website is correct.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing lower after the holiday shopping season got off to a disappointing start.
The price of oil rose more than 1 percent on encouraging manufacturing data from the U.S. and China.
NEW YORK (AP) — Power up and shop. Millions of Americans took advantage of online deals ranging from free shipping to hundreds of dollars off electronics and half-price clothing Monday, which was expected to be the busiest online shopping day of the year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. manufacturing grew in November at the fastest pace in 2½ years as factories ramped up production, stepped up hiring and received orders at a healthy clip.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. developers boosted construction spending in October at the fastest pace in more than four years, propelled by a surge in government projects. But spending on home construction and commercial projects both fell.
NEW YORK (AP) — Retailers got Americans into stores during the start to the holiday shopping season. Now, they'll need to figure out how to get them to actually shop.
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com is already cracking same-day delivery. Next up: getting your package delivered quicker than a pizza? The online retailer is working on a way to get customers their goods in 30 minutes or less — by drone.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Since the end of World War II, more than a dozen high-profile bipartisan panels have been convened to tackle the nation's thorniest fiscal problems. Seldom have their recommendations spurred congressional action.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27
HEALTH CARE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The federal government has declined a request to extend a waiver to keep the state-subsidized CoverTN health coverage plan beyond the end of the year.
CHICAGO (AP) — President Barack Obama's administration has announced yet another delay in the rollout of the health care law. An online health insurance marketplace for small businesses is being put off until November 2014 to make sure the HealthCare.gov website gets fixed first.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A lawsuit filed by the Catholic Diocese of Nashville says the new federal health care law requires it to violate its religious principals by offering contraceptive services to employees.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — This holiday season, it's Amazon vs. everyone else. The online giant has attracted customers from the likes of Wal-Mart and Best Buy with low prices and convenient shipping. Now, stores are fighting back and going head-to-head with Amazon as the contest for customers heats up during the busiest shopping period of the year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing higher, with technology companies leading the way.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil closed below $93 a barrel for the first time in nearly six months as the U.S. government reported the 10th straight weekly increase in crude oil supplies.
A federal bankruptcy judge has cleared the way for American Airlines and US Airways to complete their merger and create the world's largest airline.