VOL. 45 | NO. 39 | Friday, September 24, 2021
Wary clients slow to return, even as facilities go to great lengths to ensure safety
The name of his strength and conditioning gym is Competitive Edge, so it’s no wonder that owner Mark Johnson is a bit, well, competitive when it comes to the cleanliness of his facility during this COVID pandemic that seemingly won’t go away.
JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE
I used to be a professional TV viewer, as a critic for a daily newspaper. I thought it would be a dream job. It was not. Turned out that a lot of the stuff I had to watch was bad.
RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK
For those who have grown weary of debating vaccinations, insurrections and recent elections, I offer a new subject for debate – flood insurance.
TENNESSEE TITANS
Two weeks in, the Tennessee Titans’ best friend thus far this season might be the fact that they play in the AFC South.
Adversity seems to bring out the best in the Tennessee Titans.
It’s Colts week in Tennessee, and here’s what the Titans must do to take control of the AFC South.
NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans led the NFL in 2020 with a plus-11 turnover margin thanks in part to how well they took care of the ball.
NEWSMAKERS
Cumberland Trust, an independent trust company, has named Jennie Menzie president and elected her to its board of directors. Menzie will serve as president, chief operating officer and corporate counsel.
BRIEFS
Nashville’s Pinnacle Financial Partners remains one of the nation’s Best Large Workplaces for Women, earning the No. 6 spot on the latest list from Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work.
BEHIND THE WHEEL
Volkswagen’s redesigned 2022 Golf GTI will be arriving at dealerships this fall, the latest generation of the car that pioneered the hot hatch segment when it launched in the U.S. for the 1983 model year. Nearly four decades later, the GTI still stands as a benchmark for sporty performance and everyday practicality on a budget.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Few retirement decisions are as critical, or as easy to get wrong, as when and how to take your Social Security benefits. The rules can be so convoluted that many people rely on what they’re told by Social Security employees, but that could prove to be an expensive mistake.
CAREER CORNER
Leaving your current employer for a new career opportunity is a big decision, similar to the breakup of a romantic relationship. The process can be sad and painful – and you might never again see co-workers you once saw daily – but it’s a necessary step of growth.
MILLENNIAL MONEY
The pandemic isn't crushing the entrepreneurial spirit. It's fueling it.
VANDERBILT SPORTS
NASHVILLE (AP) — JT Daniels is feeling better every day, a health update that bodes very well for second-ranked Georgia.
NASHVILLE SC
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Hany Mukhtar scored two goals to reach 12 on the season and Nashville beat Inter Miami 5-1 on Wednesday night.
MIDSTATE
CLARKSVILLE (AP) — Tennessee officials say Florim USA will expand its operations at its facility in Clarksville, investing roughly $35 million and creating more than 30 jobs.
TECHNOLOGY
LONDON (AP) — The European Union unveiled plans Thursday that would require smartphone makers to adopt a single charging method for mobile devices.
AUTO INDUSTRY
BRUSSELS (AP) — A top European Union legal adviser said Thursday that software installed in Volkswagen cars to alter the amount of pollutants coming out of their exhaust pipes in hot or cold weather and at high altitude doesn't conform to the 27-nation bloc's laws.
ENVIRONMENT
WASHINGTON (AP) — In what officials call a key step to combat climate change, the Environmental Protection Agency is sharply limiting domestic production and use of hydrofluorocarbons, highly potent greenhouse gases commonly used in refrigerators and air conditioners.
MEDIA
Facebook's Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer is stepping down from the social media company, taking on a part-time role while longtime executive Andrew Bosworth will replace him next year.
RELIGION
NEW YORK (AP) — Amid the Boy Scouts of America's complex bankruptcy case, there is worsening friction between the BSA and the major religious groups that help it run thousands of scout units. At issue: the churches' fears that an eventual settlement — while protecting the BSA from future sex-abuse lawsuits — could leave many churches unprotected.
VIRUS OUTBREAK
Is the delta variant of the coronavirus worse for kids? No, experts say there's no strong evidence yet that it makes children and teens sicker than earlier versions of the virus, although delta has led to a surge in infections among kids because it's more contagious.
The U.S. moved a step closer Wednesday to offering booster doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine to senior citizens and others at high risk from the virus as the Food and Drug Administration signed off on the targeted use of extra shots.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid rose last week for a second straight week to 351,000, a sign that the delta variant of the coronavirus may be disrupting the job market's recovery, at least temporarily.
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate at the record low of 0.1% while warning Thursday that inflation is set to be double its target rate by the end of this year, largely due to a sharp spike in energy prices.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California on Wednesday became the first state to bar mega-retailers from firing warehouse workers for missing quotas that interfere with bathroom and rest breaks under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that grew from Amazon's drive to speed goods to consumers more quickly.
BEIJING (AP) — Fears that a Chinese real estate developer's possible default on multibillion-dollar debts might send shockwaves through global financial markets appeared to ease Thursday as creditors waited to see how much they might recover.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the central bank will overhaul its financial ethics policies in response to growing questions about investing and trading decisions by high-ranking Fed officials that raise potential conflicts of interest.
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan announced Thursday it has applied to join an 11-nation Pacific trade group, setting up a potential clash with rival Beijing over the status of the island democracy.
BEIJING (AP) — The ruling Communist Party's campaign to tighten control over China's industries and use less foreign technology is slashing economic growth, a foreign business group warned Thursday.
BEIJING (AP) — China's central bank will soon have access to private credit information of hundreds of millions of users of Ant Group's online credit service, in a move signaling more regulatory oversight of the financial technology sector.
LONDON (AP) — The Bank of England kept its main interest rate at the record low of 0.1% while warning Thursday that inflation is set to be double its target rate by the end of his year largely as a result of a sharp spike in energy prices.
NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — With a personal push, President Joe Biden pressed fellow Democrats to hasten work on his big "build back better" agenda, telling them to come up with a final framework and their best topline budget figure as the party labors to bridge its divisions in Congress ahead of crucial voting deadlines.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bipartisan congressional talks on overhauling policing practices have ended without an agreement, top bargainers from both parties said, marking the collapse of an effort that began after killings of unarmed Black people by officers sparked protests across the U.S.