News - Friday, October 31, 2025

Jessica Winspear wasn’t sure what to expect when she first carried her 2-year-old daughter, Sophie, into a Little Gym class in Knoxville. The bright mats, the giggles that bounced off the walls and the relaxed rhythm of the class were all new to her. But before the session ended, she watched Sophie hold up two fingers to show her age and tell the group her name.

For hundreds of years, college classrooms have been sanctuaries for the written word as professors have led generations of students through the tragedies, sonnets and novels that make up the canon.

But stories no longer live only on the page. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, they live on screens, in code and in the choices players make inside digital worlds.

Hundreds of community members rose to their feet at the Waterhouse Pavilion in downtown Chattanooga Tuesday as Edna Varner, Ed.D. – educator, mentor and civic leader – was welcomed into a sisterhood she’d long admired but never formally joined.

Now that the buzz of summer has faded, fall can be a great moment to refocus on your home goals. Cooler temps, calmer weekends and a little less competition often make this season a smart time to shop, especially if you’re hoping to settle in before the holidays.

The Chattanooga Zoo’s annual event returns Oct. 31 with trick-or-treating, character meet-and-greets, a bounce house, a scavenger hunt and festive decorations. Popular characters like Elsa, Spider-Man and Moana will be on hand for photos, courtesy of Magic Lamp Entertainment. Friday, 4-8 p.m. Tickets

A piano composition by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga professor Jonathan McNair is featured on “Piano Crosscurrents,” a Grammy-nominated classical album by New York pianist and composer Max Lifchitz.

McNair, the Ruth S. Holmberg professor of American Music, has taught at UTC for 26 years. His piece, “Rabun Gap,” was professionally recorded with support from a UTC faculty development grant and added to the album, which debuted in April 2025. Lifchitz’s North-South Consonance Ensemble, founded more than four decades ago, is dedicated to performing works by contemporary composers from across the Americas.

Banner Built Homes has announced the development of Davidson Meadows, its first Chattanooga community. Developed with Legacy South, the East Brainerd neighborhood will include 95 single-family, cottage-style homes across five floor plans, with base prices from $299,900 to $409,900. Standard features include granite countertops, high-end cabinetry and Mohawk flooring.

Medicare becomes a vital part of your health care coverage when you turn 65. But signing up is just the beginning. Many people don’t realize that Medicare isn’t a “set it and forget it” program. 

In fact, you have the opportunity – and often the need – to review and adjust your coverage every single year.

Photograph provided

Leaders from Covenant College gather onstage during the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the completion of renovations to Sanderson Auditorium in Sanderson Hall. The project modernized the well-known theater and classroom space with updated audiovisual technology, ADA-accessible features and refreshed interiors to support both academic and performance uses.

To Amy Adams Strunk: I know you only want what is best for the Tennessee Titans. The issue seems to be that you really just don’t know how to get there. But I think I have the answer for you. There is a legendary former sports executive that you could model yourself and your decision-making after in an attempt to turn the franchise around.

The Titans are the least-competitive team in the NFL, losing by an average of 29-14. With the Los Angeles Chargers coming to town, the Titans could be in for another long day at Nissan Stadium, where they have not won in nearly a calendar year.

First down

Play with a lead. The Titans have not had many leads this season, but they did have one briefly two weeks ago against New England. It would be nice if they could somehow score first, play some adequate defense and then try to use the running game to shorten the game and keep the Chargers offense on the sideline. That’s probably wishful thinking, but it has to be an option if the Titans are to have a chance.

Don’t buy that new car yet. If you can wait, you’ll have new 2026 model year options that aren’t out yet. Although some models barely change, others are completely redesigned and often get the latest features and improvements.

Whether you’re interested in improved fuel economy, cutting-edge technology or maybe just fresh and distinctive styling, there’s likely a car on the horizon that you’ll be interested in. To ensure you don’t miss out on the latest and greatest, the car experts at Edmunds highlight five vehicles you should consider waiting for.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas quarterback Arch Manning was "making good progress" in practice, coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday, but his status to return from a concussion in time to play against No. 9 Vanderbilt was still uncertain.

Manning has been in concussion protocol since being injured at the beginning of overtime in No. 20 Texas' 45-38 win over Mississippi State last week. Backup Matthew Caldwell came on to throw the winning touchdown as Texas rallied from 17 points down in the fourth quarter.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — As the football season pushes into November, No. 9 Vanderbilt continues its march through what could be a special one for the Commodores.

A shot at both the Southeastern Conference championship and a College Football Playoff berth are still easily within sight. Such things are new in Nashville, but quarterback Diego Pavia and this group of Commodores have changed the goals and the very idea of what's possible.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has stripped references to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack from court papers and punished two federal prosecutors who filed the document seeking prison time at sentencing Thursday for a man arrested with guns and ammunition near former President Barack Obama's home.

NEW YORK (AP) — Hip-hop producer Sean "Diddy" Combs wants a federal appeals court to quickly consider the legality of his conviction on prostitution-related charges and his more than four-year prison sentence.

His lawyers filed papers with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, asking that oral arguments in his appeal occur in April.

BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge in Boston on Thursday challenged the Trump administration's argument that SNAP benefits could be suspended for the first time in the food aid program's history because of the government shutdown.

During a hearing over a request by 25 Democratic-led states to keep the funding flowing, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani told lawyers that if the government can't afford to cover the program, there's a process to follow rather than simply suspending all benefits. "The steps involve finding an equitable way of reducing benefits," said Talwani, who was nominated to the court by former President Barack Obama.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — American farmers welcomed China's promise to buy some of their soybeans, but they cautioned this won't solve all their problems as they continue to deal with soaring prices for fertilizer, tractors, repair parts and seeds.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown is exacting a heavy mental toll on the nation's military families, leaving them not knowing from week to week whether their paychecks will arrive.

Alicia Blevins, whose husband is a Marine, said she's going to see a therapist in large part because of the grinding uncertainty.

MILAN (AP) — Stellantis' shares dropped 10% on Thursday after the world's fourth-largest carmaker posted modest third-quarter gains and warned about possible future charges.

The Italian-French-U.S. carmaker that makes Jeep, Fiat and Peugeot vehicles reported a 13% increase in net revenues in the three months ending in September to 37.2 billion euros ($43.2 billion), ending seven quarters of decline on strong North American results as the carmaker showed the first signs of a turnaround under the new CEO.

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — Three-digit tariffs are off the table, but import duties on each other are higher than in January.

Rare earth materials will flow more smoothly, but China has put in place an export permitting regime that it can tighten or loosen as needed.

The market for obesity and diabetes treatments remains scorching hot, funneling billions in sales to Eli Lilly and fueling a bidding war over another drugmaker.

Lilly said Thursday that its top-selling drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound, brought in more than $10 billion combined during the recently completed third quarter. That made up over half of the drugmaker's $17.6 billion in total sales.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's increasing efforts to exclude Democrats from national security briefings could endanger troops and keep important information from the public, the top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee warned Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that would undo many of President Donald Trump's tariffs around the globe, the latest note of displeasure at his trade tactics in Washington that came just as the president celebrated his negotiations with China as a success.

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) — President Donald Trump appeared to suggest the U.S. will resume testing nuclear weapons for the first time in three decades, saying it would be on an "equal basis" with Russia and China.

The Kremlin pointed out that a global ban on nuclear tests has remained in place, but warned that if any country resumes nuclear testing Russia would follow suit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted annually to the United States to 7,500 and they will mostly be white South Africans, a dramatic drop announced Thursday that effectively suspends America's traditional role as a haven for those fleeing war and persecution.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two prominent Republicans on Capitol Hill want the Supreme Court to allow a lawsuit to proceed against tech giant Cisco over allegations that the company's technology was used to persecute members of the Falun Gong religious sect in China.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Senate hearing for President Donald Trump's surgeon general pick, Dr. Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor, a spokesperson for the Senate health committee said Thursday.

The news came just hours before the 38-year-old Means, who has been pregnant with her first child, was set to appear virtually with the committee for her confirmation hearing. It was not immediately clear when the hearing would be rescheduled.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Trevor Zegras scored twice and added an assist to continue his home ice hot streak and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Thursday night.

Zegras, who leads the Flyers with 12 points, has at least one point in each of the team's seven home games this season, becoming just the third Flyer to do so in his first seven home games with the organization.

BOSTON (AP) — Two judges could rule as soon as Friday on whether President Donald Trump's administration must replenish SNAP food aid benefits for November despite the government shutdown.

The grocery-buying ability for about 1 in 8 Americans could hinge on the outcomes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former FBI Director James Comey want to review a transcript and audio recording of grand jury proceedings in his criminal case, citing what they say were "irregularities" in the process that should result in the dismissal of an indictment pushed by President Donald Trump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military to provide dozens of lawyers to the Justice Department for temporary assignments in Memphis and near the U.S.-Mexico border that could run through next fall, according to a memo released this week and reviewed by The Associated Press.

NEW YORK (AP) — Disney content has gone dark on YouTube TV, leaving subscribers of the Google-owned live streaming platform without access to major networks like ESPN and ABC.

That's because the companies have failed to reach a new licensing deal to keep Disney channels on YouTube TV. Depending on how long it lasts, the dispute could particularly impact coverage of U.S. college football matchups over the weekend — as well as NBA and NFL games — on top of other news and entertainment disruptions that have already arrived.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes that typically change hands as people relocate for work, retire or trade-up for more living space hasn't been this low in nearly 30 years.

About 28 out of every 1,000 homes changed hands between January and September, the lowest U.S. home turnover rate going back to at least the 1990s, according to an analysis by Redfin.

KENT, Conn. (AP) — For most Americans, there's less reason than ever to worry about finding chargers to fuel up an electric vehicle. But charging worries remain a top hesitation for potential buyers, second only to sticker shock.

Those concerns linger even as fast chargers multiply. More than 12,000 have been added within a mile of U.S. highways and interstates just this year, an Associated Press analysis of data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows. That's about a fifth of quick-charging ports now in operation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anthony Taylor will never forget the look of horror on the student's face. The school crossing guard was walking into the crosswalk in front of Washington Township High School in Indianapolis when a car with a young boy and his mom, who was dropping him off at school, suddenly appeared. The mom's eyes grew wide, and the boy began vigorously hitting on his mother's chest.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Across the country, school crossing guards provide a vital service protecting children as they go to and from school. Many of them say the job is rewarding. But an investigation by AP and Cox Media Group Television Stations shows it can also be dangerous.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown has been a source of anxiety for school leaders wondering how long grant money will last and who can help them interpret federal laws. For Education Secretary Linda McMahon, it offers a preview of what she hopes to make permanent.

GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — Silicon Valley chipmaker Nvidia plans to supply hundreds of thousands of its graphics processing units for projects with South Korean businesses and the government to advance the country's artificial intelligence infrastructure and technologies.

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has said that his refusal to sign a $35 billion gas agreement with Egypt has prompted his U.S. counterpart to cancel a planned trip to Israel.

A statement from Cohen's office on Thursday night said that U.S. officials had been "exerting a great deal of pressure on Israeli officials" to approve the deal, but it said that the minister would refuse to do so "until Israeli interests are secured and a fair price for the Israeli market is agreed upon."

Radio Free Asia says it is shutting down its news operations on Friday with its financing in dire straits due to the U.S. government shutdown and the Trump administration's moves against government-funded news services.

Since 1996, Radio Free Asia has been an independent news source operating online and on broadcast throughout that region, particularly in areas where the free flow of information is repressed.

HONG KONG (AP) — China's factory activity contracted for the seventh consecutive month in October, the government said Friday, as a newly announced truce in the trade war between the U.S. and China offers some hope for a stronger recovery in exports.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon posted higher fiscal third quarter profit and sales compared with a year ago, fueled by accelerating growth in its cloud computing business and strong spending by its customers looking for low prices at a time when inflation is resurging.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple delivered financial results during its summertime quarter that exceeded analyst projections, despite being caught in the crosshairs of a global trade war at the same time the trendsetting company is scrambling to catch up to its Big Tech peers in the artificial intelligence race.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday that he would try to persuade U.S. President Donald Trump to grant Hungary exemptions from Washington's newly announced sanctions targeting Russian oil when he meets with the president next week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of a prominent Republican-aligned think tank defended conservative media personality Tucker Carlson after he offered a platform to a far-right activist known for pushing white nationalist and antisemitic views.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts posted a video to social media Thursday in which he denied that the group was "distancing itself" from the former Fox News host after Carlson's podcast hosted Nick Fuentes, whose followers see themselves as trying to preserve America's white, Christian identify.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump is calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government after a monthlong shutdown, breaking with majority Republicans who have long opposed such a move.

Trump said in a post on his social media site Thursday that "THE CHOICE IS CLEAR — INITIATE THE 'NUCLEAR OPTION,' GET RID OF THE FILIBUSTER."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating whether leaders in the Black Lives Matter movement defrauded donors who contributed tens of millions of dollars during racial justice protests in 2020, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Military leaders have ordered the National Guard in every state to develop a "quick reaction force" of troops trained to deal with civil disturbances and riots that can be ready to deploy with just hours' notice, the latest indication of longer-term Trump administration plans to more readily dispatch soldiers to U.S. streets.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's request to add a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form cannot be enforced, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over his executive order to overhaul U.S. elections.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon led the U.S. stock market on Friday to the finish of another winning week and month.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and pulled closer to its all-time high set on Tuesday. It closed out a third straight winning week and a sixth straight winning month, its longest monthly winning streak since 2021.

NEW YORK (AP) — Your neighbors might soon need extra assistance putting food on the table.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture planned on Nov. 1 to begin freezing food aid payments used by about 1 in 8 Americans for groceries. A cornerstone of the nation's social safety net, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was said to be out of funds as the government shutdown entered its second month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back from a week abroad, President Donald Trump threw himself into the shutdown debate, calling on the Senate to scrap the filibuster and reopen the government, an idea swiftly rejected Friday by Republican leaders who have long opposed such a move.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Seemingly frustrated by the government shutdown and Democrats' unwillingness to accept a Republican funding bill, President Donald Trump is once again demanding that the Senate eliminate the legislative filibuster.

The filibuster is a longstanding parliamentary tool that halts action on most bills unless 60 senators in the 100-member chamber vote to move forward. Over the years, it has stymied policy priorities for Democrats and Republicans alike, and Trump has been complaining about the maneuver since his first White House term.