VOL. 35 | NO. 34 | Friday, August 26, 2011
SPORTS
Who’s the real loser in Chris Johnson’s holdout with the Tennessee Titans?
NEWSMAKERS
Herb Fritch, chairman and CEO of HealthSpring, Inc., has joined Council Ventures’ CEO Council. With Fritch’s addition, the CEO Council includes 24 experienced chief executives who give portfolio companies access to important networks and expertise to complement their capabilities.
GET A JOB!
When applying for a position, job seekers often are presented with the choice of an application and submitting a resume. Having an option might seem like a great opportunity, but really it is an opportunity to make the wrong decision.
REALTY CHECK
Interest rates have dropped again, and home prices have stabilized, perhaps experiencing a slight uptick. The word historically has become an overused adjective when modifying the word rate. Yet the market is experiencing once again historically low rates, below 4 percent.
GUERILLA MARKETING
Strong salespeople read their prospects quickly and adapt their style accordingly. Prospects can generally be categorized as having one of four personality types: analytical, driver, amiable and expressive. Once you’ve determined their personality type, you can adapt your approach to ensure you build a solid relationship. After all, people relate most easily to those like them
I SWEAR
“Dear Judge Vic, Knowing what a stickler you are for proper word usage and grammar, I had to write …,” the note began. “Oh no,” I thought, remembering the ribbing I received recently about the lie-lay-lain rule.
KAY'S COOKING CORNER
The other day my daughter called around the time most mothers and wives are preparing the evening meal. I asked her what she was having, and she said crab cakes, which was somewhat funny because I told her we were having salmon patties. Seems we were both on the same wavelength that day.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — There has never been a drier month in Chattanooga. Not in any year since records started in 1928 or on any page of the calendar.
FRANKLIN (AP) — Nissan North America Inc. said Thursday that its August U.S. sales rose 19.2 percent on strong demand for its top-selling Altima sedan.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Liquor maker Brown-Forman Corp. mixed a new Jack Daniel's honey-flavored whiskey with strong sales overseas to come up with a 6 percent increase in its first-quarter profit.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee transportation officials have told road contractors to knock off at noon Friday for the Labor Day weekend.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers and businesses are not so worried that the economy is about to tumble into a recession after all.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people applied for unemployment benefits last week, a sign that the job market may be improving slightly.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers remained resilient in August despite wild stock market swings and worries about the U.S. economy, resulting in what's winding up to be a respectable back-to-school shopping season for many merchants.
DETROIT (AP) — Car buyers shrugged off bad economic news and a major East Coast hurricane last month, lifting U.S. sales for most automakers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Manufacturing grew a little slower in August than the previous month but didn't contract as some had feared. The 25th straight month of growth was a hopeful sign that U.S. factories weathered a difficult summer for the economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Worker productivity fell this spring more quickly than previously estimated and labor costs rose at a faster clip. The decline in worker output could mean that some companies need to hire if they want to meet growing demand.
NEW YORK (AP) — Gasoline is near the highest it's ever been for this time of year, just ahead of the Labor Day weekend.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. builders cut back on spending by the largest amount in six months in July with sharp reductions in outlays for government building projects.
LONDON (AP) — European stocks failed to keep up with gains in Asia on Thursday as downbeat reports on the manufacturing sector darkened investors' moods.
TOKYO (AP) — Sony Corp. said Thursday it wants to become the biggest player in Japan's growing Android tablet market by changing the way the devices are used.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bills necessary to avoid shutdowns of federal transportation and aviation programs are high on Congress' to-do list when it returns to work next week.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will a deliver rare address to a joint session of Congress next week to introduce a long-awaited plan for jobs and economic growth, but not before being forced to yield in a test of wills with House Speaker John Boehner over when he would speak.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman calls the fuss over the timing of President Barack Obama's job speech "nonsense," saying it is "what people hate about politics."
WASHINGTON (AP) — A national infrastructure bank that would entice private investors into road and rail projects could be a major part of the jobs package that President Barack Obama hopes will finally bring relief to the unemployed.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Supreme Court is considering having lawyers bid on representing the poor in certain types of cases.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Genesco Inc. said Wednesday its second-quarter loss narrowed as it saw big revenue gains from its Journeys shoe and Lids hat stores and an acquisition. The retailer also raised its fiscal 2012 earnings forecast.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee agencies would have to cut more than 5,000 jobs if Congress reduces the state's federal funds by as much as 30 percent.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's Republican governors, seeking a voice in Congress' upcoming debt debate, pushed Tuesday for looser restrictions on how states spend money on health care for poor and disabled Americans.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — It's a quiet end to a wild month for financial markets.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Unemployment rates fell in a majority of U.S. cities in July, despite the weak economy that is producing few jobs.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. factory orders rose strongly in July on the biggest jump in demand for autos in more than eight years and a surge in commercial airplane orders. The increase suggests supply chain disruptions created by the Japan crisis are easing.
WASHINGTON (AP) — An administration official says the Justice Department is moving to block AT&T's $39 billion deal to buy T-Mobile USA.
NEW YORK (AP) — The price of natural gas, a major energy source for power plants, jumped nearly 4 percent Wednesday as power started to come back in the U.S. East following widespread outages caused by Hurricane Irene.
LONDON (AP) — World stock markets rose Wednesday as investors hoped that the Federal Reserve would respond to mounting signs of weakness in the global economy by providing more stimulus to the U.S. economy.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will make a push for more transportation spending today.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government is escalating security around the country in preparation for the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and conducting confidential briefings with state and local law enforcement organizations. But officials say there is no specific indication that a terror plot against the U.S. is under way.
WASHINGTON (AP) — As much as $60 billion in U.S. funds has been lost to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade through lax oversight of contractors, poor planning and corruption, an independent panel investigating U.S. wartime spending estimates.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 30
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam said a company that makes fuel systems for automotive and other manufacturers is investing $5 million in its Gallatin plant to expand and add 114 new jobs.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A memorial service will be held today for Adolpho A. Birch, the first black chief justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court and consistent challenger of death sentences in Tennessee.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Tennessee's expanded Medicaid program would have to make $2.2 billion in cuts if Congress reduces the state's federal funds by as much as 30 percent.
NASHVILLE (AP) - An automotive supplier will open a new $23 million manufacturing plant and create 400 jobs in the next five years in Perry County, where the unemployment rate in recent years has reached nearly 30 percent, Gov. Bill Haslam announced Tuesday.
NASHVILLE (AP) - The Smoky Mountain tourist area has received an unexpected boost from Hurricane Irene as summer-end travelers move away from the storm-battered coast.
WASHINGTON (AP) - A political battle between the tea party-driven House and the Democratic-controlled Senate is threatening to slow money to the government's main disaster aid account, which is so low that new rebuilding projects have been put on hold to help victims of Hurricane Irene and future disasters.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state is accepting applications for a competitive grant to support nine regional business accelerators across Tennessee.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A special legislative panel is considering a proposal that would end high school graduates' ability to qualify for Tennessee lottery scholarships through their ACT scores alone.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Spring buying pushed home prices up for a third straight month in most major U.S. cities in June. But the housing market remains shaky, and further price declines are expected this year.
SINGAPORE (AP) — Oil prices hovered above $87 a barrel Tuesday in Asia amid signs of improving consumer demand in the U.S.
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Business and consumer optimism in the 17 countries that use the euro fell in August, reinforcing fears that the region's economy will slow in the months ahead as political leaders struggle to contain a crisis over government debt.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $7 billion in estimated losses from Hurricane Irene will compound the vast damage caused by weather in the United States this year. Yet despite billions they've paid out for floods, tornadoes and earthquakes, big insurance companies can expect another profitable year.
SPRING LAKE, N.J. (AP) — If you fix it, they will come.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hamstrung by budget cuts and a tight debt ceiling, President Barack Obama is preparing a September jobs package with limited tools at his disposal to prime the economy and crank up employment.
MONDAY, AUGUST 29
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE(AP) - A Democratic state lawmaker is shrugging off Republican attacks over his new position as leader of the state AFL-CIO.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Newly released Census data finds that fewer Tennessee children live in homes with married parents and more children are living with a single parent or with a grandparent compared to a decade ago.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — So much for Irene.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer spending grew in July by 0.8 percent, the largest amount in five months. That followed a decline in June and helped ease fears that the U.S. economy is on the verge of another recession.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes fell in July, further evidence that the depressed housing market remains a drag on the economy.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose Monday after the U.S. government said consumers spent more in July, easing concerns about another recession.
LONDON (AP) — World stock markets rose on Monday, heartened by Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke's call on the U.S. government to help the economy and his refusal to rule out more monetary stimulus by the central bank.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A scorching drought in the southern Plains has caused hay prices to soar, benefiting farmers to the north but forcing many ranchers to make a difficult choice between paying high prices or selling their cattle.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Republican agenda this fall will focus on repealing environmental and labor regulations that GOP lawmakers say are driving up the cost of doing business and discouraging employers from hiring new workers.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has chosen labor economist Alan Krueger for a top administration post as the White House scrambles for solutions to boost a fragile economy with the 2012 election looming.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Even lawmakers most loyal to their leaders and political party on occasion buck them with a flash of independence or bipartisanship. That includes some of the six Republicans and six Democrats given the task of finding up to another $1.5 trillion deficit savings over the next decade.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Whites and women are a re-election problem for President Barack Obama. Younger voters and liberals, too, but to a lesser extent.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 26
NASHVILLE AREA
NASHVILLE (AP) — The head of Gibson Guitar Corp. said Thursday that the company is being unfairly targeted after a raid by federal authorities at factories in Memphis and Nashville.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Belmont University is planning to build a $48 million, five-story facility on campus, but the school's chief says the purpose of the building is undetermined.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has won three awards for communications and performance from the American Chamber of Commerce Executives.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A forum in Nashville Friday is designed to help women in the automotive field get promoted.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) - Adolpho A. Birch, the first black chief justice on the Tennessee Supreme Court and consistent challenger of death sentences in Tennessee, has died. He was 78.
NASHVILLE (AP) - Gov. Bill Haslam's request for a federal waiver on gasoline standards is a first major test of his campaign pledge to recuse himself from issues that could affect the family-owned chain of Pilot Flying J truck stops.
HENDERSONVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is still trying to come up with a standard approach toward offering incentives for business prospects, Gov. Bill Haslam said Thursday, adding that the task involves complex considerations about how each development deal is structured.
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) — It's harvest time in much of the nation's tobacco patches and this year's harvest is expected to be among the smallest in at least a decade.
NASHVILLE (AP) — A state legislative committee is planning to meet once again to scrutinize the commission that disciplines Tennessee judges.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming (AP) — Chairman Ben Bernanke is proposing no new steps by the Federal Reserve to boost the U.S. economy while hinting that Congress may need to act to stimulate hiring and growth.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy grew at a meager 1 percent annual pace this spring, slower than previously estimated. The downward revision will likely increase fears that the economy is at risk of another recession.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy likely grew at a weaker pace this spring than the government first estimated. The anticipated revision could rattle an already edgy Wall Street and exacerbate fears that the U.S. economy is dangerously close to another recession.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A new study says half of all American adults are now on social networks, and use among Baby Boomers is growing.
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil held above $85 per barrel Friday on news that the economy didn't grow as fast as previously expected. Slower growth lowers energy demand.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in late afternoon trading Thursday, erasing early gains. Bank of America Corp. led other bank stocks higher on news that Warren Buffett will invest $5 billion in the bank.
NEW YORK (AP) — Delta Air Lines on Thursday confirmed its plan to buy 100 Boeing 737 jets as part of a fleet upgrade, with delivery set for 2013 to 2018.
Airlines began to cancel flights and get planes out of the way as Hurricane Irene barreled toward the U.S. mainland on Thursday.
NATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans party elders are still grousing about the GOP choices for president — but the voters who will choose the nominee are growing more satisfied with the possibilities with Texas Gov. Rick Perry now in the race.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are plenty angry at Congress in the aftermath of the debt crisis and Republicans could pay the greatest price, a new Associated Press-GfK poll suggests.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' views on the economy have dimmed this summer. But so far, the growing pessimism doesn't seem to be taking a toll on President Barack Obama's re-election prospects.