News - Friday, January 17, 2025

As Israeli-American conductor Ilya Ram steps up to the podium at Sailors and Soldiers Auditorium to guide the Chattanooga Symphony through a performance, his shoes are the first indication he’s no ordinary maestro.

Ram, 33, sometimes wears a pair of silver sneakers that shine like disco lights in contrast to his jet-black slacks and are easy to spot even from the rear of the auditorium. Ram debuted these during the opening night of the symphony’s 2024-25 season in September, which also served as his introduction to Chattanooga audiences following the departure of music director Kayoko Dan.

A new court in Hamilton County is giving men and women who have served the United States of America through active duty in the nation’s military an opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment and return to leading healthy, productive lives.

Playwright William Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?”

The principals of McCarthy, Murphy & Preslar answered, “Everything.”

In an effort to promote its focus on representing individuals with disabilities and Social Security disability claims, McCarthy, Murphy & Preslar has changed its name to DisabilityFirm PC.

As we step into 2025, I’m honored and excited to serve as your president of Greater Chattanooga Realtors. Having been part of this vibrant real estate community for 24 years, I’ve come to appreciate the unique role Realtors play as trusted advisers in real estate transactions and ambassadors for our Scenic City.

Councilwoman Carol Berz, who died in December, was the driving force behind the creation and support of the Family Justice Center. Now her name graces the center for which she advocated.

The Chattanooga City Council has unanimously voted to re-name the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center the Dr. Carol B. Berz Family Justice Center.

It’s widely thought that home ownership is a key to building wealth – but is it? And should you consistently make sacrifices to buy your own home?

Let’s start with the first question: Is owning a home essential to building wealth? It would probably be more accurate to say that home ownership can be helpful in building wealth. Building home equity – essentially, the difference between the size of your home’s value and what you still owe – is certainly valuable. Plus, the bigger your equity, the less you might have to take out in a new mortgage if you ever want to buy a different home.

It’s a theme popularized on “The X-Files,” a TV show that portrayed a government conspiracy to conceal the existence of extraterrestrial visitors: Trust no one.

It certainly seems to have caught on. Trust is in notably short supply these days.

The Chattanooga Zoo is kicking off 2025 with the addition of a two-toed sloth. Boysenberry is 7 years old, weighs 19 pounds and comes to Chattanooga from the Oregon Zoo in Portland. Her species is found throughout Central America and the northern parts of South America and live around 16 years in human care. Sloths are arboreal mammals, meaning they live in treetops and spend most of their time clinging to limbs in forest canopies. They are known to move very slowly and to spend around 15 hours a day sleeping due to their leafy low-calorie diet and their slow metabolic rate. Boysenberry is on exhibit in the center of the zoo’s Forests of the World building. She can also be seen via livestream at chattzoo.org/explore/video-stream.

All-wheel drive might not be a must-have, but it sure is nice to have if you live in any of the large swaths of America that regularly see snow. A good set of winter tires will get the job done much of the time, but there’s no substitute for all-wheel drive if you want ultimate peace of mind.

For two years, the Tennessee Titans preached to fans, media and to the entire organization about collaboration.

The results of that collaboration are in, and that oft-used buzzword produced nine wins and 25 losses and ultimately helped to cost both Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon their jobs. The buzzword turned into a buzzkill as the Titans sank to the bottom of the NFL this season.

Hold on a sec. Hit the double-lines on the remote. You need to leave the room a minute, take a phone call, take care of business, grab snacks, let the dog out, you’ll be right back. Halt things, put them on “snooze” and resume when you’re done. As in the new book “The Power Pause” by Neha Ruch, you have important things to do first.

NEW YORK (AP) — A trial to decide whether Rudy Giuliani must give up his Florida condominium and three World Series rings or turn them over to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment was delayed for at least until Thursday afternoon after the former New York City mayor didn't show up to testify.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury nominee Scott Bessent told his confirmation hearing Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump has an opportunity to unleash "a new economic golden age."

In testimony, Bessent said the U.S. must secure vulnerable supply chains, levy sanctions to address national security concerns "and critically, we must ensure that the U.S. dollar remains the world's reserve currency."

NASHVILLE (AP) — The athletic director at a mid-sized school that's making a splash this season has a modest proposal for taming what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports.

Sean Frazier, the AD at Northern Illinois — remember, the team that beat national finalist Notre Dame earlier this season — is talking about a "talent acquisition fee."

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee House is warning lawmakers and the crowds watching legislative floor sessions that they could be booted from the room if their behavior is deemed out of line.

For lawmakers, after multiple infractions they could be removed from the floor a few days at a time and forced to vote remotely. For the public, they could be banned up to two years for particularly bad or frequently disruptive behavior. The tougher punishment options came in a news rules package passed Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is rescinding its protocol for federal executions that allowed for single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital, after a government review raised concerns about the potential for "unnecessary pain and suffering."

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The problem of kids working in dangerous slaughterhouses continues to be a concern as the Labor Department announced its third agreement this week with a company in the industry agreeing to pay a penalty and reform its practices to help ensure it won't hire underage workers again.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday backed the public health benefits of nicotine pouches, authorizing Philip Morris International's Zyn to help adult smokers cut back or quit cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration OK'd 10 Zyn flavors, including coffee, mint and menthol. It's the first time regulators have authorized sales of nicotine pouches, which are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. tobacco market.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global economy is growing steadily in the face of war, protectionist trade policies and high interest rates. It just isn't growing fast enough to bring relief to the world's poorest, the World Bank said Thursday in its latest assessment of the global economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — American Express has agreed to pay more than $138 million to resolve a wire fraud investigation related to its sales and marketing practices, federal authorities announced Thursday.

The New York-based financial giant provided inaccurate tax advice to customers and potential customers on wire products primary marketed at small and mid-size businesses, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York's office said. Customers were told, for example, that the company's fees were tax-deductible as a business expense.

WASHINGTON (AP) — After Donald Trump becomes president again on Monday, he's on the hook for achieving a hefty chunk of his promises even before the day is out. One of those promises is to make you dizzy.

"Your head will spin when you see what's going to happen.," he said of Day 1.

Lee Zeldin said Americans deserve a clean environment "without suffocating the economy" during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a department likely to play a central role in President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to slash federal regulations and promote oil and gas development.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday defended Biden administration policies on Israel's war with Hamas after a ceasefire agreement in Gaza was reached, facing protests that interrupted his final news conference at the State Department.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden in his Wednesday farewell speech to the nation warned that American democracy was sliding into an "oligarchy" of tech billionaires. But what exactly is an oligarchy?

What is an oligarchy?

In short, an oligarchy is an elite few who control the government's actions.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury nominee Scott Bessent on Thursday faced sharp questions from both Democrats and Republicans on tax policy, tariffs, China, Russia sanctions and the future of an IRS tax filing system that Republicans have called to be cut.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans wrapped up a third straight day of interviews Thursday as part of their second round searching for a general manager, meeting in person with Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan and Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored in regulation and had Nashville's third straight shootout goal in the Predators' 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Filip Forsberg tied it with 3:03 left with his 300th NHL goal, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves in regulation and overtime. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly scored on Nashville's first two attempts in the tiebreaker and Stamkos put it away on the third.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless it's sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri man who crashed a rental truck into barriers protecting the White House was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for an attack that prosecutors said was inspired by his fascination with Nazi ideology, court records show.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Popular weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to Medicare's list of medications that will be negotiated directly between the government and drug manufacturers, the Biden administration said Friday.

LONDON (AP) — It's called the Voice of America — a storied news outlet that has promised "the truth" since it first broadcast stories about democracy into Nazi Germany during World War II. Now, it's the voice of a country in which a majority of voters chose incoming presidentDonald Trump, a man famous for insistingthe truth is what he says it is.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden won't enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.

Unfair. Astonishing. Un-American. That is how tech entrepreneur Jeff Atwood sees the staggering wealth inequality in the U.S. today. In response, he and his family have pledged to give away half their wealth within five years, starting with $1 million gifts to eight nonprofits this month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Troy Meink, a former Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft navigator and former deputy of the National Reconnaissance Office, as his choice to serve as the top civilian leader for the Air Force.

Meink has almost four decades of experience as both a military member and in government service in national security, including roles managing some of the nation's most sensitive satellite intelligence capabilities and the military's space portfolio.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army expects to meet its enlistment goals for 2025, marking a dramatic turnaround for a service that has struggled for several years to bring in enough young people and has undergone a major overhaul of its recruiting programs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin topped $100,000 again early Friday as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry expects early action by Donald Trump when he's sworn in as president next week.

Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin " seems like a scam," Trump has embraced digital currencies with a convert's zeal. He's launched a new cryptocurrency venture and vowed on the campaign trail to take steps early in his presidency to make the U.S. into the "crypto capital" of the world.

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's foreign minister warned Americans they will be paying a "Trump tariff tax" if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with a threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Friday that Canada is ready to retaliate and put maximum pressure on the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to grow a little faster and inflation to keep falling this year. But it warned that the outlook is clouded by President-elect Donald Trump's promises to slash U.S. taxes, impose tariffs on foreign goods, ease regulations on businesses and deport millions of immigrants working illegally in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Few Democrats found ways to negotiate with Republicans quite like Shalanda Young — whose work as White House budget director stopped several potential economic crises from erupting.

She brokered a 2023 deal to stop the government from defaulting on its debt. She worked to keep the government from shutting down, preserve disaster relief and address a baby formula shortage. She helped save aid to Ukraine with a loan based on frozen Russian assets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt is slated to rise by $23.9 trillion over the next decade, a sum that does not include trillions of dollars in additional tax cuts being championed by President-elect Donald Trump.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its 10-year budget outlook on Friday that showed a slightly brighter picture as higher taxable incomes will relieve some pressure on the rising national debt. Still, annual budget deficits are expected to be equal to 6.1% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2035, which the CBO noted is "significantly more than the 3.8 percent that deficits have averaged over the past 50 years."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump may take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.

"The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don't want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is heading toward a final vote on legislation that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes and give states power to challenge federal immigration policies, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal task force aiming to fix the mishandling of classified documents that it says has plagued outgoing presidential administrations for decades is recommending better guidance and training on such materials.

Released Friday, the recommendations come nearly a year after President Joe Biden formed the Presidential Records Task Force with the goal of studying past transitions to determine best practices for safeguarding classified information from one administration to the next.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, inserting himself into a long-running legal battle over gender equality.

"It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people," Biden said in a statement. "In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex."

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a broad cooperation pact Friday as their countries deepened their partnership in the face of stinging Western sanctions.

Russian and Iranian officials say the "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty" covers all areas -– from trade and military cooperation to science, education and culture.

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, will face senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to meet with Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, another friendly overture to the president-elect by a Democrat awaiting trial on federal corruption charges.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump wants to make Hollywood "bigger, better and stronger" and has cast Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone as stars of what he is calling his "Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California."

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., as the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday after asserting that the panel needed a fresh start.

MONTEREY (AP) — Perdue Farms plans to close a processing plant in Tennessee that employs more than 430 people.

In a news release Thursday, the company confirmed that the Monterey facility would close in late March. It said changes in market demand and how the company produces and supplies its products have affected the Monterey plant in recent years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve said Friday that it is leaving an international grouping of central banks that focused on how regulation of the financial system could help combat climate change. The Fed's membership has been criticized by Republicans in Congress.

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is suspending an error-prone feature that used artificial intelligence to deliver bogus news alerts to some iPhone owners.

The decision was disclosed Thursday as part of a test version for the next software release, iOS 18.3. The beta version is only available to a relatively small group of iPhone users and developers, but the same features are usually released in an update available to all users several weeks after the testing begins.

WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said in a letter to IRS workers on Friday that he intends to step down from his position on President-elect Donald Trump's Inauguration Day.

"After significant introspection and consultation with others, I've determined the best way to support a successful transition is to depart the IRS on January 20, 2025," Werfel said in a note addressed to all IRS employees. "While leaving a job you love is never easy, I take comfort in knowing that the civil servant leaders and employees at the IRS are the exact right team to effectively steward this organization forward until a new IRS Commissioner is confirmed."

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at a confirmation hearing and promised to be a tough hand in carrying out the president's vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.