VOL. 43 | NO. 12 | Friday, March 22, 2019
TIM GHIANNI: STREET LEVEL
The guy who long ago buried “Trigga” – his gun-slinging street name – is running a few minutes late because he’s straightening out a work-site problem concerning one of his employees.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
Sellers in a frantic real estate market are not likely to accept an offer contingent on the sale of the buyer’s current residence.
REAL ESTATE
Top commercial real estate sales, February 2019, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. long-term mortgage rates fell this week, giving an incentive to potential buyers as the spring homebuying season opens.
PREDATORS
Zach Parise didn’t hesitate when asked what he will miss most about his former linemate, Mikael Granlund.
NEWSMAKERS
The law firm of Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC has hired Lisa Bashinsky as an associate attorney. Bashinsky will practice in the firm’s Business and Corporate section, with a focus on providing legal representation to businesses, entrepreneurs, individuals and professionals with their business transactions and commercial needs.
BRIEFS
Vanderbilt University’s schools of nursing, education and medicine have moved up on U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 graduate school rankings.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Prepaid car maintenance plans are one of the most common items a dealership finance and insurance manager will offer you when you buy a new car.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Unsolicited money advice is like stale fruitcake: Most people wish the givers would just keep it to themselves.
CAREER CORNER
The premise of my column, which comes from one of my career mentors, might sound a bit confusing.
MIDSTATE
ASHLAND CITY (AP) — A Tennessee sheriff says overcrowding at the Cheatham County Jail led to a brawl that injured five people, including two correctional officers.
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Fort Campbell says more than 100 soldiers are returning from a deployment to Africa.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are sending Republican Gov. Bill Lee a bill that would ban local governments from regulating certain plastic bags and utensils.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A watered-down Tennessee bill spelling out that the state's public indecency law applies to bathrooms and changing rooms for single-sex, multi-person use is heading toward floor votes.
TECHNOLOGY
HAVANA (AP) — Cuba and Google are signing a deal moving the island one step closer to having a state-of-the-art connection to the modern internet.
LONDON (AP) — British cybersecurity inspectors said Thursday they found significant technical issues in Chinese telecom supplier Huawei's software that pose risks for the country's mobile networks.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. economic growth slowed sharply in the fourth quarter last year to an annual rate of just 2.2 percent. There are concerns that growth has slowed even more in the first quarter this year as global weakness, fading government stimulus and rising trade tensions take a toll on the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Facebook is again facing charges of discrimination because of its ad-targeting system, this time by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May was making a final push Thursday to save her European Union withdrawal deal after her promise to step down gained the deal some support but failed to win over lawmakers from Northern Ireland.
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. trade negotiators arrived in Beijing on Thursday to start a new round of talks aimed at ending a tariff war over China's technology ambitions as officials hint they might be making progress.
NATIONAL POLITICS
NEW YORK (AP) — The end of the special counsel's investigation sparked fresh speculation that President Donald Trump might pardon some of those charged in the probe. It's also spawned a don't-go-there chorus from some of Trump's closest advisers and GOP allies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats say they want "all of the underlying evidence" in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation . But what is all of that evidence?
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers have spiked a measure to ensure most abortions would be outlawed should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers on Wednesday tweaked a sweeping voucher proposal to ensure schoolchildren living in the country illegally are prohibited from accessing the program.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee Senate panel has voted to recommend against passing a bill to legalize sports betting in the state.
MIDSTATE
LEBANON (AP) — The city of Lebanon, Tennessee, has drafted a zoning ordinance similar to one being discussed in Mt. Juliet that seeks to regulate abortion services in the city.
FRANKLIN (AP) — A nonprofit organization devoted to protecting the Harpeth River is dropping its opposition to the City of Franklin's sewage treatment plant expansion.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Fisk University says the Tennessee Historical Commission is dedicating a historical marker next week at the former home of the Rev. William J. Faulkner, the former dean of men and dean of the chapel at Fisk.
REGION
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — A coal investor has offered to purchase a Tennessee Valley Authority plant in Kentucky that's slated for closure next year.
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a three-year, entry-level contract.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee has fired women's basketball coach Holly Warlick after a season in which the Lady Vols barely kept their NCAA Tournament streak alive and then promptly lost in the opening round.
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee has suspended defensive back Kenneth George Jr. indefinitely after police said he punched an officer on the side of the head last week.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has issued an order for the government to end its 10-year conservatorship of the mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
AUTO INDUSTRY
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Union is moving to require cars and trucks to have technology that would deter speeding as well as data recorders to document the circumstances of accidents.
YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) — A Nissan committee set up to strengthen corporate governance after the arrest of former Chairman Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday an investigation found he had wielded too much power and recommended the scandal-hit Japanese automaker add more independent outside directors to its board and better oversee compensation and auditing.
MOSCOW (AP) — Ford said Wednesday it will close three factories in Russia, causing heavy job losses, as it pulls out of passenger vehicle manufacturing in the country.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — If Democrats are anxious to turn attention aware from the Mueller report and toward the issue of health care, President Donald Trump is giving them an opening.
Centene is spending more than $15 billion on rival WellCare to dive deeper into government-funded health coverage in the same week that President Donald Trump's administration renewed its attack on the Affordable Care Act.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Shareholders suing private prison operator CoreCivic have won class action status for a lawsuit claiming the company inflated stock prices by misrepresenting the quality and value of its services.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting arguments made by Justice Brett Kavanaugh when he was an appeals court judge in a case involving securities fraud.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Even before federal prosecutors unsealed charges against Michael Avenatti, the lawyer best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in legal battles against President Donald Trump was facing legal scrutiny for his business practices.
TRANSPORTATION
The Federal Aviation Administration plans to revamp oversight of airplane development after the two deadly crashes of Boeing's new 737 Max raised questions of whether the FAA has gone too far in letting companies regulate themselves, according to testimony prepared for a Capitol Hill hearing on Wednesday.
TECHNOLOGY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook is extending its ban on hate speech to prohibit the promotion and support of white nationalism and white separatism.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A mind-bending battle over some of the technology used in iPhones became even more muddled Tuesday when a federal trade agency handed separate victories to the embittered foes, Apple and Qualcomm.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Technology and health care companies drove a broad slide in U.S. stocks Wednesday, erasing some of the market's solid gains from a day earlier.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit tumbled nearly 15 percent in January as imports fell and exports rose. Shipments of American goods to China skidded to the lowest level in more than eight years as the world's two biggest economies remained locked in a trade war.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May told Conservative lawmakers Wednesday that she will step down once the U.K.'s exit from the European Union is delivered — a dramatic concession meant to bring enough of her colleagues on board to push her deal over the line.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is ready to take further action to help the economy if the outlook takes a sudden turn for the worse, bank President Mario Draghi said Wednesday.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A grand jury that was involved in special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation is "continuing robustly," a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leaders appear likely to give up on passing a budget this year rather than trying to bridge divisions between progressives seeking more money for domestic programs and more moderate members in swing districts who fear being attacked on tax hikes.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have unveiled legislation making it easier to vote and curbing the influence of big money in politics.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barbara Bush says Donald Trump caused her "angst" during the 2016 election and led her to question whether she was still a Republican in the months before she died.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In 2016, President Donald Trump compared Hillary Clinton's campaign to the lumbering federal bureaucracy. Now he's building one of his own.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and House Republicans moved to build congressional support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade accord on Tuesday with lawmakers selling the plan as offering big benefits for American workers. But prospects remain uncertain as Democrats are in no hurry to secure a political victory for the president.
TUESDAY, MARCH 26
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — It's pronounced "app-uh-latch-uh," not "app-uh-lay-sha."
NASHVILLE (AP) — Amid growing national concerns about election security, Tennessee's three largest counties plan to begin using voting machines that produce a verifiable paper trail in time for the presidential primaries in March 2020, whether the Republican-led state requires it or not.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee bill to ban most landlords from renting or subleasing housing to people in the U.S. illegally is dead for this year's legislative session.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee bill to eliminate penalties when carry permit holders bring guns to some private properties and immediately leave when they realize firearms are banned is headed toward floor votes.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers are throwing support behind legislation that would prevent the state from revoking or suspending driver's licenses over unpaid court costs.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee could become the latest state to ban local municipalities from regulating certain plastic bags and utensils.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — The ACM Awards will feature collaborations between pop star Khalid and Kane Brown, three-time Grammy-winner Brandi Carlile with Dierks Bentley and pop star Kelly Clarkson pulling double-duty with performances with both Jason Aldean and Dan + Shay.
STRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Parliament approved Tuesday a landmark copyright bill which seeks to give creative writers and artists better protection of their rights and income.
EDUCATION
NASHVILLE (AP) — The body that governs Tennessee's college system says it has approved new training programs at nine technical colleges and changes in some student fees at six community colleges.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee higher education officials say community college graduation rates are on the rise.
UT SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Former All-Star first baseman Todd Helton has received a misdemeanor citation on a charge of driving under the influence after getting involved in a one-car accident.
PREDATORS
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Ryan Donato's bid to tie the game caromed off the crossbar, and the Minnesota Wild were stuck with another agonizing defeat.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed wary Tuesday of getting federal judges involved in determining when electoral district maps are too partisan.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A year ago, Michael Avenatti's star was rising as the combative, media-savvy lawyer representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against President Donald Trump.
REAL ESTATE
Home prices in Tennessee continued rising in the fourth quarter of 2018 while construction permits were down from the previous quarter, the latest quarterly housing report from the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center finds.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices rose at their slowest pace in more than six years in January, as higher mortgage rates last year weighed on sales.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of homes under construction fell 8.7 percent in February, as ground breakings for single-family houses plunged to their lowest level in nearly two years.
MEDIA
NEW YORK (AP) — Google and the McClatchy publishing company say they will work together on an experiment launching three digital-only outlets to provide local news in U.S. communities that are currently news "deserts."
NEW YORK (AP) — Many newspaper publishers — after suffering for a decade from job losses, shrinking ad dollars and circulation declines — are so far shunning Apple's new "Netflix for news" subscription.
NEW YORK (AP) — On Monday, Apple launched what some have called a "Netflix for news" — a $10-a-month subscription service that offers access to hundreds of magazines and a handful of newspapers. But most major U.S. news publishers aren't participating.
TECHNOLOGY
LONDON (AP) — The European Commission has ignored U.S. calls to ban Chinese tech supplier Huawei as it announced a series of new cybersecurity recommendations for next-generation mobile networks.
BOSTON (AP) — In a sophisticated targeted espionage operation, hackers infected tens of thousands of computers from the Taiwanese vendor ASUS with malicious software using the company's online automatic update service, security researchers reported Monday.
HEALTH CARE
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The maker of OxyContin and the family that owns the company have reached a $270 million settlement with the state of Oklahoma over the prescription painkiller's role in the nation's deadly opioid crisis, a person familiar with the agreement said Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has told a federal appeals court it wants the entire Affordable Care Act struck down, an outcome that could leave millions uninsured and re-ignite a winning political issue for Democrats.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says 11.4 million people have signed up for coverage this year under former President Barack Obama's health law. That's just a slight dip from 2018.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Leading House Democrats, backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are unveiling broad legislation to shore up the Affordable Care Act. It's an attempt to deliver on campaign promises about health care and to — just maybe— change the conversation.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Stocks finished broadly higher on Wall Street Tuesday, erasing the market's modest losses from a day earlier.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration moved Tuesday to break up a group of Iranian-linked companies that has transferred around $1 billion to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions on the country.
WASHINGTON (AP) — American consumers were feeling less confident this month amid continued volatility in the financial markets.
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York state's comptroller says the average bonus paid to Wall Street security industry employees dipped by more than $30,000 despite an 11 percent increase in securities industry profits in 2018.
LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers were preparing to blow open the Brexit process and put a host of rejected options back on the table — including keeping the U.K. close to the European Union or even remaining a member — as Prime Minister Theresa May defiantly insisted Tuesday that Parliament should approve her twice-defeated divorce deal instead.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Ride-hailing service Uber announced on Tuesday it has acquired Mideast competitor Careem for $3.1 billion, giving the San Francisco-based firm the commanding edge in a region with a large, young, tech-savvy population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House and business groups are stepping up efforts to win congressional approval for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade accord . But prospects are uncertain given that Republicans are at odds with some aspects of the plan and Democrats are in no hurry to secure a political victory for the president.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-led House failed Tuesday to override President Donald Trump's first veto, salvaging his effort to steer billions of extra dollars to erecting border barriers and delivering a victory to the White House in a constitutional and political clash that's raged for months.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — House lawmakers on Tuesday denounced Defense Department plans to use military funds to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall, telling Pentagon leaders the "unbelievably irresponsible" maneuver will threaten the agency's future ability to shift money around when needed.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday expanded the Trump administration's ban on U.S. aid to groups that promote or provide abortions to include organizations that comply with the rules but give money to others that don't.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top defense leaders are expected to get a barrage of questions when they face worried lawmakers on Capitol Hill for the first time since the Pentagon spelled out the military construction projects that could lose funding this year to pay for President Donald Trump's border wall.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal ethics officials are balking at a $50-a-night Washington condo deal by former Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats pressed the Justice Department to provide the full report from special counsel Robert Mueller even as Republicans gleefully called for them to "move on" from the Russia investigation . President Donald Trump accused those responsible for launching Mueller's probe of "treasonous things against our country" and said they "certainly will be looked into."
MONDAY, MARCH 25
UT SPORTS
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Admiral Schofield ran around the court in sheer joy, waving a March Madness towel after Tennessee made it back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2014.
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators have put forward Austin Watson on a long-term injury loan to their American Hockey League affiliate, a week after he earned reinstatement from the NHL.
AUTO INDUSTRY
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Volkswagen is increasing the minimum wage at its Chattanooga plant to $16 an hour.
HEALTH CARE
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The pharmaceutical companies behind the widely advertised blood thinner Xarelto reached a $775 million settlement in 25,000 lawsuits alleging patients were not adequately warned about the risks of life-threatening complications, plaintiff attorneys and the manufacturers said Monday.
LAGUNA WOODS, Calif. (AP) — The group of white-haired folks — some pushing walkers, others using canes — arrive right on time at the gates of Laguna Woods Village, an upscale retirement community in the picturesque hills that frame this Southern California suburb a few miles from Disneyland.
SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) — U.S. medical authorities are revisiting the safety of breast implants used by millions of American women, the latest review in an ongoing debate about their potential health effects.
TECHNOLOGY
CUPERTINO, California (AP) — Jumping belatedly into a business dominated by Netflix and Amazon, Apple announced its own TV and movie streaming service Monday, enlisting such superstars as Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Aniston and Steven Spielberg to try to overcome its rivals' head start.
CUPERTINO, California (AP) — Apple on Monday laid out the details of its news subscription service, Apple News Plus, at an event Monday. It's also expected to launch a video service that could compete with Netflix, Amazon and cable TV itself.
COURTS
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Avenatti, the pugnacious attorney best known for representing porn actress Stormy Daniels in lawsuits against President Donald Trump, was arrested Monday on charges that included trying to shake down Nike for as much as $25 million by threatening the company with bad publicity.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it won't step in to referee a copyright dispute between Nike and a photographer who took a well-known image of basketball great Michael Jordan. That means lower court rulings for the athletic apparel maker will stand.
TRANSPORTATION
NEW YORK (AP) — The Transportation Department says it's creating a special panel of experts to review Federal Aviation Administration procedures for approving new planes including the Boeing jet involved in two deadly crashes.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stocks capped a day of choppy trading with an uneven finish Monday as investors wrestled to make sense of newly pessimistic outlooks for the global economy.
NEW YORK (AP) — The growing evidence of a slowdown in manufacturing is likely contributing to the dip in small business optimism that began early in the year.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May conceded Monday that Parliament would defeat her twice-rejected Brexit divorce deal again if she put it to a new vote, but said she still hopes to change lawmakers' minds and get the agreement approved.
PARIS (AP) — Chinese President Xi Jinping was greeted with full honors Monday during a state visit to France where he attended the signings of multibillion-dollar deals, including a major sale of 300 aircraft from European plane maker Airbus to China.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's business economists foresee a sharp slowdown in U.S. economic growth over the next two years, in sharp contrast to the Trump administration's predictions that growth will accelerate this year and next.
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Theresa May was under intense pressure Monday to resign as the price of breaking the country's Brexit impasse and winning support for her unloved EU divorce deal.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's full report "wouldn't bother me at all" as congressional Democrats clamored for the Justice Department to release the entire document and not just the summary from Attorney General William Barr.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia savored an "I told you so" moment Monday after special counsel Robert Mueller found no collusion between President Donald Trump's campaign and Moscow. Government officials also dismissed the extensive evidence uncovered by Mueller of Russian cyber-meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is rejecting an appeal from a company owned by an unidentified foreign government that has refused to turn over information demanded by special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence President Donald Trump's campaign "conspired or coordinated" with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice. That brought a hearty claim of vindication from Trump but set the stage for new rounds of political and legal fighting.
CLEVELAND (AP) — President Donald Trump's new budget proposal is seeking to end Ohio's ban on dumping dredged material from Cleveland into Lake Erie.
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers aren't breaking a sweat over a proposal designed to repeal a $10 million amusement tax on gym memberships.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Proposals seeking to create more exemptions to Tennessee's public records law would face more scrutiny under legislation advancing in the statehouse.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's GOP-dominated House on Thursday approved an anti-discrimination business bill that some critics say is dangerous for LGBTQ people.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee appears ready to sign into law a measure that could speed up the implementation of a death sentence.
REGION
The stage is set for unprecedented major flooding this spring for most of the nation, U.S. weather officials said Thursday.
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — The nation's largest public utility plans to rely more on solar power in the future, according to proposals in a draft long-range power plan.
NASHVILLE AREA
SPRINGFIELD (AP) — U.S. Marshals have arrested a man suspected of driving an off-road vehicle that dragged a police officer when a group swarmed a downtown street in Tennessee's capital.
MIDSTATE
PORTLAND (AP) — The mayor of Portland, Tennessee, says an investigation has determined that the leadership of its police department falsified documents related to firearms training.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The worst season in the history of Vanderbilt men's basketball has cost coach Bryce Drew his job.
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Late goals have hurt Pittsburgh lately. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were able to reverse the trend Thursday night.
SPORTS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Maryland's Eric Ayala deflected a pass to set up a steal by Darryl Morsell that stopped Belmont's last-second attempt at an NCAA Tournament upset and the Terrapins escaped with a 79-77 victory Thursday in the East Region.
UT SPORTS
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tennessee defensive back Kenneth George Jr. has been arrested for allegedly punching a police officer on the side of the head.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home sales soared 11.8 percent in February, aided by accelerating wages and falling mortgage rates that are improving affordability.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump criticized European auto makers Friday, suggesting he could impose tariffs on imports from companies such as BMW and Mercedes unless they build more plants in the United States.
ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) — Less than a week after a series of critical tweets from the president over an Ohio plant closure, General Motors is announcing plans to add 400 jobs and build a new electric vehicle at a factory north of Detroit.
TRANSPORTATION
Boeing will make standard on its troubled new airliner a safety feature that might have helped the crew of a jet that crashed shortly after takeoff last year in Indonesia, killing everyone on board.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — A growing majority of Americans want greater government spending on health care, and the increase is being driven by both Democrats and Republicans.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. military officer will meet with Google representatives next week amid growing concerns that American companies doing business in China are helping its military gain ground on the U.S.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook left millions of user passwords readable by its employees for years, the company said Thursday , an acknowledgement it offered after a security researcher posted about the issue online.
ENVIRONMENT
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Friday pushed back a decision on the bloc's long-term efforts to fight climate change, with some countries opposing a pledge to end most emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. (AP) — The Missouri River floodwater surging on to the air base housing the U.S. military's Strategic Command overwhelmed round-the-clock sandbagging by airmen and others. They had to scramble to save sensitive equipment, munitions and dozens of aircraft.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Wall Street was roiled Friday by new signs that global economic growth is slowing. The jitters triggered a sell-off in stocks and sent bond yields sharply lower, flashing a possible recession warning.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government posted a record budget deficit in February, pushing the overall deficit for the first five months of the budget year up 39 percent from a year ago.
NEW YORK (AP) — One of the most closely watched predictors of a potential recession just yelped even louder.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he will nominate Stephen Moore, a conservative economic analyst, to fill a vacancy on the Federal Reserve's seven-member board.
MIAMI (AP) — Every year, hundreds of pregnant Russian women travel to the United States to give birth so that their child can acquire all the privileges of American citizenship.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Prime Minister Theresa May used to promise "strong and stable" government. Fellow EU leaders used to believe her.
Technology companies powered a broad rally for U.S. stocks Thursday, snapping the market's two-day losing streak.
NEW YORK (AP) — Levi Strauss & Co., which gave America its first pair of blue jeans, is public for the second time.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is discussing economic and business issues with some of America's top corporate titans.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — American whiskey producers are suffering a worsening hangover from the Trump administration's trade disputes.
BRUSSELS (AP) — Worn down by three years of indecision in London, European Union leaders on Thursday were grudgingly leaning toward giving the U.K. a bit more time to ease itself out of the bloc, but they warned that if Britain's Parliament spurns the offer, a chaotic exit loomed in just over a week.
NEW YORK (AP) — So much for those worries about rising interest rates. Just a few months ago, rising rates were bearing down on everyone from home buyers to stock investors after the Federal Reserve put through seven quarter-point increases in 2017 and 2018.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller on Friday turned over his long-awaited final report on the contentious Russia investigation that has cast a dark shadow over Donald Trump's presidency, entangled Trump's family and resulted in criminal charges against some of the president's closest associates.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Now what? Special counsel Robert Mueller has concluded his Trump-Russia investigation and on Friday delivered his final report to Attorney General William Barr.
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump portrayed Robert Mueller as the bane of his existence, but even with the special counsel's Russia investigation wrapped up, he may still have to contend with state and federal investigators in New York.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he is reversing his administration's decision to slap new sanctions on North Korea, ordering them withdrawn.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior Senate Republican Friday unveiled a five-year budget plan that would modestly curb budget deficits that would otherwise soon breach $1 trillion, while rejecting President Donald Trump's gimmick of using war funding to sustain big increases for the Pentagon.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department announced Friday that it is expanding again the relief it grants taxpayers who had too little in income taxes withheld from their paychecks in the first year of a sweeping tax overhaul.
JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says it's "possible" that President Donald Trump is like Queen Esther, who saved Jews in the Old Testament.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The political and economic crisis in Venezuela tops the agenda of President Donald Trump's meeting Friday with leaders from the Caribbean, a region that has been far from united in joining the U.S. call for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.
MILAN (AP) — Italy's head of state told visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday that China's new "Silk Road" linking Europe and Asia must be a "two-way street," addressing concerns among Western allies that the colossal infrastructure project is meant merely to amplify Beijing's global influence.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the economy would have grown much faster last year if the Federal Reserve had not been tightening credit last year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The new head of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is reversing yet another policy set by her predecessor by giving more sway to a group of committees that advise the financial watchdog.
President Donald Trump will sign an executive order on Thursday requiring U.S. colleges to certify that they protect free speech on their campuses or risk losing federal research funding, White House officials said.