News - Friday, January 2, 2026

There was a time when Superman was defined by three superpowers. He was, as the booming baritone declared during the opening of the iconic 1950s television series “The Adventures of Superman,” “faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound!”

Jason Dean didn’t expect to be teaching people how to drive an 80,000-pound vehicle for a living. He also didn’t expect his daughter would wind up walking the halls of the same Chattanooga campus as a newly licensed dental assistant.

Skyler Dean graduated from Miller-Motte College’s dental assistant program in September and, at not quite 21, is already explaining the difference between a life that looks good on paper and one that actually fits. She’d tried the traditional route at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, double majoring in criminal law and psychology, then walked away.

As my year as president ends, I’m grateful for the chance to serve our members and this community we love. Our work in 2025 focused on steady, practical progress that raised the bar for professionalism, supported our neighbors and gave buyers and sellers clear information in a market that changed month by month.

With the arrival of the new year, many people are setting goals for 2026. After months of rising prices on everything from milk to mortgages, money-related resolutions are prominent. 

One out of four Americans (27%) plan to make 2026 the year of their financial comeback, 2025 research from Edward Jones and Morning Consult reveals. Others will continue with previous goals (21%), start from scratch (20%) or catch up on missed goals (14%).

University of Tennessee athletes – present, past and future – took advantage of their platform to give back to the community over the holidays.

From toys and sports equipment to food and blankets, Vols spread good cheer to hundreds of less fortunate people before Christmas arrived last week.

It began as a newspaper assignment in 1992: Drive down the Natchez Trace into Mississippi and record the highlights of the journey for readers of The Tennessean.

For Hambone Willie Nevil, aka Bill Steber, the experience was transformative.

“Things in my life tend to unfold in long circular arcs,” Bill said in an email. Arcs that bend toward music. Specifically, the blues.

It’s the end of the year, but it’s just another day for you.

That’s because keeping your eye on the bottom line is something you do daily. Whether you’re sitting behind your desk, near the conveyor belt, in a meeting or watching TV, your work is always somewhere near the forefront of your brain. 

When you’re shopping for a high-quality vehicle, the idea of acquiring one with a luxury badge that’s packed with features can be appealing. But it can also be an expensive proposition in today’s market with the average new car costing about $50,000. 

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Mark Gronowski threw two touchdowns and rushed for another to lead Iowa to a 34-27 win over No. 13 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl on Wednesday.

Gronowski was 16 of 22 passing for 212 yards, throwing touchdowns passes of 10 and 21 yards to Reece Vander Zee and DJ Vonnahme, respectively, as Iowa got out to a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Justice has expanded its review of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to 5.2 million as it also increases the number of attorneys trying to comply with a law mandating release of the files, according to a person briefed on a letter sent to U.S. Attorneys.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The Trump administration can continue to withhold Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood and other health centers that provide abortions as a coalition of mostly Democratic states challenges the cuts, a federal appeals court ruled.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Farmers are now learning how much aid they can expect to receive from a $12 billion package that President Donald Trump announced earlier this month.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released the figures Wednesday for how much aid per acre farmers can plan on for each row crop. The details arrived after most farmers have already met with their bankers to arrange financing for next year's crops and placed orders for the seed and fertilizer they will need. But officials have promised that the payments should arrive by the end of February.

Wall Street fell on the final day of trading for 2025, a banner year for markets that was driven by both optimism and uncertainty. The S&P 500 pulled back 0.7% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite gave back 0.8%. Trading was very light ahead of the New Year's Day holiday Thursday, when markets will be closed. The S&P 500 rose more than 16% this year as investors embraced the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence and its potential for boosting profits for companies. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The advice that legendary investor Warren Buffett offered on investing and life over the years helped earn him legions of followers who eagerly read his annual letters and filled an arena in Omaha every year to listen to him at Berkshire Hathaway's annual meetings.

SEATTLE (AP) — Matty Beniers scored twice during the Seattle Kraken's three-goal first period and Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots in a 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

The win gave the Kraken five victories in their past six games, coming on the heels of a stretch where they lost 10 of 11.

NEW YORK (AP) — Enhanced tax credits that have helped reduce the cost of health insurance for the vast majority of Affordable Care Act enrollees expired overnight, cementing higher health costs for millions of Americans at the start of the new year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla lost its crown as the world's bestselling electric vehicle maker on Friday as a customer revolt over Elon Musk's right-wing politics, expiring U.S. tax breaks for buyers and stiff overseas competition pushed sales down for a second year in a row.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed a New Year's Eve proclamation delaying increased tariffs on upholstered furniture, kitchen cabinets and vanities for a year, citing ongoing trade talks.

Trump's order signed Wednesday keeps in place a 25% tariff he imposed in September on those goods, but delays for another year a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture and 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and vanities.

NEW YORK (AP) — The year 2025 was scary good for investors.

It was scary because the U.S. stock market plunged to several historic drops on worries about everything from President Donald Trump's tariffs to interest rates to a possible bubble in artificial-intelligence technology. In the end, though, it was a good year for anyone with the stomach to stick through the swings.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump defended his energy and health in an interview with The Wall Street Journal and disclosed that he had a CT scan, not an MRI scan, during an October examination about which he and the White House delayed offering details.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is facing a new legal complaint from a group of government employees who are affected by a new policy going into effect Thursday that eliminates coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump has spent much of his two-week vacation in Florida golfing. But when he gets back to the White House, there's a military golf course that he's never played that he's eyeing for a major construction project.