News - Friday, June 14, 2024

Before family law became Chrissy Mincy’s bread and butter, music fueled her youth.

Musical notes leap off her memory like sparks from a wildfire as Mincy recalls her father playing Led Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” by ear on an acoustic guitar in their Soddy-Daisy home. For years, she thought he composed the song, she says.

There’s a photograph on a shelf in Everett L. “Bo” Hixson, Jr.’s office at Chartwell of himself and three other generations of males in his family, including his late father, Everett Layne Hixson; his son, Everett L. “Rett” Hixson; and his grandson, Everett L. Hixson IV.

“In view of the constitution, in the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law. The humblest is the peer of the most powerful. The law regards man as man, and takes no account of his surroundings or of his color when his civil rights as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land are involved.”

Attorney Wade Hinton is the campaign chair for the United Way of Greater Chattanooga’s 2024-25 season.

Hinton is the CEO and founder of Hinton & Company, a culture and leadership advisory firm. He’s held roles at Miller & Martin and Volkswagen Chattanooga, served as city attorney for Chattanooga, and led inclusion and diversity at Unum.

Many Realtors choose to focus on one aspect of the real estate market, whether it’s residential or commercial properties. Some agents narrow their focus even further. For example, a residential Realtor might prefer to work with new construction, while a commercial broker might strive to serve clients in the retail space.

June is National Homeownership Month, a time dedicated to celebrating the many benefits of homeownership and emphasizing the importance of making it accessible for all Americans. Homeownership is more than just a financial investment; it’s a cornerstone of building stable, thriving communities.

Nearly 17 years ago, the editor of the Hamilton County Herald congratulated me on my new job and told me to follow him to my desk. At that time, the newspaper was housed in a single office at Concierge Office Suites in the Republic Centre, but as we made our way along an L-shaped corridor, I mistakenly thought the people in the neighboring offices worked for the Herald, too.

My store of knowledge about the 17th president, Andrew Johnson, has until just recently consisted mostly of gaps. He took over after Lincoln’s assassination, was later impeached by the House but saved from conviction by one vote in the Senate, and, uh …

Losing a spouse is one of the most painful experiences anyone can have. Unfortunately, widows and widowers also must consider a range of financial issues. If you’ve recently been widowed, what financial moves should you consider?

For starters, don’t rush into any major decisions. If you’re still in the grieving process, you are unlikely to be in the best shape to make significant choices affecting your finances and your life.

The first World Series experience for Marcus Phillips remains a bit of a blur. The University of Tennessee sophomore was a star player on the Sioux Falls Little League team that reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 2017.

Finding a new job can be easy – or incredibly difficult. If you’re one of those people who has always been able to find a new job quickly but are finding it to be difficult now, you might feel like you’re doing something wrong. Or maybe you’ve changed.

Buying a midsize truck can be a smart choice if you want a truck that’s capable but less expensive and more maneuverable than the typical full-size truck. There are quite a few options available and among them are two domestic headliners: the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The game's the same. It's what happens away from the field and how players deal with it that can affect how long a team sticks around at the College World Series.

The CWS opens Friday with North Carolina (47-14) playing Virginia (46-15), and Florida State (47-15) facing Tennessee (55-12) in Bracket 1. North Carolina State (38-21) meets Kentucky (45-14), and Florida (34-28) plays Texas A&M (49-13) in Bracket 2 on Saturday. Winners in double-elimination bracket play square off in the best-of-three finals beginning June 22.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kavares Tears and Reese Chapman homered, Drew Beam limited North Carolina to one hit over five shutout innings, and Tennessee took control of its bracket at the College World Series with a 6-1 win Sunday night.

The Volunteers (57-12), trying to become the first No. 1 national seed since 1999 to win the championship, will advance to the best-of-three finals if they can beat Florida State or North Carolina (48-15) on Wednesday. Those teams will meet Tuesday in an elimination game.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nashville's Gretchen Walsh followed up a world record in the 100-meter butterfly with something that felt just as good.

Her first trip to the Olympics.

Walsh didn't go quite as fast as a night earlier in the semifinals, but she touched in 55.31 seconds to claim the coveted Olympic berth against a loaded field at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials on Sunday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A media organization is due in court Monday after publishing details from leaked documents about the shooter who killed six people at a Nashville elementary school in March 2023, while the outlet sues for those records and others to be released to the public.

NEW YORK (AP) — Scooter Braun, one of the most recognizable names in the music business known for representing artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, will no longer work as a music manager.

On Monday, the executive and entrepreneur announced the news on his Instagram page. Instead, he will focus his attention on his current roles: As a board member of Hybe, and CEO of Hybe America, the South Korea entertainment company.

HOUSTON (AP) — Paul Pressler, a leading figure of the Southern Baptist Convention who was accused of sexually abusing boys and young men and later settled a lawsuit over the allegations, has died. He was 94.

Pressler's death, which happened on June 7, was announced in an obituary posted online by Geo. H. Lewis and Sons Funeral Home in Houston. A funeral service for Pressler was held on Saturday. A cause of death was not disclosed.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up a challenge to an agreement that gave the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to handle online sports betting in Florida, dealing a blow to the deal's opponents.

The nation's highest court denied a petition from opponents of the compact, which promises to rake in hundreds of millions of dollars for the tribe and the state.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trump's felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponent's legal woes a bigger issue heading into November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish person to serve as the spouse of a nationally elected U.S. leader, will deliver remarks on Sunday at the groundbreaking of the memorial to victims of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

PHOENIX (AP) — More than 70 million people in the United States were under extreme heat alerts Monday as a heat wave moved eastward, and the mid-Atlantic and New England were likely to see highs in the 90s as the week progresses. Excessive humidity will make it feel even more oppressive.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS plans to end a major tax loophole for wealthy taxpayers that could raise more than $50 billion in revenue over the next decade, the U.S. Treasury Department says.

The proposed rule and guidance announced Monday includes plans to essentially stop "partnership basis shifting" — a process by which a business or person can move assets among a series of related parties to avoid paying taxes.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential War Cabinet that has overseen the fighting in Gaza, a government spokesperson said Monday, a move that comes days after a key member of the body bolted from the government over frustration with the Israeli leader's handling of the war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A record more than 20 NATO member nations are hitting the Western military alliance's defense spending target this year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, as Russia's war in Ukraine has raised the threat of expanding conflict in Europe.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Nashville police officer has been arrested for two counts of felony official misconduct after law enforcement officials say he allegedly participated in adult video while on duty.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, 33-year-old Sean Herman was fired last month after detectives with the Specialized Investigations Divisions discovered the video and identified him while wearing his MNPD uniform. Herman was arrested Thursday at his Sumner County home.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland will not be prosecuted for contempt of Congress because his refusal to turn over audio of President Joe Biden's interview in his classified documents case "did not constitute a crime," the Justice Department said Friday.

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ' personal assets but was still deciding on his company's separate bankruptcy case, leaving the future of his Infowars media platform uncertain as he owes $1.5 billion for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is headed into its final few weeks with over a third of the cases heard this year still undecided, including ones that could reshape the law on everything from guns to abortion to social media. The justices are also still weighing whether former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in the election interference case against him, more than a month after hearing arguments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, the rapid-fire gun accessories used in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, in a ruling that threw firearms back into the nation's political spotlight.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration's new Title IX rule expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students has been temporarily blocked in four states after a federal judge in Louisiana found that it overstepped the Education Department's authority.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump spent the day before his 78th birthday being feted by Republicans in Congress who sang "Happy Birthday" and presented him with a cake and gifts. It was a remarkable show of loyalty for a former president who was shunned by many of the same lawmakers after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan, who has been one of former President Donald Trump's fiercest critics in the GOP, received Trump's endorsement in his Maryland Senate bid on Thursday in an interview on Fox News.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump used the word "horrible" in talking about Milwaukee — the city where he will accept the Republican nomination next month — during a closed-door meeting Thursday with GOP congressmen, according to several people in the room who spoke afterward.

ATLANTA (AP) — In a dreary part of downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home.

The gated micro community known as "The Melody" doesn't look like a parking lot anymore. Artificial turf is spread across the asphalt. Potted plants and red Adirondack chairs abound. There's even a dog park.

DETROIT (AP) — A Tesla apparently operating on one of the company's automated driving systems crashed into a parked police vehicle Thursday near Los Angeles, narrowly missing an officer who was managing traffic at another crash.

The Tesla driver told police in Fullerton, California, that he engaged the vehicle's "self-drive" system and used his cell phone, according to a police statement.

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla shareholders voted Thursday to restore CEO Elon Musk's record $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier this year, sending a strong vote of confidence in his leadership of the world's largest electric vehicle maker.

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — New laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows start shipping to customers next week without a flagship feature called Recall that drew concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella touted the new Recall feature at a showcase event last month, describing it as a step toward artificial intelligence machines that "instantly see us, hear, reason about our intent and our surroundings."

The artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has raised tens of millions of dollars from the likes of Jeff Bezos and other prominent tech investors for its mission to rival Google in the business of searching for information.

But its AI-driven search chatbot is already facing challenges as some news media companies object to its business practices. It is also competing against t ech giants Google, and now Apple, which are increasingly fusing similar AI features into their core products.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There's an easier way to renew your passport — online.

The State Department has opened a trial run allowing a limited number of people to apply for their updated travel documents with a few clicks. You can't just start anytime — windows will open at midday Eastern time each day and then close once the system has reached its daily limit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer sentiment fell in June for the third straight month as Americans took a dimmer view of their own finances and worried about persistent inflation.

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, released Friday in a preliminary version, dropped to 65.6 this month from a final reading of 69.1 in May. June's reading is about 30% higher than the bottom reached in June 2022, when inflation peaked at a four-decade high, but is still below levels typically associated with a healthy economy. Consumers' outlook has generally been gloomy since the pandemic and particularly after inflation first spiked in 2021.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed close as caution crept into financial markets heading into the weekend.

The S&P 500 slipped less than 0.1% Friday after setting an all-time high every other day this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite edged up 0.1%, marking another all-time high.

MOGI GUACU, Brazil (AP) — Orange juice prices have always been volatile, falling when bumper harvests create an oversupply of oranges and rising when frost or a hurricane knocks out fruit trees.

But the record-high prices the world is seeing for OJ right now may be on the table for a while, since the diseases and extreme weather ravaging orange groves in some top-producing countries aren't easily resolved problems.

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Friday to "immediately" order a cease-fire in Ukraine and start negotiations if Kyiv began withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected what he called an ultimatum by Putin to surrender more territory.

BARI, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis challenged leaders of the world's wealthy democracies Friday to keep human dignity foremost in developing and using artificial intelligence, warning that such powerful technology risks turning human relations themselves into mere algorithms.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed to engineer a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine in its fight for survival. Interest earned on profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets would be used as collateral.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host a White House event next week celebrating an Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants, as his own administration prepares potential new benefits for others without legal status but with long-standing ties in the United States.

MEMPHIS (AP) — The sheriff of a rural Tennessee county illegally profited from the work of jail inmates under his supervision and housed dozens of them in a home outside of the prison without permission, officials said Wednesday.

Gibson County Sheriff Paul Thomas was indicted in May in Gibson and Davidson counties on 22 charges including official misconduct, theft, forgery and computer crimes involving jail inmates in his custody, Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower said in a news release.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to a drug used in the majority of U.S. abortions on Thursday, though abortion opponents say the ruling won't be the last word in the fight over mifepristone.

The narrow decision came two years after the high court overturned the nationwide right to abortion. Rather than fully dive into the issue, the high court found that anti-abortion doctors lacked the legal right to sue.

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks fell, but hopes for coming cuts to interest rates and Wall Street's continued frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology sent indexes to more record highs.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Thursday after a day of drifting between shallow gains and losses, beating the all-time high it set the day before.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's chief of staff argued to an influential group of CEOs Thursday that the Democratic incumbent's emphasis on global alliances would help their businesses, even as the group rolls out an effort to preserve tax cuts that former President Donald Trump signed into law.

FASANO, Italy (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he will not use his presidential powers to lessen the eventual sentence that his son Hunter will receive for his federal felony conviction on gun crimes.

Biden, following the conclusion of a news conference held at the Group of Seven summit of the world's wealthiest democracies, responded he would not when asked whether he plans to commute the sentence for his son. Hunter Biden's sentencing date has not been set, and the three counts carry up to 25 years in prison.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would make it a right nationwide for women to access in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer forced a vote on the matter Thursday in an effort to drive an election-year contrast on reproductive care.