News - Friday, April 10, 2026

The return to the final frontier that the Artemis II mission represents has focused so many peoples’ attention around the world…and out to the moon and back.

The opportunities for compare and contrast seem endless: Four humans riding atop the biggest rocket ever created; thousands of technical professionals pointing their efforts at one small orbital spot 238,900 miles away, give or take; the first steps of a much larger road map that could take humans back to the surface of our celestial partner, then potentially out to the next planet in the neighborhood.

With the approach of Steven Spielberg’s “Disclosure” June 12, I’ve found myself reminiscing about one of my most memorable moviegoing experiences – seeing “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” with a friend in a Toledo theater in 1977.

First Street. Second Street. Third Street. Fourth Street.

It’s a scene played out in many U.S. cities, a grid system of numbered streets that helps residents navigate their hometowns and gives urban planners a practical framework to build upon. It might not be inspired, but it’s undeniably efficient.

The Southeast Tennessee Council of the Tennessee Society of Health Care Social Workers has named Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel elder law and special needs care manager William “Dub” Ellis as its 2026 Social Worker of the Year, recognizing his longstanding commitment to advocacy and client support.

Property sales in Hamilton County topped $368 million in March, while more than 5,400 documents were recorded, according to the latest monthly report from the county register of deeds.

The March 2026 Sales & Mortgages Report shows total property sales of about $368.4 million, generating roughly $1.36 million in conveyance tax revenue for the state.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will host the inaugural Karel Hujer Memorial Lecture April 10 at 7 p.m. in Grote Hall Room 129 on the UTC campus. Co-hosted by the Clarence T. Jones Observatory and the Barnard Astronomical Society, the free, public event will feature Chattanooga native Dr. Harold McAlister, Regents Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Georgia State University and a 1971 UTC physics alumnus, presenting “Karel Hujer: Chattanooga’s Astronomer and Citizen of the World.” Free parking is available beginning at 5 p.m. in the Lupton Hall garage at 700 Vine Street.

The Chattanooga Convention Center generated an estimated $78.1 million in economic impact during the 2024-25 fiscal year, driven by strong attendance, steady event bookings and continued growth in food and beverage revenue, according to its newly released annual report.

Two Hamilton County students have been recognized as winners in the 2026 Tennessee Civics Essay Contest, according to Tre Hargett.

Emily Hernandez Martin, a student at Hixson Middle School, placed third in the sixth-eighth grade category. Riley Swinford, who attends Baylor School, placed third in the ninth-12th grade category.

Good financial habits are a little like brushing your teeth. When you learn them early, they become second nature, and you carry them with you for life. And while money can feel complicated, especially today, the foundation starts simply. 

Parents can begin the conversation with very young children, and young adults can build on those basics as they take on more responsibility. Step by step, these habits create confidence that helps build longterm financial security and a more fulfilling life.

Thumbs up. You’ve been using words since before you could walk, but here you are expressing pleasure with hieroglyphs through a simple left click of the mouse. Yes, it’s an easy response, almost a knee-jerk reaction. You barely have to pay attention when you do it but, as you’ll see in the new book, “Like, Follow, Subscribe” by Fortesa Latifi, the poster relies on you.

George MacIntyre spent the early part of the offseason monitoring the quarterback situation at the University of Tennessee. MacIntyre didn’t know if Joey Aguilar would win his lawsuit and return as the starter, or if any transfers may arrive through the portal to join the program.

With volatile gasoline prices rising in recent weeks, Edmunds has seen increased shopper interest in hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles.

If you’re thinking about going 100% electric, there’s a way to save even more money: Buy used. While new EVs are more expensive than similar gas-powered vehicles, steep depreciation can actually make a 3-year-old EV more affordable than its gas counterpart.

The Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices, according to a government official.

The official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday, said the investigation is "about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers."

An NCAA panel is scheduled to discuss potential changes to eligibility rules that would include an age limit, according to two people with knowledge of the situation.

The proposal, which mirrors language written in the executive order issued by President Donald Trump last week, would give athletes five years of eligibility with the clock starting when an athlete turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever is earliest. There would be limited exceptions but they would not include injuries, which has been a common reason for players to ask for and receive extra eligibility.

The Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday proposed weakened rules governing the safe disposal of ash produced by burning coal. Those regulations were strengthened under the Biden administration as part of a wider crackdown on pollution from coal-fired power plants.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Before Donald Trump returned to the White House, the Biden administration and many electric utilities were building a future dominated by renewable energy. They aimed to replace coal, slashing greenhouse gases and reducing air pollution that kills more than a thousand people annually.

WASHINGTON (AP) — First lady Melania Trump is denying ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his sex crimes, saying Thursday that the "stories are completely false" and calling accusations that she was somehow involved "smears about me."

Reading an extraordinary statement at the White House, Melania Trump said she and her attorneys were fighting back against "unfound and baseless lies" in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iran war is darkening the outlook for the world economy — whether or not a fragile ceasefire holds, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday.

Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the fund will downgrade its forecast for the world economy next week.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Thursday, even though oil prices did too, as financial markets moved more modestly a day after surging on optimism about a ceasefire in the war with Iran.

The morning began with moderate losses for Wall Street following drops for Asian and European stocks. But the S&P 500 erased its dip and finished with a 0.6% gain after Israel's prime minister authorized direct negotiations with Lebanon. That eased worries that the two-week ceasefire announced late Tuesday may already be in trouble because of Israel's bombardment of Lebanon.

NEW YORK (AP) — Calls are increasing inside Congress for investigations into the prediction market platform Polymarket after the latest instance where groups of anonymous traders made strategic, well-timed bets on a major geopolitical event hours before it occurred.

The U.S. Postal Service said Thursday it has informed federal budget officials it will temporarily suspend its employer contributions to Federal Employees Retirement System annuities, allowing it to keep making payroll, paying suppliers and delivering the mail.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's threats to wipe out Iran, "a whole civilization," ended the restraint that Democrats have mostly practiced when it comes to questions of removing him from office in his second term.

By the dozens, Democrats came out to say that Trump should no longer serve in the White House, either through the impeachment process or the 25th Amendment, which allows the vice president and the Cabinet to declare that a president is no longer able to perform the job.

PHOENIX (AP) — Renewable energy advocates in Arizona made gains against a business-backed slate in a fight over how the nation's largest public power utility will meet fast-rising electricity demand in a data center hot spot.

However, election results released by the Phoenix-area Salt River Project mean that the rival slates will be forced into compromises over potential questions of whether to increase rates and whether to favor natural gas or renewable energy technologies to meet power demand.

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for 34 states suing Live Nation Entertainment tried to convince a jury Thursday during an antitrust trial 's closing arguments that the company and its ticketing arm, Ticketmaster, are monopolizing the industry and driving up concert prices.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Plaintiffs challenging the Trump administration's cost-cutting measures against an agency that funds and promotes libraries across the U.S. said Thursday they settled the case with the Justice Department in a deal that would reverse some of the steps taken.