VOL. 42 | NO. 18 | Friday, May 4, 2018
REGION
A proposed rate structure change from the Tennessee Valley Authority is causing uncertainty in Tennessee’s solar business, an industry hit by import duties in 2017 and now facing steel and aluminum tariffs.
PREDATORS
It plays out like clockwork in nearly every NHL arena outside Nashville.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
Houses are like dogs, and even more like horses. Really the entire animal kingdom. They can sense when people are afraid of them or do not like them and react accordingly.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The key long-term U.S. mortgage rate declined slightly this week, after a steady rise for most of April that pushed the rate to its highest level in more than four years.
NEWSMAKERS
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is presenting its third annual Francis S. Guess Bridge to Equality Award to retired U.S. District Court Judge Thomas A. Wiseman Jr. and State Court of Appeals Judge Richard H. Dinkins at the Francis S. Guess Bridge to Equality Award Luncheon on May 11 at the Music City Center’s Davidson Ballroom.
BRIEFS
Sarah Cannon Development Innovations has announced a new strategic collaboration with Pivotal, a European contract research organization.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
The period between the mid-1960s and the early 1970s was a high point for classic muscle-car performance. Fifty years later, the latest batch of American performance cars is taking that reputation to new heights and leaving the rest of the world’s automakers in their dust.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Your office looks like Grand Central Station at rush hour. Like that iconic location, you see many people who are older and have been around the block enough times to know the work-score. You also have younger, less-experienced people whose career journeys are just beginning.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
For many business-to-business (B2B) companies, the ability to grow correlates directly with the ability to effectively expand the sales team.
CAREER CORNER
One of the hardest things about looking for a new job is the fact that most people don’t start looking for a job until they need one. In other words, they’ve been fired or they hate their work situation so much that they’re ready to quit.
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Predators goalie Pekka Rinne has years of postseason experience, including a couple Game 7s and a Stanley Cup Final.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
MOUNT VERNON, Ky. (AP) — Billy Ray Cyrus, David "Stringbean" Akeman and four other artists are being inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Wednesday to vandalizing a Tennessee Islamic Center last July with profane references to Allah in spray-paint and strips of bacon, federal prosecutors said.
BRISTOL (AP) — A Tennessee judge has ruled that a lawsuit by local prosecutors against prescription opioid producers can proceed.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The key long-term U.S. mortgage rate held steady this week, providing a lure for potential homebuyers as the spring buying season goes forward.
TECHNOLOGY
Top U.S. tech executives and researchers are planning to press the Trump administration to invest in artificial intelligence and craft policies they hope will strengthen the economy without displacing jobs.
AUTO INDUSTRY
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Thursday that it has reached an agreement with General Motors to inject $4.35 billion in funding and other measures to turn around the loss-making Korean unit.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
U.S. stocks moved broadly higher in morning trading Thursday, extending solid gains from a day earlier. Technology and health care companies accounted for much of the gain. Investors were sizing up the latest company earnings and economic news. Crude oil prices were down slightly.
WASHINGTON (AP) — American drivers paid more for gas, but overall consumer prices rose only modestly in April, a sign that inflation remains mild.
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England decided Thursday to not raise interest rates again and cut its forecast for British economic growth this year, blaming the downgrade almost entirely on the cold and snowy weather that gripped the country in late-winter.
HONG KONG (AP) — A Chinese tech giant brought to its knees and delays for imported U.S. cars, apples, lumber and other agricultural products are early signs the widening trade dispute between China and the U.S. is exacting a toll on both sides.
NATIONAL POLITICS
Members of the country's fastest growing minority group are running for federal office, dozens of them as Democratic candidates deliberately playing up their Asian roots against a president they say demonizes the immigrants that make America great.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on the House intelligence committee have released more than 3,500 Facebook ads that were created or promoted by a Russian internet agency. It's the fullest picture yet of Russia's attempt to sow racial and political division in the United States before and after the 2016 election.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's CIA nominee said during her confirmation hearing that she doesn't believe torture works as an interrogation technique and that her "strong moral compass" would prevent her from carrying out any presidential order she found objectionable.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Already under investigation for a payment to a porn star, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney is facing intensifying legal and ethical scrutiny for selling his Trump World experience and views at a hefty price to companies that sought "insight" into the new president.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 9
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Filip Forsberg dropped his broken stick and raced to the bench for another just as the puck slid around the boards near his skates. He grabbed a new stick from the Predators' equipment manager, fought off Jets defenseman Ben Chiarot and kept the puck onside.
REAL ESTATE
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California may start requiring solar panels on new homes and low-rise apartment buildings built after 2020, the first such mandate nationwide and the state's latest step to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
COURTS
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge is slashing $50 million in damages that a jury awarded neighbors of an industrial hog operation to punish a pork producer for intense smells, noise and other disturbances.
AUTO INDUSTRY
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers will be able to buy any brand of tires on Amazon.com, have them shipped to a Sears Auto Center and then bring in their car to get them installed.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Technology companies and banks helped power U.S. stocks to solid gains Wednesday, improving on the market's flat finish a day earlier.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices edged up just 0.1 percent in April, held down by a big drop in food costs. It was the smallest gain in four months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart will soon reach shoppers in India's massive consumer market directly, as it takes control of the online retailer Flipkart that's known for its ubiquitous delivery drivers on motorcycles with oversized backpacks.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Major companies, particularly in Europe, could see billions of dollars in commercial deals canceled because of the U.S. decision to reinstall sanctions on Iran, though the ultimate impact remains unclear due to the possibility of renegotiations and exemptions, experts say.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department's internal watchdog says it's investigating how detailed allegations about the banking records of President Donald Trump's personal lawyer became public.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian company accused of funding a conspiracy to meddle in the 2016 presidential election pleaded not guilty Wednesday in federal court in Washington.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican lawmakers with moderate views on immigration defied party leaders and took steps Wednesday toward forcing election-year House votes on the issue, and a leader of the group said they had enough support to succeed.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Stormy Daniels' lawyer says he has information showing that Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal attorney, received $500,000 from a company associated with a Russian billionaire within months of paying hush money to Daniels, a porn star who claims she had an affair with Trump.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's nominee to be the next CIA director says that if she is confirmed by the Senate, the spy agency will not undertake a detention and harsh interrogation program like the one used after 9/11.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, abruptly restoring harsh sanctions in the most consequential foreign policy action of his presidency. He declared he was making the world safer, but he also deepened his isolation on the world stage and revived doubts about American credibility.
BEIJING (AP) — The Iran nuclear deal will not "fall apart" despite the United States withdrawing from the landmark accord, the European Union's representative to China said Wednesday.
TUESDAY, MAY 8
PREDATORS
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Filip Forsberg, Pekka Rinne and the Nashville Predators showed they aren't ready for their season to end yet.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators have signed defenseman Filip Pyrochta to a two-year, entry-level contract.
SPORTS
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Chattanooga's Jim Foster, whose teams won 256 games while at Vanderbilt, is retiring after a four-decade career in which he won more than 900 games. He's the only women's basketball coach to earn NCAA Tournament bids with four different schools.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Carrie Underwood, Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean are the leading nominees for the CMT Music Awards with four each, but it's the pop artists who might steal the big prize at this year's awards show.
STATEWIDE
GATLINBURG (AP) — The nation's top law enforcement officer says he isn't shedding tears over a raid at a Tennessee meat processing plant where 97 workers were arrested by immigration officials.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee approved a wide-ranging plan Tuesday to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the Veterans Affairs health system and fix a budget crisis in its troubled Choice private-sector program, a major step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump's promise to expand private care options.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers of both parties accused wholesale pharmaceutical distributors on Tuesday of missing signs of suspicious activity that resulted in hundreds of millions of prescription opioid pills being shipped to West Virginia, a state disproportionately ravaged by deaths caused by the addictive drugs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which fell under withering scrutiny after acquiring the rights to drugs and then drastically raising their prices, is changing its name.
BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Walmart is taking steps aimed at curbing opioid abuse and misuse.
COURTS
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York judge says Jay-Z must answer questions from the Securities and Exchange Commission in a financial probe by the regulator.
AUTO INDUSTRY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP-led House has voted to kill guidance from a consumer protection agency aimed at ensuring lenders don't charge minority consumers more on car loans.
BERLIN (AP) — Volkswagen's Audi unit says it has discovered new engine software irregularities in some of its diesel models and has halted deliveries of those cars to dealers.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
The major U.S. stock indexes partially recovered from a daylong slide in the final minutes of trading Tuesday to finish essentially flat.
WASHINGTON (AP) — With the threat of tariffs and counter-tariffs between Washington and Beijing looming, Chinese buyers are canceling orders for U.S. soybeans, a trend that could deal a blow to American farmers if it continues.
WASHINGTON (AP) — If you're looking for a job right now, this may be about as good as it gets: There are roughly as many open jobs in the United States as there are unemployed people.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Moves by the Fed and other major central banks to raise interest rates after a long period of keeping them low should not be disruptive to the global economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said Tuesday.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the U.S. will pull out of the landmark nuclear accord with Iran, declaring he's making the world safer but dealing a profound blow to allies and deepening the president's isolation on the world stage.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Housing and Urban Development and its secretary, Ben Carson, over his decision to delay an Obama-era rule intended to ensure that communities confront and address racial segregation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he'll speak Tuesday with President Xi Jinping of China.
MONDAY, MAY 7
PREDATORS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Dustin Byfuglien busted out his dance moves for a little celebration of his latest big goal, which may have caught many people by surprise.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — A man accused of killing four people at a Tennessee Waffle House will undergo a mental health evaluation before going to court.
STATEWIDE
With the midterm congressional primaries about to go into full swing, the Department of Homeland Security is playing catch-up in helping to ensure that state election systems are secure against cybertampering by the Russians or others bent on mischief.
TECHNOLOGY
Millions of anti-Semitic messages on Twitter have spread negative stereotypes and conspiracy theories about Jews across the social media platform, according to a report Monday by the Anti-Defamation League.
Microsoft is launching a $25 million initiative to use artificial intelligence to build better technology for people with disabilities.
HEALTH CARE
Prominent athenahealth investor Elliott Management Corp. is offering about $6.5 billion to take the medical billing software maker private after saying it has grown frustrated with the company's performance.
AUTO INDUSTRY
BERLIN (AP) — Former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn may never see the inside of a courtroom in the United States in connection with the company's diesel emissions scandal. But his legal troubles are far from over.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher on Wall Street, adding to the market's gains from last week.
U.S. stocks closed modestly higher Monday, extending the market's gains from last week.
DALLAS (AP) — U.S. oil prices crashed through the $70-a-barrel mark on Monday for the first time since late 2014, foreshadowing costlier gasoline and consumer goods.
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — The average price of regular-grade gasoline in the U.S. rose 7 cents a gallon over the past two weeks to $2.90, the 10th week straight of increases.
NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for Jay-Z told a judge that the Securities and Exchange Commission has gone on a "celebrity hunt" by demanding the rapper submit to unlimited questioning beginning Friday about a company to which he sold his apparel business more than a decade ago.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett recommends that investors stick with simple stock index funds — not bonds and especially not bitcoins.
MCLEAN, Va. (AP) — Gannett Co. on Monday reported a loss of $377,000 in its first quarter.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is finalizing a multibillion-dollar roster of proposed spending cuts but is leaving this year's $1.3 trillion catchall spending bill alone.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to reveal his decision on whether to keep the U.S. in the Iran deal on Tuesday, a move that could determine the fate of 2015 agreement that froze Iran's nuclear program.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's new attorney, Rudy Giuliani, is off to a rough start in his media blitz defending Trump's stance toward the special counsel's Russian investigation and a $130,000 porn star hush payment.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that House Democrats have the fundraising, the issues and the political atmosphere on their side to win back the majority in November.
FRIDAY, MAY 4
PREDATORS
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — P.K. Subban didn't get heckled as long and as loud as he normally does from Winnipeg fans on Thursday.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — A fatal shooting set off pandemonium inside a mall in Nashville, Tennessee, provoking an outsized police response in the city where a gunman killed several people at a Waffle House less than two weeks ago.
STATE GOVERNMENT
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe are heading to Europe on state business.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam has vetoed legislation that would have required state employee insurance to cover proton therapy, an alternative treatment for certain cancers.
SPORTS
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Jason Witten never even hinted that his 15th season with the Dallas Cowboys would be the tight end's last, suggesting as recently as two weeks ago that he intended to return.
AUTO INDUSTRY
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is going on the defensive in a series of tweets, saying the people he shut down during a contentious conference call were "sell-side analysts who represent a short seller thesis, not investors."
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German prosecutors are saying their probe of former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn is ongoing and won't be affected by the charges brought against him in the United States.
DETROIT (AP) — A federal grand jury in Detroit has indicted former Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn on charges stemming from the company's diesel emissions cheating scandal.
COURTS
NEW YORK (AP) — An appeals court in New York says a former Wall Street trader can be released from prison because he was improperly convicted of taking advantage of a government bailout program.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing sharply higher on Wall Street, led by gains in technology stocks as Apple rose to another all-time high.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's economy has surpassed that of the United Kingdom to become the world's fifth largest, according to new federal data made public Friday.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett's company bought 75 million more Apple shares in the first quarter, giving it more than 240 million shares of the iPhone maker.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy has delivered steady if only modest gains for most Americans since the Great Recession ended in 2009. It's been a frustration for many.
BEIJING (AP) — The Trump administration has asked China to reduce its trade deficit with the U.S. by $200 billion by the end of 2020, striking an assertive stance in talks aimed at averting a trade war between the world's two-largest economies.
SEATTLE (AP) — Bill Gates launched a new fight against systemic poverty in the U.S., with his private foundation on Thursday announcing millions of dollars toward initiatives ranging from data projects to funding for community activists.
BOSTON (AP) — Robots can't yet bake a souffle or fold a burrito, but they can cook up vegetables and grains and spout them into a bowl — and are doing just that at a new fast casual restaurant in Boston.
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese and U.S. officials met face-to-face Thursday in an attempt to resolve a dispute over technology that has taken the world's two largest economies the closest they've ever come to a trade war.
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is convinced it has found a new way for young people to fall in love with neighboring countries — free train rides.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. services firms grew at a slower pace in April compared to the prior month, as companies are reporting cost pressures from possible tariffs and a shortage of available workers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. productivity grew at an annual rate of 0.7 percent in the first three months of this year, a weak reading but a slight improvement from the previous quarter.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Record exports trimmed the U.S. trade deficit in March, the first drop in seven months in a massive gap that President Donald Trump is determined to shrink with an aggressive America first policy.
NATIONAL POLITICS
DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday linked the sanctity of the Second Amendment to his party's prospects in the 2018 midterm elections, telling supporters at the National Rifle Association's annual convention that "we've got to get Republicans elected."
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he would "love to" speak to special counsel Robert Mueller in the Russia probe but tells reporters he wants to ensure he'd be "treated fairly."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Back for a return engagement, President Donald Trump's address to the National Rifle Association on Friday comes after he temporarily strayed from the group's strong opposition to tougher gun controls following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida — only to rapidly return to the fold.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump insisted Thursday his reimbursement of a 2016 hush payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels had nothing to do with his election campaign. But the surprise revelation of the president's payment clashed with his past statements, created new legal headaches and stunned many in the West Wing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservatives weren't happy with the $1.3 trillion spending bill President Donald Trump signed in March, and they've pressed for cuts ever since.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump acknowledged Thursday he repaid his personal lawyer for hush money given to porn actress Stormy Daniels after claiming previously he didn't know about the payments. But the money, paid just before the 2016 election to stifle her claims of an affair, "had nothing to do with the campaign," the president tweeted.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's explanation for why he fired FBI Director James Comey has shifted again.