News - Friday, December 20, 2024

As Crystal Poole looked up from the floor of her grandmother’s house to where the roof had been only moments earlier, she thought it was snowing.

Then her thoughts cleared and she realized she was watching tiny flakes of insulation drifting down from the gap a large tree had made as it crashed into the single-story home during a summer storm.

Before Legal Aid of East Tennessee introduced the new inductees to its Pro Bono Hall of Fame during a ceremony at its office in the UBS building Dec. 12, the firm’s director, Russell Fowler, invoked the name of Charles W. “Buz” Dooley.

Red Bank is entering the new year with new leaders. Judge Johnny Houston swore in Stefanie Dalton as mayor of the city and Hollie Berry as vice mayor during Red Bank’s Dec. 3 commission meeting.

Both Dalton and Berry have served on the commission since 2020. Houston additionally swore in the recently elected Dr. Terri Holmes as Red Bank’s newest commissioner. Holmes replaced Commissioner Pete Phillips, whose term had expired. Phillips has served on Red Bank’s commission since 2020. Pictured: Houston congratulating Vice Mayor Hollie Berry.

Major foundations in Chattanooga give millions of dollars annually to endeavors that are tackling the city’s biggest challenges. The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga granted in excess of $27 million in 2023, including $830,000 paid to landlords as part of the city of Chattanooga’s Eviction Prevention Initiative. The money rescued more than 300 families from removal, the foundation’s 2023 annual report reveals.

The adage “Everything old is new again” will soon ring true on Lookout Mountain.

Timberroot Rustic Retreats is giving two Lookout Mountain lodging experiences a facelift ahead of reopening them under a new brand.

Timberroot is a Chattanooga-based vacation rentals company that launched in 2017 with eight local cabins. The Inns by Timberroot will operate as a division of the business.

Steve Vowell wasn’t going to miss Tennessee’s debut in the College Football Playoff. As soon as tickets went on sale for the first-round game against Ohio State, Vowell scoured the secondary market to buy them. He grabbed four tickets for $3,200 and plans to make the trip to Ohio this weekend with a buddy.

As the seasons shift, so does the housing market, with recent trends revealing encouraging signs of growth and stability.

The National Association of Realtors reports gains in home sales and inventory levels, marking a significant shift after a challenging period for the market. Locally, Chattanooga continues to reflect these positive trends as it showcases a dynamic and resilient real estate landscape.

The Chattanooga Police Department is partnering with the Tennessee Highway Safety Office to increase impaired-driving enforcement through Jan. 1.

The collaboration is part of the THSO’s “Booze It and Lose It” holiday campaign, in which increased messaging about the dangers of drunken driving, coupled with increased sobriety checkpoints and high visibility enforcement, aim to reduce the number of drunken driving crashes, injuries and fatalities this year.

Let’s agree to agree on the reason for the season. It’s right there, built into the name of the holiday. No argument here.

But custom also encourages a secular tradition with the religious celebration, in the form of the giving and receiving of gifts. I’ve written before about my struggles on the giving end, highlighted by the time I presented my youngest brother with a gyroscope.

After spending many decades contributing to your IRA and 401(k), you eventually you will likely need to take the money out. In fact, you must take the money out or face penalties. What should you know about these mandatory withdrawals?

Here are some of the basics:

The weather forecast is great, and you have big weekend plans. You’ll definitely get outside, get together with friends and have some fun. You’ve got a major project coming up at work and it’ll be stressful. So you’ll want to grab some down-time while you can.

Along with smartphones and streaming subscriptions, the three-row SUV is now a staple of American family life. And since nearly every automaker sells one, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming.

Some buyers will want the best fuel economy, while others may value tech and safety features. But all three-row SUV buyers can likely agree on room. You can never have enough passenger or cargo space in a family SUV, and here Edmunds’ car experts have gathered their top picks based on roominess, value and versatility.

NEW YORK (AP) — An early rebound for U.S. stocks on Thursday petered out by the end of the day, leaving indexes close to flat.

The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% following Wednesday's tumble of 2.9% when the Federal Reserve said it may deliver fewer cuts to interest rates next year than earlier thought. The index had been up as much as 1.1% in the morning.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump announced "success" in coming up with a new plan to fund the government and suspend the debt ceiling a day before a government shutdown, urging Congress to swiftly pass it, with House votes as soon as Thursday evening.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is expected to announce soon that President Joe Biden will visit the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month for what would likely be the final international trip of his presidency, according to three people familiar with the matter.

ATLANTA (AP) — A state appeals court on Thursday removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others, the latest legal victory for the president-elect in criminal cases that once threatened his career and freedom.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Friday to more than halve their losses in what had been one of their worst weeks of the year.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.8% and was on track for its best day in six weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 761 points, or 1.8%, as of 11:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.8%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours before the start of a federal government shutdown, President-elect Donald Trump doubled-down Friday on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal — and if not, let the closures "start now."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is abandoning his effort to cancel student loans for more than 38 million Americans, the first step in an administration-wide plan to jettison pending regulations to prevent President-elect Donald Trump from retooling them to achieve his own aims.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day before a potential government shutdown, the House resoundingly rejected President-elect Donald Trump's new plan Thursday to fund operations and suspend the debt ceiling, as Democrats and dozens of Republicans refused to accommodate his sudden demands.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The smooth economy that Donald Trump was poised to inherit suddenly looks a bit rockier — with critics saying the president-elect is contributing to the uncertainty.

The Dow Jones stock index essentially ended Thursday flat after having posted 10 days of losses. The Federal Reserve now sees inflation as staying stubbornly elevated as it has become cautious about further interest rate cuts planned for next year.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — They warned about him. Now they'll have to work with him.

A handful of prominent Democratic governors are quickly adjusting their approach to President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office, hoping to avoid antagonizing him to ensure they'll have a working relationship with his new administration.

Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: it's beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S.

The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year's Day, which would top the previous holiday-season high set in 2019. The two weekends on either side of Christmas look to be some of the most crowded times on the road and at airports.

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) — Sloths weren't always slow-moving, furry tree-dwellers. Their prehistoric ancestors were huge — up to 4 tons (3.6 metric tons) — and when startled, they brandished immense claws.

For a long time, scientists believed the first humans to arrive in the Americas soon killed off these giant ground sloths through hunting, along with many other massive animals like mastodons, saber-toothed cats and dire wolves that once roamed North and South America.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to turn what would have been one of the market’s worst weeks of the year into just a pretty bad one. The S&P 500 rallied 1.1% Friday to shave its loss for the week down to 2%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee on Friday announced he is pardoning 43 people who have served out their sentences, stressing that his actions are "very different" than President Joe Biden's recent wave of commutations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veering toward a midnight Friday government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson is proposing a new plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but punts President-elect Donald Trump demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Discount chain Big Lots is conducting going--out-of-business sales at its remaining locations after a sale of the company didn't materialize.

The Columbus, Ohio-based retailer, which sells furniture, home decor and other items, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early September and said private equity firm Nexus Capital Management LP had agreed to acquire "substantially all of the company's assets." But on Thursday the chain said it didn't anticipate completing the purchase agreement. It said it continues to work toward completing an alternative transaction with Nexus or another party.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hours to go before a midnight government shutdown, the House approved a new plan late Friday from Speaker Mike Johnson that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, but drops President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year.

BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed on Monday after U.S. stocks capped a mostly dismal week with a broad rally that still left the benchmark S&P 500 down 2% for the week.

One shadow over markets was cleared when U.S. lawmakers passed a budget deal in the early hours of Saturday, narrowly averting a pre-Christmas government shutdown.
Germany's DAX fell 0.3% to 19,830.42. The CAC 40 in Paris slid 0.3% to 7,251.05, while Britain's FTSE shed 0.2% to 8,068.17.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons sat at his locker Sunday afternoon and took offense to the playful attitudes around him following a fourth consecutive loss.

He didn't think it was the time or place for such light-heartedness, and the two-time Pro Bowler wasted no time expressing his exasperation to the reporters gathering around him.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan have announced plans to work toward a merger, forming the world's third-largest automaker by sales as the industry undergoes dramatic changes in its transition away from fossil fuels.

The two companies said they had signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday and that smaller Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors also had agreed to join the talks on integrating their businesses.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered in afternoon trading on Wall Street Monday at the start of a holiday-shortened week.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4%. A handful of technology companies helped support the gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 63 points, or 0.2% as of 1:18 p.m. Eastern time. The tech-heavy Nasdaq composite rose 0.7%.

HONG KONG (AP) — Global markets were mostly higher on Tuesday, with Chinese markets logging gains of more than 1% after the Chinese finance minister promised a more pro-active approach to government spending in the coming year.

Markets in the U.S. will close at 1 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday for Christmas Eve and will remain closed on Wednesday for Christmas.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — First it was Canada, then the Panama Canal. Now, Donald Trump again wants Greenland.

The president-elect is renewing unsuccessful calls he made during his first term for the U.S. to buy Greenland from Denmark, adding to the list of allied countries with which he's picking fights even before taking office on Jan. 20.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee's long-awaited report on Matt Gaetz documents a trove of salacious allegations, including sex with an underage girl, that tanked the Florida Republican's bid to lead the Justice Department.

Citing text messages, travel receipts, online payments and testimony, the bipartisan committee paints a picture of a lifestyle in which Gaetz and others connected with younger women for drug-fueled parties, events or trips, with the expectation the women would be paid for their participation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday vetoed a once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal district judgeships, saying "hurried action" by the House left important questions unanswered about the life-tenured positions.

The legislation would have spread the establishment of the new trial court judgeships over more than a decade to give three presidential administrations and six Congresses the chance to appoint the new judges. The bipartisan effort was carefully designed so that lawmakers would not knowingly give an advantage to either political party in shaping the federal judiciary.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful government panel on Monday failed to reach consensus on the possible national security risks of a nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase U.S. Steel, leaving the decision to President Joe Biden, who opposes the deal.

BOSTON (AP) — Straddling the scaffolding high up in a historic Boston church, murals conservator Gianfranco Pocobene is working to uncover eight angels that were hidden under layers of paint for more than a century.

The painted angels — with round childlike faces and wings — once were among the defining features of Old North Church when they were painted around 1730. But officials at the church, a seminal location of the Revolutionary War, painted over the angels in 1912 with thick coats of white paint, part of an austere renovation that restorationists are trying to reverse.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Changes are coming to the cold and cough aisle of your local pharmacy: U.S. officials are moving to phase out the leading decongestant found in hundreds of over-the-counter medicines, concluding that it doesn't actually relieve nasal congestion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — American Airlines briefly grounded flights nationwide Tuesday due to a technical problem just as the Christmas travel season kicked into overdrive and winter weather threatened more potential problems for those planning to fly or drive.