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VOL. 44 | NO. 28 | Friday, July 10, 2020

Old skills revived for a strange new world

COVID-locked & bored? Try fermenting, open-fire cooking, breadmaking or curing

Remember that first trip to a store after early March this year, when all the flour shelves were, shockingly, empty?

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

Two steps forward, one slip back in the heart of ole Dixie

Against my better judgment, I find myself reluctantly listening to certain arguments against scrapping monuments, statues, building names and such perceived to be racist: the “slippery slope” theory.

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

Easy money is hard to find in foreclosure market

With the number of unemployed people nationwide running in the tens of millions, many mortgage loans are in forbearance, clouding the real state of real estate. Only after the grace periods are lifted and the curtain is raised will the damage from the pandemic become evident.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
41.0°F
Mostly Cloudy
Wind: Southwest at 4.6 mph
Humidity: 45%

EVENTS

Williamson Young Professionals Luncheon. Enjoy a virtual meeting tailored for ambitious individuals who are interested in developing business relationships, grown professionally and develop leadership aspirations. Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fee: $20. Information

more events »

REAL ESTATE

Davidson County real estate trends for June 2020

June 2020 real estate trends for Davidson County, as compiled by Chandler Reports.

NEWSMAKERS

Lanquist honored with TBA President’s Award

Patterson Intellectual Property Law shareholder and co-founder Edward Lanquist has been honored with a Tennessee Bar Association President’s Award.

BRIEFS

Meharry announces $8M grant to support families

The Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College has announced the receipt of an $8 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Human Services to support efforts in programming and services for Metro students and their caregivers with special emphasis on education, health and well-being, economic support and social capital.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Summertime car deals less generous but still solid

With summer in full swing, we typically see car dealerships heavily discounting excess inventory around the Fourth of July holiday. But the novel coronavirus and its effects make this year different from most.

CAREER CORNER

Work remotely? How about $15K to do it in Topeka?

It’s becoming more common for workers, stuck at home, to look for alternative work locations. For some fortunate individuals, it’s been their vacation home. Others have fled cities to live with family members in less-populated areas.

BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW

‘55’ a valuable resource for those stuck in career limbo

Your last regular paycheck has come and gone. That was a while ago, back before you were downsized/laid off/reassigned right out of a job, and you’re not sure what to do.

MILLENNIAL MONEY

Life lessons learned while sheltering at home

Shelter in place. Lockdown. Quarantine. Whatever you call it, it’s been a few months since the COVID-19 pandemic taught us what staying home for an extended period of time actually looks and feels like.

TECHNOLOGY

EU court cancels US data-sharing pact over snooping concerns

LONDON (AP) — The European Union's top court ruled Thursday that an agreement that allows thousands of companies — from tech giants to small financial firms — to transfer data to the United States is invalid because the American government can snoop on people's data.

Biden, Gates, other Twitter accounts hacked in Bitcoin scam

Unidentified hackers broke into the Twitter accounts of technology moguls, politicians, celebrities and major companies Wednesday in an apparent Bitcoin scam.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

In the open: White House advisers tussle over virus response

WASHINGTON (AP) — Infighting over the White House's handling of the coronavirus pandemic is spilling further into public view, with trade adviser Peter Navarro panning Dr. Anthony Fauci as President Donald Trump stands watch.

Confirmed US virus cases rise amid new global restrictions

MIAMI (AP) — California, Arizona, Texas and Florida together reported about 36,000 new coronavirus cases Wednesday as restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the pandemic took hold in the United States and around the world in an unsettling sign reminiscent of the dark days of April.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Number of laid-off workers seeking jobless aid stuck at 1.3M

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits remained stuck at 1.3 million last week, an historically high level that indicates many companies are still cutting jobs as the viral outbreak intensifies.

US retail sales jump 7.5% in June, but economy still ails

BALTIMORE (AP) — U.S. retail sales climbed a solid 7.5% in June, a sign that the economy was healing right before infections from the coronavirus spiked again and dragged down hopes for a steady recovery.

European Central Bank urges leaders to act on economy

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank hit pause Thursday after deploying massive stimulus measures in recent weeks and urged European leaders to do their part by agreeing on a fund to support the regions hardest hit by the virus outbreak.

US mail delays likely as new postal boss pushes cost-cutting

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mail deliveries could be delayed by a day or more under cost-cutting efforts being imposed by the new postmaster general. The plan eliminates overtime for hundreds of thousands of postal workers and says employees must adopt a "different mindset" to ensure the Postal Service's survival during the coronavirus pandemic.

American Airlines warns 25,000 workers they could lose jobs

DALLAS (AP) — American Airlines is notifying about 25,000 workers that their jobs could be eliminated in October because of plunging demand for air travel, adding to the toll that the virus pandemic is taking on the airline industry.

Bank of America's 2Q results hurt by pandemic like others

NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America's second quarter profits were sawed in half and the consumer banking giant set aside billions of dollars to cover potentially bad loans caused by the pandemic.

EU to meet face-to-face at summit to divide $2.1 trillion

BRUSSELS (AP) — There are limits to videoconferencing. When there is a lot of money at stake, people like to look each other in the eye.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

GOP restricts convention attendance over coronavirus fears

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican National Committee is sharply restricting attendance on three of the four nights of its convention in Jacksonville, Florida, next month, as it looks for ways to move forward with the event while coronavirus cases are spiking in the state.

Four more years? Trump struggles to outline second term plan

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump is adamant that he wants another four years in office. It's less clear what he would do with them.

Watchdog report faults Medicare agency's contract management

WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the Medicare and Medicaid programs failed to properly manage more than $6 million in communications and outreach contracts, giving broad authority over federal employees to a Republican media strategist she worked with before joining the Trump administration, a government watchdog said in a report to be released Thursday.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump wholly distorts Biden on immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is assailing Joe Biden for immigration proposals that Biden actually isn't proposing. Trump's account of what his Democratic presidential rival says he'd do with people in the country illegally is false in almost every detail.

Trump replaces campaign manager amid sinking poll numbers

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump shook up his campaign staff amid sinking poll numbers less than four months before the election, replacing campaign manager Brad Parscale with veteran GOP operative Bill Stepien.


WEDNESDAY, JULY 15
TENNESSEE TITANS

Titans, Derrick Henry agree to contract before NFL deadline

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have agreed to a new contract with Derrick Henry, keeping the NFL rushing leader around and not playing under the franchise tag before the league deadline for an extension.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Decision on Tennessee Capitol's Confederate bust in 2021

NASHVILLE (AP) — The final decision on whether to remove the bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader from the Tennessee Capitol won't come this year.

Lee says he'll do 'whatever it takes' in abortion fight

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday that he will do "whatever it takes in court" to defend one of the strictest abortion bans in the country currently blocked from being implemented.

COURTS

Courts get creative to restart jury trials amid pandemic

It was New Mexico's first jury trial since the pandemic crippled the U.S. criminal justice system, and defense attorney Roberta Yurcic was nervous.

Democrats pressed to include court reforms in 2020 platform

WASHINGTON (AP) — Liberal interest groups are intensifying pressure on Democrats to take aggressive measures to reshape the Supreme Court, arguing the party should include such measures in its policy platform at next month's convention.

Apple wins EU court case over $15 billion in claimed taxes

BRUSSELS (AP) — A European Union court on Wednesday delivered a hammer blow to the bloc's attempts to rein in sweetheart tax deals between multinationals and individual member countries when it ruled that technology giant Apple does not have to pay 13 billion euros ($15 billion) in back taxes to Ireland.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg released from hospital

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Wednesday that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was discharged from a hospital after being treated for a possible infection.

HEALTH CARE

With elective procedures delayed, UnitedHealth profit spikes

The nation's largest health insurer more than doubled its second-quarter profit, as COVID-19 shutdowns kept patients out of doctor's offices and off operating tables.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Nissan rolls out new electric crossover, aims to boost image

TOKYO (AP) — Nissan unveiled an electric crossover vehicle Wednesday, the Japanese automaker's first major all-new model since getting embroiled in the scandal surrounding its former chairman, Carlos Ghosn.

Europe's shift to electric cars picks up despite recession

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The coronavirus has cancelled business plans all over the world but Europe's push into electric cars isn't one of them. Sales of battery-powered and hybrid cars have held up better than the overall market amid a deeply painful recession, mainly thanks to the action of governments.

ENVIRONMENT

Trump looks to scale back environmental reviews for projects

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is expected to announce a new federal rule to speed up the environmental review process for proposed highways, gas pipelines and other major infrastructure, a move that critics are describing as the dismantling of a 50-year-old environmental protection law.

MEDIA

Microsoft cuts MSN news staffers in move toward AI editors

SEATTLE (AP) — Microsoft cut dozens of full-time staffers from its MSN news service, continuing an initiative to move away from human editors in favor of artificial intelligence.

TECHNOLOGY

Google to invest $4.5 billion in India's Jio digital company

NEW DELHI (AP) — Google plans to invest $4.5 billion in India's Jio Platforms Ltd, the company announced Wednesday, taking a 7.7% stake in the digital services company owned by multi-billion dollar Reliance Industries.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Walmart latest retailer to require customers to wear masks

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its namesake and Sam's Club stores, making it the largest retailer to introduce such a policy that has otherwise proven difficult to enforce without state and federal requirements.

Virus cases rise in U.S. states amid new world restrictions

MIAMI (AP) — Arizona, Texas and Florida together reported about 25,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday as restrictions aimed at combating the spread of the pandemic took hold in the United States and around the world in an unsettling sign reminiscent of the dark days of April.

Vanderbilt seeks as many as 1,000 for COVID-19 vaccine trial

Vanderbilt University Medical Center will begin in late July recruiting as many as 1,000 volunteers in a late-stage study of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. in collaboration with the Vaccine Research Center of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) of the National Institutes of Health.

McConnell: GOP virus proposal for schools, others out soon

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday he'll begin to roll out details of the new COVID-19 relief package to senators as soon as next week and suggested it will include new funding for school reopenings, some unemployment benefits and money for health care providers.

In virus era, back-to-school plans stress working parents

NASHVILLE (AP) — For generations, school has been an opportunity for American children to learn and make friends. For many parents today, though, it's something that's elemental in a very different way: a safe place that cares for their children while they are at work — or a necessity for them to be able to work at all.

First COVID-19 vaccine tested in US poised for final testing

The first COVID-19 vaccine tested in the U.S. revved up people's immune systems just the way scientists had hoped, researchers reported Tuesday -- as the shots are poised to begin key final testing.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Stocks rise on vaccine hopes; S&P 500 back within 5% of high

NEW YORK (AP) — Markets worldwide rallied on rising hopes for a COVID-19 vaccine Wednesday, and the S&P 500 climbed back to where it was a few days after it set its record early this year.

Fed survey says economy has picked up but outlook cloudy

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve says economic activity has picked up in most regions of the country but still remains well below pre-pandemic levels with the country facing high levels of uncertainty.

Delta expects to take $3 billion charge to cover job losses

Delta Air Lines said Wednesday that it expects to take a charge of $2.7 billion to $3.3 billion to cover the cost of early retirements and buyouts for employees as it shrinks in response to a sharp decline in air travel.

US industrial production surges 5.4% in June

WASHINGTON (AP) — Production at America's factories, utilities and mines surged last month, but remained well below pre-pandemic levels.

US warns firms about sanctions for work on Russian pipelines

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday hardened its efforts to prevent the completion of new German-Russian and Turkish-Russian natural gas pipelines by ending sanctions exemptions for companies involved in the projects and warning they'll be subject to U.S. penalties unless they halt their work.

US to hit Huawei employees with visa bans for rights abuses

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Wednesday it will impose travel bans on employees of the Chinese technology giant Huawei and other Chinese companies the U.S. determines are assisting authoritarian governments in cracking down on human rights, including in China's western Xinjiang province.

China accuses Britain of helping Washington hurt Huawei

BEIJING (AP) — China accused Britain on Wednesday of colluding with Washington to hurt Huawei after the Chinese tech giant was blocked from working on a British next-generation mobile phone network.

Without waiter jobs, what happens to creative New York?

NEW YORK (AP) — It's been the story for many a starry-eyed creative type looking for a big break in the Big Apple — wait tables to pay the bills while auditioning, performing, singing, painting, dancing, writing, whatever it takes to make the dreams of success come true.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Trump signs bill, order rebuking China, and slams Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed legislation and an executive order on Tuesday that he said will hold China accountable for its oppressive actions against the people of Hong Kong, then quickly shifted his policy speech into a political one, hurling broadsides against Democratic rival Joe Biden.


TUESDAY, JULY 14
STATE GOVERNMENT

35 businesses want Confederate bust out of Tennessee Capitol

NASHVILLE (AP) — About three dozen prominent businesses with a Tennessee footprint are calling for the bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader to be removed from the state Capitol.

Tennessee revenues came up $12.5M short in June amid virus

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee officials say state revenues came up $12.5 million short of projections in June amid the coronavirus pandemic.

EDUCATION

Trump administration rescinds rule on foreign students

BOSTON (AP) — Facing eight federal lawsuits and opposition from hundreds of universities, the Trump administration on Tuesday rescinded a rule that would have required international students to transfer or leave the country if their schools held classes entirely online because of the pandemic.

Vanderbilt opposes new visa rules for international students

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt University has joined an effort to stop federal guidelines that would force international students to leave the U.S. or transfer to another college if their schools offer classes entirely online this fall.

COURTS

US carries out the 1st federal execution in nearly 2 decades

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The federal government on Tuesday carried out its first execution in almost two decades, killing by lethal injection a man convicted of murdering an Arkansas family in a 1990s plot to build a whites-only nation in the Pacific Northwest.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Bars to remain closed in Nashville as COVID-19 cases climb

NASHVILLE (AP) — Bars will continue to be closed until the end of the month in Nashville after Tennessee's capital city experienced its highest single-day increases in COVID-19 cases, Mayor John Cooper announced Tuesday.

White House virus task force member says 'none of us lie'

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top member of the White House coronavirus task force said Tuesday that "none of us lie" to the public, an accusation President Donald Trump had retweeted, and that while kids need to be back in school as Trump insists, "we have to get the virus under control."

White House turns on Fauci as Trump minimizes virus spike

WASHINGTON (AP) — With U.S. virus cases spiking and the death toll mounting, the White House is working to undercut its most trusted coronavirus expert, playing down the danger as President Donald Trump pushes to get the economy moving before he faces voters in November.

Small businesses worldwide fight for survival amid pandemic

Hour after hour in the dark, Chander Shekhar's mind raced ahead to morning.

Trump team eyes school funds boost in next virus aid bill

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's push to reopen schools is being complicated by a split within his ranks over how to do it, with some advisers advocating for a massive federal expenditure to make campuses safe as Congress compiles the next COVID-19 relief bill.

ELECTION 2020

Hagerty leaves board over Black Lives Matter support

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee Republican running for U.S. Senate resigned from the board of a brokerage firm after the company expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement, according to a letter from the candidate.

Groups: Absentee ruling didn't exclude new Tennessee voters

NASHVILLE (AP) — Voting rights groups argue that Tennessee's continued enforcement of a state law barring many first-time voters from casting absentee ballots doesn't comply with a judge's ruling that all eligible voters can vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden proposes overhauling nation's energy sector by 2035

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Joe Biden released a plan Tuesday aimed at combating climate change and spurring economic growth in part by overhauling America's energy industry, with a proposal to achieve entirely carbon pollution-free power by 2035.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street rebounds after yet another yo-yo day of trading

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rebounded on Tuesday, and the S&P 500 more than made up all its losses from the day before, after stocks pinballed through another day of erratic trading.

Fed's Brainard warns US economy may slow, urges more support

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Governor Lael Brainard warned Tuesday that the U.S. economy appears to be slowing after an initial burst of recovery and called for the Fed to take aggressive steps to bolster growth.

Banks set aside billions, bracing for more economic pain

NEW YORK (AP) — With tens of millions of Americans out of work and many businesses shut down or operating under restrictions due to the coronavirus, three of the nation's biggest banks set aside nearly $30 billion in the second quarter to cover potentially bad loans that were fine only a few months ago.

Spiking cost of gasoline pushes June consumer prices up 0.6%

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices increased 0.6% in June, after three months of declines, with a big jump in gasoline prices accounting for over half of the gain.

White House-backed campaign pushes alternate career paths

WASHINGTON (AP) — Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump on Tuesday unveiled a White House-backed national ad campaign highlighting alternative ways to start a career, an initiative targeting students, mid-career workers and the millions who are now unemployed because of the coronavirus.

Wells Fargo loses $2.4 billion in 2Q, first loss since 2008

Silver Spring, Md. (AP) — Wells Fargo lost $2.4 billion in the second quarter, the first quarterly loss for the bank since the real estate crash of 2008.

"Growth has stalled": Surge in US infections hits Delta

Delta Air Lines lost $5.7 billion during a brutal three-month stretch in which the coronavirus pandemic brought travel to a near standstill, and any hoped-for recovery has been smothered by a resurgence of infected Americans.

JPMorgan profit hit hard by pandemic, as consumers struggle

NEW YORK (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic is weighing heavily on the financial health of JPMorgan Chase, as the nation's largest financial company set aside billions in the second quarter to cover potential losses from all the businesses and consumers who are unable to pay their debts due to the slumping economy.

UK economic bounceback falls short of V-shaped recovery hope

LONDON (AP) — The British economy grew by far less than anticipated during May, dampening hopes that the recovery from what is set to be one of the country's deepest recessions in centuries will be rapid.

China's trade rises as economy recovers from virus slump

BEIJING (AP) — China's trade improved in June in a fresh sign the world's second-largest economy is recovering from the coronavirus pandemic. But its exporters face threats including tension with Washington and a possible downturn in U.S. and European demand.

Huawei posts 13.1% revenue growth amid pandemic, sanctions

HONG KONG (AP) — Huawei Technologies reported Tuesday that its revenue grew 13.1% in the first half of the year compared with a year earlier, despite sanctions from the U.S and challenges from the coronavirus pandemic.


MONDAY, JULY 13
STATEWIDE

Tennessee doubles reimbursement for farmer certification

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee agriculture officials have doubled the reimbursement available for fruit and vegetable farmers who achieve a certification that lets them sell directly to customers.

COURTS

Tennessee governor signs, court blocks 6-week abortion ban

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Monday signed one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, and a federal judge quickly blocked the measure.

Federal judge rules against Nashville bar owners

NASHVILLE (AP) — A judge has ruled against some Nashville bar owners who sought a temporary restraining order against city officials in an effort to push back against coronavirus restrictions.

Judge seeks more details on Trump's clemency for Roger Stone

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday demanded more information about President Donald Trump's decision to commute the prison sentence of longtime ally Roger Stone.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Tennessee sets record for new virus cases with 3,314

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee reported a record number of new virus cases on Monday with 3,314, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.

California shuts bars, indoor dining and most gyms, churches

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday extended the closure of bars and indoor dining statewide and ordered gyms, churches and hair salons closed in most places as coronavirus cases keep rising in the nation's most populated state.

Strong demand for virus testing services; snacking surges

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Monday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.

'Human element' confounds control of COVID-19 in US

ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) — The United States was grappling with the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world on Monday, as Florida shattered the national record for a state's largest single-day increase in new confirmed cases.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump team's false comfort on schools, virus

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's aides are misrepresenting the record on kids and the coronavirus as they push for schools to reopen.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US budget deficit hits all-time high of $864 billion in June

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government incurred the biggest monthly budget deficit in history in June as spending on programs to combat the coronavirus recession exploded while millions of job losses cut into tax revenues.

Stocks slam into reverse as virus keeps scarring economy

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street got a painful reminder that the coronavirus pandemic isn't going away, and a big early gain for stocks suddenly flipped to losses after California showed how it's still scarring the economy.

Analog Devices buying Maxim Integrated in all-stock deal

NEW YORK (AP) — Computer chip maker Analog Devices is buying Maxim Integrated in an all-stock deal that will create a company worth about $68 billion, and strengthens its position in the analog semiconductor sector.

California CEO resigns over video showing racist outburst

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The chief executive of a California technology company resigned after the release of a video showing him using vulgar and racist language toward an Asian family at a restaurant.

ELECTION 2020

Tennessee draws about 3,000 poll workers for Aug. 6 primary

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nearly 3,000 people have signed up to be poll workers during the coronavirus pandemic for the Aug. 6 primary, and many Tennessee counties still need more, officials said Monday.

Ready or not: Election costs soar in prep for virus voting

WASHINGTON (AP) — The demand for mail-in ballots is surging. Election workers need training. And polling booths might have to be outfitted with protective shields during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump's reelection operation hires 1,500 field staffers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican National Committee and President Donald Trump's campaign say they have now hired 1,500 field staffers, aiming to convert their financial advantage over Democrats into votes in November.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

US to reject nearly all Chinese claims in South China Sea

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials say the Trump administration is poised to escalate its actions against China by stepping squarely into one of the most sensitive regional issues dividing them and rejecting outright nearly all of Beijing's significant maritime claims in the South China Sea.

Undaunted, US global media chief plows ahead with changes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a barrage of criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, the new chief of U.S. global media is plowing ahead with changes to the Voice of America and other international broadcasters that are heightening concerns about their future as independent news organizations.


FRIDAY, JULY 10
STATEWIDE

Trump declares disaster in Tennessee counties hit by storms

NASHVILLE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday declared a major disaster in parts of Tennessee affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding on May 3 and May 4.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Singer says lawsuit over Lady A name is 'white privilege'

Singer Anita White, who was sued by a country group over the use of the name Lady A, says the group is using their white privilege against her.

COURTS

Inmate sues Tennessee high court seeking execution delay

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee inmate is suing the state Supreme Court in hopes of delaying his Aug. 4 execution.

Thomas spoke, Roberts ruled in unusual Supreme Court term

WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Clarence Thomas spoke and Chief Justice John Roberts ruled.

Ex-Gallatin pain clinic CEO sentenced in fraud scheme

NASHVILLE (AP) — The former CEO of a Tennessee pain management company has been sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for his role in a $4 million Medicare kickback scheme.

EDUCATION

Christian groups oppose ICE rule on international students

Leaders of 12 Christian organizations on Friday urged the Trump administration to rescind a policy requiring international students to leave the U.S. or transfer if their colleges hold classes entirely online this fall, saying it "falls short of American ideals."

Foreign students weigh studying in person vs. losing visas

PHOENIX (AP) — International students worried about a new immigration policy that could potentially cost them their visas say they feel stuck between being unnecessarily exposed during the coronavirus pandemic and being able to finish their studies in America.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Electric vehicle startup Rivian gets $2.5B in added funding

DETROIT (AP) — Electric vehicle startup Rivian says it has raised another $2.5 billion in funding from accounts advised by investment firm T. Rowe Price.

TECHNOLOGY

Reports: Amazon bars video app TikTok on workers' phones

Amazon has told employees to delete the popular video app TikTok from phones on which they use Amazon email, citing security risks from the China-owned app, according to reports  and posts by Twitter users who said they were Amazon employees.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

Trump undercuts health experts -- again -- in schools debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House seating chart spoke volumes. When the president convened a roundtable this week on how to safely reopen schools with coronavirus cases rising, the seats surrounding him were filled with parents, teachers and top White House officials, including the first and second ladies.

Laboratory did not report infections to Nashville for weeks

NASHVILLE (AP) — A laboratory processing Nashville coronavirus tests did not report 312 positive results to the city for weeks, the Tennessean reported.

Chattanooga to keep testing wastewater for coronavirus

CHATTANOOGA (AP) — The city of Chattanooga plans to keep testing local wastewater for the prevalence of COVID-19 into 2021 after a study in May that showed thousands more cases of the virus than what was reported by local health officials, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street rallies as optimism returns to cap erratic week

NEW YORK (AP) — Optimism returned to Wall Street on Friday, and stocks rallied to cap a shaky week dogged by worries that rising coronavirus counts may halt the economy's recent upswing.

Fed buys more corporate bonds but may soon end purchases

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve said Friday that it purchased $1.3 billion in corporate bonds in late June as part of its effort to keep U.S. interest rates low and ensure large companies can borrow by selling bonds.

Catholic Church-affiliated programs reap $1.4B-$3.5B in PPP funds

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Roman Catholic Church used a special and unprecedented exemption from federal rules to amass at least $1.4 billion in taxpayer-backed coronavirus aid, with many millions going to dioceses that have paid huge settlements or sought bankruptcy protection because of clergy sexual abuse cover-ups.

Retail bankruptcy filings keep coming, coffee habits change

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Friday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.

US wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs plunged

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices fell 0.2% in June as food costs dropped sharply, offsetting a big increase in energy prices.

Setbacks hamper pipeline industry backed by Trump

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — After a U.S. energy boom and strong backing from President Donald Trump propelled a major expansion of the nation's sprawling oil and gas pipeline network, mounting political pressures and legal setbacks have put its future growth in doubt even as the pandemic saps demand for fuel.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Tapping into crime fears, GOP conflates mayhem with protests

WASHINGTON (AP) — Apocalyptic images of blazing buildings and window-smashing protesters pop on the TV screen as a caller to a 911 emergency line reaches voicemail. The computer offers to take reports of rapes, murders or home invasions, adding, "Our estimated wait time is five days."

Trump looks for political edge in latest high court rulings

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump won the White House on the promise of bringing a conservative shift to the Supreme Court. But this year and last, even with two justices Trump hand-picked, the court has shown it is no rubber stamp for him or his administration's policies. That's drawn the president's ire and teed up a renewed battle over the court as Trump seeks political advantage ahead of November's election.

Trump's reelection campaign gets a reboot as virus persists

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's campaign reboot is getting a reboot.


THURSDAY, JULY 9
NASHVILLE AREA

Nashville schools to start academic year online due to virus

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nashville's school year will start off virtually instead of in person due to the growing spread of COVID-19, local school officials announced Thursday.

NASHVILLE SC

Nashville out of MLS tourney after 9 players test positive

Nashville SC has withdrawn from Major League Soccer's MLS is Back tournament in Florida after nine players tested positive for the coronavirus, the league announced Thursday.

ELECTION 2020

State: Tennessee counties all have updated mail voting info

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's elections coordinator says all 95 counties have updated their websites or written materials to reflect a judge's ruling that every eligible voter can choose to vote by mail during the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden pledges New Deal-like economic agenda to counter Trump

DUNMORE, Pa. (AP) — Democrat Joe Biden turned his campaign against President Donald Trump toward the economy Thursday, introducing a New Deal-like economic agenda while drawing a sharp contrast with a billionaire incumbent he said has abandoned working-class Americans amid cascading crises.

STATE GOVERNMENT

Tennessee panel favors removing Confederate bust in Capitol

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee panel voted Thursday to recommend the bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader be moved from the state Capitol into the state museum, casting the first of two votes needed to make the move happen.

COURTS

DC judge asks for full appeal review of Flynn dismissal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. District Court judge who oversaw the criminal case of President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn has requested a full appeals court review after a three-judge panel ordered him to dismiss it.

No peeking, voters: Court keeps Trump taxes private for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rejecting President Donald Trump's complaints that he's being harassed, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of a New York prosecutor's demands for the billionaire president's tax records. But in good political news for Trump, his taxes and other financial records almost certainly will be kept out of the public eye at least until after the November election.

AP EXPLAINS: Public won't see Trump's tax documents for now

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in two cases involving access to President Donald Trump's financial records. The cases were the last to be released of the high court's term, which dragged into July because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Justices rule swath of Oklahoma remains tribal reservation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a large chunk of eastern Oklahoma remains an American Indian reservation, a decision that state and federal officials have warned could throw Oklahoma into chaos.

ENVIRONMENT

Brazil asks investment firms to adopt protected Amazon areas

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil's government on Thursday proposed that global asset-managers adopt protected areas in the Amazon rainforest in order to curb illegal deforestation ahead of the season farmers traditionally use fire to clear land and brush.

VIRUS OUTBREAK

CDC: No rewriting of guidelines for reopening schools

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite President Donald Trump's sharp criticism, federal guidelines for reopening schools are not being revised, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

Europe fears complacency; virus hits 'full speed' in Africa

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Asian and European officials pleaded with their citizens Thursday to respect modest precautions as several countries saw coronavirus outbreaks accelerate or sought to prevent new flare-ups, while the virus showed no signs of slowing its initial advance in Africa and the Americas.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

US economy may be stalling out as viral outbreak worsens

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy is stumbling as the viral outbreak intensifies, threatening to slow hiring and deepening the uncertainty for employees, consumers and companies across the country.

Most of Wall Street wilts amid worries on virus, economy

NEW YORK (AP) — Most of Wall Street wilted Thursday on worries that the economy's recent improvements may be set to fade as coronavirus cases keep climbing.

Layoffs stuck at high level as 1.3 million seek jobless aid

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 1.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, a historically high pace that shows that many employers are still laying people off in the face of a resurgent coronavirus.

2Q earnings to show how virus menaced Corporate America

NEW YORK (AP) — Like that last roll of ultra-thin toilet paper left on the shelves or the latest Star Wars movies, it's tough to be disappointed in something when expectations were low to begin with. That's how Wall Street is approaching the upcoming earnings season for companies.

Ireland's Donohoe named head of eurozone finance group

BRUSSELS (AP) — Ireland's Paschal Donohoe was elected Thursday to head the finance group of the powerful bloc of 19 nations using Europe's single currency, beating out challengers from Luxembourg and Spain.

Bed Bath & Beyond closing stores, cruises prepare to sail

The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Thursday related to the national and global response, the work place and the spread of the virus.

Walgreens lost $1.7B in 3Q as global pandemic tightened grip

The coronavirus pandemic pushed Walgreens to a $1.7 billion loss it the most recent quarter with customers staying home or limiting shopping to essential supplies from grocery stores.

Virus causes uncertainty for state lotteries

Boston (AP) — The coronavirus pandemic has been a rollercoaster for state lotteries across the country, with some getting a boost from the economic downturn and others scrambling to make up for revenue shortfalls.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

UK Treasury chief warns of depth of recession

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.'s Treasury chief acknowledged Thursday that the country faced unprecedented economic times, entering one of the most severe recessions it has ever seen as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pentagon: US will respond if Russia bounty reports are true

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Pentagon leaders told Congress on Thursday that reports of Russia offering Taliban militants bounties for killing Americans were not corroborated by defense intelligence agencies, but said they are looking into it and the U.S. will respond if necessary.

Ousted NY prosecutor tells panel Barr 'urged' him to resign

WASHINGTON (AP) — The ousted U.S. attorney who was leading investigations into President Donald Trump's allies told the House Judiciary panel on Thursday that Attorney General William Barr "repeatedly urged" him to resign during a hastily arranged meeting that sheds light on the extraordinary standoff  surrounding his departure.

Esper defends use of National Guard in helping with unrest

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday defended using National Guard soldiers to support law enforcement agencies in handling civil unrest triggered by the killing of George Floyd, saying it was a better alternative than using active-duty forces as President Donald Trump had threatened.

US sanctions Chinese officials over repression of minorities

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on three senior officials of the Chinese Communist Party, including a member of the ruling Politburo, for alleged human rights abuses targeting ethnic and religious minorities that China has detained in the western part of the country.

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen back in federal prison

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, was returned to federal prison, weeks after his early release to serve the remainder of his sentence at home because of the coronavirus pandemic, the federal Bureau of Prisons said Thursday.

AP FACT CHECK: Trump team distortions on Biden and police

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's campaign team is misrepresenting Democratic rival Joe Biden's stance on improving police practices following George Floyd's death.

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