VOL. 37 | NO. 24 | Friday, June 14, 2013
REALTY CHECK
The real estate market had an enemy of herculean strength in the Great Recession. One measure of how the market has recovered is the activity in the higher end, or properties that sell for $1 million or more.
NEWSMAKERS
Linda Norman, DSN, R.N., who for 22 years has spearheaded curricular innovations at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN), will become the school’s new dean, pending Board of Trust approval.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Every brand needs a Web presence to survive in the digital age, but how do you know that Web investment is actually performing?
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
This has been the weakest job recovery on record. The 175,000 new jobs created in May did slightly exceed analyst estimates, but also slightly trailed population growth.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
Anthropology is the study of humankind. Among other things, anthropologists try to figure out how groups of people have worked together throughout history in ways to increase the odds the group will survive and prosper.
I SWEAR
Finishing what I started last week, here are more “humorous” quotes I came up with for use in a “new” puzzle game – and which the editors rejected. That I ultimately came up with 30 deemed acceptable now seems miraculous.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
Pinterest has been around a few years, and although it’s going full speed ahead, it’s not as popular as Facebook. A lot of people still don’t know what Pinterest is, and others have decided they don’t have time for another social media outlet.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - State lawmakers are speaking out against a proposal by the state Department of Education they believe would eventually hurt teacher salaries in Tennessee.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Nashville Entrepreneur Center is holding a grand-opening on Thursday to showcase its new 20,000-square-foot facility.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Nashville is playing host to puppet troupes from around the world this weekend at a free festival hosted by the public library.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled against merchants Thursday who object to having to accept American Express debit and credit cards along with the company's iconic charge card.
NASHVILLE (AP) — When Grace Liverman needed to write a will, the 66-year-old who suffers from lupus and other health problems didn't know where to turn. So she called her pastor at Hamilton United Methodist Church in Nashville.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of previously occupied homes surpassed the 5 million mark in May, the first time that's happened in 3 ½ years. The gain shows the housing recovery is strengthening.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose by 18,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 354,000. Despite the gain, the level remains consistent with moderate job growth.
NEW YORK (AP) — There was no let-up in the flight from stocks and bonds Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A muddled message from the Federal Reserve has rattled investors for weeks.
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is adding video to its popular photo-sharing app Instagram, following in the heels of Twitter's growing video-sharing app, Vine.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. mortgage rates fell for the first time in seven week, keeping the average on the 30-year fixed loan just under 4 percent. But rates are expected to surge next week, as markets respond to Chairman Ben Bernanke's comments that the Federal Reserve will likely reduce its bond purchases later this year.
BANGKOK (AP) — Oil prices fell Thursday, a day after the Federal Reserve indicated it could begin to wind down its massive stimulus program later this year, as long as the U.S. economy remains on the upswing.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kroger has raised its outlook for the year after the country's largest traditional supermarket chain reported a stronger fiscal first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — Kodak says it's secured as much as $895 million to fund its operations after it emerges from bankruptcy protection.
PARIS (AP) — France is giving Google three months to be more upfront about the data it collects from users — or be fined. Other European countries aren't far behind.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is voting on passage of a five year, half-trillion dollar farm bill that would cut $2 billion annually from food stamps and allow states to impose broad new work requirements on food stamps.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is planning a major push using executive powers to tackle the pollution blamed for global warming in an effort to make good on promises he made at the start of his second term. "We know we have to do more — and we will do more," Obama said Wednesday in Berlin.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The immigration protesters advanced on the news conference, poking signs that read "Do Not Reward Criminals" and "No Amnesty!" over the heads of Republicans who had just finished speaking about finding a civilized tone in the year's most difficult debate.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19
MUSIC INDUSTRY
MIAMI (AP) — Country singer Slim Whitman, the high-pitched yodeler who sold millions of records through ever-present TV ads in the 1980s and 1990s and whose song saved the world in the film comedy "Mars Attacks!," died Wednesday at a Florida hospital. He was 90.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Belmont University College of Law has announced that U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito will speak at the school's first graduation next year.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Changes to the state's workers' compensation system will be the focus of the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Educational Conference this week.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey says he has reappointed Nancy De Friece to the Douglas Henry State Museum Commission.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam says chief deputy Claude Ramsey is retiring at the end of August to spend more time with his family in Chattanooga.
DALLAS (AP) — FedEx Corp.'s fourth-quarter profit fell 45 percent as international customers traded down to less-expensive delivery options.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Porsche is the top performer in an annual survey of new vehicle quality.
SHANGHAI (AP) — General Motors Co. executives broke ground for a new Cadillac factory in China on Wednesday to target luxury buyers in the world's biggest auto market, though they said the segment would grow slower than expected this year.
HEALTH CARE
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — If doctors and patients used prescription drugs more wisely, they could save the U.S. health care system at least $213 billion a year, by reducing medication overuse, underuse and other flaws in care that cause complications and longer, more-expensive treatments, researchers conclude.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Chairman Ben Bernanke ended weeks of speculation Wednesday by saying the Federal Reserve will likely slow its bond-buying program later this year and end it next year if the economy continues to improve.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve sketched a slightly brighter picture of the U.S. economy this year and next, a sign it is moving closer to slowing its bond-buying program.
NEW YORK (AP) — Financial markets shuddered Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said it could start scaling back its huge economic stimulus program later this year and end it by the middle of 2014.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil fell slightly Wednesday as the Federal Reserve indicated it's closer to easing up on economy boosting measures that have been a boon for commodities.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report says homeowners trying to avoid foreclosure must wait too long for their loan modification applications to be reviewed by some of the nation's top mortgage servicers. Such delays can plunge borrowers deeper in debt.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apparently, Men's Wearhouse Inc. doesn't like the way its founder looks anymore.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Satellite TV operator Dish Network Corp. said Tuesday it would not submit a revised bid for Sprint, leaving the path open for the wireless carrier to accept what it already considers a superior offer from Japan's Softbank.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supporters of a far-reaching immigration bill in the Senate see fresh momentum from a report by the Congressional Budget Office that says the measure would boost the economy and reduce federal deficits by billions of dollars.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Internal Revenue Service is about to pay $70 million in employee bonuses despite an Obama administration directive to cancel discretionary bonuses because of automatic spending cuts enacted this year, according to a GOP senator.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House passage of a massive farm bill could turn on the level of food stamp cuts as key backers scrambled Wednesday to secure support for the five-year, half-trillion dollar measure.
TUESDAY, JUNE 18
NASHVILLE AREA
GOODLETTSVILLE (AP) — Dollar General has completed $200 million in stock buybacks. The discounter said Tuesday that it has repurchased about $220 million of its common stock for the year to date. It has approximately $424 million left under an existing buyback.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The financially strapped Nashville Symphony has laid off its catering and dining staff.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Three more employees of the truck stop chain owned by the Cleveland Browns' owner and Tennessee's governor pleaded guilty Tuesday in what authorities call a scheme to cheat trucking firms out of rebates.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee education officials are training teachers from across the state on how to implement a new set of uniform benchmarks for math and reading.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee election officials plan to review a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that says states can't demand proof of citizenship from people registering to vote in federal elections unless they get federal or court approval to do so.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler abruptly agreed to recall 2.7 million older model Jeeps Tuesday, reversing a defiant stance and avoiding a possible public relations nightmare over fuel tanks that can rupture and cause fires in rear-end collisions.
MILAN (AP) — European car sales hit their lowest level for the month of May in 20 years as the region's recession dragged on, the European automakers' association said Tuesday.
DETROIT (AP) — U.S. safety regulators are investigating problems with air bag sensors in the seats of some small Suzuki SUVs.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — What the world hopes to hear Wednesday from the Federal Reserve can be summed up in one word: clarity.
NEW YORK (AP) — It's all about the Fed. Still.
The price of oil rose above $98 Tuesday as traders awaited the latest word on both the Federal Reserve's monetary policy and U.S. oil supplies.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The director of the National Security Agency said Tuesday the government's sweeping surveillance programs have foiled some 50 terrorist plots worldwide, including one directed at the New York Stock Exchange, in a forceful defense of the spy operations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. builders stepped up home construction in May and applied for permits to build single-family homes at the fastest pace in five years. The gains show housing remains a key source of growth for the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's teacher-training programs do not adequately prepare would-be educators for the classroom, even as they produce almost triple the number of graduates needed, according to a survey of more than 1,000 programs released Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices rose slightly last month, as higher energy costs partly offset cheaper food. The small increase is further evidence that consumers are benefiting from mild inflation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There's good news for most companies that provide health benefits for their employees: America's slowdown in medical costs may be turning into a trend, rather than a mere pause.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Sprint is suing to stop Dish Network's buyout of wireless data network operator Clearwire. The nation's third-largest cellphone carrier said the proposed deal violates the rights of Sprint and other Clearwire shareholders.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is threatening to veto the House version of a massive, five-year farm bill, saying food stamp cuts included in the legislation could leave some Americans hungry.
MONDAY, JUNE 17
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam began the year by dismissing what he called misguided predictions that the new Republican supermajority in state government would devolve into infighting.
MIDSTATE
SMYRNA (AP) - A maintenance technician has been killed at the Nissan auto assembly plant in Smyrna.
FRANKLIN (AP) - The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued an emergency recall of compressed gas cylinders commonly used for propane stoves and other propane-fueled equipment.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state labor chief says cutting services at state jobless service centers shouldn't make it harder for out-of-work Tennesseans to find jobs.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new hockey center managed by the Nashville Predators will be constructed at the city's new mixed-use complex in southeast Nashville.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
SEATTLE (AP) — For the activists who led the effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Washington state last fall, Jamen Shively was one of their biggest fears: an aspiring pot profiteer whose unabashed dreams of building a cannabis empire might attract unwanted attention from the federal government or a backlash that could slow the marijuana reform movement across the country.
For the first time in seven years, most U.S. homebuilders are optimistic about home sales, a sign that construction could help drive stronger economic growth in coming months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Is the era of ultra-low interest rates nearing an end?
NEW YORK (AP) — Investors are in a game of wait-and-see with the Federal Reserve. On Monday, they guessed that the Fed will continue trying to prop up the economy, and sent stocks higher.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil fell slightly after it climbed to a high for the year Monday, as the market waits to see the results of this week's Federal Reserve policy meeting.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has resolved a shareholder lawsuit blocking a long-delayed stock split, clearing the way for the Internet search leader to issue a new class of non-voting shares later this year.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Lowe's plans to expand its California presence with an acquisition of Sears spinoff Orchard Supply Hardware Stores for about $205 million in cash.
NEW YORK (AP) — Apple says it received between 4,000 and 5,000 requests from U.S. law enforcement for customer data for the six months ended in May.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — An outside group supporting President Barack Obama's agenda plans to air a series of ads this summer promoting Obama's health care overhaul.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans' hopes to reclaim the White House in the 2016 elections hinge on whether they support — or sabotage — the immigration overhaul being debated in the Senate, two lawmakers who helped write the proposal warn.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Top officials from the Obama and Bush administrations say the government's newly exposed secret surveillance programs have been essential to disrupting terrorist plots and have not infringed on Americans' civil liberties.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Approval of a massive farm bill — and the cost of a gallon of milk — could hinge on a proposed new dairy program the House is expected to vote on this week.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is taking a security, foreign policy and economic agenda to Northern Ireland for a meeting with heads of the leading industrial nations.
FRIDAY, JUNE 14
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - They are long, low, sleek and sexy.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee State University is joining researchers at other public universities to study sustainable strawberry production.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The speakers of the state House and Senate said Thursday that they will seek a review of no-bid elements of an outsourcing deal with a real estate firm that has counted fellow Republican Gov. Bill Haslam as one of its investors.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The director of Tennessee's Division of Consumer Affairs is asking residents to beware of air condition repair-scam artists this summer.
MIDSTATE
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Middle Tennessee State University's student farmers market opens to the public on Friday.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that companies cannot patent parts of naturally-occurring human genes, a decision with the potential to profoundly affect the emerging and lucrative medical and biotechnology industries.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has come up with a new regulation banning demonstrations on its grounds.
AUTO INDUSTRY
Chrysler Group LLC says it is freezing the pension of roughly 8,000 U.S. salaried employees at the end of the year.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are ending a choppy week lower after disappointing reports on the U.S. economy.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil rose to the highest level since January amid concerns about a possible escalation in Syria's civil war.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A rise in food and gas costs drove a measure of wholesale prices up sharply in May. But outside those volatile categories, inflation was mild.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories barely increased their output in May after two months of declines, a sign that manufacturing is providing little support for the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund said Friday that the U.S. economy is on sounder footing than it was a year ago but is still being restrained by government spending cuts and tax increases.
NEW YORK (AP) — Microsoft's Office software package is coming to the iPhone for the first time Friday, offering people the ability to read and edit their text documents, spreadsheets and slide presentations at the doctor's office or at a soccer game.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A battle between grocers and potato growers has been silently hitting shoppers' pocketbooks, according to a U.S. wholesaler accusing America's spud farmers of driving up prices while spying on farmers with satellites and aircraft fly-overs to enforce strict limits on how many tubers they can grow.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fixed U.S. mortgage rates rose for the sixth straight week, putting the average rate on the 30-year loan just shy of 4 percent.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wondering what the U.S. government might know about your phone calls and online life? And whether all of this really helps find terrorists? Good luck finding solid answers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's called the Affordable Care Act, but President Barack Obama's health care law may turn out to be unaffordable for many low-wage workers, including employees at big chain restaurants, retail stores and hotels.