News - Friday, July 18, 2025

In 2012, Brian and Jamey Elrod were sitting in a Chattanooga restaurant, waiting – and waiting – for their server, but no one was checking on their table. Frustrated, they joked, “Too bad we can’t just text the restaurant.”

Tiffany Grandstaff still remembers the moment it all clicked.

“I saw the video of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nose, and I thought, ‘That could have been my straw,’” Grandstaff says. “That was the moment I realized we needed to take how we’re treating the planet more seriously.”

On a hot July afternoon in Harrison, the sharp scent of smoke drifted down Harvest Run Drive as fire tore through part of a home. The homeowner was away, but a dog was trapped inside.

For the firefighters of the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department, who cover 112 square miles of Hamilton County stretching from Harrison to Birchwood and beyond, every second mattered. They knew they’d be fighting more than fire – they’d be racing smoke, heat and time to save a life.

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center has launched its 2025 Summer Campaign, “Laying the Groundwork for the Future,” with a goal of raising $100,000 by Aug. 31. A group of supporters has pledged to match every dollar, unlocking a total of $200,000 for critical infrastructure improvements.

On July 1, attorney Sam Elliott of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon assumed the role of chairman of the Tennessee Bar Foundation board of trustees. Elliott, who’s served on the board since 2019, will hold the chairman position for a one-year term.

The Chattanooga Market will shine a spotlight on local artists and makers 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the First Horizon Pavilion. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate their craft, from throwing clay and painting to weaving yarn. The event offers visitors a chance to watch the creative process at work.

Ruby Falls has broken ground on a 14,500-square-foot corporate headquarters atop Lookout Mountain. Designed by HK Architects, the project brings sustainable design to the landmark attraction, known for its 96-year legacy of connecting visitors to nature.

Related to last week’s risk-reduction tips for cybercrimes and wire fraud, this week, we explore deed fraud, including the impersonation of a property owner to sell or take possession of a property via fraudulent deeds. The National Association of Realtors provides the following overview of how dead fraud can occur and best practices to protect yourself – whether you’re an agent or a consumer looking to buy or sell.

There’s a quote about the importance of setting goals that says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” 

You probably have dreams about retirement, vacations, hobbies and more. But if you don’t have a strategy with financial goals in place, you may not make the choices that can best set you on the path to achieve those dreams. 

And just like that, you saw the solution. You fixed an issue at work and solved the day. Yay you! You deserve every pat on the back, every hurrah, all the accolades you get. Everyone says you’re brilliant, and you’re starting to think, yeah, they’re kinda right. 

Have you been on LinkedIn lately? If so, you’ve probably seen posts from frustrated job seekers. They are mad. They are demoralized. Some are giving up. Looking for a job is hard, even under the best circumstances. 

The majority of workers have never looked for a new job from scratch. In most cases, the job seeker receives a call from a friend, a colleague or a recruiter. They ask the job seeker to apply for a job. The job seeker interviews for the role and might then be selected. The entire process is relatively quick and painless. 

Jamyan Theodore has fully embraced being considered an in-state recruit even though he was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He arrived in Chattanooga last year to begin playing football for The Baylor School. In that short time span, Theodore fell in love with the idea of becoming a Vol.

Summer days beckon, and with them the prospect of campfires, fishing holes and scenic hikes. When it’s time to commune with nature, you need a car that can get you there and offer convenience and utility once you’ve arrived.

Whether you’re looking to get far off the beaten path or simply enjoy the outdoors with some comforts of home, we’ve rounded up five of the best vehicles for the occasion.

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A settlement was announced Thursday in court in a class action investors' lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and current and former company leaders over claims stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

NEW YORK (AP) — In a matter of months, it has become a regular sight around the country — immigration enforcement agents detaining people and taking them into custody, often as public anger and outcry unfold around them. But in the process, something has disappeared: the agents' faces, covered by caps, sunglasses, pulled-up neck gaiters or balaclavas, effectively rendering them unidentifiable.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana is officially halting a $3 billion coastal restoration funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money, state and federal agencies confirmed Thursday.

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project had been intended to rebuild upward of 20 square miles (32 kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana to combat sea level rise and erosion on the Gulf Coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum under a new order that authorizes him to conduct "elevated review" of activities ranging from leases to rights-of-way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.

The debate over whether Coca-Cola should use high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar in its signature soda obscures an important fact: Consumers are increasingly looking for Coke with no sugar at all.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, uses both the artificial sweetener aspartame and the natural sweetener stevia in its recipe. It's one of Coke's fastest-growing products, with global case volumes up 14% in the first quarter of the year. By comparison, the company's total case volumes were up 2%.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration left many local officials in the dark about the immigration detention center that rose from an isolated airstrip in the Everglades, emails obtained by The Associated Press show, while relying on an executive order to seize the land, hire contractors and bypass laws and regulations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will not recommend a special counsel in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, turning aside calls for further action in an inquiry that has roiled the Justice Department and angered supporters who had been expecting a treasure trove of documents from the case.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor's letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand.

Leavitt said Trump noticed "mild swelling" in his lower legs and was evaluated by the White House medical unit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed three bills intended to boost the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency industry with new regulations as President Donald Trump has pushed to make the U.S. the " crypto capital of the world."

One of the bills, which would regulate a type of cryptocurrency called stablecoins, had already passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support and will now head to Trump's desk. The other two bills — broader legislation to create a new market structure for cryptocurrency and a bill to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency — will go to the Senate.

ATLANTA (AP) — There was not a Big Ten player, coach or fan in sight this week as the College Football Hall of Fame hosted SEC Media Days. Still, the SEC's No. 1 rival found its way into conversations all week long.

It's no secret the rivalry has intensified in recent years. Over the last decade, the SEC has won six of the 10 national championships. Two were won by Clemson in that stretch but the last two were won by Big Ten rivals, Michigan last year and Ohio State in January.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix on Thursday announced another quarter of steady growth as the video streaming service's more than 300 million subscribers have become increasingly attractive to advertisers.

It's a familiar script that Netflix has followed for the past three years to widen its lead in video streaming while delivering financial results that have usually easily exceeded the analyst projections that steer investors.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Lauren Adams, general manager for KUCB public radio in Unalaska, Alaska, didn't have much time to reflect on Congress, 4,000 miles away, stripping federal funding for public media this week. She's been too busy working.

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union and Britain on Friday ramped up pressure on Russia over its war on Ukraine, targeting Moscow's energy sector, shadow fleet of aging oil tankers and military intelligence service with new sanctions.

"The message is clear: Europe will not back down in its support for Ukraine. The EU will keep raising the pressure until Russia ends its war," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after the bloc agreed its new measures, including a new oil price cap.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Asian countries are offering to buy more U.S. liquefied natural gas in negotiations with the Trump administration as a way to alleviate tensions over U.S. trade deficits and forestall higher tariffs. Analysts warn that strategy could undermine those countries' long-term climate ambitions and energy security.

OpenAI should continue to be controlled by a nonprofit because the artificial intelligence technology it is developing is "too consequential" to be governed by a corporation alone.

That is the message from an advisory board convened by OpenAI to give it recommendations about its nonprofit structure — delivered in a report released Thursday, along with a sweeping vision for democratizing AI and reforming philanthropy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Federal Reserve official said late Thursday that the central bank should cut its key interest rate later this month, carving out a different view than that of Chair Jerome Powell, who has been harshly criticized by the White House for delaying rate cuts.

BANGKOK (AP) — China's state security agency says it is cracking down on alleged smuggling of rare earths minerals that it says threaten national security, just weeks after Beijing and Washington agreed to make it easier for American firms to obtain from China those materials, which are critical for manufacturing and computer chip production.

HOUSTON (AP) — Chevron has scored a critical ruling in Paris that has given it the go-ahead for a $53 billion acquisition of Hess and access to one of the biggest oil finds of the decade.

Chevron said Friday that it completed its acquisition of Hess shortly after the ruling from the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Exxon had challenged Chevron's bid for Hess, one of three companies with access to the massive Stabroek Block oil field off the coast of Guyana.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is granting two years of regulatory relief to coal-fired power plants, chemical manufacturers and other polluting industries as he seeks to reverse Biden-era regulations he considers overly burdensome.

Trump issued a series of proclamations late Thursday exempting a range of industries that he calls vital to national security.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are in merger talks to create the largest railroad in North America that would connect the East and West Coasts.

The merger discussions began during the first quarter of this year, according to a person familiar with the talks who isn't authorized to discuss them publicly. It would combine the largest and smallest of the country's six major freight railroads.

WASHINGTON (AP) — If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term, it's this: He's leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history.

From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, President Donald Trump's family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election.

That flood of money — from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons, often with interests before the federal government — has permitted the president to leverage the power of his office for personal gain unlike any of his predecessors.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican elected officials are promoting their recently passed tax and spending bill as a win for working Americans, but a new survey shows that Americans broadly see it as a win for the wealthy.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults expect the new tax law will help the rich, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Most — about 6 in 10 — think it will do more to hurt than help low-income people. About half say it will do more harm than good for middle-class people and people like them.

WASHINGTON (AP) —

Former Missouri congressman Billy Long will be ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration's handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The controversy over President Donald Trump 's handling of records from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation entered a new dimension Thursday as his administration struggles to make good on its promises to release details on the sex trafficking case involving a one-time friend of the now-president.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans were grasping late Thursday to formulate a response to the Trump administration's handling of records in the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case, ultimately putting forward a resolution that carries no legal weight but nodded to the growing demand for greater transparency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House gave final approval to President Donald Trump's request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican-led Congress has passed President Donald Trump's request to claw back about $9 billion in public broadcasting and foreign aid spending.

Trump's Republican administration is employing a rarely used tool that allows the president to transmit a request to cancel previously approved funding authority. Democrats tried to kill the measure but needed more Republicans uncomfortable with the president's effort to join them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration insists it hasn't wavered in its duty to protect the civil rights of America's children even as it dismantles the Education Department. Yet its own data shows the agency has resolved far fewer civil rights cases than in past years despite families filing more complaints.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department is pulling back from commenting on or criticizing elections overseas unless there is a clear and compelling U.S. foreign policy interest in doing so.

In new guidance issued Thursday to all U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, the department said that those outposts should refrain from issuing statements that invoke any particular ideology and that what they may say must be in line with President Donald Trump's stated position that the U.S. will respect the sovereignty of all foreign nations.

BOSTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's plan to end birthright citizenship for the children of people who are in the U.S. illegally will remain blocked as an order from one judge went into effect Friday and another seemed inclined to follow suit.

U.S. District Judge Joseph LaPlante in New Hampshire had paused his own decision to allow for the Trump administration to appeal, but with no appeal filed in the last week his order went into effect.

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A Virginia man pleaded guilty Friday in a federal case that accused him of stockpiling the largest number of finished explosives in FBI history and of using then-President Joe Biden's photo for target practice.

Brad Spafford pleaded guilty in federal court in Norfolk to possession of an unregistered short barrel rifle and possession of an unregistered destructive device, according to court documents. Each count carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for December.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will release some previously withheld grant money for after-school programs, days after 10 Republican senators sent a letter imploring the Office of Management and Budget to allow the funds to be sent to states.

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — When U.S. President Donald Trump met five African leaders in Washington in July, his lack of familiarity with the continent was on display. He praised Liberian President Joseph Boakai's English — Liberia's official language — and gestured at another leader to wrap up remarks. But the bigger takeaway was Trump's pledge to transform U.S.-Africa relations: a shift from aid to trade, even as the region reels from steep tariffs and sweeping aid cuts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under intense pressure from President Donald Trump's own supporters, his administration now says it will push a court to unseal secret documents related to Jeffrey Epstein's case in an effort to put to rest for good a political crisis largely of its own making.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday will sign into law a new set of regulations for a type of cryptocurrency that are seen as a way to legitimize the burgeoning industry.

The GENIUS Act sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins, a type of cryptocurrency that is tied to a stable asset like the U.S. dollar to reduce price volatility. It passed both the House and Senate with wide bipartisan margins.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has looked to the marble finishes and hefty price tag of the Federal Reserve headquarters to claim grounds to fire Chair Jerome Powell, with whom he has tussled for years over interest rates. But the extensive use of marble in the building is, at least in part, the result of policies backed by Trump himself.