VOL. 37 | NO. 13 | Friday, March 29, 2013
LEGISLATIVE PROFILE
State Rep. JoAnne Favors (D-Chattanooga) has one word to describe the state’s proposed school voucher system: rip-off.
REALTY CHECK
It has never been difficult to find new material during my years of real estate writing, as each deal has its own personality. While my clients, past and present, often think they find themselves or their experiences sprinkled among the prose, they are wrong.
REAL ESTATE
Top February 2013 commercial real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
NEWSMAKERS
Robert Crump and Allison Champagne have joined King & Ballow in the litigation and the litigation, entertainment and intellectual property sections, respectively.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Last week marked the beginning of another sales contest.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Find yourself attending countless networking events with little result in new business generated? It’s possible you’re just not leaving a memorable impression.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
The Cyprus economy is $23 billion. (The Vermont economy is $26 billion.) Bank loans in Cyprus are eight times the size of GDP, compared with 3.5 times in the Eurozone and 1 times U.S. GDP. With leverage ratio’s that high, a small deterioration in loan performance can render the banking system insolvent.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
What if you knew the best predictor of future growth for your business? Think about it. If you knew the best predictor, you could look into it, see how you’re doing with regard to it and focus much of your time and energy on it.
I SWEAR
Since writing about magician David Kwong last November, I’ve been waiting for “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone” to come out. David’s listed as one of the film’s two magic consultants on IMDB.com (Internet Movie Database), though I saw three names in the film’s credits.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
This past week, hubby and I ate at a restaurant where the soup of the day was garlic. This has always sounded like an overwhelming soup to me, so I’ve always passed on it.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The senator who sponsored a measure to allow people to show student IDs to cast ballots realized it didn't have enough votes to pass, so he instead backed a bill that doesn't allow them to be used.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Republican leader carrying Gov. Bill Haslam's proposal to create school vouchers in Tennessee said he's decided to let it die this session because he's tired of the "gamesmanship."
NASHVILLE (AP) — A House committee on Wednesday approved a measure linking a family's welfare benefits to student performance a day after Gov. Bill Haslam expressed serious reservations about the measure.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill to do away with the state's leash law for dogs and cats while being transported in vehicles.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Crime on Tennessee's college campuses has dropped slightly, but a new report by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows the number of assaults to be increasing at the state's institutions of higher learning.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The United States Attorney for Middle Tennessee is stepping down to enter securities fraud law in Nashville.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors plans to invest $332 million into four factories in three Great Lakes states to build new, more efficient engines and transmissions.
HEALTH CARE
Walgreen Co. has expanded the reach of its drugstore clinics beyond treating ankle sprains and sinus infections to handling chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and high blood pressure.
Cancer and heart disease are bigger killers, but Alzheimer's is the most expensive malady in the U.S., costing families and society $157 billion to $215 billion a year, according to a new study that looked at this in unprecedented detail.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose to a four-month high last week, although the increase partly reflects seasonal distortions around the spring holidays.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock market futures are trading higher ahead of the Labor Department's weekly report on unemployment applications.
The price of oil was nearly unchanged above $94 a barrel Thursday, stabilizing after a sharp drop the day before sparked by rising U.S. crude supplies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages crept closer to their historic lows this week, a trend that could help the housing recovery strengthen.
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is unveiling a new Android product Thursday, a move that comes as a fast-growing number of its 1.06 billion users access it on smartphones and tablet computers.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Suddenly outsourcing is on the way out and insourcing on the way in as the U.S. trudges unevenly toward President Barack Obama's goal of doubling American exports around the world by the start of 2015.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Many workers are getting false or misleading information about options for their 401(k) accounts when they change jobs, congressional auditors said Wednesday in a report that urged regulators to offer consumers clearer guidance about their retirement money.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A bill seeking to put controls on the secondary ticket market has been withdrawn amid what its sponsor called fierce lobbying on both sides.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A measure that would create a special panel to authorize charter school applications for failing schools is advancing in the state Legislature.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A resolution calling for a comprehensive study of lawmaker allowances has been killed in a House committee after unanimously passing the Senate.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee says his support of civil unions for gay partners developed over his years in office.
HEALTH CARE
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - Two hospital chains – one operated by Community Health Systems of Nashville – have agreed to pay a combined $1.5 million to resolve allegations that its facilities in eastern Pennsylvania submitted improper claims to the Medicare program.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Vanderbilt University Medical Center officials say federal automatic budget cuts and a state decision require tough economic measures be undertaken.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are recalling almost 1.9 million vehicles to fix problems with air bags and brake light switches.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
BOSTON (AP) — Americans have grown more cautious and disciplined in handling their money since the financial crisis struck in 2008, a survey by a leading mutual fund company suggests.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. service companies expanded in March at a slower pace, dragged down by less growth in new orders and weaker hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey shows U.S. companies added fewer jobs in March compared with the previous month, as construction firms held off on hiring after three months of solid gains.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices jumped in February by the largest amount in seven years, evidence that the housing recovery strengthened ahead of the all-important spring-buying season.
BOSTON (AP) — The frugality and investing discipline that the 2008 financial crisis imposed on Americans appear to have led to permanent changes in behavior on money matters, according to a survey by the nation's second largest mutual fund company.
LONDON (AP) — Japanese stocks outperformed all others Wednesday as investors anticipated aggressive policy action from the Bank of Japan.
The price of oil fell below $97 a barrel Wednesday ahead of the release of a report that's expected to confirm crude supplies are still burgeoning.
NEW YORK (AP) — It's no secret that Apple wants to get into the living room by making its own TV set, and there have been plenty of rumors and reports about how and when it's going to happen.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Securities and Exchange Commission will allow public companies to make significant announcements on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites provided they alert investors which sites they intend to use.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple is set for a possible summer launch of the next iPhone, rather than a fall launch like the last two models, according to a report Tuesday in The Wall Street Journal.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sweeping immigration legislation taking shape in the Senate will aim to overhaul the nation's agriculture worker program to create a steady supply of labor for farmers and growers, who rely more than any other industry on workers who have come to the country illegally.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Legislation to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets and convenience stores isn't quite dead yet.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris said Tuesday that lawmakers will either have to approve Gov. Bill Haslam's approach to a school voucher program in Tennessee or face the measure being withdrawn for the year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A proposal to seal Tennessee's handgun carry permit records from public scrutiny is advancing in the Legislature.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A proposal to increase the fine for not wearing a seat belt has failed this session.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A bill to give Tennessee lawmakers the power to decide the nominees for the state's U.S. Senate seats was withdrawn Tuesday until next year after Republican Gov. Bill Haslam said he had a "major problem" with the proposal.
MIDSTATE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A Dickson County drug rehabilitation center is reported to be under investigation about whether officials filed false claims for TennCare recipients.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Former state Rep. Eric Swafford has been hired by the Humane Society of the United States as an outreach director.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam said Tuesday that his ongoing pursuit of a special deal for Medicaid expansion in Tennessee is no "fool's errand" and that an arrangement could still be struck at any time.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam's administration on Tuesday rolled out its amendment to the appropriations bill, which includes nearly $45 million to increase the amount of cash grants available to companies looking to invest in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee secretary of state's office says a scam artist is targeting corporations with an official-looking mail piece.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — America is getting back to work, and it needs pickup trucks.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories rose sharply in February from January on a surge in demand for volatile aircraft. The gain offset a drop in key orders that signal business investment.
NEW YORK (AP) — To see what Facebook has become, look no further than the Hutzler 571 Banana Slicer.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mortgage giant Fannie Mae earned $7.6 billion from October through December, the biggest quarterly profit in its history. The gain was driven by an improving housing market that has lifted home prices and a $3.6 billion legal settlement with Bank of America.
The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high Tuesday after reports on auto sales and factory orders provided the latest evidence that the U.S. economy is strengthening. Traders plowed money back into European stocks as the financial situation in Cyprus appeared to stabilize.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose slightly Tuesday as traders waited for the latest data on U.S. supplies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Homeland Security Department expects applications for high-skilled immigration visas to outpace the available supply in a matter of days, one of the fastest runs on the much-sought-after work permits in years and a sign of continued economic recovery amid new hiring by U.S. technology companies.
BEIJING (AP) — Apple apologized to Chinese consumers after government media attacked its repair policies for two weeks in a campaign that reeked of economic nationalism.
PARIS (AP) — Regulators in Google's largest European markets are taking joint action to try and force the company to overhaul its privacy policy.
MONDAY, APRIL 1
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Amy Grant is set to release her first full album of all new songs in 10 years.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - The sponsor of a bill to give Tennessee lawmakers the power to select nominees to the U.S. Senate is putting the measure on hold until the last floor session of the year.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Opponents of a proposal that seeks to change the way injured workers' claims are considered in Tennessee say it would reduce benefits and remove impartiality from the judgment process.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Starting Monday, Tennessee doctors prescribing painkillers and other controlled substances will be required to check their patients' prescription history to prevent abuse and doctor shopping.
HEALTH CARE
NASHVILLE (AP) - A federal appeals court has overturned an $11 million judgment against an Atlanta-based health care company with diagnostic testing facilities in 13 states.
WASHINGTON (AP) — How do you convince millions of average Americans that one of the most complex and controversial programs devised by government may actually be a good deal for them?
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — For nearly two decades, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord have ruled the mid-sized car market.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are opening April on a weak note, ending slightly lower after an industry group reported that U.S. manufacturing growth cooled in March.
BANGKOK (AP) — The price of oil fell Monday as traders took profits following a recent run-up in prices.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Spending on U.S. construction projects rebounded in February, helped by a surge in home construction, which rose to the highest level in more than four years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A survey shows U.S. manufacturing activity expanded more slowly in March than February, held back by weaker growth in production and new orders. The one bright sign in the report was that factories hired at a faster pace.
NEW YORK (AP) — J.C. Penney is honing in on its home department as part of a bigger plan to turn its stores into mini-malls of sorts.
CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple's ring-shaped, gleaming "Spaceship Headquarters" will include a world class auditorium and an orchard for engineers to wander. Google's new Bay View campus will feature walkways angled to force accidental encounters. Facebook, while putting final touches on a Disney-inspired campus including a Main Street with a B-B-Q shack, sushi house and bike shop, is already planning an even larger, more exciting new campus.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — For the people of Stockton, a federal judge's anticipated decision Monday on the city's bankruptcy petition will affect their day-to-day lives for decades to come.
NEW DELHI (AP) — India's Supreme Court on Monday rejected drug maker Novartis AG's attempt to patent an updated version of a cancer drug in a landmark decision that health activists say ensures poor patients around the world will get continued access to cheap versions of lifesaving medicines.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Big business and big labor have settled on a political framework for an immigration overhaul. Now, the lawmakers writing bipartisan legislation need to resolve the nitty-gritty — and keep their parties' political flanks mollified.
FRIDAY, MARCH 29
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in a split opinion that the state could not sue an Indonesian cigarette manufacturer to collect payments as a part of a 1998 settlement with the nation's largest tobacco manufacturers.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - An average of about 686,000 people have voted in the last eight U.S. Senate primaries in Tennessee. Under a Republican proposal advancing in the state Legislature, that number would be driven down to 132.
NASHVILLE (AP) - State Sen. Jim Summerville is recovering after undergoing an unexpected surgery.
NASHVILLE (AP) - House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick says he favors a bill to allow wine to be sold in Tennessee supermarkets and convenience stores, but would oppose efforts to hold a re-vote in a committee where it narrowly failed.
NASHVILLE (AP) - An effort to seal Tennessee's handgun carry permit records from public scrutiny would create an exception for political operatives and lobbying groups to still obtain the entire set of names and addresses.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The mother of a Middle Tennessee State University freshman who died after contracting meningitis says she hopes legislation headed to the governor for his likely signature will prevent the deaths of other college students.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Senate has passed a bill to eliminate hotel allowances for lawmakers who live within 50 miles of the state Capitol.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Department of Labor and Workforce Development mismanaged the unemployment program, causing overpayments that exceed $73 million, according to a state audit.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - When Nashville's symphony hall opened in 2006, across the street from the Country Music Hall of Fame and just a short block from the honky-tonks of lower Broadway, the building was praised for its beauty and sound and the potential to upgrade the city's music image.
NASHVILLE (AP) - An audit of the Veterans Affairs regional office in Nashville found that staff did not always accurately process medical disability and traumatic brain injury claims filed by veterans and said more outreach was necessary to reach homeless veterans outside Nashville.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's newest anti-pollution plan would ping American drivers where they wince the most: at the gas pump. That makes arguments weighing the cost against the health benefits politically potent.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Shipping company UPS agreed Friday to pay $40 million to end a federal criminal probe connected to deliveries it made for illicit online pharmacies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in 22 U.S. states in February from January, a sign that hiring gains are benefiting many parts of the country.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers stepped up spending in February after their income jumped, aided by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes. The gains led economists to predict stronger economic growth at the start of the year.
NEW YORK (AP) — A senior portfolio manager for one of the nation's largest hedge funds was arrested Friday, accused of making $1.4 million illegally in a widening insider trading probe involving an investment company founded by billionaire businessman Steven A. Cohen.
NEW YORK (AP) — There goes another stock market record.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil was little changed Thursday, while natural gas was steady a day after closing above $4 for the first time in a year and a half.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Internet search leader Google is taking another step beyond information retrieval into grocery delivery.
WASHINGTON (AP) — TV ads show smiling seniors enjoying an "active" lifestyle on a motorized scooter, taking in the sights at the Grand Canyon, fishing on a pier and high-fiving their grandchildren at a baseball game.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits jumped by 16,000 last week, the second straight weekly increase. But the longer-term trend in layoffs remained consistent with an improved job market.
NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T says it will start taking pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy S 4, the season's most eagerly awaited smartphone, on April 16 for $250.
TORONTO (AP) — Research In Motion Ltd., once written off as dead amid fierce competition from more modern mobile devices such as the iPhone, surprised Wall Street Thursday by returning to profitability and shipping more BlackBerry 10 phones than expected in the most recent quarter.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Reducing sulfur in gasoline and tightening emissions standards on cars beginning in 2017, as the Obama administration is proposing, would come with costs as well as rewards. The cost at the pump for cleaner air across the country could be less than a penny or as high as 9 cents a gallon, depending on who is providing the estimate.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Incoming college freshmen could end up paying $5,000 more for the same loans their older siblings have, if Congress doesn't keep interest rates from doubling.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama will release his federal budget outline on April 10 — two months late.