VOL. 44 | NO. 13 | Friday, March 27, 2020
Supply chain interruptions threaten Middle Tennessee building boom
Imagine building a big, brand-new house without hardwood floors for the dining room and den. Or no carpet for the bedrooms. Without ceramic tile in the kitchen or foyer.
As Middle Tennessee begins collecting data for the 2020 U.S. Census amid a global pandemic, numbers released earlier this year show Davidson County grew by nearly 46,000 people between 2013 and 2018, a larger gain than any other county in Tennessee.
TOURISM
Twenty years ago, Butch Spyridon was aggressively beating the drum for a new convention center in downtown Nashville. The need was there, he said, and during the next few years he and the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau (now the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.) would work to pull together a growing coalition of business, community and elected leaders that resulted in the new Music City Center’s construction and eventual 2013 opening.
JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE
As an early-warning coronavirus screening, Kayne tested our new temporal thermometer on my forehead for evidence of a fever. Initial results – 87.6 degrees – showed I was apparently freezing to death
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
Rick French, a veteran real estate agent with more than 40 years of experience, was a leader in demonstrating protocol at the advent of the COVID-19 epidemic, requiring booties, gloves and eyewear to be worn during showings of his listings.
GUEST COLUMNIST
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee issued an executive order Friday that gave much-needed relief and guidance on how governing bodies may conduct meetings electronically in light of a need to contain the spread of coronavirus.
NEWSMAKERS
The Mid-South Commercial Law Institute recently elected Stites & Harbison PLLC attorney Erika Barnes as one of five new directors of its 25-member board of directors. She will serve a five-year term.
BRIEFS
Due to Covid-19 virus, the Davidson County Clerk’s Main Office and Green Hills branch will be closed to the general public, but some branch offices will be open.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Tires are of vital importance since they are the only part of the vehicle that makes contact with the road. Yet motorists often neglect their condition and age, and the results can be catastrophic.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Saving and investing for retirement might actually be easier than deciding how to safely spend what you’ve accumulated.
CAREER CORNER
If you were to look for a new job, where would it be? Very often, when we’re searching for a new job, we look in our immediate area. We look for something within driving distance of our home.
EDUCATION
KNOXVILLE (AP) — The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees on Friday voted unanimously to appoint Interim President Randy Boyd to a 5-year term as president.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt guard Aaron Nesmith is forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NBA draft.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee has landed a $476,000 federal grant to support the mental health needs of victims of deadly tornadoes earlier this month.
STATE GOVERNMENT
The coronavirus is pounding state governments with a financial one-two punch, costing them many millions to try to contain the disease just as businesses are shutting down and tax revenue is collapsing. The sharp drop in revenue could jeopardize some states' ability to provide basic services.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
NASHVILLE (AP) — A publicist for Joe Diffie says the country singer has tested positive for COVID-19.
REGION
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Fort Campbell has recorded its first case of the new coronavirus at the Army installation.
ENVIRONMENT
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation has announced that Executive Order No. 19, issued March 24 by Governor Bill Lee, suspends requirements for vehicle emissions testing in Tennessee March 12-May 18.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday abruptly waived enforcement on a range of legally mandated public health and environmental protections, saying industries could have trouble complying with them during the coronavirus pandemic.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — President Donald Trump attacked General Motors Friday, alleging that the company promised to build thousands more breathing machines than it can deliver for coronavirus patients and that it wants too much money for them.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy, the military service hit hardest by the coronavirus, scrambled Friday to contain its first at-sea outbreak, with at least two dozen infected aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, one of 11 active aircraft carriers whose mission is central to the Pentagon's strategy for deterring war with China and Iran.
PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — From the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand to the foothills of Mount Everest in Nepal, tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.
CINCINNATI (AP) — In the battle to keep their New York City restaurant going despite sharp restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak, the owners of Il Posto Accanto are relying on something Beatrice Tosci would have considered sacrilege in normal times.
WASHINGTON (AP) — For the millions of Americans living under some form of lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, not knowing when the restrictions will end is a major source of anxiety. Will life events — weddings, funerals, even just simple nights out with friends — be delayed for a few weeks, a few months or much longer?
In some parts of the U.S., authorities say gun shops aren't essential businesses and should close during stay-at-home orders meant to slow the coronavirus. In other places, officials are stopping background checks for concealed carry permits. Elsewhere, city leaders have invoked emergency powers allowing bans on gun sales.
WASHINGTON (AP) — When a federal correction officer geared up for duty recently at a Florida prison complex, he added an N95 mask amid coronavirus fears. He has a sister who had an organ transplant and an elderly mother at home.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The head of the International Monetary Fund said Friday it is clear that the global economy has now entered a recession that could be as bad or worse than the 2009 downturn.
Wall Street closed lower Friday but still notched big gains for the week as investors held out hope that a $2 trillion rescue package will cushion businesses and households from the economic devastation being caused by the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an unprecedented $2.2 trillion economic rescue package into law Friday, after swift and near-unanimous action by Congress this week to support businesses, rush resources to overburdened health care providers and help struggling families during the deepening coronavirus epidemic.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Thomas Massie has always gone his own way in Congress, ever since he first ran for office inspired by a fellow libertarian-leaning Kentuckian, Rand Paul.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans increased their spending by a modest amount in February but the expectation is that spending will be hit hard in coming months reflecting the shutdown of the American economy by the coronavirus.
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed. Following are developments Thursday related to the global economy, the work place and the spread of the virus.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared that "I'll be the oversight" as lawmakers were in the final days of drafting what became a $2.2 trillion rescue plan for American businesses. In the end, Congress ensured that won't be the case.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the coronavirus crisis, even doctors can face a cash crunch.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The $2 trillion legislative package moving through Congress to shore up the U.S. economy devastated by the coronavirus was carefully written to prevent President Donald Trump and his family from profiting from the federal fund. But the fine print reveals that businesses owned by Trump and his family still may be eligible for some assistance.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
NASHVILLE AREA
Metro Public Health Department officials on Wednesday launched a COVID-19 telephone hotline with nurses and other public health professionals available to answer questions, provide the latest information about COVID-19, and assist Davidson County residents with the assessment process.
STATEWIDE
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee saw more than 14 times as many new unemployment claims filed last week compared to the previous one, quantifying some of the economic consequences of a global coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered businesses to curb further infection.
NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee is producing a series of public service announcements designed to encourage social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The campaign has the tag line, "Do your part, stay apart," and features Gov. Bill Lee and first lady Maria Lee plus other prominent Tennesseans.
MUSIC INDUSTRY
From finding ways to help others cope to sheltering in place to canceling events, here's a look at some of the ways the entertainment industry is reacting to the spread of the coronavirus, which most people recover from but can cause severe illness in the elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions.
AUTO INDUSTRY
DETROIT (AP) — Ford, Fiat Chrysler, Honda and Toyota took steps Thursday to restart North American factories that have been closed to protect workers from the coronavirus.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
NASHVILLE (AP) — The state Department of Health is advising doctors to use diapers and swim goggles to protect their faces if they cannot obtain personal protective equipment due to shortages related to the COVID-19 outbreak, a Tennessee doctor said Thursday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday that federal officials are developing guidelines to rate counties by risk of virus spread, as he aims to begin to ease nationwide guidelines meant to stem the coronavirus outbreak.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has the biggest megaphone, but it's governors and local officials who will decide when to begin reopening their economies after shuttering them to try to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The Constitution largely gives states the authority to regulate their own affairs.
The number of coronavirus infections closed in on a half-million worldwide Thursday, with both Italy and the U.S. on track to surpass China, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in a single week in a stark demonstration of the damage to the world's biggest economy.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defending early missteps in the U.S. response to the coronavirus, President Donald Trump has repeatedly boasted of travel restrictions on China that he suggests he decided on his own over the objections of health experts and saved "thousands" of lives.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The coronavirus is taking a growing toll on the U.S. military, and commanders and senior officials are bracing for worse. From nuclear missile fields at home to war zones abroad, from flight lines to ships at sea, the Pentagon is striving to shield vital missions even as it faces urgent calls for help on the civilian front.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The contrast could hardly be more stark. Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York has said that if all of his sweeping, expensive measures to stem the coronavirus saved one life, it would be worth it. President Donald Trump has another view: The costs of shutting down the economy outweigh the benefits, frequently telling Americans that 35,000 people a year die from the common flu.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks marched higher for a third straight day Friday as a massive coronavirus relief bill gets closer to passing Congress and Wall Street took some historically bad unemployment figures in stride.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House will give final approval Friday to the massive $2.2 trillion economic rescue bill with robust backing from both parties, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, a vote that would cap Congress' tumultuous effort to rush the relief to a nation battered by the coronavirus.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — almost five times the previous record set in 1982 — amid a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The head of the United Nations told leaders of the world's 20 major industrialized nations during an emergency virtual summit Thursday that "we are at war with a virus – and not winning it" despite dramatic measures by countries to seal their borders, shutter businesses and enforce home isolation for well over a quarter of the world's population.
The outbreak of the coronavirus has dealt a shock to the global economy with unprecedented speed as it continues to spread across the world. Here is a look at some of the latest developments Thursday related to the global economy, particular economic sectors, and the workplace:
SOAVE, Italy (AP) — Italy has become the first western developed nation to idle most of its industry to halt the spread of the coronavirus, in a potential cautionary tale for other governments, such as the Trump administration, that are resisting such drastic measures.
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England warned Thursday that the scale and duration of the economic shock stemming from the coronavirus pandemic will be "large and sharp but should ultimately prove temporary."
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jerome Powell says the Federal Reserve would provide essentially unlimited lending to support the economy as long as it is damaged by the viral outbreak.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The economy grew by a moderate 2.1% in the fourth quarter of last year, but many economists believe that will be the last positive growth seen for some time as the country endures a sharp contraction due to the coronavirus.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's reelection campaign is threatening legal action against local TV stations in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin if they don't pull a Democratic anti-Trump commercial that uses clips of the president talking about the coronavirus outbreak. The campaign says the ad is false.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS