VOL. 39 | NO. 12 | Friday, March 20, 2015
VIEW FROM THE HILL
With the National Rifle Association bringing 75,000 people to Nashville for its April 10-12 convention, the timing is seemingly right for the General Assembly to impress by passing a bevy of gun bills.
State Rep. Sherry Jones is continuing her push for legalization of medical marijuana in Tennessee after taking it further than ever in the legislative process last year.
REALTY CHECK
The new construction at 2314 Castleman sold last week for $1,365,000 after Brent Morris of Parks listed the home for $1,395,000. Morris has developed a niche in locating infill lots and teardowns – to use the plural of the now-popular noun created by adding verb to adverb – in the Green Hills area.
REAL ESTATE
January 2015 real estate trends for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford and Wilson counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE – Tennessee senior Mikelis Libietis sits on the bench before a match on Court 1 at Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center and is reminded of one of his greatest losses.
NEWSMAKERS
Adams and Reese has hired entertainment and transactions attorney Meredith Edwards Collins as an associate. Collins was formerly with Bass Berry & Sims and has been practicing law in Nashville for six years in entertainment, health care, and business transactions.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Toyota’s Sienna, the best-selling family van in the country this year, has refreshed styling, stiffened vehicle structure, more safety equipment and new features for 2015.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Facebook is a platform that has more than 1.39 billion monthly active users that, in theory, can be accessed for free.
I SWEAR
SEARCY, ARK. – In the summer of 1966, I met Archie Manning in his home town, Drew, Mississippi. In a game of touch football, I caught a pass or two from the future All-Pro quarterback.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Cooking for my husband is a challenge... Well, I take that back. My husband is just what people call a “meat and potatoes man.”
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - AT&T says it has invested $1.2 billion on its wired and wireless networks in Tennessee since 2012.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam said Thursday that he is willing to risk a second defeat of his Insure Tennessee proposal to highlight the need for improving health standards in the state.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Legislation that would give parents the option to move a child from a failing public school to a private school is scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor on Monday.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill seeking to do away with Tennessee's motorcycle helmet requirement has failed in the state Senate.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A task force formed by Gov. Bill Haslam to examine Tennessee's sentencing structure and look at ways to reduce the state's high recidivism rate is scheduled to meet Thursday in Nashville.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jurors were set to begin their second day of deliberations on Thursday in a gender-bias case that has drawn attention to the treatment of women in Silicon Valley.
TECHNOLOGY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook's Messenger app is evolving into a multitasking tool equipped to send an animated fist bump to a friend at one moment and then get a little business done in the next.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week for a second straight week, edging closer to historically low levels at the start of the spring home-buying season.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, evidence that strong hiring should continue despite signs of slower economic growth at the start of 2015.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks were little changed in midday trading Thursday, following declines in Europe after Saudi Arabia launched strikes on key military installations in Yemen. The price of oil rose.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Payday lenders would face federal rules aimed at protecting low-income borrowers from being buried by fees and debts under proposals being unveiled Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the House have found something in common. Many have issues with the Obama administration's new regulations requiring companies that drill for oil and natural gas to disclose chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is up next after House Republicans pushed through a boldly conservative budget eliminating deficits over the next decade by cutting deeply into Medicaid, food stamps and welfare, and repealing the president's health care law.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A revived version of Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans on Wednesday cleared its first full Senate committee.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A House subcommittee has advanced a bill to allow Tennessee to cancel federal pre-kindergarten funding if a court were to rule that the program must be offered to all of the state's 4-year-olds.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A bill seeking to allow government agencies to charge for public records searches has failed in the House.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Students in kindergarten to fifth grade would have to participate in a physical education class at least twice a week under legislation advancing in the House.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee students would have to pass the U.S. citizenship and immigration services' civic test before getting a high school diploma under legislation advancing in the state House.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill that would strip local governments of the power to ban guns in public parks advanced in the Legislature on Tuesday despite concerns from the governor.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The superintendent of Knox County Schools said Wednesday that he's surprised Hamilton County and six Chattanooga-area school systems filed a lawsuit against the state over funding after what he thought was a productive meeting with the governor.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - A former NFL player is asking for help in finding his Super Bowl ring, which he says he lost over the weekend in Nashville.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Budget meetings for Metro Nashville will begin Monday and will be streamed online and broadcast on television.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nearly 100 workers will be laid off in the shutdown of a Dell Inc. customer support unit in Nashville.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The family of an 11-year-old boy is suing the Publix grocery chain, saying the child was allergic to nuts and died from a severe reaction after eating a cookie despite a worker's assurance it was safe.
TECHNOLOGY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook is trying to mold its Messenger app into a more versatile communications channel as smartphones create new ways for people to connect with friends and businesses beyond the walls of the company's ubiquitous social network.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court gave a former UPS driver another chance Wednesday to prove her claim of discrimination after the company did not offer her lighter duty when she was pregnant.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — The leader of the United Auto Workers union has rejected a third tier of lower wages for members who make auto parts.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama said Wednesday he's ready to sign "good, bipartisan" legislation protecting physicians from steep cuts in Medicare reimbursements and bolstering health programs for children and the poor as Senate Democrats seemed to soften their opposition to the package.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Comcast says it $45 billion purchase of Time Warner Cable to take longer than expected because of a long-running regulatory review.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories for long-lasting manufactured goods fell in February for the third time in the past four months, while a key investment category fell for a sixth month.
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors dumped high-flying technology and biotech companies and sent the stock market down for a third straight day Wednesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — H.J. Heinz Co. is buying Kraft Foods, creating one of the largest food and beverage companies in the world with annual revenue of about $28 billion.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inspired by the popular "USDA organic" label, House Republicans are proposing a new government certification for foods free of genetically modified ingredients.
TUESDAY, MARCH 17
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - With a new stadium nearing completion, box seats for the Nashville Sounds opening night are already sold out. To help fans attend the game, the Triple-A minor league affiliate of the Oakland Athletics is selling berm and standing-room tickets for the April 17 opening in advance.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Oscar-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson will be the keynote speaker at an event in Nashville on Tuesday.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Proposals seeking to restore abortion laws that were struck down by a state Supreme Court decision advanced in the House on Tuesday despite criticism from opponents who say the measures could put more stress on woman facing difficult circumstances.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A proposal to create a school voucher program in Tennessee is continuing to advance in the House.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that he's pleased to see his Insure Tennessee proposal revived in the Legislature, but the top Republican in the Senate called it unlikely that the measure will reach an up-or-down vote by the full chamber.
NASHVILLE (AP) - AAA motor club wants to put the brakes on proposed legislation that would allow many motorcyclists to ride without a helmet.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's attorney general wants a federal appeals court to set aside a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission to allow cities like Chattanooga to offer municipal broadband beyond their normal service area.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State Lottery officials say that two winning Powerball tickets have been sold in Tennessee, including one that won Saturday night's $50 million jackpot.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — An extraordinary bipartisan accord between House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is letting both parties exhale as they move toward ending the nagging annual threat of Medicare cuts to physicians. Yet each side is bragging about far more than that.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of uninsured U.S. residents fell by more than 11 million since President Barack Obama signed the health care overhaul five years ago, according to a pair of reports Tuesday from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NEW YORK (AP) — Thirty years ago, insurance companies had the answer to the soaring cost of caring for the elderly. Plan ahead and buy a policy that will cover your expenses.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sales of new U.S. homes in February climbed to their fastest pace in seven years, as an otherwise dormant housing market showed fresh signs of life.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks ended lower for a second straight day, dragged down by utility companies.
NEW YORK (AP) — Comcast is adding more social media representatives as it tries to work on its reputation for inefficient, unresponsive or just plain rude customer service.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A slight rise in gas costs and broad increases in other categories lifted consumer prices in February, a welcome sign after three straight months of declines that had pointed to excessively low inflation.
NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, American Express was the undisputed credit card of choice among corporate road warriors, the wealthy and the well-traveled, who lived by the company's slogan, "Don't leave home without it."
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's allies are recruiting high-profile Democrats to help combat liberal resistance to his bid for new trade agreements in Asia and elsewhere.
MONDAY, MARCH 23
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - An effort to revive Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee proposal has received a positive recommendation in a Senate subcommittee.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State Attorney General Herbert Slatery says a proposal to boost Tennessee's road fund by raising taxes and fees on out-of-state trucks would be unconstitutional.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney announced Monday that he will step down just months into his fourth term in charge of the state GOP.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam met with representatives of the school districts in Tennessee's four largest cities to discuss their grievances about state funding and told them that he's working on short-term and long-term plans to address their concerns.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating complaints that two Nissan recalls didn't go far enough to fix a problem with front-seat air bag seat sensors.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is weighing a free-speech challenge to Texas' refusal to issue a license plate bearing the Confederate battle flag.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Barack Obama signed the Affordable Care Act five years ago, he visualized a time when the political hyperbole would be silenced and ordinary people would see that the health care law improved their lives.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly more Americans bought homes in February, but tight inventories, affordability problems and nasty winter weather point to sluggish sales in the coming few months.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — A late turn pulled the stock market to a loss on Monday, as major indexes wavered following a strong run last week.
The company that makes Louisville Slugger bats has announced a deal to sell the iconic brand to rival Wilson Sporting Goods Co.
LONDON (AP) — When Rohini Anand took over diversity programs at multinational catering company Sodexo in 2002, she had one goal: To prove that it pays for a company to have equal numbers of male and female managers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cash-strapped Americans anxious for tax refunds are increasingly turning to payment advances, prepaid cards or other costly services when getting tax preparation help, according to new federal data raising concerns among regulators about whether consumers are fully informed about the fees.
HAVANA (AP) — Bookings to Cuba jumped 57 percent for one New York tour operator in the weeks after Washington said it would renew ties with Havana. In February, they were up 187 percent; and so far this month, nearly 250 percent.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is highlighting private-sector efforts to encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue education in science, technology, engineering and math.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The new House and Senate Republican budgets make a big boast: They both balance the federal budget within 10 years, without raising taxes.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
STATEWIDE
NEW YORK (AP) — Mall operator Simon Property boosted its hostile bid for rival Macerich by 5 percent to $16.8 billion and said it will be its best and final offer.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development says Tennessee Main Street communities generated more than $95 million last year and created more than 1,500 jobs.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee State University's gospel choir is being recognized nationally.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk says he will reimburse the state of Tennessee for a controversial part-time job he was given before becoming D.A. that allowed him to get a good deal on the state's pension plan and health insurance for him and his family.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said Thursday that an agreement has been reached on legislation that would keep the state's current academic standards intact - for now - despite efforts to repeal them.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's administration is being sued for refusing to release documents about a $350,000 analysis of business- tax collections in Tennessee.
NEW YORK (AP) — A civil rights group sued the federal government Thursday to try to force it to turn over information about airport "behavior detection" programs designed to spot passengers who are potential threats, saying they lead to discrimination.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — An emerging bipartisan House deal changing how Medicare reimburses doctors ran into turbulence in the Senate Thursday over abortion, spotlighting a rare public disagreement between Congress' two top Democrats.
WASHINGTON (AP) — An uncharacteristic joint effort by House Speaker John Boehner and his usual nemesis, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, to resolve a gnawing problem about how Medicare pays doctors underscores the political victories each sees in finally sweeping the issue off the deck — if they can.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Motors is updating its Model S electric car to help ease drivers' worries about running out of battery charge — and is hinting that in the future drivers can take their hands off the wheel altogether.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks advanced Friday, capping a strong week, helped by a recovery in the price of oil and earnings from Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants and sportswear giant Nike.
A Minnesota judge has endorsed a settlement in which Target Corp. will pay $10 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over a massive data breach in 2013.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether the issue is immigration or federal budgets, Republicans keep learning a bitter lesson: Their sizable and near-historic congressional majority doesn't necessarily mean they can govern.