News - Friday, March 20, 2026

Food scraps rarely inspire much thought once they disappear down a kitchen sink or into a trash can. But in Chattanooga, a growing effort is asking residents to think differently about what they throw away – and what that waste could become instead.

For many people, cluttered closets and chaotic kitchens are simply part of life. But for Rachel Eagleton, they’re often signs of something deeper: homes that lack systems to support the people living in them.

Eagleton is the founder and CEO of Rachel’s Home Management, a Chattanooga-based home management and organization firm that helps households create practical systems for daily life. Through hands-on organizing work and broader home management strategies, she helps clients transform homes that feel overwhelming into environments that function smoothly and calmly.

Set aside your cravings for smash burgers, fried chicken and tacos, because we’re heading into the realm of Build-a-Salad – where fresh vegetables, dietary fiber and leafy greens abound. But don’t worry; plenty of meats, cheeses and fattening dressings are on hand, too.

When Heather Hague attended her first luncheon with the Chattanooga chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, she was simply exploring a professional organization a colleague had encouraged her to visit.

Within days of joining, that decision had already changed her business.

Chrissy Smith of Empire Homes, Warren Cole of Cole Construction and Bill Panabianco of Pratt Home Builders participate in a moderated panel discussion during the Women’s Council of Realtors Chattanooga monthly networking luncheon at the Walden Club March 4. The three Chattanooga-area builders discussed their companies’ approaches to home construction, including niche markets, price points, community amenities, HOA policies and how they collaborate with real estate agents. Cole described his company’s focus on custom retirement homes for relocating buyers, Smith outlined Empire Homes’ production-style developments in prime in-town locations and Panabianco highlighted Pratt Home Builders’ emphasis on creating diverse, amenity-rich communities across the region.

February’s housing picture is a mix of momentum and caution, with the National Association of Realtors reported a national slowdown in existing home sales after a stronger stretch through the fall and early winter. 

Here at home, the market remained active in the ways that matter to everyday buyers and sellers. More new listings came on the market, pending sales climbed and inventory continued to build, giving shoppers more to compare while keeping our local market moving.

If you’re dealing with debt, you’re far from alone. More than 80% of U.S. households carry some form of debt (2025 Federal Reserve report), and since 2019, total household debt for Americans has increased more than 31%, to $18.59 trillion. 

The restoration of the Walnut Street Bridge has reached a key milestone as crews removed the final containment tarp from Span 1, signaling the end of major painting work and a shift into the project’s final phase. Officials say the project remains on schedule with a targeted completion date of late September 2026.

The national ambassador for young people’s literature will visit the Chattanooga Public Library’s downtown branch (1001 Broad St.) April 9 at 5:30 p.m. as part of his nationwide tour, “Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear and See.” Barnett will explore how words, illustrations and even page turns create a uniquely engaging reading experience for children and adults alike. The free event is open to the public.

Miller & Martin has added two attorneys, Kane Shepherd and Will Sikes, to its Chattanooga office, bolstering the firm’s commercial real estate practice.

Shepherd joins as of counsel in the commercial group, focusing on real estate transactions. His work includes advising developers and sellers through all phases of residential and commercial projects, from planning and negotiations to financing, leasing and title matters. He also has experience representing lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions.

What began in 1976 as a two-physician surgical practice has grown over five decades into one of the region’s largest and most comprehensive surgical groups.

This month, University Surgical Associates is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of surgical care, medical education and clinical research in the Chattanooga area.

As communities across the country observe Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, the Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association is working to bring attention to the causes, warning signs and long-term impacts of traumatic brain injuries while connecting survivors and families in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia with local support.

Given his status as a potential NBA lottery pick, Nate Ament’s college basketball career at the University of Tennessee was always likely to be one-and-done. Ament’s short time in a UT uniform has potentially reached the final stage, with the NCAA Tournament on the horizon.

Compared to a typical sedan, a hatchback offers greater versatility thanks to its larger, easier-to-load trunk. Some hatchbacks are also fun to drive with nimble handling and peppy engines. 

Yet, with the surge in popularity of SUVs and crossovers, even the best hatchbacks often get overlooked. 

I spend a lot of time talking to retirees about their spending plans. Many of them proudly tell me they’re spending far less than the 3%-4% initial withdrawal amounts that are often bandied about in the context of safe spending rates. 

They tell me they’ve been good savers, they’re frugal, they don’t need more. Underspending seems to be part of their identities.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Duke assistant coach Evan Bradds was named Belmont's coach on Thursday, providing a homecoming for the program's all-time Division I era scoring leader.

Bradds replaces Casey Alexander, who was hired as Kansas State's coach on Friday. After losing Alexander, Belmont announced Saturday it would turn down an invitation to participate in the postseason NIT.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lately, Priscilla Brown has had to choose between properly managing her Type 2 diabetes and affording other necessities, like gas in her car. Some days, she takes half or a third of her prescribed insulin dose — just to stretch it out longer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a sizable amount that is certain to be met with questions from Congress, which would need to approve any new money.

The department sent the request to the White House, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Markwayne Mullin moved a step closer to becoming President Donald Trump's next homeland security secretary after a Senate committee Thursday narrowly advanced his nomination.

The 8-7 vote came after a contentious hearing Wednesday and sent the Cabinet nomination to the full Senate, which could act to confirm the Oklahoma Republican next week.

MURFREESBORO (AP) — Rick Insell, whose 505 wins in 21 seasons leading the Middle Tennessee women's basketball team made him the winningest coach in school history, announced his retirement on Thursday.

Insell's retirement will follow Middle Tennessee's participation in the WNIT. Middle Tennessee (16-15) will play either St. Bonaventure or Drexel at home on Monday night.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two dozen states, along with more than a dozen cities and counties, sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, challenging the Trump administration's repeal of a scientific finding that had been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two agents fired from the FBI last year said in a federal lawsuit Thursday that they were terminated "solely" because of their participation in an investigation into President Donald Trump's effort to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Attorneys general in eight states and DirecTV have filed lawsuits to block the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, arguing that it will lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle journalism.

Nexstar announced last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion. If approved by the Trump administration, the deal would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 40 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Education Department is handing off a portion of its student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department, a first step toward shedding management of all student loans as Trump administration officials dismantle the federal education agency.

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal auto regulators have escalated a probe of Tesla after several of its cars crashed while using its self-driving feature, just as CEO Elon Musk prepares to roll out a new model with no steering wheel or pedals.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a memo dated March 18 that it was examining nine crashes where the self-driving software failed to quickly alert drivers to take control in fog and other poor conditions because the vehicle's cameras weren't picking out road hazards. The NHTSA memo signals a regulatory investigation begun in 2024 over poor visibility crashes could now lead to enforcement action, possibly including a recall of 3.2 million Tesla vehicles.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein's longtime personal attorney testified to a House committee Thursday that he was unaware of the late financier's sexual abuse of underage girls at the time it was happening, becoming the latest person connected to Epstein to take that stance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump returned to office last year, he launched a crusade to shift the country away from renewable energy, drastically undoing the climate-friendly policies of his Democratic predecessor to focus instead on oil and other fossil fuels as the answer to his goal of American energy dominance.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sought to reaffirm her alliance with President Donald Trump on Thursday after the president this week seemed to complain that Japan was among the nations that did not join his call to help protect the Strait of Hormuz.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has for months wanted to remove Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. But instead, an investigation by one of his own officials could end up extending Powell's time at the top of the central bank even after his term formally ends May 15.

NEW YORK (AP) — A roller-coaster day for oil prices showed how they're dictating where financial markets and maybe even the global economy are heading. Stocks tumbled in Europe and Asia when oil prices shot higher early on Thursday, but U.S. stocks pared their sharp losses as the day progressed and oil prices fell back.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyler Tanner had 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Vanderbilt rallied to beat McNeese 78-68 on Thursday for its first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 2012.

The Commodores (27-8), the No. 5 seed in the South Region, will play No. 4 seed Nebraska in the second round on Saturday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and added two assists and Justus Annunen made 25 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night in a matchup of teams vying for a Western Conference wild card.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan is hosting the women's NCAA Tournament for the second time, and is hoping home court is an advantage again.

The second-seeded Wolverines want to at least repeat what the 2022 team did by winning first- and second-round games at Crisler Center and advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge said the government overreached by issuing a declaration that called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for young people experiencing gender dysphoria, according to a ruling Thursday in Oregon.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department filed a new lawsuit Friday against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday revived a lawsuit from an evangelical Christian barred from demonstrating in Mississippi after authorities say he shouted insults at people over a loudspeaker.

The high court unanimously ruled in the case of Gabriel Olivier, who says his religious and free speech rights were violated when he was arrested for refusing to move his preaching away from a suburban amphitheater. The city said he had shouted insults like "whores," "Jezebel," and "nasty" at people, sometimes holding signs showing aborted fetuses.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Three teenagers in Tennessee sued Elon Musk's xAI this week, claiming the company's image-generation tools were used to morph real photos of them into explicitly sexual images.

The high school students, who are seeking to proceed under pseudonyms, filed the lawsuit in California, where xAI — Musk's artificial intelligence company — has its headquarters. They are seeking class-action status in order to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of victims like themselves who either are minors or were minors when sexually explicit images of them were created.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee who contends she was wrongly held in detention for more than two weeks was released Thursday after paying a bond recently allowed by a judge, her attorneys said.

Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been in ICE custody after her arrest on March 4 during a traffic stop. She was held in jail in Etowah County, Alabama, then in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A daunting stream of testimony and evidence has been presented in a New Mexico case that explores what social media conglomerate Meta knew about the effects of its platforms on children.

State prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose the risks that its platforms pose for children, including mental health problems and sexual exploitation. Meta's attorneys have said the company has built-in protections for teenagers and weeds out harmful content but acknowledged some dangerous content gets past its safety nets.

NEW YORK (AP) — Live Nation Entertainment's longtime chief executive was the star witness at a New York antitrust trial Thursday, defending the dominant position his company has taken over the last two decades as a lawyer for nearly three dozen states tried to portray the concert giant as greedy and abusive to customers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 90,000 bottles of a children's pain reliever have been recalled due to reports of black specs and other contaminants, according to federal regulators.

The Food and Drug Administration posted an online notice about the recall of Taro Pharmaceuticals' Children's Ibuprofen Oral Suspension. The company's website states that the product comes in a berry-flavored solution and is recommended for children ages 2 to 11.

NEW YORK (AP) — A senior vice president of Super Micro Computer Inc. and two others affiliated with the company were charged Thursday with conspiring to smuggle billions of dollars of computer servers containing advanced Nvidia chips to China.

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News said Friday it is shutting down its storied radio news service after nearly 100 years of operation as part of a round of layoffs, blaming a shift in radio station programming strategies and challenging economic times.

When it went on the air in September 1927, CBS News Radio was the precursor to the entire network, giving a youthful William S. Paley a start in the business. Famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow delivered reports from London during World War II as part of the service.

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced.

Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion. The deal would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the company had agreed to divest itself of six of those stations.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The war in Iran is exposing the world's reliance on fragile fossil fuel routes, lending urgency to calls for hastening the shift to renewable energy.

Fighting has all but halted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The disruption has jolted energy markets, pushing up prices and straining import-dependent economies.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran threatened to target recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisted it was still building missiles. Its supreme leader issued another defiant statement on Friday, nearly three weeks into U.S.-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran's top leaders and hammered its weapons and energy industries.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon.

He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department's promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and troops should embrace God, potentially risking the military's secular mission and hard-won pluralism.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's diverging language on Israel's decision to attack a critical Iranian gas field marks the most notable difference of opinion between the two leaders since the start of the 20-day war against Iran.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said on Friday that Congress should "preempt state AI laws" that it views as too burdensome, laying out a broad framework for how it wants Congress to address concerns about artificial intelligence without curbing growth or innovation in the sector.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans who are pushing a strict proof-of-citizenship legislation have tried to frame the debate in simple terms — if you have to show your photo identification to get on a plane or check out a book at the library, shouldn't you have to show one to vote?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Less than a week after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's global tariffs, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul listened as one of the plaintiffs in the case recounted the financial toll of the levies on his wine importing business.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal arts commission on Thursday approved the final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald Trump's image to help celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 4.

The vote by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members are supporters of the Republican president and were appointed by him earlier this year, was without objection. It clears the way for the U.S. Mint to begin production on the coin, whose size and denomination are still under discussion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group of senators met behind closed doors Thursday with White House border czar Tom Homan, a small sign of progress as lawmakers look to end a shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that began more than a month ago.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph spent 20 minutes Friday walking around historic Memorial Gym soaking in the atmosphere with March Madness and NCAA Tournament branding everywhere.

Ralph has spent five seasons building towards this moment with the Commodores hosting for the first time since 2012 among the goals.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday barring College Football Playoff and other postseason games from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December.

Trump directed the commerce secretary and the FCC chairman to coordinate with the playoff committee, the NCAA and media rights partners to ensure an exclusive broadcasting window for a storied rivalry played on the second Saturday each December.

NEW YORK (AP) — Another climb for oil prices shook stock markets on Friday, as hopes collapsed for a possible cut to interest rates this year by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 fell 1.5% to close its fourth straight losing week, its longest such streak in a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 443 points, or 1%, and the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2%.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Three weeks into an escalating war in the Middle East, the U.S. is sending more warships and Marines to the region, and Iran threatened Friday to expand its retaliatory attacks to include recreational and tourist sites worldwide.