VOL. 37 | NO. 19 | Friday, May 10, 2013
REALTY CHECK
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville is well known and greatly supported by the area, yet the scope of its work is often overlooked. The Nashville group has absorbed responsibilities for Dickson, Cheatham and Wilson counties to go along with Davidson County.
REAL ESTATE
Top March 2013 commercial real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
NEWSMAKERS
Waller has announced the addition of 16 new attorneys to the following practice groups:
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Your customers have been good to you.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Good sales professionals are subject matter experts on the products and services they sell.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
Many years ago when I began my career with a national CPA firm I was quickly bombarded with information related to numerous firm policies and procedures. I was told about everything including when to show up for work and which color pencil to use. I’m not kidding about the pencil choosing policy.
I SWEAR
With acknowledgments and apologies to Merriam-Webster.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Move over papayas, I’m on a mango kick. And, strangely, I didn’t even know I liked them until a few weeks ago. Crazy, huh? Well, they are now my new favorite fruit.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill that allows school districts to let people with police training be armed in schools.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's ignition interlock law will apply to more drunken drivers under legislation signed by Gov. Bill Haslam.
REGION
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Lamar Alexander says President Barack Obama's plan to consider selling the Tennessee Valley Authority has already cost hundreds of millions of dollars — even if the nation's largest public utility is never sold.
KNOXVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Valley Authority will observe its 80th anniversary with a public event Friday in Knoxville.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Highway Patrol is honoring its fallen troopers this week.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Only two of 13 small SUVs performed well in front-end crash tests done by an insurance industry group. Several popular models fared poorly.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. builders broke ground on far fewer homes in April, one month after topping the 1 million mark for the first time since 2008. But applications for new construction reached a five-year peak, evidence that the housing revival will be sustained.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose 32,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 360,000, the most since late March. The jump comes after applications fell to a five-year low.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A sharp fall in the cost of gas drove a measure of U.S. consumer prices down last month by the most since December 2008. Outside the drop in fuel costs, prices were largely unchanged.
NEW YORK (AP) — Cisco Systems led the Dow Jones industrial average slightly higher Thursday after the technology company reported higher sales. Mixed corporate earnings and economic reports kept the major stock indexes flipping between slight gains and losses.
BANGKOK (AP) — The price of oil fell below $94 a barrel Thursday after a survey showed crude inventories on the increase.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. airlines charged more in fares and fees and reduced debt as they improved their financial performance in the first quarter.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages rose this week but stayed near their historic lows. Cheaper mortgages have helped the economy by spurring more home-buying and refinancing.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel has endorsed the nomination of Justice Department official Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department despite opposition from Republicans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — To the U.S. technology industry, there's a dramatic shortfall in the number of Americans skilled in computer programming and engineering that is hampering business. To unions and some Democrats, it's more sinister: The push by Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg to expand the number of visas for high-tech foreign workers is an attempt to dilute a lucrative job market with cheap, indentured labor.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 15
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - A federal appeals court has denied asylum to a Christian family that fled Germany so they could home-school their children, after ruling that U.S. immigration laws do not grant a safe haven to people everywhere who face restrictions that would be prohibited under the Constitution.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Longtime Sen. Douglas Henry said Wednesday that his health and the high cost of campaigning were factors in his decision not to seek re-election next year, even though he believes he could win if he did run.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A utility is cleaning up a drilling slurry spill at a state natural area where it is laying a gas pipeline in Nashville.
NASHVILLE (AP) — People who want to sell food products made in home kitchens can become certified on May 20.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing higher after shaking off a morning slump.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose back above $94 Wednesday after dropping earlier on disappointing economic reports from Europe and the U.S.
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders rebounded this month, reflecting improved sales trends during the spring home-selling season and the strongest outlook for sales over the next six months in more than six years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories cut back sharply on production in April, as auto companies cranked out fewer cars and most other industries reduced output. The weakness suggests economic growth may be slowing this spring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sharp drops in fuel and food costs reduced a measure of U.S. wholesale prices in April by the most in three years. Outside those volatile categories, inflation stayed low.
NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's Inc. is reporting a 20 percent increase in first-quarter profit as the department store chain saw solid sales despite cool temperatures that dampened shoppers' appetite for spring clothes.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is digging deeper into its technology toolkit to turn its social networking service into a more formidable threat to Facebook, sprucing up its photo features at a time when sharing snapshots online and on mobile gadgets is growing more popular.
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam's booming Internet scene is littered with failed startups that tried to take on Google and other entrenched U.S web companies. That's not deterring a newly launched Russian-Vietnamese outfit which believes it can unseat the American search engine in this fast-growing Asian market and also contend with a jittery, authoritarian government seeking to clamp down on freedom of expression online.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The good news is the budget deficit for the current year is projected to come in well below what was estimated just a few months ago. The bad news for deficit hawks is that the development could further curb the already slowing momentum for a budget pact this year.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee rebuffed Democratic efforts Wednesday to keep the $80 billion-a-year food stamp program whole, as debate on the farm bill turned into a theological discourse on helping the poor.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Eric Holder says the FBI's criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service could include potential civil rights violations, false statements and potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in some partisan political activities.
TUESDAY, MAY 14
AUTO INDUSTRY
KAMINOKAWA-MACHI, Japan (AP) — Nissan Motor Co. President Carlos Ghosn welcomed the yen's recent decline to what he called "neutral" levels for the Japanese automaker's profitability, but said Tuesday it must drop further to be "normal."
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A bill backed by auto dealers that effectively blocks California's Tesla from selling in North Carolina has passed the state Senate.
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the engines in three Chrysler models can stall without warning.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 100 people, including 14 doctors and nurses, were charged for their roles in separate Medicare scams that collectively billed the taxpayer-funded program for roughly $223 million in bogus charges in a massive bust spanning eight cities, federal authorities said Tuesday.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market marched back into record territory as investors seized on the latest encouraging news about the economy. On Tuesday, it was a report on the health of small businesses.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil slid by nearly $1 a barrel Tuesday as the International Energy Agency raised its forecast for U.S. oil production while cutting its prediction for global crude demand.
ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — Struggling personal computer maker Dell will report its latest quarterly earnings ahead of schedule in a move likely to spur speculation that the results will be dismal.
NEW YORK (AP) — Aereo, the startup that offers live television broadcasts over the Internet starting at $8 a month, said it will start service in the Atlanta market on June 17, following an expansion to Boston on Wednesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. airlines collected more than $6 billion in baggage and reservation change fees from passengers last year — the highest amount since the fees became common five years ago.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news organizations gather the news.
NEW YORK (AP) — The country's four biggest cellphone companies are set to launch their first joint advertising campaign against texting while driving, uniting behind AT&T's "It Can Wait" slogan to blanket TV and radio this summer.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Research In Motion unveiled a lower-cost BlackBerry aimed at consumers in emerging markets on Tuesday, and said it will offer its once-popular BlackBerry Messenger service on iPhones and devices running Google's Android software.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate Agriculture Committee on Tuesday approved a massive five-year farm bill that would cut spending while also creating new subsidies for farmers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress was not told tea party groups were being inappropriately targeted by the Internal Revenue Service, even after acting agency Chief Steven Miller had been briefed on the matter.
WASHINGTON (AP) — High-tech companies looking to bring more skilled workers to the U.S. pushed Monday for more concessions in an immigration bill pending in the Senate. Labor unions said the Silicon Valley had already gotten enough in the legislation and further changes risked chipping away at protections for U.S. workers.
MONDAY, MAY 13
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - You're correct. It was a mite chilly when you stepped outside.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday vetoed a bill that would require images that document animal abuse be turned over to law enforcement within 48 hours, saying his main concern is its constitutionality.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Taylor Swift leads a list of country's hottest stars set to perform at the CMT Music Awards next month.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — LinkedIn and Facebook will celebrate the anniversaries of their IPOs just a few days apart this week. But their experiences as publicly traded companies couldn't be more different.
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is back in record territory after an upturn in small-company stocks.
The price of oil fell to near $95 a barrel on Monday, as the dollar continued to strengthen against the yen and other major currencies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lower-priced gas allowed Americans to step up their spending at retailers in April, from cars and clothes to electronics and appliances. The rebound from a weak March suggests consumers remain resilient in the face of higher taxes and could continue to drive economic growth this spring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. businesses left their stockpiles unchanged in March for a second month while their sales fell sharply.
Dell board members say they need more details from investor Carl Icahn if he wants them to seriously consider his latest challenge to Michael Dell's $24.4 billion plan to take the computer maker private.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A domestic natural gas boom already has lowered U.S. energy prices while stoking fears of environmental disaster. Now U.S. producers are poised to ship vast quantities of gas overseas as energy companies seek permits for proposed export projects that could set off a renewed frenzy of fracking.
NEW YORK (AP) — A bloodless bank heist that netted more than $45 million has left even cybercrime experts impressed by the technical sophistication, if not the virtue, of the con artists who pulled off a remarkable internationally organized attack.
LONDON (AP) — International law enforcement agencies say the recent $45 million dollar ATM heist is just one of many scams they're fighting in an unprecedented wave of sophisticated cyberattacks.
SAVAR, Bangladesh (AP) — Nearly three weeks after a Bangladesh garment-factory building collapsed, the search for the dead ended Monday at the site of the worst disaster in the history of the global garment industry. The death toll: 1,127.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — When members of Congress repeatedly raised concerns with the Internal Revenue Service about complaints that Tea Party groups were being harassed last year, a deputy IRS commissioner took the lead in assuring lawmakers that the additional scrutiny was a legitimate part of the screening process.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans say the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative political groups was "chilling", and at least one Republican senator called on President Barack Obama to "personally condemn" the actions.
FRIDAY, MAY 10
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Legislation that would require anyone recording images of animal abuse to submit unedited footage or photos to law enforcement within 48 hours is "constitutionally suspect," according to a state attorney general's opinion Thursday.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - New court filings suggest a Massachusetts pharmacy blamed for a deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis last year may have used patient lists from a Nashville clinic to mislead regulators.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Davidson County's Election Commission has ousted its elections administrator after a state report found errors in the commission's handling of last year's elections.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A top Republican political consultant and adviser to Pilot Flying J is facing possible civil penalties for failing to register as a lobbyist.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — State Finance Commissioner Mark Emkes says overall April revenues were $160.9 million more than the state budgeted.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Lottery is adding a sixth drawing-style game to its lineup and this one pays the withholding taxes.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NEW YORK (AP) - Even though a cowboy hat sighting on Fifth Avenue is still pretty rare, country music has made an important move into New York City.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. auto safety regulators are investigating complaints that the low-beam headlights can go dark without warning on some Chevrolet Corvettes.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is closing out its third straight week of gains, led by small-company stocks.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil finished slightly lower Friday, after dropping 3 percent earlier in the day.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve has broadened its oversight beyond banks and now monitors a wide-range of financial institutions that could hasten another financial crisis, Chairman Ben Bernanke said Friday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The sophistication of a global network of thieves who drained cash machines around the globe of an astonishing $45 million in mere hours sent ripples through the security world, not merely for the size of the operation and ease with which it was carried out, but also for the threat that more such thefts may be in store.
Dell's largest independent shareholder has teamed with activist investor Carl Icahn in another challenge to founder Michael Dell's $24.4 billion bid to take the struggling computer maker private.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, a five-year low. Layoffs have returned to pre-recession levels, a trend that could lead to more hiring.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average U.S. mortgage rates rose this week but remained near historic lows. Cheaper mortgages have encouraged more home buying and refinancing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With Congress increasingly unable to resolve budget disputes, federal programs on automatic pilot are consuming ever larger amounts of government resources. The trend helps older Americans, who receive the bulk of Social Security and Medicare benefits, at the expense of younger people.
LONDON (AP) — The role of central banks in shoring up the global economic recovery is set to be a key point of discussion among top financial officials from the world's seven leading economies when they gather in the UK this weekend.
NATIONAL POLITICS
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — President Barack Obama says the American economy is, in his words, "poised for progress."
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are willing to give President Barack Obama a rare win, the chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee said Thursday in outlining a deal that would let college students avoid a costly hike on their student loans.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate Republican leaders told President Barack Obama Thursday that they will refuse to nominate candidates to serve on an advisory board that is to play a role in holding down Medicare costs under the new health care act.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP-controlled House voted Thursday to make sure U.S. bondholders and people on Social Security get paid if the government hits its borrowing limit.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service inappropriately flagged conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status, a top IRS official said Friday.