» Subscribe Today!
The Power of Information
Home
The Ledger - EST. 1978 - Nashville Edition
X
Skip Navigation LinksHome
VOL. 42 | NO. 24 | Friday, June 15, 2018
SPECIAL EMPHASIS: ENVIRONMENT

Striking gold, silver, more in mountains of e-waste

Nashville’s S3 Recycling is mining millions on your old electronics

Americans love new gadgets. Through planned obsolescence or seductive marketing, companies like Apple encourage us to upgrade every year or so to a faster and smarter phone, tablet or laptop.

You don’t miss your water until your well runs dry

As people and businesses pour into Tennessee, state leaders are working on a plan to keep its taps flowing.

$19B tourism industry looks to record year

Tourism officials are a glass-half-full bunch. It’s a job requirement, necessary since they must relentlessly promote a city, region, state or even a country no matter what the economic climate or general traveler mood might be.

Statewide effort bringing more tourists to Tennessee

Politicians – in general – try not to attack members of their own party. The same holds true in the tourism world, with internal battles to lure visitors from one part of Tennessee to another set aside in an effort to lift everyone’s ticket totals, room bookings, food sales and general revenue.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
41.0°F
Overcast
Wind: Southwest at 4.6 mph
Humidity: 47%

EVENTS

Young Professionals CONNECT. Young Professionals CONNECT on Thursday at Westhaven Golf Club, 4000 Golf Club Drive. Mix and mingle in the Westhaven Golf Academy, just below the clubhouse while enjoying live music. There will be a chipping demonstration at 6 p.m. and a longest drive demonstration at 6:45 p.m. with a longest drive competition happening in the training bay. Free, but registration is needed. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Information

more events »

SAM STOCKARD: VIEW FROM THE HILL

Midstate transit future is paved with tired ideas

Will it be trains, planes or automobiles? If you ask state Rep. William Lamberth, Davidson County voters gave a resounding answer on the future of mass transit in this region. Based on their overwhelming defeat of an early May referendum, they don’t want to raise taxes for mass transit, preferring to be more like Atlanta and Los Angeles and less like New York.

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

Real estate frenzy reaches its inevitable slowdown

“Someone has grabbed a handbrake and jerked it backward quickly,” say one Nashville-based senior loan officer of the current residential real estate market. A group of top-producing Realtors opted for the “turning off the water hydrant” metaphor.

REAL ESTATE

Top Middle Tennessee residential sales for May 2018

Top residential real estate sales, May 2018, for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

US long-term mortgage rates jump; 30-year at 4.62 percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates jumped this week after two straight weeks of declines, reaching their second-highest level this year.

VANDERBILT SPORTS

VU’s late turnaround sets stage for next year

The history of Vanderbilt baseball since coach Tim Corbin took over in 2003 is tremendous.

NEWSMAKERS

Entrepreneurs’ Organization adds 15 new members

The Nashville chapter of The Entrepreneurs’ Organization recently added 15 members to its group of Middle Tennessee business owners, retaining its standing as the largest EO chapter in the United States and the third largest in the world, behind only Tokyo and Mumbai.

BRIEFS

Cumberland Consulting makes Top 100 list

Franklin-based Cumberland Consulting Group has been named to the Healthcare Informatics 100 list for the seventh time.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

7 off-roaders that can be driven right off the lot

One of the most price-effective and time-tested ways to go off the beaten path in a motorized vehicle is to buy a used SUV or pickup and modify it with aftermarket parts to enhance its performance. Well, there’s also something to be said for getting a new vehicle straight from the dealer showroom that’s ready to play in the dirt. And more than ever before, automakers are offering vehicles with those off-road modifications already installed for you.

BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

What wisdom would you share with your younger self?

Listen up. Pay attention. Eyes forward, ears open. You’ve heard those things before in your life, and now you say them to yourself, your kids, and your employees. But do they hear what you say now… or, as in the new book “Note to Self,” collected and introduced by Gayle King, will your words ring back in the future?

CAREER CORNER

‘Weak tie’ can be strongest link to your next job

A job seeker recently came to me with a problem. They’d been looking everywhere for the right job and finally found it. It was just what they were looking for, and their skills were a perfect match.

STATEWIDE

In debate, GOP Tennessee governor hopefuls align with Trump

HENDERSONVILLE (AP) — The leading Republican candidates for Tennessee governor tried not to second-guess President Donald Trump during a debate Wednesday night, including pledging support for his administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy.

Allegiant Air adds base of operations in Tennessee

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee officials have announced Allegiant Air is basing two Airbus jets at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, adding up to 66 new jobs.

REGION

Tariffs stir unrest among American whiskey producers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Much of the rye whiskey aging in hundreds of barrels at Catoctin Creek Distillery in Virginia could end up being consumed in Europe, a market the 9-year-old distilling company has cultivated at considerable cost.

Severe storms could strike parts of central, southern US

ATLANTA (AP) — Forecasters say much of the central and southeast U.S. will be at risk of severe storms as the weekend approaches.

UT SPORTS

Longtime Tennessee broadcaster John Ward dies at 88

KNOXVILLE (AP) — John Ward, the radio voice of Tennessee football and men's basketball for over three decades, has died. He was 88.

TENNESSEE TITANS

Growing pains, high expectations face Titans' new head coach

NASHVILLE (AP) — Mike Vrabel has been around the NFL long enough to know that he will have some growing pains as a first-time head coach.

COURTS

High Court: Online shoppers can be forced to pay sales tax

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court says states can force online shoppers to pay sales tax.

REAL ESTATE

US long-term mortgage rates fall; 30-year at 4.57 percent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell this week, marking their third decline in the past four weeks after increasing last week.

TECHNOLOGY

Days after buying Time Warner, AT&T launches new TV service

NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T is launching a new streaming service incorporating television networks from the Time Warner company it just bought.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Germany's Daimler lowers 2018 outlook, cites tariffs, diesel

BERLIN (AP) — German automaker Daimler AG has lowered its 2018 earnings outlook, a change that it says is partly due to increased import tariffs for U.S. vehicles in China.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Energy and industrial companies dip

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are opening lower as energy companies fall with oil prices and industrial companies slip as investors focus on the U.S.-China trade dispute.

EU says tax on Harleys aimed to 'make noise' in trade debate

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said Thursday that the grouping has targeted some iconic American imports like Harley-Davidson motorcycles and bourbon for tariffs in hopes that it will "make noise" and put pressure on U.S. leaders amid a trade dispute.

Europe looks for an end to Greece's 8-year bailout saga

LUXEMBOURG (AP) — Eurozone nations were confident Thursday that they could agree on the final elements of a plan to get Greece out of its eight-year bailout program and make its massive debt burden manageable.

China says US swinging 'big stick' of unfair trade tactics

BEIJING (AP) — China on Thursday accused the United States of using bullying tactics and blackmail in threatening to impose tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports, ramping up criticism that the measures levied in the name of balancing trade would harm both countries' companies and the world economy.

Lawmakers rip tariffs enacted in name of national security

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pointing to damage done to home-state companies, lawmakers from both parties Wednesday criticized tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on imported steel and aluminum products in the name of national security.

Legal pot will roll out differently in Canada than in US

Mail-order weed? You betcha! With marijuana legalization across Canada on the horizon, the industry is shaping up to look different from the way it does in nine U.S. states that have legalized adult recreational use of the drug. Age limits, government involvement in distribution and sales, and access to banking are some big discrepancies.

NATIONAL POLITICS

White House to propose merging education, labor

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is planning to propose merging the education and labor departments as part of a broader overhaul to be announced on Thursday that would make good on President Donald Trump's pledges to streamline the federal government.

Trump tweet complicates House GOP efforts on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours before House showdown votes on immigration, President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that any measure the chamber passes would be doomed in the Senate anyway. His comments could weaken Republicans' already uphill drive to pass legislation on an issue that's become politically fraught amid heart-rending images of migrant families being separated at the border.

AP-NORC Poll: Americans not hopeful about ties with allies

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans feel U.S. relations have a better chance at improving in the year ahead with traditionally hostile nations such as North Korea and Russia than they do with allies such as Britain and Canada, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

AP-NORC Poll: Majority approve of Trump's North Korea effort

WASHINGTON (AP) — A majority of Americans now approve of President Donald Trump's handling of U.S. relations with North Korea, a change that comes after his historic summit with that country's leader, Kim Jong Un. But most don't believe Kim is serious about addressing the international concerns about his country's nuclear weapons program.

Trump's migrant policy: First blowback, then about-face

WASHINGTON (AP) — As a crisis of migrant children separated from their families provoked national outrage, President Donald Trump said he was powerless to act through an executive order. Five days later, he did just that.

'Great job,' says Trump: Nielsen back in good graces for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kirstjen Nielsen has one hard-earned presidential signing pen.


WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21
PREDATORS

Predators' Watson arrested on domestic assault charge

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson was arrested on a charge of domestic assault involving his girlfriend over the weekend.

STATEWIDE

Dems tussle on charter schools in Tennessee governor debate

NASHVILLE (AP) — The two leading Democrats in Tennessee's open governor's race tussled during a debate Tuesday over charter schools, the National Rifle Association and one candidate's use of federal flood money to build a downtown Nashville amphitheater.

Republican candidates for Tennessee governor debate tonight

HENDERSONVILLE (AP) — Republican candidates for Tennessee governor are set to square off in a debate.

FedEx profit rises on increase in volume, shipping rates

Higher rates, tax benefits and steady business fueled by economic growth helped FedEx Corp. boost its fourth-quarter profit 10 percent to $1.13 billion.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's acting director on leave

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Acting Director Jason Locke is being placed on paid leave pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations that he misused state funds, officials said Tuesday.

NASHVILLE AREA

Barbershop Harmony Society to integrate women after 80 years

NASHVILLE (AP) — After 80 years of being a male-only organization, the Barbershop Harmony Society has announced that women will be allowed to join the a capella singing organization.

Nashville protesters arrested after preparing to light fire

NASHVILLE (AP) — A group of protesters who had been preparing to light a fire outside of the state War Memorial Building in Nashville have been charged during the final week of the Poor People's Campaign.

REAL ESTATE

US home sales fell 0.4 percent in May amid inventory crunch

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. existing home sales slipped 0.4 percent in May, as the prolonged shortage of properties on the market is deterring home-buying.

HEALTH CARE

Amazon, Buffett, JPMorgan pick Gawande to lead health firm

Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and Berkshire Hathaway have picked well-known author and Harvard professor Dr. Atul Gawande to transform the health care they give their employees.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Automakers improve quality to record level in annual survey

DETROIT (AP) — A survey of new-vehicle buyers finds that car and truck quality hit a record high this year as automakers started to clear up bugs with infotainment systems.

Electric promise: Volvo Cars opens first US factory

RIDGEVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Volvo Cars, the first major automaker to abandon cars powered solely by internal combustion engines, is officially opening its first plant in the United States.

Hyundai Motor, Audi join hands for fuel cell technology

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday it signed an agreement with Audi AG to jointly develop electronics vehicles powered by fuel cell.

Ford, VW study commercial vehicle alliance that could grow

DETROIT (AP) — Ford and Volkswagen are exploring joint development of future commercial vehicles in a possible alliance that could lead to cooperation in other areas.

TECHNOLOGY

Instagram unveils new video service in challenge to YouTube

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Facebook's Instagram app is loosening its restraints on video in an attempt to lure younger viewers away from YouTube.

Alexa, I can trust you with my checkbook, right?

NEW YORK (AP) — Hey Alexa, what's my bank account balance?

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks finish mostly higher as tech and media companies lead

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Wednesday as investors bet that technology companies and small, domestically-focused firms will continue to do well even if the trade dispute between the U.S. and China gets worse. Media companies jumped after Disney reached a new deal with Twenty-First Century Fox.

Central bank chiefs of 4 major nations raise trade concerns

WASHINGTON (AP) — The leaders of the central banks of four major economies are expressing alarm that multiple trade conflicts are threatening to slow global growth.

Lawmakers rip tariffs enacted in name of national security

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pointing to damage done to home-state companies, lawmakers from both parties Wednesday criticized tariffs the Trump administration has imposed on imported steel and aluminum products in the name of national security.

EU to tax Harleys, bourbon and other US goods starting Friday

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union will start taxing a range of U.S. imports Friday, including quintessentially American goods like Harley-Davidson bikes and cranberries, in response to President Donald Trump's decision to slap tariffs on European steel and aluminum.

Fed chair signals gradual rate hikes in tame inflation era

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Federal Reserve will likely keep raising short-term interest rates at only a gradual pace, Fed chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday, partly because there are few signs, so far, that the ultra-low U.S. unemployment rate is pushing up inflation.

AMC taking on MoviePass with new movie ticket program

NEW YORK (AP) — AMC Theatres, the world's largest movie theater chain, on Wednesday unveiled a $20-a-month subscription service to rival the flagging MoviePass.

PayPal move blocks sales of school shooting video game

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The developer of a school shooting video game maligned by parents of slain children has lost the ability to sell the game online after being dumped by PayPal.

The Mouse chases the Fox: Disney makes $71B counteroffer

NEW YORK (AP) — The mouse is chasing the fox. Disney is offering more than $71 billion for Fox's entertainment businesses in a counterbid to Comcast's nearly $66 billion offer.

South Korean crypto exchange loses $31 million from hack

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A leading South Korean cryptocurrency exchange said Wednesday that $31 million worth of virtual currencies have been stolen by hackers, a latest in the series of recent hacks that raised security concerns.

GE to end more than 100-year run on Dow; Walgreens added

LOS ANGELES (AP) — General Electric will be dropped from the Dow Jones industrial average next week, ending the conglomerate's more than 100-year run in the 30-company blue chip index.

NATIONAL POLITICS

Trump meets with lawmakers about ZTE deal opposed in Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has met with lawmakers after the Senate moved to block a White House plan to allow Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corp. to buy component parts from the U.S.

In reversal, Trump signs order stopping family separation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bowing to pressure from anxious allies, President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday ending the process of separating children from families after they are detained crossing the U.S. border illegally.

Homeland Security drafts plan to end family separation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is drafting an executive action for President Donald Trump that would direct her department to keep families together in detention after they are detained crossing the border illegally, according to two people familiar with her thinking. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the effort before its official announcement.

Too hot to handle: Politics of warming part of culture wars

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to global warming, America's political climate may have changed more than the Earth's over the past three decades.

United Methodist Church chides Sessions over border policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 600 members of Attorney General Jeff Sessions' church are denouncing him over the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy that has led to children being separated from their parents at the border.

House GOP gets little direction from Trump on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump told House Republicans he is "1,000 percent" behind their rival immigration bills, providing little clear direction for party leaders searching for a way to defuse the escalating controversy over family separations at the southern border.

Trump stands firm on immigration policy, sees it as a winner

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling the shots as his West Wing clears out, President Donald Trump sees his hard-line immigration stance as a winning issue heading into a midterm election he views as a referendum on his protectionist policies.

Lewandowski on girl with Down syndrome: 'Wah wah'

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former campaign manager for Donald Trump has created a stir by dismissing a story about a girl with Down syndrome with a sarcastic "Wah wah."

Commerce chief denies transactions involved insider trading

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross made a trade betting that the stock in a shipping company with Russian-government ties would fall, a transaction coming just days after he learned of a possible negative news story about his investment in the company.

Bolton: NK has 'dramatic choice,' talks will move quickly

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's national security adviser John Bolton says North Korea is facing a "decisive and dramatic choice" on whether to give up its nuclear program and ballistic missiles.

US leaving UN's Human Rights Council, cites anti-Israel bias

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is leaving the United Nations' Human Rights Council, which Ambassador Nikki Haley called "an organization that is not worthy of its name." It's the latest withdrawal by the Trump administration from an international institution.


TUESDAY, JUNE 19
STATEWIDE

Democrats to debate tonight in Tennessee governor race

NASHVILLE (AP) — The two leading Democrats in Tennessee's open race for governor are meeting for a head-to-head debate.

HEALTH CARE

Lower costs, fewer benefits in new health insurance option

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's new health insurance option offers lower premiums for small businesses and self-employed people, but the policies are likely to cover fewer benefits.

REAL ESTATE

US housing starts jumped 5 pct. in May led by Midwest

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge of construction in the Midwest drove U.S. housing starts up 5 percent in May from the prior month.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Audi names Schot interim CEO, puts jailed Stadler on leave

BERLIN (AP) — German automaker Audi has named sales chief Abraham 'Bram' Schot as interim CEO following the arrest of Rupert Stadler as part of a probe into emissions cheating.

TECHNOLOGY

Verizon, AT&T to end location data sales to brokers

Verizon and AT&T have pledged to stop providing information on phone owners' locations to data brokers, stepping back from a business practice that has drawn criticism for endangering privacy.

Alexa, send up breakfast: Amazon launches Echo for hotels

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexa has a new job: hotel concierge.

IBM pits computer against human debaters

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — IBM pitted a computer against two human debaters in the first public demonstration of artificial intelligence technology it's been working on for more than five years.

ENVIRONMENT

Merkel says climate change is 'a fact,' laments US stance

BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel took aim Tuesday at U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the Paris accord, calling the move "very regrettable" at a time when the overwhelming majority of countries worldwide are trying to limit global warming.

Not just heat: Climate change signs can be seen all around

WASHINGTON (AP) — You don't just feel the heat of global warming, you can see it in action all around.

Allergies, glaciers, pikas: climate change in action

WASHINGTON (AP) — You don't just feel the heat of global warming, you can see it in action all around. Some examples of where climate change's effects have been measured:

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks fall on fresh worries over trade

NEW YORK (AP) — The Dow Jones industrial average is closing with its sixth straight loss Tuesday as worries about a U.S.-China trade dispute hit stock indexes around the globe.

Russia to slam retaliatory tariffs on US imports

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia on Tuesday announced retaliatory measures in response to the U.S. move to impose tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum.

Trump raises risk of economically harmful US-China trade war

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and China edged closer Tuesday to triggering the riskiest trade war in decades, a fight that could weaken the world's two largest economies, unsettle relations between Beijing and Washington and crimp global growth.

China blasts new US tariff threat, warns it will retaliate

BEIJING (AP) — China on Tuesday threatened "comprehensive measures" in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariff hike, raising the possibility Beijing might target operations of American companies.

Iran rebuffs Trump's call for OPEC to increase oil output

VIENNA (AP) — Iran lashed out Tuesday against U.S. President Donald Trump's call on OPEC to increase oil production and limit global energy prices, saying the cartel "is not an American organization."

NATIONAL POLITICS

Blackburn blames liberals in separations

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's leading U.S. Senate candidates are decrying the separation of immigrant families at the border, with Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn blaming liberals.

Business leaders speak out against child separation policy

DETROIT (AP) — Business leaders are condemning the Trump administration's decision to separate children from parents who are accused of crossing the border illegally.

Trump, GOP to huddle as outrage builds over border policy

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calls are mounting on Capitol Hill for the Trump administration to end the separation of families at the southern border ahead of a visit from President Donald Trump to discuss legislation.

Border separations ripple through midterm campaigns

Wrenching scenes of migrant children being separated from their parents at the southern border are roiling campaigns ahead of midterm elections, emboldening Democrats on the often-fraught issue of immigration while forcing an increasing number of Republicans to break from President Donald Trump on an issue important to the GOP's most ardent supporters.


MONDAY, JUNE 18
STATE GOVERNMENT

Tennessee governor picks Rausch as new TBI director

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has picked Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch to become the new director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

State probes misuse of funds accusation against TBI leader

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says an immediate, outside review is looking into accusations that its acting director has misused state funds.

Former deputy governor, Hamilton County mayor dies

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Claude Ramsey, a former Tennessee lawmaker, deputy governor and Hamilton County mayor, has died. He was 75.

Tennessee House speaker contender won't seek re-election

NASHVILLE (AP) — A longtime Tennessee lawmaker who had expressed interest in running for House speaker says he won't seek re-election.

STATEWIDE

Electric motor producer to expand in Tennessee, add 300 jobs

LEXINGTON (AP) — An electric motor manufacturing company plans to expand its current operations in Tennessee, an investment of $18 million expected to create 300 jobs.

SPORTS

Trotz resigns as coach of Stanley Cup-winning Capitals

Veteran coach Barry Trotz is leaving the Washington Capitals less than two weeks after leading them to the Stanley Cup.

MIDSTATE

Pat Summitt remembered with plaza, statue in hometown

CLARKSVILLE (AP) — Longtime Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt is being remembered again, this time with a plaza and statue in her hometown.

REAL ESTATE

Builder optimism fades with potential trade war looming

NEW YORK (AP) — The threat of a trade war with Canada has taken a toll on the confidence of U.S. homebuilders, according to index released Monday.

COURTS

Justices: No definitive ruling on partisan districts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is resolving partisan redistricting cases from Wisconsin and Maryland without ruling on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party.

Court blocks 'millionaire tax' question from Massachusetts ballot

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts' highest court has struck down a proposed "millionaire tax" ballot question, blocking it from going before state voters in November.

Supreme Court to take up iPhone app lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will consider whether the purchasers of iPhone apps can sue Apple over allegations it has an illegal monopoly on the sale of the apps.

TECHNOLOGY

Google to invest $550 million in Alibaba rival JD.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Google said Monday that it will invest $550 million in Alibaba's main rival JD.com as the U.S. tech giant seeks to expand in fast-growing Asian e-commerce markets.

Apple sets up iPhones to relay location for 911 calls

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is trying to drag the U.S.'s antiquated system for handling 911 calls into the 21st century.

TRANSPORTATION

Peek at the future: Electric plane cruises skies over Norway

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway's transportation minister and the head of the Scandinavian country's airport operator took off Monday for a short flight ... aboard a Slovenian-made two-seater electric airplane.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Experts say auto tariffs would raise prices, cost jobs

DETROIT (AP) — Every workday, about 7,400 trucks mostly loaded with automotive parts rumble across the Ambassador Bridge connecting Detroit and Canada, at times snarling traffic along the busy corridor.

Audi CEO detained in diesel emissions case

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities on Monday detained the chief executive of Volkswagen's Audi division, Rupert Stadler, as part of a probe into the manipulation of emissions controls.

HEALTH CARE

Compulsive video-game playing now new mental health problem

GENEVA (AP) — For video game addicts, it might soon be "game over." In its latest revision to a disease classification manual, the World Health Organization said Monday that compulsively playing video games now qualifies as a new mental health condition.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US stocks recovery from sharp early drop and finish mixed

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks shrugged off early losses and wound up with a mixed finish Monday. Household goods companies took some of the worst losses as the S&P 500 index fell for the third time in four days.

EU trade commissioner says trade liberalization has momentum

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Trade liberalization continues to have global momentum despite recent U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, the European trade commissioner said Monday as she launched free trade negotiations between the European Union and Australia.

'Incredibles 2' crushes animation record with $180 million

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The combined powers of superheroes, the Pixar brand and a drought of family-friendly films helped "Incredibles 2" become the best animated opening of all time, the biggest PG-rated launch ever and the 8th highest film launch overall.

NATIONAL POLITICS

Senate bill aims to block WH deal with China's ZTE

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is set to pass a defense policy bill that includes a pay raise for the military, but would block a White House plan to allow Chinese telecom giant ZTE to buy component parts from the U.S.

2K children alone: Trump's self-inflicted domestic crisis

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of children split from their families at the U.S. southern border are being held in government-run facilities. A look at how we got here, what's real and what's not, and what might happen next.

Family separation policy starts dividing Republicans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a rising tide of outrage from Democrats and some Republicans over the forced separation of migrant children and parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, President Donald Trump dug in Monday, again falsely blaming Democrats in the escalating political crisis.

First lady Melania Trump "hates" to see families separated

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump "hates" to see families separated at the border and hopes "both sides of the aisle" can reform the nation's immigration laws, according to a statement from her office.

AP FACT CHECK: More Trump falsehoods on NKorea, immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is exaggerating the achievements of his Singapore summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, claiming the North has destroyed missile launch sites and no longer has "rockets flying over the place."

Giuliani says Trump may consider pardons after Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani said Sunday the president might pardon his jailed, onetime campaign chairman and others ensnared in the Russia investigation once special counsel Robert Mueller's work wraps up, if he believed they were treated "unfairly."

Trump adviser Roger Stone reveals new meeting with Russian

WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Robert Mueller is examining a previously undisclosed meeting between longtime Donald Trump confidante Roger Stone and a Russian figure who allegedly tried to sell him dirt on Hillary Clinton.


FRIDAY, JUNE 15
STATEWIDE

Marijuana law reform supported by Fitzhugh, Dean at forum

MEMPHIS (AP) — Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Tennessee House Minority Leader Craig Fitzhugh expressed support Thursday for eliminating criminal punishment for possessing small amounts of marijuana statewide if elected governor.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Streaming providers aim to convert country fans

NASHVILLE (AP) — The hundreds of artists appearing at the CMA Fest this past weekend weren't the only ones trying to court new fans. Streaming music providers had a larger presence at this year's festival, hoping to convert country music fans, who have been slower to adopt streaming compared with other genres.

Longtime Elvis Presley drummer D.J. Fontana remembered

MEMPHIS (AP) — D.J. Fontana, a rock 'n' roll pioneer who rose from strip joints in his native Shreveport, Louisiana to the heights of musical history as Elvis Presley's first and longtime drummer, has died at 87, his wife said Thursday.

Lawsuit over white nationalist's Twitter ban clears hurdle

A California judge has refused to throw out a lawsuit that accuses Twitter of violating the free speech rights of a leading white nationalist figure by banning his social media account.

COURTS

Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes charged with criminal fraud

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors have indicted Elizabeth Holmes on criminal fraud charges for allegedly defrauding investors, doctors and patients as the head of the once-heralded blood-testing startup Theranos.

Boris Becker claims diplomatic immunity in UK bankruptcy

LONDON (AP) — Retired German tennis star Boris Becker is claiming his unpaid role as a sports attache for Central African Republic gives him diplomatic immunity from bankruptcy proceedings in Britain.

Judge jails ex-Trump campaign chair Manafort ahead of trial

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman Paul Manafort is going to jail.

Appeals court considers woman's challenge to life sentence

CINCINNATI (AP) — Attorneys are debating whether a Tennessee woman serving a life sentence for killing a man when she was 16 can gain parole. They're arguing before federal appellate judges in Cincinnati who are considering sending the case back to Tennessee.

Trump accused in lawsuit of misusing charitable foundation

NEW YORK (AP) — New York's attorney general sued President Donald Trump and his foundation Thursday, accusing him of illegally using the charity's money to settle disputes involving his business empire and to boost his political fortunes during his run for the White House.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Prosecutor: VW responsible as a whole for diesel scandal

BERLIN (AP) — German prosecutors say that automaker Volkswagen as a whole is responsible for the 2015 diesel emissions cheating scandal, a day after the company said it would accept a one-billion euro fine (1.18 billion dollars).

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US stocks and bond yields dip amid trade worries

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks closed out a whirlwind week with a modest loss Friday as markets gauged how much to fret about the Trump administration's decision to step up the trade dispute between the world's two biggest economies.

Why many Americans aren't benefiting from robust US economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — "The economy," Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell declared this week, "is doing very well."

Citigroup to pay $100M to settle rate manipulation charges

NEW YORK (AP) — Citigroup agreed Friday to pay $100 million to settle charges that its bankers manipulated an important interest rate used to price everything from credit cards to mortgages.

Apple announces multi-year content deal with Oprah Winfrey

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Apple says it has reached a multi-year deal with Oprah Winfrey to create original programs for its streaming service.

A trade war looms as Trump slaps tariffs on Chinese imports

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump brought the world's two biggest economies to the brink of a trade war Friday by announcing a 25 percent tariff on up to $50 billion in Chinese imports to take effect July 6.

China announces equal penalties to retaliate for US tariffs

BEIJING (AP) — China's government said Friday it will retaliate for U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff hike on Chinese goods by immediately imposing penalties of the "same scale" on American goods.

US industrial production fell 0.1 percent in May

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. industrial production slipped 0.1 percent in May, primarily dragged by a drop in manufacturing caused by a major fire at a parts supplier for trucks.

AT&T, Time Warner close $81B merger 2 days after judge OKs

WASHINGTON (AP) — AT&T has completed its $81 billion takeover of Time Warner, one of the biggest media deals ever. A federal judge approved the combination just two days earlier over objections by the Trump Justice Department that it would hurt consumers.

Fed sets limits on biggest banks' loans to each other

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve has set limits aimed at addressing one of the leading causes of the 2008 financial crisis — the buildup of loans extended by one bank to another among the biggest Wall Street institutions.

Microsoft follows Amazon in pursuit of cashier-less stores

Microsoft is working on automated checkout technology that could help retailers compete with Amazon's new cashier-less stores.

IMF: Tax cuts boosting US now but will hurt growth later

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund believes the U.S. economy will post solid growth this year and next, helped by a sizable boost from tax cuts. But then it says growth will slide as huge budget deficits drag growth far below the Trump administration's goals.

Europe, Fed moves show global shift away from cheap money

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Two of the globe's most powerful central banks are gradually withdrawing the easy money policies that helped repair the damage wrought by the Great Recession and push stock markets to record highs. It's a sign of confidence in the economy, but with uncertain consequences for consumers and businesses.

European Central Bank winds down crisis-era stimulus program

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — The European Central Bank has decided to phase out the bond-buying stimulus program credited with helping the 19 countries that use the euro recover from the Great Recession and eurozone debt crisis.

Startup launches insurance for Uber, Lyft passengers

Worried about an accident when you ride with Uber or Lyft? Now you can get an insurance policy from your phone for the ride too.

US retail sales boom in May, but inflation is lurking

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. retail sales rose by the most in six months in May, a sign that confident consumers are leading a strong economic rebound after a slow start to the year.

China warns US trade deals off if tariff hike goes ahead

BEIJING (AP) — China's government renewed its threat Thursday to scrap deals with Washington aimed at defusing a sprawling trade dispute as the White House prepared to release a list of Chinese goods targeted for tariff hikes.

NATIONAL POLITICS

AP: Trump 2020 working with ex-Cambridge Analytica staffers

WASHINGTON (AP) — A company run by former officials at Cambridge Analytica, the political consulting firm brought down by a scandal over how it obtained Facebook users' private data, has quietly been working for President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election effort, The Associated Press has learned.

Trump: Won't sign 'moderate' immigration bill in GOP setback

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump ignited eleventh-hour confusion Friday over Republican efforts to push immigration through the House next week, saying he won't sign a "moderate" package. A top House Republican said the chamber would not tackle the issue without Trump's backing.

Watchdog sees errors, not bias, in Comey's Clinton probe

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a stinging report, the Justice Department watchdog said Thursday that former FBI Director James Comey was "insubordinate" in his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation during the 2016 presidential election. But it also concluded there was no evidence that Comey was motivated by political bias.

Comey disagrees with parts of the report

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former FBI Director James Comey says he disagrees with some of the conclusions of the Justice Department's inspector general about his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation.

Lawmaker under fire for retweeting post by Nazi sympathizer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Steve King is a Republican congressman from Iowa who's a hard-liner on immigration with a penchant for making racially charged comments. Now he's facing heat for sharing a Twitter post by a Nazi sympathizer from Britain.

Poll finds most parents and kids agree on Trump, economy

WASHINGTON (AP) — In some ways, President Donald Trump has brought Tammy Kennedy and her daughter, Sue Ann, together on politics.

IG report expected to criticize Comey actions in email case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's internal watchdog is expected to criticize the FBI's handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, stepping into a political minefield while examining how a nonpartisan law enforcement agency came to be entangled in the 2016 presidential race.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter & RSS:
Sign-Up For Our FREE email edition
Get the news first with our free weekly email
Name
Email
TNLedger.com Knoxville Editon
RECORD TOTALS DAY WEEK YEAR
PROPERTY SALES 0 0 0
MORTGAGES 0 0 0
FORECLOSURE NOTICES 0 0 0
BUILDING PERMITS 0 0 0
BANKRUPTCIES 0 0 0
BUSINESS LICENSES 0 0 0
UTILITY CONNECTIONS 0 0 0
MARRIAGE LICENSES 0 0 0