VOL. 36 | NO. 49 | Friday, December 7, 2012
It’s mid-December and the holiday madness is in full swing. Despite a full calendar of plans with family and friends — or maybe because of it — the lure of a carefree couple of days out of town is just too good to resist.
Nashville is at the center of a trend, and it doesn’t have anything to do with music, television or, sadly, pro football. Music City’s food is suddenly a shining star, and seemingly everyone has noticed.
For 10 years, OSHi Flowers has created floral arrangements to grace The Pinnacle in downtown Nashville and brighten homes and offices from Middle Tennessee to New York, London and Paris.
REALTY CHECK
There is confusion among some Realtors between representation and recitation, much of the issue having to do with agency and its meaning.
TERRY McCORMICK
Maybe it’s just the world we live in, but already you get the feeling that the clock is ticking for Jake Locker as the Tennessee Titans quarterback.
NEWSMAKERS
Dan W. Hogan has been appointed chief operating officer and Tipton H. Evans chief information officer as part of a reorganization of management at CapStar Bank.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Author, motivational speaker and consummate salesman Zig Ziglar died in late November at the age of 86. Heralding from Yazoo City, Miss., Ziglar impacted the lives of salespeople worldwide. His influence was undeniable and his legacy, long lasting. This compilation of “Zigisms” is in celebration of his life’s work. May they bring you inspiration.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
Beneath the “fiscal cliff” debate is a fundamental battle of philosophy. Liberal economics prioritizes equality, while conservative economics prioritizes efficiency. Migration toward either of these polls contains costs and benefits. Below is an excerpt from a tax study of developed nations commissioned by the Paris based OECD:
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
There are those who continually improve their knowledge and skills and have accumulated 30 years experience. And then there are those who simply repeat their initial year of experience 30 times, learning very little along the way.
I SWEAR
In a recent newspaper article, a basketball coach is quoted: “I think our guys are champing at the bit to get back on the court.”
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Nov. 28 is a highly celebrated day in my life. It’s not my birthday or anniversary, although those are important. (Well, not birthday, unless for some reason I start getting younger).
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Dennis O'Brien rubs his head as he details ailments triggered by the fungal meningitis he developed after a series of steroid shots in his neck: nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness, blurred vision, exhaustion and trouble with his speech and attention.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new bike share program in Nashville will provide bikes at several downtown kiosks for residents and visitors.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Teams of students from Middle Tennessee State University will be putting several types of alternative fuels to the test in a race around campus.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — House Democrats and Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to keep their top leadership in place.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is giving its big pickups a much-needed makeover.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages fell this week near record lows, providing more incentive for Americans to buy homes and refinance.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans spent more online in November to start the holiday season and began to replace cars and rebuild in the Northeast after Superstorm Sandy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply for a fourth straight week, a sign that the job market may be improving.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cheaper gas drove down a measure of wholesale prices in November for the second straight month, a sign inflation remains in check.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses added to their stockpiles in October while sales fell, a sign that companies may order fewer goods in the coming months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks slipped Thursday on Wall Street after more signs of tension emerged from federal budget talks in Washington.
The price of oil fell to near $86 a barrel on Thursday after critical budget negotiations in Washington reached an apparent impasse.
GENEVA (AP) — Airlines' profits will improve to $8.4 billion in 2013, mainly reflecting cost cuts and restructuring measures taken to compensate for stalling economic growth, the global industry's trade group forecast Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — While the "fiscal cliff" of looming tax increases and spending cuts dominates political conversation in Washington, some Republicans and business groups see signs of a "regulatory cliff" that they say could be just as damaging to the economy.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google Maps has found its way back to the iPhone.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of President Barack Obama's Senate allies said Thursday the White House has assured him the president won't yield to GOP demands to increase the eligibility age for Medicare.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading conservative who's resigning from the Senate is predicting that President Barack Obama will win the battle over raising taxes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Five weeks after President Barack Obama won re-election and gained more leverage to make GOP conservatives bend on taxes, the new balance of power is proving vexing for both sides.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Renowned artist Bruce Munro's lighting structures will be displayed at an exhibition called "Light" at Nashville's Cheekwood Botanical Garden & Museum of Art.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A majority of Tennesseans - including nearly three-quarters of those identifying themselves as Republicans - prefer a state-run health insurance exchange over one run by the federal government, according to a poll released by Vanderbilt University on Wednesday.
AUTO INDUSTRY
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis wants to become the first major city to replace its entire fleet with electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles in a move the mayor says is designed to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign-produced fuels, city officials said Tuesday.
DETROIT (AP) — Honda is recalling more than 870,000 minivans and SUVs worldwide because they can roll away even though drivers have removed the keys from the ignition.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is already being hurt by the "fiscal cliff" standoff in Washington, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Wednesday. But Bernanke said the Fed believes the crisis will be resolved without significant long-term damage.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks ended the day little changed Wednesday after a rally prompted by the Federal Reserve's latest economic stimulus program fizzled out.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve sent its clearest signal to date Wednesday that it will keep interest rates super-low to boost the U.S. economy even after the job market has improved significantly.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey of U.S. chief executives shows the number of large companies that plan to add jobs or hire more workers is essentially unchanged versus three months ago, although fewer expect hiring to decrease.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook is trying to make its privacy controls easier to find and understand in an effort to turn the world's largest social network in to a more discreet place.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is wrapping up 2012 the way it began the year, searching for ways to help a U.S. economy that is still struggling with high unemployment and sub-par growth.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil traders got what they wanted Wednesday: another big move by the Federal Reserve to stimulate the slow-growing U.S. economy.
VIENNA (AP) — OPEC oil ministers signaled Wednesday that they have agreed to stick to present output targets while remaining undecided on who should fill a senior post coveted both by Saudi Arabia and arch-rival Iran.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — In a dizzyingly short time span, Republicans have converted Michigan from a seemingly impregnable fortress of organized labor into a right-to-work state, leaving outgunned Democrats and union activists with little recourse but to shake their fists and seek retribution at the ballot box.
NEW YORK (AP) — Avon Products plans to cut about 1,500 jobs and exit two Asian markets, as the struggling beauty products seller starts on a broad restructuring plan in an effort to turn around results.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans aren't budging on tax rates, and Democrats are resisting steps like raising the eligibility age for Medicare. Negotiations on averting a year-end fiscal train wreck combining big automatic tax hikes and sweeping spending cuts again appear stalled.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Playing both sides, President Barack Obama is trying to balance his public pressure campaign on Republicans over the looming "fiscal cliff" with his private negotiations with GOP leaders.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's the scenario that's been spooking employers and investors and slowing the U.S. economy:
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress and the White House are struggling to avoid the "fiscal cliff," the package of huge tax increases and spending cuts that kick in next year unless a budget agreement is reached first.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Buddy Miller says these days it's not unusual for duet partners to cut their love songs syllable by syllable while never even seeing each other: "In this town especially that's what happens."
NASHVILLE AREA
GOODLETTSVILLE (AP) - Dollar General Corp. said Tuesday that its fiscal third-quarter net income rose 21 percent, helped by strong demand for candy and snacks.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - An automotive component company with a plant in Dayton will add about 50 manufacturing jobs.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose for a fifth straight day Tuesday as investors latched on to reports of progress in budget talks in Washington. The Standard & Poor's 500 index had its biggest gain this month.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers advertised more jobs in October than September, a hopeful sign that hiring could pick up in the coming months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Exxon says the energy renaissance in the U.S. will continue and predicts that North America will become a net exporter of oil and gas by the middle of the next decade.
Oil moved a little higher as a meeting of the Federal Reserve got under way Tuesday.
VIENNA (AP) — Tough decisions await OPEC oil ministers sitting down this week for a policy meeting. The 12-nation cartel has to deal not only with how much crude to produce for the next few months but must also fill a senior position coveted both by Saudi Arabia and archrival Iran.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit increased in October because exports fell by a larger margin than imports, a sign that slower global growth could weigh on the U.S. economy.
Delta Air Lines said it will buy almost half of Virgin Atlantic for $360 million as it seeks a bigger share of the lucrative New York-to-London travel market.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Even with the outcome considered a foregone conclusion, the heated battle over right-to-work legislation in the traditional union bastion of Michigan shows no sign of cooling.
NEW YORK (AP) — British bank HSBC has agreed to pay $1.9 billion to settle a New York based-probe in connection with the laundering of money from narcotics traffickers in Mexico, U.S. authorities announced Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department said Tuesday that it has sold all of its remaining shares of American International Group Inc., moving to wrap up the government's biggest bailout of the 2008 financial crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a nervous eye on the "fiscal cliff," the Federal Reserve is expected this week to announce a new bond-buying plan to support the U.S. economy.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner says President Barack Obama is slow-walking talks to avoid the fiscal cliff, and hasn't outlined spending cuts he's willing to support as part of a compromise.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberal Democratic members of Congress are warning President Barack Obama to not cut the Medicaid health care program as part of negotiations with Republicans over avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A year-end deadline approaching, quiet negotiations to avoid an economy-rattling "fiscal cliff" yielded no tangible signs of progress on Monday as Republicans pressed President Barack Obama to volunteer spending cuts he will support while the White House insisted the GOP endorse higher tax rates on upper incomes.
HOOKSET, N.H. (AP) — Fear and frustration course through the lunch crowd at Robie's Country Store and Deli, a popular outpost 500 miles from where Washington is again locked in tense negotiations over taxes and spending as a critical deadline looms.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 10
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Visitors wanting to see the original Emancipation Proclamation at the Tennessee State Museum in February will be able to make reservations for a small fee beginning on Monday.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam announced Monday that Tennessee will not create a state-run health insurance exchange, but the Republican governor said he remains undecided about whether to expand Medicaid.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes says the state's overall revenue collections for November are slightly more than they were this time last year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Valley Authority's board voted Monday to delegate certain authority to the utility's new chief executive in case five of its vacancies aren't filled before Congress adjourns this month.
SPRING HILL (AP) — The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is holding boot camps to help people who sell farm products at farmers markets be more effective.
AUTO INDUSTRY
BERLIN (AP) — General Motors Co.'s Opel unit said Monday that it plans to end car production at one plant in Germany in 2016, but a slimmed-down factory may continue to make components.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks edged higher Monday on Wall Street after a strong sales report from McDonald's offset concerns about the surprise resignation of Italy's prime minister. Investors also waited for developments in crucial U.S. budget talks.
NEW YORK (AP) — Benchmark U.S. crude gave up some early gains Monday on a surprise expansion of German exports and signs of increased oil consumption in China to finish lower. Concerns about the so-called fiscal cliff in the U.S. continued to dog traders and investors.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A government report finds median pay for nearly 2,000 senior managers at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac exceeded $200,000 last year. The report also notes that the federal agency charged with overseeing the government-controlled mortgage giants did an inadequate job monitoring pay.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple and Google, bitter rivals in smartphone technology, have joined up to make a combined bid for a bundle of patents offered by photography pioneer Kodak, according to a published report.
NEW YORK (AP) — NBC Sports and Yahoo are taking on the crowded sports media landscape with a partnership that fills in gaps for both companies.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress and the White House can significantly soften the initial impact of the "fiscal cliff" even if they fail to reach a compromise by Dec. 31. One thing they cannot control, however, is the financial markets' reaction, which possibly could be a panicky sell-off that triggers economic reversals worldwide.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner met at the White House to discuss the "fiscal cliff," while rank-and-file Republicans stepped forward with what they called pragmatic ideas to break the stalemate.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says that while the crime rate is showing an overall decline in Tennessee, instances of aggravated assault, prescription drug abuse and domestic violence remain a major concern for his administration.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee health officials are once again alerting patients who received tainted steroid shots after finding that some have infections at the injection site that could lead to fungal meningitis.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Workers are putting the finishing touches on a renovation of the state Capitol as they prepare to re-open the 153-year-old building later this month.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) - While Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais may have persevered through a series of damaging revelations to win a second term in Congress, he all but exhausted his campaign account.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many motorists don't know it, but it's likely that every time they get behind the wheel, there's a snitch along for the ride.
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is recalling about 19,000 brand-new Fusion midsize cars to fix defective headlights.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. hiring gains held steady in November despite disruptions from Superstorm Sandy and employers' concerns about impending tax increases from the year-end "fiscal cliff."
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing mostly higher on Wall Street after the government reported job growth that was better than economists had anticipated.
The price of oil ended the week lower after the latest U.S. jobs report offered a mixed picture of the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A team of former NASA executives is launching a private venture to send people to the moon for a price that is definitely out of this world.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian trade and human rights bill cleared Congress and headed for President Barack Obama's signature Thursday, opening up new export opportunities for American businesses but antagonizing relations with Russia over its treatment of dissidents.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will produce one of its existing lines of Mac computers in the United States next year.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the fiscal cliff wars, a pivotal battle is raging between Democrats demanding to raise revenue by boosting tax rates on the nation's highest earners and Republicans insisting on eliminating deductions and other tax breaks instead. Which is better for the economy? Analysts say it depends.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The political fight that took the nation to the verge of defaulting on its debts last year is back, overshadowed by "fiscal cliff" disputes but with consequences far graver than looming tax hikes and steep spending cuts.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama, trying to put a personal touch on "fiscal cliff" negotiations, visited a northern Virginia family's basement apartment Thursday to press his hardline on tax rate increases for the wealthy.