News - Friday, August 16, 2024

As first-year college students head out to make their mark on the world, dorm rooms have become a critical initial expression of their changed status, not to mention expensive, as parents with $200 tufted headboards in their Amazon carts can attest.

You and your college-bound student may have been planning for this moment for 18 years (give or take), but it’s still good to have a checklist (or several) of what they do and don’t need to lug to campus for their living space.

Here’s a couple dozen (give or take) questions parents and students need to think about while shopping for that optimal dorm experience:

Bleeding and in pain, Kyleigh Thurman didn’t know her doomed pregnancy could kill her.

Emergency room doctors at Ascension Seton Williamson in Texas handed her a pamphlet on miscarriage and told her to “let nature take its course” before discharging her without treatment for her ectopic pregnancy.

In recent months, we’ve been spreading the word to our members about the changes coming to the real estate industry Aug. 17. These changes will reshape how Realtors conduct business, not only with each other but also with consumers.

These adjustments are part of a broader initiative to enhance transparency and fairness in real estate transactions, stemming from a national settlement agreement related to broker commissions. Here is what’s changing and what consumers need to know.

As Gen Z enters the housing market, young home shoppers say they face many barriers to homeownership, and 60% of zoomers worry they might never be able to afford a house.

A new survey from Clever Real Estate asked 1,000 members of Gen Z about their feelings toward homeownership. Clever found that zoomers experience widespread anxiety balanced against an urgency to buy into the market before home prices rise even further.

Chattanooga’s place in history as the birthplace of the Medal of Honor – the nation’s highest award for military valor in action – will be a central focus of the 2025 Medal of Honor Celebration.

The event, an annual gathering of all living Medal of Honor recipients, will be hosted by the Coolidge National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, and feature a series of public and private events starting Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025,

Dr. Martina Harris, Chattanooga State Community College dean of nursing and allied health, has been selected as one of 27 nursing educators from across the country to join the 18th class of fellows to be inducted into the National League for Nursing’s Academy of Nursing Education.

Applications are open for the Chattanooga Police Department’s fall Community Police Academy.

The academy will start Sept. 4 and run through Oct. 31, every Thursday 6-8 p.m. at the Police Services Center on 3410 Amnicola Highway.

In this free academy, residents will have a behind-the-scenes look at how the department operates and trains for the important work officers do each and every day. From immersive driving simulators to live demonstrations of K9 handling, participants will have the chance to better understand what police officers do and how they train.

The school year is here. And if you have young children, you’re one year closer to the day when they may be headed off to college. When that day arrives, will you be financially prepared?

College isn’t cheap. For the 2023-24 academic year, the average cost – including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation and other expenses – was nearly $29,000 for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities and about $60,000 for private schools, the College Board reports. Most students do get some type of financial aid or scholarships or both, but even the “net” price of college can be considerable. So, it’s a good idea to begin a savings program as early as you can.

Olivia Reeves tried treating the Olympics like just another competition. It didn’t work.

It didn’t matter, either.

Nerves or no nerves, Reeves won the United States’ first Olympic gold medal in weightlifting in 24 years at the Paris Games last week.

Sophomore linebacker Arion Carter understood the opportunity in front of him.

The University of Tennessee linebackers had the chance to learn from experience when Al Wilson, one of the greatest linebackers in program history, made an appearance at fall camp last week as the Vols prepared for the upcoming season.

The home run is all the rage these days in Major League Baseball. So much so that stars from the 1980s and ’90s like Tony Gwynn and Wade Boggs probably wouldn’t even get much of a look in this day and age. They would lose out to an exit velo/launch angle prospect who could hit 35 homers while batting .205 with 170 strikeouts in the process.

The Tennessee Titans’ offensive line might be starting to take shape, thanks to the rare potential of addition by subtraction.

The first unit, though not facing much of the San Francisco starting defense in the preseason opener, still acquitted itself pretty well, allowing quarterback Will Levis time to throw and opening up holes for the running game.

The Ford F-150 has consistently been a top-rated truck at Edmunds. Thanks to the many available engines and configurations, the F-150 can be anything from a basic work truck to a leather-lined luxury machine that’s capable of trailering sizable campers and boats.

There are about to be several lasts in your household. The last first day of school. The last homecoming, the last Christmas program or sports event you’ll have to attend, the last spring break, the final prom and the last day of school. They’ll all be bittersweet, but you’ll manage. As in these new books about college, you’ve got big decisions to make first.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is zeroing in on high food prices as her campaign previews an economic policy speech Friday in North Carolina, promising to push for a federal ban on price gouging on groceries as she looks to address one of voters' top concerns.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taxpayers are expected to save billions after the Biden administration inked deals with pharmaceutical companies to knock down the lists prices for 10 of Medicare's costliest drugs.

But how much older Americans can expect to save when they fill a prescription at their local pharmacy remains unclear, since the list cost isn't the final price people pay.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rallied closer to its record highs following signs that the U.S. economy is holding up better than expected.

The S&P 500 jumped 1.6% Thursday. The index marked its sixth gain in a row and has stabilized after a scary few weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.4%, and the Nasdaq composite added 2.3%.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Former Seattle defensive backs Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams did a lot of talking Thursday.

Current Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon had the last word with an interception of Will Levis as Tennessee started a two-minute drill, and he punctuated his second pick of the day by running to give the ball to Adams who's now with the Tennessee Titans.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pop powerhouses, American classics, British artists and the estates of deceased legends — many musicians have objected to Donald Trump using their songs at campaign events.

After a video of Celine Dion performing her hit "My Heart Will Go On" was broadcast at a Trump campaign rally in Bozeman, Montana last weekend, the response from her team was swift.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the first images out of Ferguson, Missouri surfaced 10 years ago — the bloodied body of a man left for hours in the street beneath white sheets, protesters smashing car windows and looting stores — it didn't take long for the federal government to see a role for itself.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Kim Dotcom, founder of the once wildly popular file-sharing website Megaupload, lost a 12-year fight this week to halt his deportation from New Zealand to the U.S. on charges of copyright infringement, money laundering and racketeering.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is promoting a broad set of economic proposals that would offer new tax breaks and lower the cost of living for Americans, aiming to address the financial concerns that are at the top of the mind for voters and that Republican Donald Trump is trying to lay at her doorstep.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A Donald Trump ally who faces felony charges of trying to illegally access and tamper with voting machines is seeking the Republican nomination for the highest court in Michigan, an epicenter of efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As California's attorney general, Kamala Harris successfully defended the death penalty in court, despite her past crusade against it.

As a new senator, she proposed to abolish cash bail — a reversal from when she chided San Francisco judges for making it "cheaper" to commit crimes by setting bail amounts too low.

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday gave his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week's Democratic National Convention.

At his New Jersey golf club, the Republican nominee blended falsehoods about the economy with misleading statements and deeply personal attacks about his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.

BEDMINSTER, N.J. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump said Thursday he thinks he's "entitled to personal attacks" on his Democratic rival, adding he's "very angry" at Vice President Kamala Harris and questioning her intelligence.

Trump was asked during a news conference whether his campaign needs more discipline as he faces a Democratic ticket newly energized since Harris replaced President Joe Biden as the party's presidential candidate.

MIAMI (AP) — Five summers ago, Donald Trump's running mate JD Vance — then a 34-year-old memoirist and father of a 2-year-old boy — took the stage at a conservative conference and tackled an issue that would become a core part of his political brand: the United States' declining fertility rate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The "Squad," a group of progressive lawmakers in the House, is set to shrink next year after two members suffered primary defeats this election cycle following an unprecedented deluge of special interest spending.

The primary losses for Reps. Cori Bush in Missouri and Jamaal Bowman in New York came over the summer and dealt a blow to the progressive faction, which had amassed considerable clout within the Democratic Party since its initial rise in 2018.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thinking of buying a home with the help of a real estate agent? You can no longer take it for granted that a seller will cover the cost of your agent's commission.

Home sellers have traditionally offered a blanket commission to a buyer's agent when they listed their home on the market. But that will no longer be allowed as of this weekend, when various changes to U.S. real estate industry practices are set to take effect.

BEIJING (AP) — BMW was recalling more than 1.3 million vehicles in China that might have Takata airbag inflators following a similar recall in the United States last month, officials said Friday.

The recall covers nearly 600,000 vehicles made in China between 2005 and 2017 and more than 750,000 imported vehicles made between 2003 and 2018, the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge in optimism by Democrats over the prospects of Vice President Kamala Harris lifted U.S. consumer sentiment slightly this month.

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index edged up to 67.8 after coming in at 66.4 in July. Americans' expectations for the future rose, while their assessment of current economic conditions sank slightly.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges she orchestrated a brazen scheme to defraud Elvis Presley's family by trying to auction off his Graceland mansion and property before a judge halted the mysterious foreclosure sale, the Justice Department said Friday.

A mother whose son was having a seizure in his Tennessee apartment said in a federal lawsuit that police and paramedics subjected the 23-year-old to "inhumane acts of violence" instead of treating him, then covered up their use of deadly force.

The death of Austin Hunter Turner was one of more than 1,000 nationally that an investigation led by The Associated Press identified as happening after police officers used physical force or weapons that were supposed to stop, but not kill, people.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nearly 10 months after the death of Matthew Perry, the long-simmering investigation into the ketamine that killed him came dramatically into public view with the announcement that five people had been charged with having roles in the overdose of the beloved "Friends" star.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is out with a string of new economic proposals focused on food prices, taxes, housing and medical costs that she says will empower the middle class.

The plans constitute the first major policy proposals that Harris has released in the nearly four weeks since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race and endorsed his vice president.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Arrests for illegally crossing the border from Mexico plummeted 33% in July to the lowest level since September 2020, a result of asylum being temporarily suspended, authorities said Friday.

The Border Patrol made 56,408 arrests last month, down from 83,536 arrests in June, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, its parent agency.

COVID-19 hasn't gone away, and data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests it's on the upswing around the country.

"We've seen these summer increases every summer that COVID-19 has been with us," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, a Johns Hopkins University infectious disease physician. "What's different about these cases this summer vs. prior summers is that they don't translate into hospitals in crisis."

The launch of Venu Sports will be delayed after a federal judge granted FuboTV's motion for a preliminary injunction against the planned sports streaming venture by ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery.

U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York said in her 69-page ruling that Fubo was likely to be successful in proving that the joint venture would violate antitrust laws, and Fubo and consumers would "face irreparable harm in the absence of an injunction."

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street coasted to the close of its best week since November, as U.S. stocks drifted a bit higher Friday.

The S&P 500 rose 0.2% for a seventh straight gain and pulled back within 2% of its all-time high set last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 96 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday designated a national monument at the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Ill., a seminal moment in the United States' long and difficult history with racial violence targeting Black people.

Biden was joined in the Oval Office by lawmakers as well as civil rights and community leaders as he signed the proclamation establishing the monument on 1.57 acres of federal land. The monument is intended to be a solemn reminder of the two-day riot sparked by mobs of white residents tearing through Illinois' capital city under the pretext of meting out judgment against two Black men — one jailed on a sexual assault charge involving a white woman, and the other jailed in the separate murder of a white man.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is hiking pay for educators in the early childhood program Head Start as part of an effort to retain current employees and attract new ones in the midst of a workforce shortage.

The administration's new rules, published Friday, will require large operators to put their employees on a path to earn what their counterparts in local school districts make by 2031. Large operators also will have to provide healthcare for their employees. Smaller operators — those that serve fewer than 200 families — are not bound by the same requirements, but will be required to show they are making progress in raising pay.

NEW YORK (AP) — It's late July. Lainey Wilson is somewhere in Iowa, holding a real road dog — her French bulldog named Hippie — close to her chest. She's on her tour bus, zipping across the Midwest, just another day in her jet set lifestyle. Next month, she'll release her fifth studio album, the aptly named "Whirlwind," a full decade after her debut record. Today, like every day, she's just trying to enjoy the ride.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris has replaced President Joe Biden atop the presidential ticket, but his "finish the job" campaign mantra can still largely apply to her top policy goals. She's promising to continue a lot of what Biden was doing during the past four years if she's elected to four of her own.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris ' campaign says it is reserving $370 million in advertising to run between Labor Day and Election Day.

In a memo Saturday, the Harris-Walz campaign said the fall advertising push will include $170 million in television reservations running for nine weeks, starting Sept. 3, in battleground states. It also includes more than $200 million in digital reservations on platforms such as Hulu, Roku and YouTube.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is entering the Democratic National Convention with increased excitement from Democrats and a steady rise in her favorability ratings among Americans as a whole.

About half of U.S. adults — 48% — have a very or somewhat favorable view of Harris, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That is up from 39% at the beginning of the summer, before President Joe Biden's poor performance in his debate against former President Donald Trump ultimately led him to drop out of the presidential race.

CHICAGO (AP) — Sixteen years ago, a triumphant Joe Biden addressed an adoring crowd at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, his smile radiating confidence about the country's future and his own journey.

The soon-to-be vice president hugged his son Beau. He spoke about how his own parents had endowed him with a sense of grit and tenacity.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Once more, with feeling! It's been nearly two weeks since Vice President Kamala Harris officially won the Democratic presidential nomination in an online vote, the first time a nominee was named prior to a party's convention. But the roughly 4,700 delegates charged with picking a nominee to lead the ticket did so from locations around the globe on their laptops and devices in relative isolation from one other. There was none of the pomp and fanfare that usually accompany the selection of the party's standard-bearer. In other words, it wasn't very fun.

CHICAGO (AP) — Crowds of activists are expected to gather in Chicago for protests outside the Democratic National Convention this week, hoping to call attention to such issues as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.

While Vice President Kamala Harris has galvanized the party as she gears up to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to demonstrate haven't changed. They're ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation's top Democratic leaders.

DETROIT (AP) — Members of the Teamsters will host Vice President Kamala Harris for a roundtable discussion in the near future, but union President Sean O'Brien has yet to get an invitation to speak at next week's Democratic National Convention.

Kara Deniz, a spokeswoman for the 1.3 million member union, said in an email Friday that the Teamsters are working with Harris' campaign on dates for the roundtable.

CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party reintroduces itself to a divided nation this week, having been transformed by the money, momentum, relief and even joy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ' rise to the top of its ticket.

The whiplash of the last month culminates in a convention that begins Monday in Chicago. Above all, the four-day gathering of thousands of activists and party leaders from across the nation is designed to celebrate and strengthen Harris as President Joe Biden's replacement and boost her campaign to defeat Republican Donald Trump in November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of lawyers with deep ties to the Republican Party scrambled over the weekend to rescue an effort to get independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the Arizona ballot, offering one of the clearest examples yet of the GOP's extensive involvement in furthering the left-wing academic's long-shot bid.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Saturday again decried two gold medalist Olympic athletes, falsely labeling the female boxers as men.

Trump made the comments while speaking at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania and pledging to "keep men out of women's sports," turned his attention to the recently concluded Olympic Games and the case of two athletes who became the subject of international scrutiny regarding misconceptions about their gender.

NEW YORK (AP) — Check your freezer. Perdue Foods is recalling more than 167,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets and tenders after some customers reported finding metal wire embedded in the products.

According to Perdue and the U.S. Agriculture Department's Food Safety and Inspection Service, the recall covers select lots of three products: Perdue Breaded Chicken Tenders, Butcher Box Organic Chicken Breast Nuggets and Perdue Simply Smart Organics Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Social media platform X said Saturday it will close its operations in Brazil, claiming Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes threatened to arrest its legal representative in Brazil if they did not comply with orders.

DETROIT (AP) — Canada's two largest railroads are starting to shut down their shipping networks as a labor dispute with the Teamsters union threatens to cause lockouts or strikes that would disrupt cross-border trade with the U.S.

Both the Canadian Pacific Kansas City and Canadian National railroads, which haul millions of tons of freight across the border, have stopped taking certain shipments of hazardous materials and refrigerated products.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have released their initial impeachment inquiry report on President Joe Biden, alleging an abuse of power and obstruction of justice in the financial dealings of his son Hunter Biden and family associates.

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos pleaded guilty Monday to committing wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with the federal fraud case that led to his expulsion from Congress.

The New York Republican entered the plea in a courtroom in Long Island just weeks before his trial was set to begin in early September.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention kicks off Monday in Chicago, just four weeks after President Joe Biden shuttered his campaign and made way for Vice President Kamala Harris to ascend to the top of Democrats' ticket.

The political transformation just months before the election matchup with the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump, has meant a rapid succession of changes for Democrats' 2024 calculus in general — making the convention all the more noteworthy.

CHICAGO (AP) — Protesters rallied outside the Democratic National Convention on its opening day Monday, saying they were determined to voice their opposition to the war in Gaza and other issues. Chicago officials said they were committed to keeping the demonstrations peaceful.

CHICAGO (AP) — A refreshed Democratic Party is taking a look back while it moves forward as its convention opens Monday night, with President Joe Biden preparing a valedictory speech and delegates reveling in the newfound energy that followed Vice President Kamala Harris ' rise to the top of the ticket.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A group of lawyers with deep ties to the Republican Party scrambled over the weekend to rescue an effort to get independent presidential candidate Cornel West on the Arizona ballot, offering one of the clearest examples yet of the GOP's extensive involvement in furthering the left-wing academic's long-shot bid.

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed higher, tacking on some more gains following Wall Street's best week of the year.

The S&P 500 rose 1% Monday, coming within 1.1% of the all-time high it reached last month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite added 1.4%.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel has accepted a proposal to bridge differences holding up a cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, and he called on Hamas to do the same, without saying whether concerns cited by the militant group had been addressed.

Clark Lea realized he had to make some serious changes to give his Vanderbilt Commodores a chance to compete in a bigger and even tougher Southeastern Conference.

The coach going into his fourth season put his alma mater through a makeover. He admitted the program had fallen behind when it came to the transfer portal and help for athletes eager to cash in with endorsement deals.

It's time for coach Josh Heupel and No. 15 Tennessee to prove they can keep up.

Not just the bigger and even more powerful Southeastern Conference. Heupel and his Vols have to measure up to the other programs on campus.

The Vols won the SEC men's basketball title under coach Rick Barnes, and Tony Vitello led the baseball program to Tennessee's first national title in any sport since 2009.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday denied Hunter Biden's latest bid to dismiss the tax charges against him, setting the stage for his trial to begin next month in California.

Citing a ruling in Florida that threw out a separate prosecution of former President Donald Trump, Hunter Biden's lawyers had urged the judge to dismiss the case accusing him of a four-year scheme to avoid paying at least $1.4 million in taxes.

CHICAGO (AP) — Former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and second gentleman Doug Emhoff will speak Tuesday on the second day of the Democratic National Convention, turning the party's attention toward Vice President Kamala Harris and her faceoff against Republican Donald Trump.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention heads into its second day on Tuesday.

With President Joe Biden having addressed delegates, the week's full focus now turns to Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, as the party and its leaders aim to argue why their new nominee is best suited to be in the White House over the Republican nominee, former President Donald Trump.

CHICAGO (AP) — President Joe Biden delivered his valedictory address to the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, saying, "I gave my best to you" and basking in a long ovation that reflected the energy released by his decision to cede the stage to Vice President Kamala Harris.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention 's first night showcased speeches from the last Democrat to lose to Donald Trump and the last one to beat him.

Hillary Clinton spoke hopefully of finally breaking the "glass ceiling" to elect a female president. Joe Biden laced into Trump and directly acknowledged the concerns of protesters against the war in Gazawho demonstrated a few blocks from the convention hall.

CHICAGO (AP) — Jill Biden once said that she knew marrying Joe Biden — then a senator from Delaware — would mean "a life in the spotlight that I had never wanted."

On Monday night, now very accustomed to that spotlight, the first lady stood before the Democratic National Convention to do her part to highlight her husband's 50 years of public service as his presidency begins to draw to a close.

ATLANTA (AP) — Challengers seeking to throw Robert F. Kennedy Jr. off Georgia's November ballot told a judge on Monday that the independent presidential candidate must be disqualified because the New York address he used on Georgia ballot access petitions is a "sham."

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was expected to appear in court Tuesday to defend his effort to get on the ballot for president in the premier battleground state of Pennsylvania, where Democrats are angling to force him off in what is expected to be a closely contested race.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials said Monday they were confident that Iran was responsible for the hack of Donald Trump's presidential campaign, casting the cyber intrusion as part of a brazen and broader effort by Tehran to interfere in American politics and potentially shape the outcome of the election.

DETROIT (AP) — A high-profile spat between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis over reopening an Illinois factory complex has made its way into the race for U.S. president and could elicit a strike against the automaker.

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday night, union President Shawn Fain accused the company of reneging on promises to restart a now-closed assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, just over an hour northwest of Chicago.

Experts meet in Bangkok this week to advance what would be the first international treaty to tackle the surging problem of plastic pollution. Final treaty negotiations take place in South Korea in November.

Yet most of the people who have been closely tracking the negotiations — environmentalists, tribal leaders and residents from communities hard-hit by plastic production and waste — are shut out of the talks in Bangkok.

A group of authors is suing artificial intelligence startup Anthropic, alleging it committed "large-scale theft" in training its popular chatbot Claude on pirated copies of copyrighted books.

While similar lawsuits have piled up for more than a year against competitor OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, this is the first from writers to target Anthropic and its Claude chatbot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials have said they're increasingly confident that they've nearly tamed inflation. Now, it's the health of the job market that's starting to draw their concern.

With inflation cooling toward its 2% target, the pace of hiring slowing and the unemployment rate edging up, the Fed is poised to cut its benchmark interest rate next month from its 23-year high. How fast it may cut rates after that, though, will be determined mainly by whether employers keep hiring. A lower Fed benchmark rate would eventually lead to lower rates for auto loans, mortgages and other forms of consumer borrowing.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners overall are feeling positive about their business and achieving the goals they set for this year despite inflation and high labor costs, according to two new surveys.

"At the mid-point of 2024, we asked small businesses to look back on the goals they set for the year, and we found that they're satisfied with their progress and successes over the first half," said Gina Taylor Cotter, executive vice president and general manager of American Express' small business products.

PORTICELLO, Sicily (AP) — Police divers resumed searching Tuesday for six people believed trapped in the hull of a superyacht that sank in deep seas off Sicily, including a British tech magnate who was celebrating his recent acquittal on fraud charges with the people who had defended him at trial.

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney is no longer asking a Florida court to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit on the grounds that the victim's family had signed up for its streaming service Disney+.

The company filed a notice in Orange County court on Tuesday to withdraw the motion, which had drawn swift backlash when it became public.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Qatar Airways has acquired a 25% stake in the private African carrier Airlink, the airlines said Tuesday.

No financial details of the deal were immediately disclosed.

South Africa-based Airlink flies to more than 45 destinations in southern and East Africa, and the deal will enhance an existing code-share agreement between the airlines, they said. Qatar Airways currently flies to 29 destinations in Africa.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Tennessee's largest prison where officials say violence and sexual abuse have gone unaddressed for years, federal prosecutors announced on Tuesday about the privately operated facility.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has been active on his social accounts as Democrats gather for their convention in Chicago, but some of his posts don't have much to do with reality.

Ahead of the Democratic National Convention, he posted a fake image of someone who looks like Vice President Kamala Harris addressing what appears to be a communist rally in Chicago with a depiction of a red banner with a communist symbol. That followed his repost of a phony video of himself dancing next to billionaire Elon Musk, one of his most vocal supporters.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. showed up too late to testify Tuesday in a court case in Pennsylvania where Democratic activists are trying to bar him from the ballot for president in the premier battleground state, prompting testy exchanges between the judge and Kennedy's lawyer.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks ticked lower Tuesday and snapped an eight-day winning streak, the longest of the year.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, but it's still just 1.2% below its all-time high set last month. It has roared back from its scary summer drop, where the index briefly dropped nearly 10% below its record.

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Cornel West can appear on the ballot in Maine, the state's secretary of state has ruled.

Shenna Bellows' decision came Tuesday, about a week after the withdrawal of a challenge to another long-shot candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The presence of multiple third-party candidates on the Maine ballot is potentially significant because the state uses ranked choice voting to determine a winner.

CHICAGO (AP) — Vice presidential nominee Tim Walz and former President Bill Clinton are headlining the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, the third day of the party's choreographed rollout of a new candidate, Kamala Harris, and her pitch to voters.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention heads into its third day on Wednesday.

After receiving the blessing of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, the focus on the second to last day of the DNC shifts to Kamala Harris' vice presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The former school teacher and football coach is expected to accept the Democratic nomination as the party makes the case that Americans' fundamental freedoms are at risk if Donald Trump returns to the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tim Walz and JD Vance have vaulted themselves out of national obscurity as they hustle to introduce themselves to the country, but the senator from Ohio has had a rockier start than the Minnesota governor.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Walz had a smoother launch as a running mate to Vice President Kamala Harris than Vance did for former President Donald Trump. About one-third of U.S. adults (36%) have a favorable view of Walz, who will introduce himself to his party when he speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday. About one-quarter (27%) have a positive opinion of Vance. Significantly more adults also have an unfavorable view of Vance than Walz, 44% to 25%.

CHICAGO (AP) — Warning of a difficult fight ahead, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on Tuesday called on the nation to embrace Kamala Harris in urgent messages to the Democratic National Convention that were at times both hopeful and ominous.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention's second night showcased a double dose of Obama firepower to validate Vice President Kamala Harris and deliver an unsparing indictment of Republican Donald Trump. The convention also served up a raucous roll call of states that was essentially one big dance party.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kamala Harris' running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will face a national audience that's still getting to know him when he headlines the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Wednesday night.

Walz wasn't widely known outside of Minnesota before Harris chose him to join her on the Democratic presidential ticket. But they clicked when the vice president interviewed him, and she was impressed by his record as a governor and congressman — and the splash he made on TV. His attack line against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance — "These guys are just weird" — spread like a prairie fire.

DETROIT (AP) — Facing competition from automakers with lower costs, Ford Motor Co. is shifting its electric vehicle strategy and now will focus on making two new electric pickup trucks and a new commercial van. The company says all will cost less, have longer range and be profitable before taxes within a year of reaching showrooms.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy added 818,000 fewer jobs from April 2023 through March this year than were originally reported, the government said Wednesday. The revised total adds to evidence that the job market has been steadily slowing and likely reinforces the Federal Reserve's plan to start cutting interest rates soon.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan racked up a 621 billion yen ($4.3 billion) trade deficit in July, as prices of imports surged, according to government data released Wednesday.

Japan's imports grew nearly 17% from a year ago to 10.2 trillion yen ($70.6 billion), while exports grew 10% to 9.6 trillion yen ($66 billion), the Finance Ministry said.

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's swung back to a profit in its second quarter but suffered yet another sales decline as inflationary weary shoppers rein in spending, with their focus increasingly on buying the essentials.

The company, which also operates upscale Bloomingdale's stores and cosmetics chain Bluemercury, cut its annual sales forecast given what it called "a more discriminating consumer" and the need to roll out more sales to entice them.

NEW YORK (AP) — Target's comparable sales rose for the first time in a year as grocery aisle deals for cash-strapped customers began to pay off.

Sales at stores and digital channels operating over at least the past 12 months rose 2% in the second quarter reversing months of declines, including a 3.7% drop in the previous quarter, and a 4.4% decline during the company's final quarter of last year.

BEIJING (AP) — European milk and cheese producers have become the latest target in a simmering trade war with China.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry said Wednesday that it would launch an investigation into subsidies given by the European Union and EU member countries for dairy products that could lead to tariffs on their export to China.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An attorney who represented the far-right Oath Keepers pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges stemming from a mob's Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, including members of the extremist group.

Kellye SoRelle, who was general counsel for the antigovernment group and a close associate of its founder, is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 17 by U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington, D.C.

PHOENIX (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will speak Friday "about the present historical moment and his path forward," his campaign announced Wednesday, fueling growing speculation that Kennedy could drop out and support Republican nominee Donald Trump.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Democrats have won legal challenges keeping the left-wing Party for Socialism and Liberation off the battleground state's presidential ballot, at least for now, while a lawyer with deep Republican Party ties is working to help independent candidate Cornel West get on it.

ASHEBORO, N.C. (AP) — Holding his first outdoor rally since surviving last month's attempted assassination, Donald Trump on Wednesday railed against Vice President Kamala Harris' approach to national security in North Carolina as part of his weeklong trip across the country to draw attention away from Democrats and their national convention.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — American Airlines is suspending flights to Israel through late March, extending a break in service that started in the early days of the war in Gaza.

A spokesperson for the airline said Wednesday that customers with tickets for flights to Tel Aviv can rebook at no extra charge or cancel their trip and get a refund.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Most Federal Reserve officials agreed last month that they would likely cut their benchmark interest rate at their next meeting in September as long as inflation continued to cool.

The minutes of the Fed's July 30-31 meeting, released Wednesday, said the "vast majority" of policymakers "observed that, if the data continued to come in about as expected, it would likely be appropriate to ease policy at the next meeting."

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks ticked higher Wednesday after more big companies delivered profit reports that topped analysts' expectations.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% a day after breaking an eight-day winning streak, its longest of the year. The index is back to within 0.8% of its all-time high set last month.

NEW YORK (AP) — A gold rush is here. The precious metal hit an all time high this week.

The spot price for gold closed Tuesday above $2,514, according to data from FactSet. That's the highest closing price recorded for the commodity to date. Here's what you need to know.

NEW YORK (AP) — Grocery aisle deals and an emphasis on affordable but stylish clothes helped Target reverse a year-long sales slump, while Macy's on Wednesday reported another quarterly decline and said sales for the fiscal year will be weaker than expected due to a "more discriminating consumer" outlook.

The large ditch outside Neyland Stadium has been filled, and Phillip Fulmer Way has been reopened. Crews are putting the finishing touches on the new entryway. A similar construction process is ongoing for the team playing inside the stadium.

The University of Tennessee football team will return to the field this season with some intriguing changes surrounding some of the main pillars. The Vols have a new starting quarterback, a revamped secondary and some freshmen and transfers expected to shine early.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes ended a four-month slide in July as easing mortgage rates and a pickup in properties on the market encouraged home shoppers.

Existing home sales rose 1.3% last month from June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.95 million, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee coach Brian Callahan can't wait until the regular season starts to see just how much Titans quarterback Will Levis has improved.

The encouraging signs aren't how the 33rd pick overall out of Kentucky in 2023 throws the ball. He's already shown off a strong arm that allows him to throw deep all over the field. It's Levis' consistency with footwork, timing and accuracy he's shown in practice.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York state lawyers urged an appeals court late Wednesday to uphold Donald Trump's nearly $500 million civil fraud judgment, arguing there's "overwhelming evidence" to support a judge's finding that the former president lied for years about his wealth as he built his real estate empire.

CHICAGO (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris closes out the Democratic National Convention Thursday night when she accepts her party's historic presidential nomination and seizes one of her few remaining opportunities to appeal to an audience of millions.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention will kick off its fourth and final night on Thursday.

After a week of Democrats' most prominent figures rallying the party faithful, Vice President Kamala Harris will accept her party's nomination during a speech in which she is widely expected to offer her vision and policy agenda to the American people.

CHICAGO (AP) — Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted his party's nomination for vice president Wednesday night, using his Democratic National Convention address to thank the packed arena for "bringing the joy" to an election transformed by the elevation of his running mate, Vice President Kamala Harris.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Democratic National Convention's third night showcased a familiar former president, Bill Clinton, and introduced more Americans to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, little known outside his state until Vice President Kamala Harris selected him as her running mate.

PHOENIX (AP) — Close allies to Donald Trump are quietly urging independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to endorse the Republican nominee if he withdraws from the campaign for the White House as soon as this week.

Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., along with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and GOP donor Omeed Malik are among those who have been working behind the scenes to lobby Kennedy to drop out of the race and back Trump, according to a person familiar with the efforts. The person requested anonymity to discuss private conversations.

ASHEBORO, N.C. (AP) — At his first outdoor rally since last month's attempted assassination, Donald Trump spoke from behind bulletproof glass Wednesday in North Carolina at an event focused on national security. On politics, he called his predecessor Barack Obama "nasty" for his comments the night before at the Democratic National Convention.

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — The country is facing heightened threats from many corners at a time when law enforcement agencies are struggling, FBI Director Christopher Wray said in an exclusive interview, adding that he is "hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once."

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California will be the first U.S. state to direct millions of dollars from taxpayer money and tech companies to help pay for journalism and AI research under a new deal announced Wednesday.

Under the first-in-the-nation agreement, the state and tech companies would collectively pay roughly $250 million over five years to support California-based news organization and create an AI research program. The initiatives are set to kick in in 2025 with $100 million the first year, and the majority of the money would go to news organizations, said Democratic Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, who brokered the deal.

NEW YORK (AP) — How much hype is left in Nvidia's stock? Anyone with an S&P 500 index fund is hoping to get an answer to that weighty question next week.

Nvidia has ridden Wall Street's mania around artificial intelligence to become one of the stock market's most massive companies, with a total value topping $3 trillion. Real money has backed the rise, and tech companies keep gobbling up Nvidia's chips to train their AI models.