VOL. 41 | NO. 19 | Friday, May 12, 2017
SAM STOCKARD: VIEW FROM THE HILL
Remnants of rancor over Republican leadership roiled the House, a reminder of outrage over roguish behavior as representatives reached the finish line.
TIM GHIANNI: STREET LEVEL
The last time I saw Johnny Cash he was dead. Peter Cooper – who just has released a book chronicling what he considers his greatest fortune, that he is able to spend his time with country music’s sometimes erratic geniuses – was standing next to me on that September 15, 2003.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
This is now happening with increased frequency: An agent calls – a new, inexperienced agent – and asks if a particular listing is available? If the listing agent replies in the affirmative, the new agent gushes and tells of all the reasons that his buyer is the perfect buyer for the house.
REAL ESTATE
Top residential real estate sales, April 2017, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates inched higher this week. The benchmark 30-year rate remained above the key threshold of 4 percent.
PREDATORS
When it comes to describing Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis’ growth over the years, it’s easy to stop at the beard.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks finally cleared a major psychological hurdle with their gritty Game 7 victory over Edmonton on Wednesday night. After four consecutive years of failure in winner-take-all showdowns, they stood up to an upstart opponent and finished a series strong.
DAVID CLIMER: OUT OF LEFT FIELD
When it comes to Butch Jones and the recent NFL draft, it’s a matter of perspective. Remember, no Tennessee Vols were drafted in the previous two years, which is a reflection on the recruiting by Jones’ predecessor, Derek Dooley. The fact that Tennessee had six players picked this time around – all in the first four rounds – speaks volumes, to wit:
NEWSMAKERS
The Louisiana-Pacific Corporation board has appointed Brad Southern to succeed Curt Stevens as the CEO July 1, 2017. Stevens, who has served as CEO since 2012, will retire from LP on June 30.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
The Kia Sorento adds connectivity and safety features for 2017 while remaining one of the most affordable SUVs of its size.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Marketing experts and sales pros alike know calls to action are essential. But simply including any CTA just doesn’t cut it in today’s marketplace.
CAREER CORNER
How many times have you heard, “Don’t forget to say thank you?” When we were children, adults reiterated it over and over again. Yet, somehow, as adults, we are forgetting this simple lesson.
STATEWIDE
KNOXVILLE (AP) — A new report from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville says sexual misconduct reports at the school rose by more than two-thirds last year, from 38 complaints in 2015 to 64 in 2016.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is getting ready to take the first delivery of Volkswagen's new Chattanooga-made Atlas SUV.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee attorney general is suing a California company over claims that it sent government-styled invoices to make new homeowners pay to receive copies of their deeds.
SPORTS
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee baseball coach Dave Serrano will resign at the end of the season.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates inched lower this week. It was the fifth straight week that the benchmark 30-year rate hovered around the key threshold of 4 percent.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors Co. is pulling its Chevrolet brand out of India, South Africa and East Africa by the end of this year.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stock indexes edged higher in early trading Thursday a day after the market posted its biggest single-day loss in eight months. Investors were weighing quarterly results from Wal-Mart Stores and other big retailers. Phone company stocks led the gainers. Materials stocks were down the most.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says a goal of 3 percent economic growth is achievable if the United States makes historic changes in taxes and regulation.
MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — Call them the unrecovered — a handful of states where job markets, nine years later, are still struggling back to where they were before the recession.
CHICAGO (AP) — Older white Americans are nearly twice as likely as African-Americans to say they've saved enough for retirement, a new poll found.
NEW YORK (AP) — Roger Ailes, the communications maestro who transformed television news and America's political conversation by creating and ruling Fox News Channel for two decades before being ousted last year for alleged sexual harassment, died Thursday, according to his wife, Elizabeth Ailes. He was 77.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people sought U.S. unemployment benefits last week, a sign Americans are benefiting from solid job security.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Wal-Mart delivered first-quarter earnings that show how it's winning over shoppers at stores and online, even in an increasingly competitive retail landscape.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump lashed out at the appointment of a special counsel to investigate allegations that his campaign collaborated with Russia to sway the 2016 election, tweeting Thursday that it is "the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!"
NEW YORK (AP) — The Koch Brothers' political network is preparing to spend millions of dollars to ensure their vision for tax reform isn't lost in the increasing chaos consuming President Donald Trump's administration.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Dubai and met a billionaire business partner in the city-state, discussing "new ideas" as the Emirati's real estate firm still lists possible plans for future joint projects while Trump's father is in the White House.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 17
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An official with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission has been arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of minors.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Democrats are preparing for their annual Jackson Day fundraiser they are now referring to as "J-Day."
COURTS
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Cracker Barrel Old Country Store has settled a class-action lawsuit brought by a Pittsburgh woman who claimed that handicapped parking spaces at some restaurants are too steep or otherwise violate federal law.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction barring Rutherford County from enforcing a policy that allows even young children accused of minor infractions to be locked up until a hearing.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee judge has resigned after potential conflict of interest issues arose over his ownership of short-term rentals.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A former student has filed a $10 million lawsuit against Vanderbilt University, claiming he was wrongfully accused of sexual assault.
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators are so confident right now that not even having two goals in eight seconds waved off for goaltender interference can shake them.
SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason has received a three-year contract extension and a raise after leading the Commodores to the first bowl appearance of his three-year tenure last season.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Ford is getting leaner as it faces an onslaught of challenges, from slowing U.S. sales to high-tech challengers to its own disgruntled shareholders.
TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK (AP) — International air travelers might soon rediscover magazines, paperbacks and playing cards.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) — Google is providing the latest peek at its digital services and gadgets, initially offering a major focus on its efforts to extend artificial intelligence features into more of its apps and services.
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is offering a thinner and lighter version of its cheapest, 7-inch tablet, while shaving $10 off the price of an 8-inch model.
NEW YORK (AP) — The danger from a global cyberattack that spread to some 150 nations continues to fade, and that's only some of the good news.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Another year of big premium increases and dwindling choice is looking like a distinct possibility for many consumers who buy their own health insurance — but why, and who's to blame?
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
The growing political drama in Washington rattled Wall Street Wednesday, knocking the Dow Jones industrial average down more than 370 points and giving the stock market its biggest single-day slump in eight months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. household debt reached a record high in the first three months of this year, topping the previous peak reached in 2008.
LONDON (AP) — Food giant Nestle on Wednesday lost a bid to trademark the distinctive four-fingered shape of the KitKat chocolate bar in Britain, the latest round in a courtroom battle with rival candy-maker Cadbury.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The intelligence behind plans to broaden a U.S. ban on in-flight laptops and tablets to include planes from Europe took center stage on Wednesday as American and European officials met to discuss the looming decision.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Besieged from all sides, the Trump administration appointed former FBI Director Robert Mueller Wednesday evening as a special counsel to oversee the federal investigation into allegations Russia and Donald Trump's campaign collaborated to influence the 2016 presidential election.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump administration officials are reaching out to Senate Democrats for help in crafting a tax overhaul package, a departure from the go-it-alone strategy Republicans have been taking on health care.
TUESDAY, MAY 16
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Country legend Loretta Lynn is starting rehabilitation after suffering a stroke more than a week ago.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville Mayor Megan Barry wants Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a bill requiring metal detectors and security guards at many city and county facilities if officials want to ban guns there.
BROWNSVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam is headed to West Tennessee to sign a bill seeking to make it easier for rural areas to get access to the internet.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Members of Nashville's Metropolitan Minority Council are upset that they weren't notified that the district attorney's office was going to announce that it would not bring charges against a white officer who killed a black man in February.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A federal appeals court upheld the convictions of an extortionist who called himself Dr. Evil who claimed to have stolen the tax returns of then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney and threatened to release them if he wasn't paid.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Five years of progress reducing the number of Americans without health insurance has come to a halt, according to a government report out Tuesday. More than a factoid, it shows the stakes in the Republican drive to roll back the Affordable Care Act.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Construction of new homes fell for a second straight month in April, pushing activity to the lowest point in five months.
TECHNOLOGY
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Cybersecurity experts are pointing to circumstantial evidence that North Korea may be behind the global "ransomware" attack: the way the hackers took hostage computers and servers across the world was similar to previous cyberattacks attributed to North Korea.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
A subdued day of trading on Wall Street ended Tuesday with stocks closing mostly lower even as the Nasdaq composite notched another record high.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Tribes representing tens of thousands of indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada will be signing a declaration against the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Delta Air Lines scored the best for on-time flights in the latest government rankings, and United and American weren't far behind.
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations predicted on Tuesday that the global economy will expand in the next two years, spurred by stronger growth in the last six months and a modest recovery in trade and investment.
WASHINGTON (AP) — American industry expanded production last month at the fastest pace in more than three years as manufacturers and mines recovered from a March downturn.
MONDAY, MAY 15
PREDATORS
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks were down a game in the Western Conference finals and down 2-0 in Game 2 against Pekka Rinne, the most dominant goalie in these Stanley Cup playoffs.
Draft and develop is the most common way to win in the salary-cap NHL, and with eight of the past 11 playoff MVPs being homegrown, that hasn't changed.
MIDSTATE
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — A Clarksville call center has announced permanent layoffs of 160 workers.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — General Motors is launching its Maven car-sharing service in New York City.
NEW YORK (AP) — Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Google's parent Alphabet Inc., and Lyft Inc. are teaming up to road test autonomous cars in a potential challenge to Uber Technologies Inc.
REAL ESTATE
U.S. homebuilders are feeling more optimistic about their business prospects, reflecting a recent surge in sales of newly built homes and a lingering shortage of previously occupied homes on the market.
TECHNOLOGY
LONDON (AP) — The "ransomware" cyberattack that has hit companies and governments around the world ebbed in intensity on Monday, though experts warned that new versions of the virus could emerge.
BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union and U.S. transport and security officials will meet in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss U.S. plans to broaden an in-flight ban on laptops and tablets to include planes from Europe.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal to reinstate North Carolina's voter identification law, which a lower court said targeted African-Americans "with almost surgical precision."
WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Supreme Court ruled Monday that debt collection companies can't be sued for trying to recover years-old credit card debt from people who seek bankruptcy protection.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — A spurt in oil prices on Monday revived energy stocks, which have been among the year's worst performers, and helped push the broader market back to record highs.
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — TransCanada Corp. is reassessing whether oil producers in North Dakota and Montana are still interested in shipping crude through its long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline now that they have other new options to ship their product, including the Dakota Access pipeline.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and Saudi Arabia said Monday they want to extend oil production cuts through the first quarter of 2018, in a move the two major producers say would support the market price.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump considers a replacement for fired FBI Director James Comey, lawmakers are urging the president to steer clear of appointing any politicians.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Final score: Republicans 14, Barack Obama's last-minute regulations, one.
FRIDAY, MAY 12
SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have signed sixth-round draft pick Corey Levin of Chattanooga and three seventh-round selections to contracts.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has signed legislation into law to ban abortions in Tennessee after 20 weeks if a doctor determines the fetus is viable through required tests.
With the legislative session finished, Gov. Bill Haslam is touting budget accomplishments and a strong economy as the result of Republican leadership.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — About three weeks ago, just after midnight, a group of seven bounty hunters surrounded a car in a Wal-Mart parking lot and blocked it from leaving, according to court documents. Authorities say the bounty hunters believed an ex-convict who had skipped out on several court appearances was one of four men in the parked car.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A push by Gov. Bill Haslam's administration to outsource hospitality services at a Tennessee state park has drawn no bidders.
HEALTH CARE
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anthem has ended its soured, $48 billion bid to buy rival Cigna, but the nation's second-largest health insurer isn't giving up a fight over whether Cigna deserves a termination fee for the scrapped deal.
Early moves by insurers suggest that another round of price hikes and limited choices will greet insurance shoppers around the country when they start searching for next year's coverage on the public markets established by the Affordable Care Act.
AUTO INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board has filed another unfair labor practices complaint against Volkswagen for hiking health insurance premiums and changing working hours of employees who voted for union representation at the German automaker's only U.S. plant.
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co.'s profit rose by 27 percent in the fiscal year that ended in March to 663.5 billion yen ($5.8 billion), as strong sales in the U.S., China and Europe and the sale of its stake in a parts maker offset damage from the strong yen, the company said Thursday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge in San Francisco has approved a $1.2 billion settlement with owners of about 88,500 Volkswagens with 3-liter diesel engines rigged to cheat on emissions tests.
TECHNOLOGY
BRUSSELS (AP) — European governments alarmed at a proposed expansion of the U.S. ban on in-flight laptops and tablets to planes from the EU are holding urgent talks Friday with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order aimed at modernizing and improving the nation's computer networks.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of department stores sank again Friday, hurt by more evidence that shoppers are turning away from them. A drop in Treasury yields also put pressure on bank stocks, and the weakness helped pull the Standard & Poor's 500 index to its first weekly loss in the last four.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Lawyers representing aggrieved customers suing Wells Fargo have said the bank may have opened about 3.5 million unauthorized accounts, far more than bank and regulators disclosed last year.
BEIJING (AP) — A new China-U.S. trade deal will help sate the growing Chinese appetite for beef and allow more natural gas imports to fuel the country's expanding economy, but it steers clear of bigger issues that would have more substantial impact on the U.S. trade deficit.
NEW YORK (AP) — Lower sales dragged Macy's profit down for the first quarter, highlighting the challenge for retailers as customers shift to more online shopping and store locations lose traffic.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's firing of FBI Director James Comey this week was one thing. Then came a series of tweets and public statements that raised troubling questions about the real motives for Comey's ouster and even one that seemed to come close to a threat against the dismissed FBI chief.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Heralding a new U.S.-China trade agreement, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross puffed a bit too hard in describing its greatness.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for President Donald Trump said Friday that a review of his last 10 years of tax returns did not reflect "any income of any type from Russian sources," but their letter included exceptions related to previously cited income generated from a beauty pageant and sale of a Florida estate.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Contradicting previous White House explanations, President Donald Trump has declared he had planned to fire FBI Director James Comey all along, regardless of whether top Justice Department officials recommended the stunning step. His assertions came as Comey's temporary replacement joined in, contradicting other administration statements on the snowballing controversy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an interview with The Economist, President Donald Trump whiffed on a batch of economic facts. He got the Canada-U.S. trade balance wrong, misplaced the U.S. in the world ranks of tax burdens and claimed to have coined an economic phrase that's been familiar to economists for some 80 years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would have fired FBI Director James Comey even without the recommendation from his top political appointees at the Justice Department, contradicting earlier White House accounts.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Piece by piece, acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe undermined recent White House explanations about the firing of FBI Director James Comey during testimony before a Senate committee Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of national intelligence says Russia and other countries, including China, North Korea and Iran, are using cyberspace to target U.S. and its allies, and will do so in future.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on Thursday launching a commission to review alleged voter fraud and voter suppression in the U.S. election system, three White House officials said.