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VOL. 47 | NO. 8 | Friday, February 17, 2023

Helping to launch the next big success

Entrepreneur Center fuels new generation’s ventures

Lenses can cause both distortion and focus. If you look at the world of entrepreneurship primarily through a pop culture lens, the distortion might get overlooked, what with the lights and the chairs and the nicknames and the potential for life-changing money offered by a so-called shark. But the distortion is most assuredly there.

Twendé offers help for entrepreneurs of color

Another part of the Nashville Entrepreneur Center’s focus on the changing nature of Nashville’s business landscape has been the evolution of Twendé, the organization’s program focusing on entrepreneurs of color.

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

War of words: GOP better at framing debate

As I’ve noted before, conservatives are much better than progressives at framing the language of a debate, time and again seizing the upper rhetorical hand on matters of policy.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
44.1°F
Overcast
Wind: North at 8.1 mph
Humidity: 71%

EVENTS

Talent Solutions Forum. Learn how employers and stakeholders from Nashville are working alongside individuals with disabilities. The Tennessee Department of Human Services - Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Ernst & Young, Lipscomb University’s IDEAL and Vanderbilt University Next Steps will have an in-depth discussion on stakeholder engagement with individuals with disabilities, with an emphasis on those who are neurodivergent. Learn not only the best practices that stakeholders are employing, but how this community will strengthen your workforce. Tennessee College of Applied Technology Nashville, 100 White Bridge Road. Wednesday, 8-9:30 a.m. Information

more events »

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

January sales down 30% but pending sales rising

Nashville-area sales dropped 30% in January compared to January 2022, Greater Nashville Realtors data reveals. This drop is similar to data for the past several months since the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates in efforts to curb inflation.

REAL ESTATE

Top Davidson County commercial real estate sales for January 2023

Top Davidson County commercial real estate sales for January 2023, as compiled by the Nashville Ledger.

Average long-term US mortgage rate jumps to 6.32% this week

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in five weeks, bad news for home shoppers heading into the spring buying season.

UT SPORTS

No. 2-ranked Vols looking for deeper postseason run

Given the talent, recent history and swift rise under head coach Tony Vitello, it’s not unexpected for prognosticators to have high expectations for this year’s Tennessee baseball program.

NEWSMAKERS

Stites & Harbison brings in Reeves as member

Stites & Harbison, PLLC welcomes attorney T. Dylan Reeves as a member based in the firm’s Nashville office. He joins the business litigation and torts & insurance practice service groups.

BRIEFS

Tennessee looms large on ‘worst bottlenecks’ list

The American Transportation Research Institute released its 12th annual list highlighting the most congested bottlenecks for trucks in America, and the state of Tennessee placed seven locations on the list, including one in the top 10.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Trends, tips for buying your new car in 2023

Shopping for a new or used car over the last few years has become a frustrating and expensive undertaking. Car shoppers have had to deal with vehicle shortages, high prices, dwindling incentives and rising interest rates. Will 2023 bring any relief? Yes and no.

BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

Book offers cure for weak, disingenuous apologies

Man, were you ever wrong.

CAREER CORNER

Loving your job might be as simple as finding a friend

Have you asked friends how they’re doing at work lately? Many people are feeling scared.

PERSONAL FINANCE

Family budgeting tips that actually work

When Tom Snyder coaches people in his church about how to budget, he starts by encouraging them to track their spending.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans release Lewan, Woods, Bullock, Cunningham to clear up cap space

NASHVILLE (AP) — New Tennessee Titans general manager Ran Carthon started clearing up some much-needed salary cap space Wednesday.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Matt Duchene scores in shootout, Predators beat Canucks 5-4

NASHVILLE (AP) — Matt Duchene scored the only goal in the shootout as the Nashville Predators held off the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 on Tuesday night.

UT SPORTS

Taylor has 25 as No. 25 A&M downs No. 11 Tennessee 68-63

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Early in Tuesday night's game, someone on Tennessee's bench reminded Texas A&M's Wade Taylor IV of what happened the last time these teams met last season in the Southeastern Conference tournament title game.

RELIGION

Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor

The Southern Baptist Convention on Tuesday ousted its second-largest congregation — Saddleback Church, the renowned California megachurch founded by pastor and best-selling author Rick Warren — for having a woman pastor.

COURTS

Justices OK overtime pay for $200,000-a-year oil rig worker

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that an energy company employee who earned more than $200,000 a year still qualified for overtime pay under a New Deal-era federal law meant to protect blue-collar workers.

Supreme Court rules for Arizona inmate in death penalty case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday for a man on Arizona's death row who wants a new sentencing hearing because jurors in his case were wrongly told that the only way to ensure he would never walk free was to sentence him to death.

Supreme Court seems to favor tech giants in terror case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed skeptical Wednesday of a lawsuit trying to hold social media companies responsible for a terrorist attack at a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people.

Ex-member: Proud Boys were 'tip of the spear' after election

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Proud Boys member who pleaded guilty to plotting with group leaders to violently stop the transfer of presidential power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden told jurors Tuesday that he viewed their far-right extremist organization as "the tip of the spear" after the 2020 election.

HEALTH CARE

Amazon closes $3.9B buyout of health company One Medical

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon said Wednesday it has closed its $3.9 billion acquisition of the primary care organization One Medical.

MEDIA

Microsoft brings Bing chatbot to phones after curbing quirks

Microsoft is ready to take its new Bing chatbot mainstream — less than a week after making major fixes to stop the artificially intelligent search engine from going off the rails.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Musk's Tesla pay package under scrutiny in Delaware court

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Attorneys for a Tesla shareholder urged a Delaware judge on Tuesday to invalidate a 2018 compensation package awarded by the company's board of directors to CEO Elon Musk that is potentially worth more than $55 billion.

Stellantis earnings rise as EV push drives higher sales

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Automaker Stellantis on Wednesday reported its earnings grew in 2022 from a year earlier and said its push into electric vehicles led to a jump in sales even as it faces growing competition from an industrywide shift to more climate-friendly offerings.

TRANSPORTATION

Bent track a factor in Montana Amtrak crash that killed 3

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Investigators probing a fatal 2021 Amtrak derailment in Montana disclosed Tuesday that the railroad track was bent along a curve near the accident site, and the problem got worse as freight trains traveled over the area before the crash.

ENVIRONMENT

EU carbon price passes symbolic 100 euros as reforms bite

BERLIN (AP) — The price of releasing planet-heating carbon into the atmosphere rose above 100 euros (about $107) in the European Union for the first time this week, a signal that experts said Wednesday speaks for the bloc's efforts to make polluting costlier.

ENERGY

Biden considers 1st offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico

The Biden administration said Wednesday it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to help fight climate change.

ECONOMY

Fed Minutes: Almost all officials backed quarter-point hike

Fed Minutes: Almost all officials backed quarter-point hike

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks stall in mixed trading day after worst drop in months

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks stalled in mixed trading on Wednesday, a day after falling to their worst loss since December, as Wall Street prepares for interest rates to stay higher for longer.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

New estimate U.S. could face default on debt by early June

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. could face an unprecedented default on its obligations as soon as early June if Congress does not act to lift the debt limit, a Washington think tank said Wednesday.

US to limit asylum to migrants who pass through a 3rd nation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration said Tuesday that it will generally deny asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in a country they passed through, mirroring an attempt by the Trump administration that never took effect because it was blocked in court.

No economic 'knockout' yet from West's sanctions on Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) — One month into the invasion of Ukraine, President Joe Biden stood in the courtyard of a grand Polish castle and laid out the punishing economic costs that the U.S. and its allies were inflicting on Vladimir Putin's Russia, declaring that the ruble is almost immediately "reduced to rubble."

China blasts Pentagon official's Taiwan visit, military ties

BEIJING (AP) — China on Wednesday sharply criticized a visit to Taiwan by a senior Pentagon official and reaffirmed it has sanctioned Lockheed Martin and a unit of Raytheon for supplying military equipment to the self-governing island democracy.

McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of hours of surveillance footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol are being made available to Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson, a stunning level of access granted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy that Democrats swiftly condemned as a "grave" breach of security with potentially far-reaching consequences.

'Woke, Inc.' author Vivek Ramaswamy enters White House race

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vivek Ramaswamy, a wealthy biotech entrepreneur and investor and the author of "Woke, Inc.," has entered the Republican race for president.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21
TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans hire Jason Outten as running backs coach

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have hired Justin Outten as their new running backs coach and run game coordinator.

COURTS

Supreme Court weighs Google's liability in ISIS terror case

WASHINGTON (AP) — In its first case about the federal law that is credited with helping create the modern internet, the Supreme Court seemed unlikely Tuesday to side with a family wanting to hold Google liable for the death of their daughter in a terrorist attack.

What is Section 230, the rule that made the modern internet?

Twenty-six words tucked into a 1996 law overhauling telecommunications have allowed companies like Facebook, Twitter and Google to grow into the giants they are today.

Supreme Court won't upset Arkansas anti-Israel boycott law

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to step into a legal fight over state laws that require contractors to pledge not to boycott Israel.

Supreme Court won't revive lawsuit over NSA surveillance

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to revive an ACLU lawsuit challenging a portion of the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance of Americans' international email and phone communications.

Justices reject appeal from man arrested for spoofing police

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected an appeal, backed by the satirical site The Onion, from a man who was arrested and prosecuted for making fun of police on social media.

Inside the Trump grand jury that probed election meddling

ATLANTA (AP) — They were led down a staircase into a garage beneath a downtown Atlanta courthouse, where officers with big guns were waiting. From there, they were ushered into vans with heavily tinted windows and driven to their cars under police escort.

RELIGION

Mormon church fined $5M for obscuring size of portfolio

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its investment arm have been fined $5 million for using shell companies to obscure the size of the portfolio under church control, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced Tuesday.

REAL ESTATE

US home sales fell again in January; prices edged higher

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The nation's housing slump dragged on into January as home sales fell for the 12th consecutive month to the slowest pace in more than a dozen years.

TRAVEL

Japanese startup unveils balloon flight space viewing tours

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese startup announced plans Tuesday to launch commercial space viewing balloon flights that it hopes will bring an otherwise astronomically expensive experience down to Earth.

TRANSPORTATION

Buttigieg urges safety changes after fiery Ohio derailment

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation's freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a fiery derailment in Ohio that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned.

MEDIA

Microsoft makes case for Activision merger amid EU scrutiny

BRUSSELS (AP) — Microsoft's Xbox video game division on Tuesday announced new partnerships with Nintendo and chipmaker Nvidia as it tries to persuade European regulators to approve its planned $68.7 billion takeover of game publishing giant Activision Blizzard.

Korea's Hybe completes purchase of 14.8% stake in rival SM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hybe, the South Korean entertainment company behind K-pop sensation BTS, said Wednesday that it has completed its acquisition of a 14.8% stake in rival SM Entertainment, making it SM's largest single shareholder.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street tumbles, Dow loses 697 on fears about high rates

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks tumbled to their worst day in two months Tuesday, buckling under worries about higher interest rates and their tightening squeeze on Wall Street and the economy.

Enfamil maker recalls potentially contaminated baby formula

WASHINGTON (AP) — The maker of Enfamil announced a recall of about 145,000 cans of infant formula due to the possibility of cross-contamination with a bacteria that can cause serious illness or death.

Walmart beats Q4 expectations but is cautious on guidance

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart on Tuesday reported strong sales during the holiday season as budget-conscious consumers looking for better deals on groceries and other items flocked to its stores.

Home Depot's strong quarter overshadowed by 2023 outlook

ATLANTA (AP) — The Home Depot posted strong profits in its final quarter of 2022 but said it expects profits to slip this year, sending shares of the home improvement retailer skidding at the opening bell Tuesday.

Home Depot says it will raise pay for US, Canadian workers

Home Depot said Tuesday it's investing $1 billion in wage increases for its U.S. and Canadian hourly workers.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

House GOP meets with Zelenskyy as far-right oppose future aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — A handful of congressional Republicans met Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a signal of continued U.S. support even as hard-right members of the party vow to block future aid to the embattled country.

Blinken welcomes 'time out' on Greece-Turkey tension

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged NATO allies Greece and Turkey to calm rhetoric as both countries head to national elections, in an effort to bolster unity in the trans-Atlantic alliance as Russia's invasion of Ukraine nears its anniversary.

Putin not backing down on Ukraine, suspends START nuke pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin gave no sign Tuesday he would change strategy in the Kremlin's bloody war in Ukraine, and ratcheted up tensions with the West by suspending Moscow's participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the U.S.

Treasury deputy: Russia sanctions are degrading its military

WASHINGTON (AP) — American and allied sanctions and export controls are constraining Russia's ability to wage war on Ukraine by degrading its military, a top Treasury Department official said Tuesday, adding that more sanctions will be imposed on the Kremlin in the coming days.

Border, Bidens, COVID: House GOP casts wide net in probes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The security at the U.S. border with Mexico. The origins of COVID-19. The treatment of parents who protest "woke" school board policies.

Ukraine's unlikely wartime leader Zelenskyy instills hope

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year ago, with Russian forces bearing down on Ukraine's capital, Western leaders feared for the life of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and advised him to flee. The U.S. offered him an escape route.


MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
SPORTS

Swanson scores again as US beats Japan 1-0 at SheBelieves

NASHVILLE (AP) — Mallory Swanson is making the most of every opportunity for the United States, and her timing couldn't be better ahead of the Women's World Cup later this year.

COURTS

Supreme Court weighs liability shield for internet giants

WASHINGTON (AP) — Islamic State gunmen killed American college student Nohemi Gonzalez as she sat with friends in a Paris bistro in 2015, one of several attacks on a Friday night in the French capital that left 130 people dead.

HEALTH CARE

In test, zaps to spine help 2 stroke survivors move arms

WASHINGTON (AP) — A stroke left Heather Rendulic with little use of her left hand and arm, putting certain everyday tasks like tying shoes or cutting foods out of reach.

FDA's own reputation could be restraining its misinfo fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government agency responsible for tracking down contaminated peanut butter and defective pacemakers is taking on a new health hazard: online misinformation.

TRAVEL

Record 6,542 guns intercepted at US airports in '22; Nashville in top 10

ATLANTA (AP) — The woman flying out of Philadelphia's airport last year remembered to pack snacks, prescription medicine and a cellphone in her handbag. But what was more important was what she forgot to unpack: a loaded .380-caliber handgun in a black holster.

TRANSPORTATION

Buttigieg warns Norfolk Southern to support Ohio community

WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter Sunday to the CEO of Norfolk Southern, warning that the freight rail company must "demonstrate unequivocal support for the people" of East Palestine, Ohio, and surrounding areas after a fiery train derailment led to the release of chemicals and residents expressing concerns about their health.

MEDIA

Meta testing new subscription service for verified accounts

Meta is testing a new subscription service that would let Facebook and Instagram users pay for a verified account.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe out at right-wing org

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (AP) — Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe said in a speech posted online Monday that he has been removed as the right-wing group's leader.

Social Security and Medicare: Troubling math, tough politics

WASHINGTON (AP) — It seems no one wants to cut Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Biden's test: Sustaining unity as Ukraine war enters Year 2

WASHINGTON (AP) — One year ago, President Joe Biden was bracing for the worst as Russia massed troops in preparation to invade Ukraine.

Biden declares 'Kyiv stands' in surprise visit to Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — President Joe Biden paid an unannounced visit to Ukraine on Monday to meet with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a defiant display of Western solidarity with a country still fighting what he called "a brutal and unjust war" days before the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion.

EU mulls ways to ramp up ammunition production for Ukraine

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union must find ways to quickly provide thousands of artillery shells to Ukraine or face the prospect of it losing the war against Russia, top EU diplomats warned Monday, as ammunition stocks in national EU armories dwindle.

US warns China not to send weapons to Russia for Ukraine war

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence suggests China is considering providing arms and ammunition to Russia, an involvement in the Kremlin's war effort that would be a "serious problem," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.


FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
NASHVILLE PREDATORS

Jeremy Swayman makes 29 saves, Bruins blank Predators 5-0

NASHVILLE (AP) — Jeremy Swayman made 29 saves, Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist and the Boston Bruins defeated the Nashville Predators 5-0 on Thursday night.

SPORTS

Middle Tennessee knocks off No. 25 Florida Atlantic, 74-70

MURFREESBORO (AP) — Camryn Weston scored 16 points, Elias King added 15 and Middle Tennessee beat No. 25 Florida Atlantic 74-70 on Thursday night for the Blue Raiders' first win over a ranked opponent since 2016.

WEST TENNESSEE

5 Memphis officers plead not guilty in death of Tyre Nichols

MEMPHIS (AP) — Five former Memphis police officers pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree murder and other charges in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols, with his mother saying afterward that none of them would look her in the eye in court.

REGION

New board in place, TVA turns to clean energy study

NASHVILLE (AP) — Under a new board majority picked by President Joe Biden, the nation's largest public utility on Thursday reacted to a drumbeat of concerns about not meeting the Biden administration's own power sector climate change goals by announcing a new study of clean energy adoption opportunities throughout the region's economy.

COURTS

Trump election probe grand jury believes some witnesses lied

ATLANTA (AP) — A special grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his allies to overturn his 2020 election loss in Georgia says it believes "one or more witnesses" committed perjury and urged local prosecutors to bring charges.

MEDIA

Amid US TikTok bans, a few balk at writing its name into law

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Banning TikTok from government devices enjoys bipartsan support across the U.S., but a few Democratic legislators in Kansas object to expanding a ban imposed by their party's governor because they don't want a state law to target a company by name.

Is Bing too belligerent? Microsoft looks to tame AI chatbot

Microsoft's newly revamped Bing search engine can write recipes and songs and quickly explain just about anything it can find on the internet.

TRAVEL

Thousands of flights canceled as German airport staff strike

BERLIN (AP) — Thousands of flights to and from German airports were canceled Friday as workers walked out to press their demands for inflation-busting pay increases.

ENVIRONMENT

EPA moves to restore rule on mercury from power plants

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Friday reaffirmed the basis for a rule that requires "significant reductions" in mercury and other harmful pollutants from power plants, reversing a move late in former President Donald Trump's administration to roll back emissions standards.

ECONOMY

Fed's Barkin: 'Slow progress' on inflation, sees more hikes

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official downplayed recent signs that the economy is strengthening, but also said he is prepared to keep raising interest rates in smaller increments as often as needed to quell inflation.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks end mixed; S&P 500 posts 2nd straight weekly loss

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks ended mixed on Wall Street after paring losses from the morning.

Amazon asks corporate staff to be in offices 3 days a week

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon will require its corporate employees to return to the office at least three days a week.

DoorDash sees record orders and users, but losses grow

DoorDash said Thursday that it saw a record number of orders and active users in the fourth quarter as it expanded overseas and gained market share at home.

HarperCollins union approves contract, ends 3-month strike

NEW YORK (AP) — Striking union members at HarperCollins Publishers have approved a tentative agreement reached last week and will return to work Tuesday, ending a walkout that lasted more than three months and became the center of an ongoing debate about salaries in the industry.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

DOJ search of Pence's office turns up no new classified docs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department searched the office of former Vice President Mike Pence 's Washington advocacy group for several hours Friday as part of its investigation into the discovery of sensitive documents at the homes and offices of current and former top U.S. officials.

Sen. Rick Scott alters policy plan causing heartburn for GOP

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has amended his plan to overhaul how the federal government works after Democrats, including President Joe Biden, repeatedly invoked it to accuse Republicans of looking to cut Medicare and Social Security.

GOP opens another investigation of Afghanistan withdrawal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several Biden Cabinet members, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, received a letter Friday from House Republicans as they launched the second investigation into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Off camera, Fox hosts doubted 2020 election fraud claims

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — To millions of viewers, Fox News hosts gave allies of former President Donald Trump a platform to champion false claims that he lost the 2020 election because of voter fraud. To one another, they expressed doubts about the claims and mocked the people making them.

Biden's Trump-focused campaign could be risky if GOP shifts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden built his 2020 White House run around promises to beat Donald Trump "like a drum." As Biden gears up for an expected reelection campaign, he insists he can do it again.

Doctor says Biden's 'vigorous' as he readies for 2024 run

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite testing positive twice last year for the coronavirus, President Joe Biden has no long-term symptoms and has been declared "healthy, vigorous" and "fit" to handle his White House responsibilities, according to a routine medical checkup performed Thursday.

Security experts warn of foreign cyber threat to 2024 voting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top state election and cybersecurity officials on Thursday warned about threats posed by Russia and other foreign adversaries ahead of the 2024 elections, noting that America's decentralized system of thousands of local voting jurisdictions creates a particular vulnerability.

Janet Yellen to visit India for G-20 finance meetings

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will travel to India next week to attend Group of 20 finance minister meetings in Bengaluru and will address the global economic impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as her visit coincides with the one-year anniversary of the invasion.

After serving in CIA, lawmaker now has role overseeing it

WASHINGTON (AP) — As former CIA Director David Petraeus recently told the House Intelligence Committee about the needs of the agency's workforce, one of the committee's youngest members flashed a knowing smile and began to nod.

Fetterman draws praise for getting help for depression

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Patrick Kennedy was in Congress, he would sneak in his treatments for substance abuse over the holidays, in between congressional work periods. And he refused mental health treatment recommended by his doctors, worried he would be recognized in that wing of the hospital.


THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16
NASHVILLE SC

MLS games will be available to bars, restaurants via DirecTV

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Bars and restaurants with DirecTV can still show Major League Soccer games.

UT SPORTS

No. 10 Tennessee takes down newly minted No. 1 Alabama 68-59

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Rocky Top was too much for top-ranked Alabama.

REGION

Black Hawk helicopter crashes in Alabama, killing 2 crew

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A Black Hawk helicopter from the Tennessee National Guard crashed Wednesday in during a flight-training mission in Alabama, killing two crew members, the Tennessee National Guard said.

WEST TENNESSEE

Deputies suspended in Nichols case didn't keep body cams on

MEMPHIS (AP) — Two sheriff's deputies who have been suspended for five days for their role in the arrest of Tyre Nichols failed to keep their body cameras activated after they went to the location where Nichols had been beaten by five Memphis police officers, officials said late Wednesday.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Tennessee senators OK school voucher expansion bill

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Senate lawmakers on Thursday approved the expansion of an education voucher program that allows public tax dollars to be given to families to pay for private schooling.

States' push to define sex decried as erasing trans people

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Adam Kellogg was a self-described nerdy 16-year-old preparing to board a flight from Kansas City to Florida for a space and science camp trip to Cape Canaveral when security held him up for 30 minutes because his driver's license identified him as female.

COURTS

Supreme Court won't hear arguments Title 42 case as planned

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says it will not hear arguments as planned March 1 in a case involving a Trump-era immigration policy used several millions of times over the past three years to quickly turn away migrants at the border.

Messages: Officer often fed information to Proud Boys leader

WASHINGTON (AP) — A police officer frequently provided Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio with internal information about law enforcement operations in the weeks before other members of his far-right extremist group stormed the U.S. Capitol, according to messages shown Wednesday at the trial of Tarrio and four associates.

FTX bankruptcy judge denies request for independent examiner

DOVER, Del. (AP) — The judge presiding over the bankruptcy of cryptocurrency exchange FTX has denied a request by the U.S. bankruptcy trustee to appoint an independent examiner in the case.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Tesla recalls 'Full Self-Driving' to fix unsafe actions

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators have pressured Tesla into recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with its "Full Self-Driving" system because it misbehaves around intersections and doesn't always follow speed limits.

Group: Tesla workers fired after union push at NY plant

Several employees at a Tesla factory in New York have been fired a day after launching union organizing efforts, according to Tesla Workers United, but the company says they're not related.

Ford stops production of electric F-150 after battery fire

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. has suspended production and halted shipments of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup after a battery caught fire during a pre-delivery quality check.

White House: Tesla to make some EV chargers available to all

WASHINGTON (AP) — Electric car giant Tesla will, for the first time, make some of its charging stations available to all U.S. electric vehicles by the end of next year, under a new plan announced Wednesday by the White House.

HEALTH CARE

Panel backs moving opioid antidote Narcan over the counter

WASHINGTON (AP) — The overdose-reversing drug naloxone should be made available over the counter to aid the national response to the opioid crisis, U.S. health advisers said Wednesday.

ENVIRONMENT

Colorado ponders carbon storage in defunct oil and gas wells

DENVER (AP) — From Colorado's high desert to the wooded hills of northwest Pennsylvania, millions of deserted oil and gas wells plunge thousands of feet into the earth after fossil fuels have been pumped out, combusted and released as carbon dioxide. They have long been symbols of pollution.

Climate advocates urge World Bank overhaul as leader exits

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leading climate figures are urging the Biden administration to use the early departure of the Trump-appointed head of the World Bank as an opening to overhaul the powerful financial institution, which has been increasingly criticized as hostile to less-wealthy nations and efforts to address climate change.

ENERGY

Plunging natural gas prices relieve inflation pressure

NEW YORK (AP) — The price of natural gas used to heat homes and generate electricity is plunging this year, thanks to a mild winter in the U.S. and Europe — bringing some relief to consumers and helping drive down inflation.

MEDIA

Fox: Dominion defamation suit is assault on First Amendment

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News by Dominion Voting Systems over the network's coverage of the 2020 presidential election is an assault on the First Amendment, attorneys for the cable news giant argued in a counterclaim unsealed Thursday.

YouTube CEO steps down, severing longtime ties to Google

Susan Wojcicki, a longtime Google executive who played a key role in the company's creation, is stepping down as YouTube's CEO after spending the past nine years running the video site that has reshaped entertainment, culture and politics.

ECONOMY

Cautious but steady consumers buoying hopes for US economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it the Goldilocks consumer.

Wholesale price pressures emerge despite long-term slowdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States reaccelerated in January, indicating that inflation pressures continue to underlie the U.S. economy despite longer-term signs of improvement.

Weekly jobless applications fall again despite Fed rate push

Fewer Americans filed for jobless benefits last week despite efforts by the Federal Reserve to loosen the labor market with higher interest rates as it tries to cool the economy.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US stocks drop as inflation remains stubbornly hot

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell on Wall Street, posting their biggest drop in four weeks, after another reading on inflation came in hotter than expected.

Anti-poverty campaigners rage as energy giants rake in cash

LONDON (AP) — Anti-poverty campaigners fumed Thursday after the parent of Britain's biggest home energy supplier said earnings more than tripled last year as consumers struggled to pay soaring utility bills.

Airbus sees profit boost, but defense and space challenges

PARIS (AP) — Airbus is urging stepped-up European cooperation to ensure the continent's security and future access to space after a year that saw the company suffer fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine and the crash of a European satellite launcher.

CBO projects higher unemployment, slow exit from inflation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that it expects the U.S. economy to stagnate this year with the unemployment rate jumping to 5.1% — a bleak outlook that was paired with a 10-year projection that publicly held U.S. debt would nearly double to $46.4 trillion in 2033.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Biden wants 'sharper rules' on unknown aerial objects

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is developing "sharper rules" to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects, following three weeks of high-stakes drama sparked by the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting much of the country.

Biden takes new steps to address racial inequality in gov't

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday ordered the federal government to do more to address racial inequality as the challenges and complexities of systemic racism are again drawing the public's attention.

GOP subpoenas tech CEOs as part of probe into censorship

WASHINGTON (AP) — Subpoenas were sent to the chief executives of the five largest tech companies on Wednesday as congressional Republicans moved to investigate what they assert is widespread corporate censorship of conservative voices.

Biden completes medical checkup as he readies for 2024 run

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden had a routine medical checkup Thursday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a keenly watched exam as the oldest president in history makes plans for an expected reelection campaign.

AP source: FBI searched U. of Delaware in Biden docs probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI searched the University of Delaware in recent weeks for classified documents as part of its investigation into the potential mishandling of sensitive government records by President Joe Biden.

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