News - Friday, May 16, 2025

One evening in September 2020, Darin Shiflett sat down with his wife Amanda for a candlelight dinner on the balcony overlooking the lake at their Dallas apartment. That’s when his brother Stacey phoned: “You’re about to get a call from a guy you don’t know, but you need to take it. He’s an old friend of mine.”

Regency-inspired romance will fill the evening air as Scenic City Shakespeare presents “Much Ado About Nothing” on the porch of the historic Sniteman Cabin this spring. The nonprofit company’s latest production will run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. through June 14 and continue its mission of offering free Shakespeare in the Park for Chattanooga audiences.

The final phase of the River City Company’s banner refresh program has wrapped up in the city center district, giving Chattanooga’s downtown streetscape a colorful update.

The culmination of a multi-year effort, the newly installed banners showcase the work of local artists and mirror the character of each unique downtown district, says Emily Mack, president and CEO of River City Company.

At a time of deep political divisions, registered Tennessee voters are united in their overwhelming support for key federal programs, according to the latest semiannual statewide Vanderbilt Poll.

Concern about the U.S. economy and personal financial futures is also prevalent, while partisan divides are more apparent on issues such as immigration, tariffs and President Donald Trump’s response to court rulings against his actions and policies.

This summer, the sound of rolling wheels and retro beats will echo beneath the grand dome of the Chattanooga Choo Choo as Skate Station, a roller skating pop-up by Dazey Skate Company, transforms the space into a hub of motion, music and nostalgic charm.

Realtors spend the entire year showing what it truly means to be a good neighbor.

Recent research from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), published in the CARE Report: Community Aid and Real Estate reveals that nearly seven in 10 Realtors (69%) volunteer eight hours each month. Additionally, 86% of Realtors donate money to charitable organizations. Community involvement is also a key priority, with 80% saying it’s an important part of their business plan and 82% stating it holds personal significance for them.

In a celebration of academic excellence and community involvement, Greater Chattanooga Realtors has awarded $4,000 scholarships to five outstanding high school seniors from across the region. Chosen from nearly 40 applicants, the recipients were recognized for their academic achievement, leadership and dedication to their communities.

Marriage is more than a ceremony — it’s a union of families and finances. When you and your partner are honest with each other about money and financial goals, it can help build trust, leverage your strengths and help pave the way for a financial happily ever after.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has appointed Ryan Jones as associate vice chancellor of advancement. In his new role, Jones will lead and coordinate fundraising efforts across the university’s academic, athletic and student support programs.

Mayor Tim Kelly’s administration has released a balanced budget proposal for fiscal year 2025-2026, prioritizing key investments in infrastructure, public safety, affordable housing and public transit while navigating economic uncertainty and the end of federal pandemic aid.

We can all agree, this is an unusual job market. Frankly, I’ve never seen a job market this challenging since 2000. That’s when the dot-com crash happened and companies suddenly stopped hiring. But that job market impacted technology workers more than other fields. This job market is full of unknowns, with extremely high competition, and is impacting job seekers across the board.

New car prices continue to rise for the latest high-performance sports cars. Even a new Chevrolet Corvette, long considered a performance bargain compared to the likes of the Porsche 911, has a starting price of almost $70,000. But that doesn’t mean driving enthusiasts on a budget can’t find a car that’s both fulfilling to drive and genuinely capable.

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart's first quarter profit slipped and it said it must raise prices due to higher costs from tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump.

The nation's largest retailers posted strong quarterly sales Thursday and said it expects sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5% in the second quarter.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump seeks to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices on college campuses, a new poll suggests that while the concept of DEI is divisive, some of the initiatives being affected by his administration's guidance are less controversial.

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't show up in Turkey on Thursday for proposed direct peace talks with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was waiting for him in the capital of Ankara after challenging the Kremlin leader to face-to-face discussions on ending their 3-year-old war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices dropped unexpectedly in April for the first time in more than a year despite President Donald Trump's sweeping taxes on imports.

The producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — fell 0.5% last month from March and rose 2.4% from April 2024, the U.S. Labor Department reported Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers spent slightly more at retail stores last month after ramping up their shopping in March to get ahead of tariffs.

Sales at retail stores and restaurants rose just 0.1% in April from March, a sharp slowdown from a 1.7% gain in the previous month. The big increase from February to March was fueled by a surge in car sales that reflected an effort by consumers to get ahead of the new auto tariffs that went into effect this month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. applications for jobless benefits held steady last week as layoffs remain low despite uncertainty over how President Donald Trump's tariffs will impact the economy.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment aid was unchanged at 229,000 for the week ending May 10, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's in line with the 230,000 new applications analysts forecast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a massive setback, House Republicans failed Friday to push their big package of tax breaks and spending cuts through the Budget Committee, as a handful of conservatives joined all Democrats in a stunning vote against it.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump used the first major foreign trip of his second term to outline a vision for restoring global stability that is grounded in pragmatism and self-interest rather than values, holding out U.S. ties to wealthy Gulf countries as a model for America's longtime foes.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations on Thursday forecast slower global economic growth this year and next, pointing to the impact of the surge in U.S. tariffs and increasing trade tensions.

U.N. economists also cited the volatile geopolitical landscape and threats of rising production costs, supply chain disruptions and financial turbulence.

DIKWA, Nigeria (AP) — Under the dappled light of a thatched shelter, Yagana Bulama cradles her surviving infant. The other twin is gone, a casualty of malnutrition and the international funding cuts that are snapping the lifeline for displaced communities in Nigeria's insurgency-ravaged Borno state.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday he's moving to set up direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin as soon as he can, after Putin opted to skip peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street cruised to the finish of its strong week on Friday, as U.S. stocks glided closer to the all-time high they set just a few months earlier, though it may feel like an economic era ago.

The S&P 500 rose 0.7% for a fifth straight gain and closed out its third winning week in the last four. It's rallied back within 3% of its record set in February after briefly dropping roughly 20% below last month, thanks to building hopes that President Donald Trump will lower his tariffs against other countries after reaching trade deals with them.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal jury on Friday convicted a former Tennessee House speaker and his onetime chief of staff in a scheme to win taxpayer-funded mail business from state lawmakers even after scandals drove the two out of political power.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Friday endorsed the first blood test that can help diagnose Alzheimer's and identify patients who may benefit from drugs that can modestly slow the memory-destroying disease.

The test can aid doctors in determining whether a patient's memory problems are due to Alzheimer's or a number of other medical conditions that can cause cognitive difficulties. The Food and Drug Administration cleared it for patients 55 and older who are showing early signs of the disease.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday rejected the Trump administration's appeal to quickly resume deportations of Venezuelans under an 18th century wartime law.

Over two dissenting votes, the justices acted on an emergency appeal from lawyers for Venezuelan men who have been accused of being gang members, a designation that the administration says makes them eligible for rapid removal from the United States under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

HONG KONG (AP) — Global shares fell Monday and U.S. futures and the dollar also weakened after Moody's Ratings downgraded the sovereign credit rating for the United States because of its failure to stem a rising tide of debt.

The future for the S&P 500 lost 1.2% while that for the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.8%. The U.S. dollar slipped to 144.92 Japanese yen from 145.65 yen. The euro advanced to $1.1254 from $1.1183.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans narrowly advanced President Donald Trump's big tax cuts package out of a key committee during a rare Sunday night vote, but just barely, as conservative holdouts are demanding quicker cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs before giving their full support.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, his office said Sunday.

The finding came after the 82-year-old reported urinary symptoms, which led doctors to discover a nodule on his prostate. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer on Friday, with the cancer cells having spread to the bone.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is hoping separate phone calls Monday with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make progress toward a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine.

Trump expressed his hopes for a "productive day" Monday — and a ceasefire — in a social media post over the weekend. His effort will also include calls to NATO leaders.

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV and U.S. Vice President JD Vance met at the Vatican on Monday ahead of a flurry of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to make progress on a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine.

Vance, a Catholic convert, had led the U.S. delegation to the formal Mass opening the pontificate of the first American pope. Joining him at the meeting on Monday was Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also a Catholic, Vance spokesperson Luke Schroeder said.

LONDON (AP) — Britain's government said Monday it has struck new agreements with the European Union on boosting defense cooperation, easing food trade and border checks.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the deals will slash red tape, grow the British economy and reset relations with the 27-nation trade bloc since the U.K. left the EU in 2020.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that his decision to resume limited aid to Gaza after a weekslong blockade came after pressure from allies who said they wouldn't be able to grant Israel the support it needs to win the war so long as there were "images of hunger" coming out of the Palestinian territory.

DALLAS (AP) — Whether it's a road trip to a nearby lake or jumping on a plane to explore a big city, Americans are expected to get away in record numbers over the long Memorial Day weekend even as economic and technical worries rattle the U.S. travel industry.

NEW YORK (AP) — After recovering from an initial jolt, U.S. stocks, bonds and the value of the U.S. dollar drifted through a quiet Monday following the latest reminder that the U.S government may be hurtling toward an unsustainable mountain of debt.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to strip legal protections from 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially exposing them to deportation.

The court's order, with only one noted dissent, puts on hold a ruling from a federal judge in San Francisco that kept in place Temporary Protected Status for the Venezuelans that would have otherwise expired last month. The justices provided no rationale, which is common in emergency appeals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that Russia and Ukraine will "immediately" begin ceasefire negotiations after what he described as an "excellent" call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that lasted more than two hours.

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix has thrown "Sesame Street" a safety net with a new streaming deal that offers the popular children's staple a broad reach while keeping it on its long-standing home, PBS, at the same time, the companies announced Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.

The Friday ruling came after the Trump administration asked for an emergency pause on a judge's order blocking enforcement at roughly three dozen agencies and departments.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are drifting on Tuesday, as momentum slows for Wall Street after it rallied from a deep hole nearly all the way back to its all-time high set earlier this year.

The S&P 500 was down 0.3% in midday trading but still within 3.2% of its record. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 87 points, or 0.2%, as of 11:25 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.4% lower.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. clinched the political support needed to become the nation's top health official by pledging to work within the decades-old federal system for approval and use of vaccines. Yet his regulators are promising big changes that cloud the outlook for what shots might even be available.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump's phone calls with the leaders of Russia and Ukraine deepened expectations that progress might soon be made on ending those countries' more than three-year war, though frustration at the slow pace of negotiations and the absence of any significant breakthrough kept hopes low.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has voted to move forward with legislation to regulate a form of cryptocurrency called stablecoins, two weeks after Democrats blocked the measure.

Monday's 66-32 procedural vote keeps one of President Donald Trump's top legislative priorities on track for passage and highlights the growing political strength of the cryptocurrency industry, which spent heavily in last year's election and has amassed a large war chest for next year's midterms. Several Democrats reversed and voted to move forward with the legislation after negotiations with Republicans in recent days.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes pounded Gaza overnight and into Tuesday, hitting a family home and a school-turned-shelter, and killing at least 60 people, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel pressed its war against Hamas despite mounting international condemnation.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Tuesday agreed to impose fresh sanctions on Russia, notably targeting almost 200 ships from the shadow fleet illicitly transporting oil to skirt Western restrictions put in place over Moscow's war in Ukraine.

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Can the tush push cross the goal line for good? Or will the NFL 's touchy and trendy short-yardage strategy ultimately get stuffed?

League owners will answer that question in Minnesota, where they're holding their spring meetings next to Vikings headquarters on Tuesday and Wednesday. After tabling the issue seven weeks ago for further discussion, a vote is expected on the proposal by the Green Bay Packers to prohibit the play popularized by the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. To pass the ban, 24 of the 32 teams must approve.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes fell on Tuesday, as momentum slowed for Wall Street after it rallied from a deep hole nearly all the way back to its all-time high set earlier this year.

The S&P 500 fell 0.4% for its first drop in seven days, but it's still within 3.3% of its record.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Tuesday the concept he wants for his future Golden Dome missile defense program — a multilayered $175 billion system that for the first time will put U.S. weapons in space.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said he expects the system will be "fully operational before the end of my term," which ends in 2029, and have the capability of intercepting missiles "even if they are launched from space." It's likelier that the complex system may have some initial capability by that point, a U.S. official familiar with the program said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump loves big numbers — and he's always happy to talk them up.

Trump, who coined the phrase "truthful hyperbole" in his book "The Art of the Deal," over the last few days has been steadily increasing the amount of money he says that countries in the Mideast pledged to invest in the U.S. when he visited the region last week. He didn't provide underlying details.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Tuesday it will limit approval for seasonal COVID-19 shots to seniors and others at high risk pending more data on everyone else — raising questions about whether some people who want a vaccine this fall will be able to get one.

Google on Tuesday unleashed another wave of artificial intelligence technology to accelerate a year-long makeover of its search engine that is changing the way people get information and curtailing the flow of internet traffic to websites.

The next phase outlined at Google's annual developers conference includes releasing a new "AI mode" option in the United States. The feature makes interacting with Google's search engine more like having a conversation with an expert capable of answering questions on just about any topic imaginable.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales at Target fell more than expected in the first quarter and the retailer warned they will slip for all of 2025 year as its customers, worried over the impact of tariffs and the economy, pull back on spending.

Target also said that customer boycotts have also done some damage. The company scaled back many diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in January after they came under attack by conservative activists and the White House. Target's retreat created another backlash, with more customers angered by the retailer's reduction of LGBTQ+-themed merchandise for Pride Month in June of 2023.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The world's sources of critical minerals are increasingly concentrated in just a few countries, most notably China, leaving the global economy vulnerable to supply cutoffs that could disrupt industry and hit consumers with higher prices, a report said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are pushing to vote on their multi-trillion-dollar tax breaks package as soon as Wednesday, grinding out last-minute deal-making to shore up wavering GOP support and deliver on President Donald Trump's top legislative priority.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street slumped on Wednesday under the weight of pressure from the bond market, where Treasury yields climbed on worries about the U.S. government's spiraling debt and other concerns.

The S&P 500 fell 1.6% for a second straight drop after breaking a six-day winning streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 816 points, or 1.9%, while the Nasdaq composite sank 1.4%.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are drifting in tentative trading following a rocky week so far because of worries coming out of the bond market about the U.S. government's soaring debt.

The S&P 500 was down 0.1% in early trading Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 99 points, and the Nasdaq composite was up 0.1%. Treasury yields were also holding a bit steadier in the bond market, but only after oscillating earlier in the morning after the House of Representatives approved a bill that would cut taxes and could add trillions of dollars to the U.S. debt.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans stayed up all night to pass their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package, with Speaker Mike Johnson defying the skeptics and unifying his ranks to muscle President Donald Trump's priority bill to approval Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, "Free, free Palestine" after he was arrested, police said.

The stunning attack prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Government advisers are meeting Thursday to decide if COVID-19 vaccines need updating to improve protection this fall and winter — even as a new Trump administration policy has thrown into question who may be eligible for a shot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing unemployment claims last week fell slightly as businesses continue to retain employees despite growing economic uncertainty over U.S. trade policy.

Applications for jobless benefits fell by 2,000 to 227,000 for the week ending May 17, the Labor Department said Thursday. That's pretty close to the 230,000 new applications analysts forecast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It seems like a triumph for a cryptocurrency industry that has long sought mainstream acceptance: Top investors in one of President Donald Trump 's crypto projects invited to dine with him at his luxury golf club in Northern Virginia on the heels of the Senate advancing key pro-crypto legislation and while bitcoin prices soar.