VOL. 37 | NO. 7 | Friday, February 15, 2013
It’s hard to say what impact the planned $24 billion leveraged buyout of Dell will have on the computer giant’s Middle Tennessee operations, a Morningstar analyst says.
REAL ESTATE
Middle Tennessee’s skyrocketing home sales – and prices that are also climbing, but at a slower pace – are no surprise to David Hughes, president of Citizens Homes, one of the area’s busiest home builders.
2012 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
A look at Davidson County’s top lenders based on total number of all loans, commercial and residential, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
REALTY CHECK
Many in the residential real estate field in Nashville felt that 2013 would be the crucible year for the market.
LEGISLATIVE PROFILE
State Sen. Brian Kelsey (R-Memphis) came to politics young, specifically as a second-year law student.
NEWSMAKERS
Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada, PLLC attorneys Kara Shea and William “Bill” R. O’Bryan, Jr., have been named to leadership positions with the firm.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Lately, you’ve noticed that everyone runs when you enter the building.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
The digital age is a double-edged sword for those pitching content in hopes of landing the coveted story. On one hand, it’s never been easier to communicate with reporters, but on the other there’s so much clutter that breaking through all of the noise competing with your story has grown quite challenging.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
As Goes January: Many market observers state that as goes January, so goes the rest of the year. Mathematically, one-twelfth of the year has now passed, and the S&P 500 has tacked on 5 percent.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
Here’s a statement that is worth pondering: Among a group of people, the most successful person is usually the person whose beliefs correspond most closely with reality.
I SWEAR
Few columns have drawn as much feedback as the one I wrote in May 2011 about the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injection I had in my left knee – the knee that was on the list for replacement.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
our years ago today, I sat on the edge of my 105-year old grandmother’s bed, intently studying her face, which was timeworn and beleaguered with hard lines and deep wrinkles.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Senate has approved a proposed constitutional amendment to give lawmakers the power to refuse the governor's appointments to appeals courts in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE AREA
THOMSON, Ga. (AP) - Investigators combed Georgia woods Thursday for clues about what led a small jet to overshoot an airport runway and crash, killing five people on board and injuring two others.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is holding a press conference on Thursday to discuss concerns about an Army Corps of Engineers plan to limit fishing along the Cumberland River in Nashville.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of the U.S. economy's future direction edged up in January from December, suggesting slow growth will continue in the coming months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Five of the biggest U.S. banks have cut struggling homeowners' mortgage balances by $19 billion, part of a total $45.8 billion in relief provided under a landmark settlement over foreclosure abuses.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of previously occupied homes rose in January to the second-highest level in three years, a sign that the housing market is sustaining its recovery and helping bolster the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped 20,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 362,000, though it remained at a level consistent with modest hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices were flat last month, the latest sign inflation is in check. That could give the Federal Reserve leeway to continue its efforts to stimulate growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Kevin Mandia, a retired military cybercrime investigator, decided to expose China as a primary threat to U.S. computer networks, he didn't have to consult with American diplomats in Beijing or declassify tactics to safely reveal government secrets.
U.S. stocks continued a two-day slide Thursday on weak economic data and concern about the Federal Reserve's resolve to keep juicing the market.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices plunged for a second day Thursday, raising hopes that a relentless rise in gasoline prices may slow or reverse at least temporarily.
NEW YORK (AP) — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. offered a weak business outlook Thursday as new economic challenges for its low-income shoppers start to take a toll.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - As the nation continues to debate increasing safety in contact sports, Tennessee lawmakers are looking at legislation that would require schools and other organizations conducting youth athletic programs to adopt concussion policies.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A bill to allow handgun carry permit holders to store loaded firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked has cleared its final legislative committee before a full House vote.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State lawmakers are expected to continue discussion Wednesday on a proposal to eliminate affirmative action initiatives from higher education institutions in Tennessee.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court has put an end to Curb Records' fight to keep Tim McGraw off another label — two weeks after he released his new album with Big Machine Records.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times Co. says it is selling The Boston Globe and its related assets, in order to focus on its namesake newspaper.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Several Federal Reserve policymakers were concerned last month about the risks of the Fed's efforts to boost the U.S. economy by keeping borrowing costs low for the foreseeable future.
NEW YORK (AP) — Let the pots and pans fly.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. homebuilders began work at a slower pace in January than in December. But all of the drop occurred in the volatile area of apartment construction, which sank 24 percent. By contrast, the rate of single-family homebuilding rose 0.8 percent.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices rose only slightly in January after three straight declines, the latest sign that inflation is posing no threat. It means the Federal Reserve has room to keep interest rates at record lows without worrying about igniting inflation.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing lower on Wall Street following news that several top Federal Reserve officials are doubtful about continuing the central bank's economic stimulus.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil fell Wednesday, as a drop in metals commodities overflowed to crude markets and stocks retreated from five-year highs.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo is renovating the main entry into its website in an effort to get people to visit more frequently and linger for longer periods of time.
NEW YORK (AP) — Office Depot Inc. said Wednesday it will buy Office Depot in an all-stock deal that would transform office-supply retail sector.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Evidence of an unrelenting campaign of cyberstealing linked to the Chinese government is prompting the Obama administration to develop more aggressive responses to the theft of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is talking about climate change like it was 2009.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - There will be a British invasion of the main stage at Bonnaroo this year.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A bill seeking to halt hotel payments for Nashville-area lawmakers is advancing in the House despite one Democrat's concerns that it could be a first step toward dialing back allowances for members from other parts of the state.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A proposal to tighten enrollment requirements at online-only schools passed a House committee on Tuesday after an amendment failed that would have allowed school districts to close failing schools.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A measure that would have allowed Tennessee to approach Congress about forming the state's own health care system has failed a second consecutive year after opponents said Tuesday it's unnecessary and could hurt the state's other health initiatives.
NASHVILLE AREA
ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — Dell Inc. on Tuesday posted another quarter of declining sales and profits, the type of results that have disenchanted shareholders and prompted a buyout agreement.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Civil rights champion Rev. James M. Lawson Jr. has donated a significant portion of his papers to Vanderbilt University.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has dealt a setback to a deal between two private companies that left one as the owner of the only two hospitals in a southwestern Georgia city.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court appeared likely Tuesday to side with Monsanto Co. in its claim that an Indiana farmer violated the company's patents on soybean seeds that are resistant to its weed-killer.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Confidence among U.S. homebuilders slipped this month from the 6½ year high it reached in January, with many builders reporting less traffic by prospective customers before the critical spring home-buying season.
NEW YORK (AP) — Talk of more deal-making sent the stock market higher Tuesday, putting the Dow Jones industrial average within close reach of its all-time high.
Oil prices eased on Tuesday as traders weighed their next move after several weeks of gains.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google's stock price topped $800 for the first time Tuesday amid renewed confidence in the company's ability to reap higher profits from its dominance of Internet search and prominence in the growing mobile market.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft is so confident it has the Internet's best email service that it is about to spend at least $30 million to send its message across the U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two months after completing his five-plus years as an Army medic, Dan Huber is still looking for a job. And while he's had some promising interviews, he has no assurances the search will end soon.
LONDON (AP) — BP acknowledged Tuesday it had failed to reach a settlement in advance of next week's civil trial on the Deepwater Horizon accident and is ready to defend itself vigorously against allegations of gross negligence in the U.S.'s biggest environmental disaster.
Somebody hacked Burger King's Twitter account on Monday, posting obscene messages and changing its profile picture to a McDonald's logo.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing yet another fiscal deadline, President Barack Obama is urging congressional Republicans to accept more tax revenue in order to avert looming, across-the-board budget cuts due to take effect in less than two weeks.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A National Rifle Association-backed effort to block public access to handgun carry permits goes too far for Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, one of the top gun rights advocates in the Tennessee General Assembly.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tiffany Clay says she wants to give her sons the best education possible, and that's why the Memphis mother favors a proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
HEBER SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — Perhaps there was one heartbreak too many for Mindy McCready.
MIDSTATE
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — A machinists union has reached an agreement on a new 4-year contract with Trane to avert a possible strike at Clarksville's largest private employer.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The parent company of Reader's Digest has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for the second time in less than four years, saying it needs to cut its debt so it can keep restructuring.
PARIS (AP) — After starting the day in negative territory, Europe's main indexes were mixed around midday as investors cautiously contemplated a further fall in value for the Japanese yen — which sent the benchmark Nikkei index surging more than 2 percent.
The price of oil hovered below $96 a barrel Monday, weighed by data released late last week which showed that U.S. industrial production weakened and Europe remained mired in recession.
HONG KONG (AP) — Disneyland in the southern Chinese city of Hong Kong has turned a profit for the first time since it opened in 2005, as new attractions helped push visitor numbers to a record, theme park officials said Monday.
BERLIN (AP) — Online retailer Amazon reacted to mounting criticism Monday by firing a security company named in a German television documentary about alleged mistreatment of foreign temporary workers.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is downplaying its draft immigration proposal as merely a backup plan if lawmakers don't come up with an overhaul of their own. It won't be necessary, Republican and Democratic lawmakers alike are telling the Obama administration.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharply divided Congress isn't likely to jump at President Barack Obama's challenge for quick passage of a mortgage refinancing bill that supporters say could help millions of homeowners save big each year and boost the economy.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam says Tennessee won't participate in a partnership with the federal government in establishing a health insurance exchange.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee has joined 29 other states in a $29 million agreement with Toyota Motor Corp. over allegations the company concealed safety issues related to unintended acceleration.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Senate voted Thursday to place proposed constitutional amendments to ban a state income tax before Tennessee voters.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre renewed his call Thursday for armed guards in schools and urged gun owners to "stand and fight" for the Second Amendment.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — BMW is recalling more than 30,000 SUVs to fix an oil leak that can knock out the power-assisted braking.
DETROIT (AP) — Toyota said Thursday it will pay $29 million to 29 states and American Samoa as part of a settlement related to its safety recalls.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories slowed production in January after two solid months of cranking out goods. The weakness mainly reflected a big drop in output at auto factories that is likely temporary.
NEW YORK (AP) — The S&P 500 kept its winning streak alive, just.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices fell below $96 a barrel Friday after disappointing U.S. industrial production data fed concerns about the nation's economic recovery.
NEW YORK (AP) — A feud between Wall Street titans is flaring up again over Herbalife.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The outlook for the U.S. job market is brightening after a government report showed a sharp drop in the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits.
DALLAS (AP) — US Airways CEO Doug Parker has landed the big merger he sought for years. Now the soon-to-be CEO of the new American Airlines has to make it work.
NEW YORK (AP) — Companies are buying each other again.
NEW YORK (AP) — Anheuser-Busch InBev changed the terms of its proposed $20.1 billion acquisition of Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo Thursday in an attempt to push through a deal that federal regulators say will kill competition.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service has a message for taxpayers eager to learn the status of their tax refund: Please don't check the IRS website every five minutes — once a day is enough.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats and the White House struggled to break an impasse Thursday over Chuck Hagel's nomination as secretary of defense, with Republicans blocking speedy confirmation of their former colleague and Vietnam combat veteran.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's Democratic allies in the Senate are unveiling legislation Thursday to avoid a looming set of sharp, across-the-board spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and domestic agencies in just two weeks.