VOL. 37 | NO. 30 | Friday, July 26, 2013
REALTY CHECK
Buyer: There is a shortage of inventory on the market now. There is absolutely nothing to buy.
REAL ESTATE
Top June 2013 commercial real estate transactions for Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson and Sumner counties, as compiled by Chandler Reports.
A look at Davidson County’s top lenders for June 2013 based on total number of all loans, commercial and residential.
NEWSMAKERS
Kiwanis Club of Nashville has honored Steve Buchanan as its 2012 Outstanding Nashvillian of the Year for his community contributions. Buchanan is president of the Opry Entertainment Group, a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties, and executive producer for “Nashville.”
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
Your last paycheck was gone before you got it.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
If you’re still operating under the marketing principles that worked 10 years ago, your brand equity and customer base may be slipping away before your very eyes.
SMART STUFF 4 WORK
I always liked the so-called Alexandrian solution. In summary, there was a length of rope tied into an unbelievably complex knot in a kingless kingdom located in an area that is considered modern day Turkey. It was called the Gordian knot; named after an ox-cart driving peasant farmer named Gordias.
I SWEAR
I’ve written before of David Rosenfelt, whose 10th Andy Carpenter novel, “Unleashed,” has just been unleashed – uh, released.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
One of the most beautiful signs of spring is the flowering cherry tree, promising succulent fruit in about two months. The only thing better is two months later being able to enjoy the succulent fruit.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Two Tennessee State University professors have generated more than $7 million in grants for the College of Engineering over the past four years.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The invasive emerald ash borer has been found in two more Tennessee counties.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Ford, Chrysler and Nissan each reported an 11 percent increase in sales for last month, a sign that U.S. auto sales will remain strong into the second half of the year.
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler says its U.S. sales rose 11 percent last month for its best July in seven years.
COURTS
NEW YORK (AP) — Attorneys for J.C. Penney and Macy's are set to be back in court Thursday after a three-month break to present closing arguments in a contract dispute over a partnership with the Martha Stewart brand.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factory activity expanded in July at the fastest pace in two years, fueled by surges in new orders, production and hiring The gains show manufacturing is rebounding and should provide a spark to growth in the coming months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in June by the largest amount in five months as government building activity declined to the lowest level since 2006.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell 19,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 326,000, the fewest since January 2008. The decline shows the job market continues to strengthen.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average rates on U.S. fixed mortgages ticked up this week but are still low by historical standards, a trend that has helped the housing market recover.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' attitudes about their economic future are sharply divided by race, with whites significantly less likely than blacks or Hispanics to think they can improve their own standard of living. Indeed, optimism among minorities now outpaces that of whites by the widest margin since at least 1987, a new analysis shows.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose Thursday morning after an encouraging employment report, sending the Standard & Poor's 500 index above 1,700 points for the first time.
LONDON (AP) — Economic growth in the U.S. and tightening crude supplies helped push up oil prices Thursday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix is introducing a long-awaited feature that will make it easier for the Internet video service to track and analyze the viewing habits of people sharing the same $8-per-month account.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Procter & Gamble Co. said Thursday that its fiscal fourth-quarter net income dropped 48 percent due to a write-down related to its Braun Appliance business and other one-time costs.
TOKYO (AP) — As a slew of big-name Japanese companies report improved quarterly earnings, one theme is taking the sheen off their rosy numbers: mainstay businesses are still struggling despite the perk from a weaker yen.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure awarding generous funding to road and bridge projects, community development grants and housing help for the poor is running into stiff Republican opposition in the Senate.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon officials insist they are not crying wolf when they say proposed budget cuts could severely harm the military.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan bill that would lower the costs of borrowing for millions of students is awaiting President Barack Obama's signature.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 31
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) - State Sen. Lowe Finney, who chairs the Democratic caucus in the Tennessee Senate, announced Wednesday that he won't seek a third term.
AUTO INDUSTRY
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — German automaker Volkswagen AG says net profit fell 50 percent in the second quarter compared to the previous year, when earnings were boosted by a one-time accounting plus related to its takeover of Porsche.
TOKYO (AP) — Honda Motor Co.'s net profit for the first quarter of its fiscal year slipped 7 percent, largely on financial expenses and other spending, although its auto sales increased outside of Japan.
MILAN (AP) — Farm equipment proved to be Fiat Industrial's big-earner in the second quarter, as the Italian capital goods company reported year-on-year earnings growth of 26 percent.
DETROIT (AP) — Ford soon will offer a natural gas version of its F-150 pickup truck, the most popular vehicle in America.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - A Murfreesboro mosque is built and in use, but that hasn't stopped neighbors from continuing to press their lawsuit challenging its construction.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve stopped short of signaling any timetable Wednesday for slowing its bond buying.
NEW YORK (AP) — The stock market is ending mixed after wavering in response to the Federal Reserve's latest assessment of the U.S. economy.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil rose the most in three weeks amid signs that the U.S. economy is improving, but not fast enough for the Federal Reserve to reduce its monthly bond-buying program.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A private survey shows U.S. businesses created a healthy 200,000 jobs this month.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew from April through June at an annual rate of 1.7 percent — a sluggish pace but stronger than in the previous quarter. Businesses spent more, and the federal government cut less, offsetting weaker spending by consumers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department said Wednesday that it expects to start offering investors a new Treasury security with variable interest rates in January. It will be the first new Treasury security in 15 years.
ROUND ROCK, Texas (AP) — A Dell board committee has rejected a voting rule change Michael Dell attached to an increased buyout offer for the struggling PC maker he founded.
NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook's stock has passed its $38 IPO price for the first time since its rocky public debut last May, crossing a symbolic hurdle that has eluded it for more than a year.
NEW YORK (AP) — The decision by Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable company, to buy General Electric out of the NBCUniversal business looks like a smart one, as the media conglomerate posted strong results for the second quarter.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A deal that gives college students and their parents lower interest rates for loans is heading toward its final vote.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There's a new cadence to President Barack Obama's musings about Congress: Why can't House Republicans be more like their mates in the Senate?
WASHINGTON (AP) — A second, deeper round of automatic federal budget cuts is on its way, and it's going to hit the Pentagon hard.
TUESDAY, JULY 30
HEALTH CARE
Community Health Systems Inc. plans to spend $3.9 billion to acquire Health Management Associates Inc. in a deal that would create a giant U.S. hospital chain just as the health care overhaul starts funneling millions of newly insured people into the health care system.
Aetna Inc.'s second-quarter earnings jumped 17 percent, and the health insurer raised its 2013 forecast as it reaped revenue and enrollment gains from its acquisition of fellow insurer Coventry Health Care.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is getting $3.3 million in federal funds to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to public school children.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — A family representative says Betty Sue Lynn, the oldest daughter of country singer Loretta Lynn, has died. She was 64.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Chrysler Group's sales picked up in the second quarter thanks to strong U.S. demand for trucks and SUVs, but the company still cut its full-year sales and profit targets after a slower than expected start to the year.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — On the stock market Tuesday, it felt like late-summer inertia had already set in.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil closed at a four-week low Tuesday as traders awaited comments from the U.S. central bank as well as data releases later in the week, including U.S. jobs figures.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy is expected to have grown at a dismal pace in the April-June quarter, weighed down by large tax increases and steep government spending cuts.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' confidence in the economy fell only slightly in July but stayed close to a 5 ½-year high, a sign that consumers should continue to help drive growth in the coming months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. home prices jumped 12.2 percent in May compared with a year ago, the biggest annual gain since March 2006. The increase shows the housing recovery is strengthening.
WASHINGTON (AP) — When the Federal Reserve offers its latest word on interest rates this week, few think it will telegraph the one thing investors have been most eager to know: When it will slow its bond purchases, which have kept long-term borrowing rates low.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. energy regulators are accusing JPMorgan Chase & Co. of manipulating electricity prices in California and the Midwest in 2010 and 2011.
LONDON (AP) — UK oil company BP reported a worse-than-expected second quarter net profit of $2 billion as lower oil prices, higher taxes and a drop in income from its operations in Russia took their toll on the company.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of leading business groups and GOP donors called for action on immigration legislation Tuesday, seeking to increase pressure on the House GOP as lawmakers prepare to leave Washington for a five-week summer recess.
CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Seeking to ease Washington gridlock, President Barack Obama on Tuesday challenged Republicans to accept a new fiscal deal to cut corporate tax rates in exchange for more government spending on jobs programs.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Tuesday moved a step closer to approving Democratic nominees to the National Labor Relations Board.
MONDAY, JULY 29
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Nashville International Airport saw more than 10 million passengers during fiscal year 2013.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new study shows that the music industry has an annual economic impact of nearly $9.7 billion on the Nashville region.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Two more members of the Pilot Flying J sales staff pleaded guilty Monday to defrauding customers at the truck-stop chain owned by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Kentucky's Rand Paul said Monday that he's "very supportive" of fellow U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander but stopped short of endorsing the Tennessee Republican, who is up for re-election next year.
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. says it is adding 7,000 jobs in 13 states, beefing up staff at the warehouses where it fills orders, and in its customer service division.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam took office with a 45-day freeze on implementing any new government rules.
STATE LEGISLATURE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Rep. Lois DeBerry, one of the longest serving female lawmakers in the nation and a powerful influence in state politics, died Sunday after a nearly five-year bout with pancreatic cancer. She was 68.
AUTO INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee is, for a fourth consecutive year, ranked No. 1 in automotive manufacturing strength in the nation.
CANTON, Miss. (AP) - Nissan North American Inc. will announce Tuesday an expansion of its vehicle assembly plant in Canton, Miss.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — BMW AG is showing off the production model of its new i3 electric compact that uses carbon-fiber materials to keep the weight down and improve driving performance.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is warning that the latest offer from Dell's founder to buy the struggling computer maker bypasses an important shareholder safeguard.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes dipped in June from a six-year high in May, a sign that sales could stabilize over the next few months.
NEW YORK (AP) — Three days before the end of the month, a blistering rally in stocks appears to be fading.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of oil was little changed Monday ahead of information later this week on oil supplies, U.S. monetary policy and economic growth.
BEIJING (AP) — A labor rights group Monday accused a Chinese company that makes iPhones for Apple Inc. of abuses including withholding employees' pay and excessive working hours.
NEW YORK (AP) — Don't let the global economy fool you: Luxury is hardly dead.
DUBLIN (AP) — U.S. drugmaker Perrigo agreed Monday to buy Ireland's Elan for $8.6 billion in a deal that should allow the rapidly growing company to reduce its tax bill and boost its royalty stream.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Four out of 5 U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives, a sign of deteriorating economic security and an elusive American dream.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is set to go along with a bipartisan Senate compromise that would link college students' interest rates to the financial markets and offer borrowers lower rates this fall.
FRIDAY, JULY 26
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Garth Brooks is a granddaddy.
NEW YORK (AP) — Fred Armisen will direct a live stream of an upcoming Kings of Leon concert for the digital series "American Express Unstaged."
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - Want to buy a piece of Nashville? Now you can.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The U.S. Attorney's Office in Nashville says a concrete structures supplier has agreed to pay $664,000 to settle false claims charges.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The International Black Film Festival of Nashville is bringing back its summer film series.
NEW YORK (AP) — A Southwest Airlines jet that made a hard landing at New York's LaGuardia Airport touched down on its front nose wheel before the sturdier main landing gear in back touched down, federal investigators said Thursday.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A new study shows Tennessee attorneys volunteer more than 800,000 hours a year.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Keep Tennessee Beautiful has hired Melissa Marshall to be its new executive director.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - A group of trucking companies wants to move ahead with lawsuits against the truck-stop chain owned by Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Most of Tennessee's major cities are having a wet July. The excess moisture is causing infestations of mosquitoes.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — You've heard that shopping for health insurance under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul will be like using Travelocity or Amazon.
AUTO INDUSTRY
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota shrugged off China sales woes to stay the world's top selling automaker for the first half of this year, outpacing U.S. rival General Motors Co., which boasted such bragging rights for seven decades until 2008.
DETROIT (AP) — Just as General Motors is getting a handle on its troubles in Europe, the automaker faces a new challenge in another part of the globe.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — A mixed batch of earnings results gave investors little direction on Friday as traders began looking ahead to a packed schedule next week.
NEW YORK (AP) — The oil market cooled off this week following some lofty gains.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are more confident about the economy than at any time since July 2007, a survey found, suggesting consumers will spend more and accelerate growth in the months ahead.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama is not expected to name a new chairman of the Federal Reserve until the fall, lowering expectations for an imminent announcement.
Apple's share of the global smartphone market fell during the second quarter to its lowest level in four years, according to data released Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amazon.com is reporting a loss in the second quarter as higher revenue was not enough to make up for rising operating expenses. The world's largest online retailer has been spending heavily on order fulfillment and digital content rights, which continue to weigh on profit margins.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Industry groups and privacy advocates on Thursday were near agreement on voluntary guidelines for mobile apps that should make it easier for consumers to know what personal information is getting sucked from their smartphone or tablet and passed along to marketers.
NEW YORK (AP) — The hedge fund operated by embattled billionaire Steven A. Cohen made hundreds of millions of dollars illegally and allowed unprecedented and pervasive insider trading to go unchecked for years, federal prosecutors said in an indictment unsealed Thursday.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Four Russian nationals and a Ukrainian have been charged with running a sophisticated hacking organization that over seven years penetrated computer networks of more than a dozen major American and international corporations, stealing and selling at least 160 million credit and debit card numbers, resulting in losses of hundreds of millions of dollars.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg says she's not surprised that Southern states have pushed ahead with tough voter identification laws and other measures since the Supreme Court freed them from strict federal oversight of their elections.
WASHINGTON (AP) — There hasn't been a government shutdown in nearly two decades, but top lawmakers on Capitol Hill are finding trickier-than-usual obstacles in their path as they try to come up with must-do legislation to keep federal agencies running after Sept. 30.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The government has ruled that political contributions by married gay couples should be treated the same as donations by married straight couples.
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner on Thursday elevated his criticism of fellow Republican Rep. Steve King over King's suggestion that many immigrants in the country illegally are drug runners, calling the comments "deeply offensive and wrong."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have stepped in to protect the Internal Revenue Service from huge budget cuts sought by House Republicans.