VOL. 39 | NO. 31 | Friday, July 31, 2015
TENNESSEE TITANS
The Tennessee Titans are overdue to get one right. For the third time in nine years, the Titans have spent a first-round pick on a quarterback, this time taking 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota with the second overall pick last May.
UT SPORTS
It’s hard to miss the buzz of excitement as Tennessee’s football team starts preseason practices for the 2015 season in Butch Jones’ third year as head coach.
BEYOND BELIEF
I’d like to say my very first emotion after the July 16 Chattanooga mass murder was either horror or sadness, but that would be a lie. Americans saw 204 multiple-victim shootings in the first 204 days of 2015. By the time these words appear in print, I’ve no doubt the count will be higher.
NEWSMAKERS
Bill Hagerty, co-founder and managing director of private equity investment firm Hagerty Peterson & Company, has been elected to the Pinnacle Financial Partners’ 14-member board of directors.
GUERRILLA MARKETING
Consultative selling is a discovery-based approach that puts the sales professional in the enviable role of partner or adviser versus the stereotypical pushy rep looking to close a deal at any cost.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Jaguar has made its sexy F-Type even sportier and more seductive for 2016, with a manual transmission, surprisingly precise electric steering and new standard equipment including a 770-watt sound system from British high-performance audio maker Meridian.
THE WORLDLY INVESTOR
This entry will be my last submission penned while living in Asia, so rather than discuss the market’s recent wiggles, I thought I would share some top of mind takeaways as I prepare to depart Hong Kong.
I SWEAR
It’s been said that the Web is a Mecca for writers who are not good to start with and don’t know how to rewrite, revise and edit.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — The seven candidates vying to become Nashville's next mayor have spent a combined $12.5 million on their bids — the equivalent of $43 for every registered voter in Music City.
NASHVILLE (AP) — What initially appeared to be another mass shooting at a movie theater ended up being an attack by a disturbed homeless man who wasn't armed with a real gun and was eventually shot and killed by police.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Tesla Motors' upcoming Model X SUV cast a long shadow over the company's second-quarter results.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Average long-term U.S. mortgage rates fell for a third straight week amid anxiety over developments in the U.S. economy that lifted bond prices.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mortgage giant Fannie Mae reported net income of $4.6 billion from April through June, up from $3.7 billion a year earlier. Rising interest rates enabled Fannie to post gains on the investments it uses to hedge against swings in rates.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Slightly more Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week, but their numbers remain near historic lows in a sign that the job market is healthy.
NEW YORK (AP) — Big media companies led the stock market lower Thursday as investors fretted over fading revenue from cable television. Viacom and 21st Century Fox were among the hardest hit.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Further cracks emerged this week in the pay TV bundle as media companies and distributors indicated that more people are cutting the cord and ditching pricey channel packages. Meanwhile, media company executives did damage control, putting a positive spin on the prospect of selling individual channels online.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) - A suspect wielding a hatchet and a gun inside a Nashville-area movie theater died after exchanging gunshots with a SWAT team that stormed the theater, police said Wednesday.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The seven candidates vying to become Nashville's next mayor have spent a combined $12.5 million on their bids - the equivalent of $43 for every registered voter in Music City.
NASHVILLE (AP) - HCA Holdings Inc. (HCA) on Wednesday reported second-quarter profit of $507 million.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A leadership education initiative at Lipscomb University has received a $750,000 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
NASHVILLE (AP) - A trial has begun over how Nashville's five jail facilities pay hundreds of correctional officers.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — A recent survey shows a decrease in seat belt use in Tennessee.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Country stars Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley will return to host the Country Music Association Awards on ABC this fall for an eighth straight year.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Country record producer and songwriter Billy Sherrill, who helped create the smooth "countrypolitan" sound of the 1960s and 1970s, has died. He was 78.
REGION
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Phone carriers say some customers in the Southeast who experienced outages with wireless and wired service have had service restored.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — When researchers at two West Coast universities took control of a General Motors car through cellular and Bluetooth connections in 2010, they startled the auto industry by exposing a glaring security gap.
TECHNOLOGY
WASHINGTON (AP) — The copper network behind landline phones, a communications mainstay for more than a century, is going away, as cable and fiber-optics lines come along with faster Internet speeds.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — About 1.8 million households that got financial help for health insurance under President Barack Obama's law now have issues with their tax returns that could jeopardize their subsidies next year. Administration officials say those taxpayers will have to act quickly.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Netflix stirred envy in sleep-deprived parents nationwide by saying it will give its employees up to a year of paid leave following the birth or adoption of a child. But outside of hypercompetitive Silicon Valley, don't hold your breath for your boss to match it.
NEW YORK (AP) — At $660 billion dollars, Apple is the stock market's heavyweight.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Business at U.S. services companies surged in July, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday.
NEW YORK (AP) — The latest batch of corporate results helped nudge the stock market to a slight gain Wednesday, snapping a three-day slump. Another drop in oil prices held indexes back.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The rate of hiring by U.S. businesses slowed in July, according to a private survey. But job gains remained at a solid level, which should help boost overall economic growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit increased in June as solid consumer spending pulled in more imports, while the strong dollar restrained exports.
WASHINGTON (AP) — CEOs make a lot more than the average working Joe or Jane. And in the near future, Americans will find out how big the disparity actually is within publicly traded companies.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's prime minister said his country was in the "final stage" of talks for a new bailout, as his left-wing government on Wednesday rejected the idea of extending the negotiations beyond this month.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump vows to bring back the millions of American jobs lost to China and other foreign competitors if voters put him in the White House.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) - Country star Brad Paisley is joining "The Voice" this season as an advisor to help fellow country singer Blake Shelton.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam and the speakers of the House and Senate have appointed the 10 members of a committee established to review K-12 education standards in Tennessee.
KNOXVILLE (AP) — Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (SNI) on Tuesday reported second-quarter profit of $193.7 million.
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio hope to connect Tuesday with Christian conservatives, a key group of voters in the early primary states of Iowa and South Carolina.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Stefanie Murray, the vice president and executive editor of The Tennessean, has resigned from the Nashville newspaper.
COURTS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal appeals court has revived a lawsuit accusing MasterCard, Visa and three major banks of illegally fixing ATM prices at the expense of consumers.
TECHNOLOGY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is slumping as the usually high-flying tech stock struggles with the burden of raised expectations.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Comcast is speeding up and expanding a discounted Internet service that was created to get more low-income people online.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mortgage giant Freddie Mac reported net income of $4.2 billion for the second quarter, up sharply from the same period of 2014, as it increased its purchases of home loans and sold off greater volumes of riskier mortgages.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing slightly lower as investors focus on the latest earnings and deal news.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories increased in June, and a key category that reflects business investment plans posted a modest rise. But the gains weren't robust enough to suggest that the sluggish manufacturing sector is mounting a significant turnaround.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — After so much pain, Greece must now figure out how to get its economy back on its feet.
Pricey specialty drugs helped CVS Health cope with tobacco withdrawal and top analyst expectations in the second quarter.
NATIONAL POLITICS
SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called Tuesday for countries negotiating a major Pacific Rim trade deal to overcome differences that have stalled its conclusion.
MONDAY, AUGUST 3
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee lawmakers should consider reviewing a new law that allows handgun carry permit holders to bring firearms to parks, playgrounds and sports fields following a key opinion from the state's attorney general, Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday,
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — When Gary Wade was appointed to the state Supreme Court in 2006, the self-described "mountain boy from the Smokies" planned to serve the eight-year term and retire from his distinguished judicial career.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — More Americans are buying cars that say "look at me." Luxury vehicles like Audis and Volvos drove off dealer lots at a furious pace in July and, combined with sizzling demand for SUVs, helped the auto industry roll on toward its best annual sales since before the recession. July sales rose 5 percent to more than 1.5 million, according to Autodata Corp.
REAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. construction spending increased in June by the smallest amount in five months as a big drop in nonresidential building activity offset a third straight increase in home building.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell for a third straight day Tuesday as investors assessed some disappointing earnings reports.
The slump in oil prices deepened Monday, pulling down the price of U.S. crude to the lowest level in more than four months.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer spending in June rose by the smallest amount in four months as shoppers cut back on purchases of cars and other big-ticket items.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factories were a little less busy last month. The Institute of Purchasing Managers' manufacturing index slipped to 52.7 last month from 53.5 in June. Economists had expected the index to remain unchanged. Any reading above 50 indicates growth.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's stock market plunged over 22 percent as it reopened Monday after a five-week closure, giving investors their first opportunity since late June to react to the country's latest economic crisis.
HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Sears Holdings Corp. says a key sales figure fell sharply in the second quarter, particularly dragged down by weakness at its namesake stores. It's at least the 10th straight quarter that the metric has declined.
NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T is unveiling a new package that combines traditional TV and wireless services as it seeks to broaden its offerings following its $48.5 billion purchase of satellite TV company DirecTV about a week ago.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — When water gets scarce and the government slaps restrictions on its use, who should be first in line at the spigot? Farmers, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling it a moral obligation, President Barack Obama unveiled the final version of his plan to dramatically cut emissions from U.S. power plants, as he warned anew that climate change will threaten future generations if left unchecked.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is mandating even steeper greenhouse gas cuts from U.S. power plants than previously expected, while granting states more time and broader options to comply.
DANA POINT, Calif. (AP) — Five Republican presidential candidates wooed donors at a weekend retreat where billionaire industrialist Charles Koch warned America is "done for" if conservatives don't rally others to their cause by demanding a smaller, less-intrusive government
WASHINGTON (AP) — The largest Florida corporate donor to a super political action committee backing former Gov. Jeb Bush's presidential run is NextEra Energy Inc., the company that owns electric utility giant Florida Power & Light.
FRIDAY, JULY 31
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — Lynn Anderson, whose strong, husky voice carried her to the top of the charts with "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden," has died. She was 67.
COURTS
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers says a task force that will recommend sentencing changes has not reached out to them for input.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — An attorney general's opinion says private organizations can't prevent licensed handgun permit holders from taking weapons into events the groups operate at public parks.
HEALTH CARE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fed up with the insurance industry, Democrats used the health care overhaul to create nonprofit co-ops that would compete with the corporations. Now a government audit finds co-ops are awash in red ink.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — As drivers, shippers and airlines continue to enjoy lower fuel prices, the oil industry is responding to much lower profits with sharp cuts in spending and employment that are hurting economic growth.
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are closing with small losses, as a big drop in energy stocks offsets gains in other parts of the market.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece's government announced that the Athens Stock Exchange will reopen Monday, a big step toward normalcy as talks with international creditors shifted into high gear.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer sentiment slipped this month but remains at healthy levels, the University of Michigan said Friday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wages and benefits grew in the spring at the slowest pace in 33 years, stark evidence that stronger hiring isn't lifting paychecks much for most Americans. The slowdown also likely reflects a sharp drop-off in bonus and incentive pay for some workers.
SEATTLE (AP) — Menu prices are up 21 percent and you don't have to tip at Ivar's Salmon House on Seattle's Lake Union after the restaurant decided to institute the city's $15-an-hour minimum wage two years ahead of schedule.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration asked the Supreme Court Thursday to reinstate securities fraud convictions against two hedge fund portfolio managers, saying a federal appeals court ruling in the financiers' favor makes it harder to prosecute insider trading.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy posted a solid rebound in the April-June quarter after a harsh winter, led by a surge in consumer spending and a recovery in foreign trade that bode well for the rest of the year.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a long-term transportation bill, but with House lawmakers already dispersed for their August recess, the bill will become just one more sticky issue on a jam-packed congressional agenda in the fall.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel has approved energy legislation that would lift the 40-year-old ban on crude oil exports and open some areas of the Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas exploration.