News -
Friday, March 20, 2026
|
Previous Issues
Previous
|
Next
Return To Today's News
|
A natural solution
Composting program shows users a better way to help the planet
Food scraps rarely inspire much thought once they disappear down a kitchen sink or into a trash can. But in Chattanooga, a growing effort is asking residents to think differently about what they throw away – and what that waste could become instead.
Eagleton wants to help you (finally) get organized
For many people, cluttered closets and chaotic kitchens are simply part of life. But for Rachel Eagleton, they’re often signs of something deeper: homes that lack systems to support the people living in them. Eagleton is the founder and CEO of Rachel’s Home Management, a Chattanooga-based home management and organization firm that helps households create practical systems for daily life. Through hands-on organizing work and broader home management strategies, she helps clients transform homes that feel overwhelming into environments that function smoothly and calmly.
Building a green solution amid the fast-food forest
Set aside your cravings for smash burgers, fried chicken and tacos, because we’re heading into the realm of Build-a-Salad – where fresh vegetables, dietary fiber and leafy greens abound. But don’t worry; plenty of meats, cheeses and fattening dressings are on hand, too.
Hague finds quick benefit to joining Council
When Heather Hague attended her first luncheon with the Chattanooga chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, she was simply exploring a professional organization a colleague had encouraged her to visit. Within days of joining, that decision had already changed her business.
Builders talk construction strategy
Chrissy Smith of Empire Homes, Warren Cole of Cole Construction and Bill Panabianco of Pratt Home Builders participate in a moderated panel discussion during the Women’s Council of Realtors Chattanooga monthly networking luncheon at the Walden Club March 4. The three Chattanooga-area builders discussed their companies’ approaches to home construction, including niche markets, price points, community amenities, HOA policies and how they collaborate with real estate agents. Cole described his company’s focus on custom retirement homes for relocating buyers, Smith outlined Empire Homes’ production-style developments in prime in-town locations and Panabianco highlighted Pratt Home Builders’ emphasis on creating diverse, amenity-rich communities across the region.
New listings, inventory, pending sales rise in February
February’s housing picture is a mix of momentum and caution, with the National Association of Realtors reported a national slowdown in existing home sales after a stronger stretch through the fall and early winter. Here at home, the market remained active in the ways that matter to everyday buyers and sellers. More new listings came on the market, pending sales climbed and inventory continued to build, giving shoppers more to compare while keeping our local market moving.
News briefs: Walnut Street Bridge restoration on schedule
The restoration of the Walnut Street Bridge has reached a key milestone as crews removed the final containment tarp from Span 1, signaling the end of major painting work and a shift into the project’s final phase. Officials say the project remains on schedule with a targeted completion date of late September 2026.
Calendar: Mac Barnett reading
The national ambassador for young people’s literature will visit the Chattanooga Public Library’s downtown branch (1001 Broad St.) April 9 at 5:30 p.m. as part of his nationwide tour, “Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear and See.” Barnett will explore how words, illustrations and even page turns create a uniquely engaging reading experience for children and adults alike. The free event is open to the public.
Newsmakers: Miller & Martin expands its real estate team
Miller & Martin has added two attorneys, Kane Shepherd and Will Sikes, to its Chattanooga office, bolstering the firm’s commercial real estate practice. Shepherd joins as of counsel in the commercial group, focusing on real estate transactions. His work includes advising developers and sellers through all phases of residential and commercial projects, from planning and negotiations to financing, leasing and title matters. He also has experience representing lenders and borrowers in commercial loan transactions.
University Surgical Associates marks 50 years of surgical care in Chattanooga
What began in 1976 as a two-physician surgical practice has grown over five decades into one of the region’s largest and most comprehensive surgical groups. This month, University Surgical Associates is celebrating its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of surgical care, medical education and clinical research in the Chattanooga area.
Brain Injury Association highlights prevention
As communities across the country observe Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, the Chattanooga Area Brain Injury Association is working to bring attention to the causes, warning signs and long-term impacts of traumatic brain injuries while connecting survivors and families in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia with local support.
Ament’s time with Vols likely over after NCAA tourney
Given his status as a potential NBA lottery pick, Nate Ament’s college basketball career at the University of Tennessee was always likely to be one-and-done. Ament’s short time in a UT uniform has potentially reached the final stage, with the NCAA Tournament on the horizon.
The best budget hatchbacks you can get in 2026
Compared to a typical sedan, a hatchback offers greater versatility thanks to its larger, easier-to-load trunk. Some hatchbacks are also fun to drive with nimble handling and peppy engines. Yet, with the surge in popularity of SUVs and crossovers, even the best hatchbacks often get overlooked.
We need to talk about your retirement spending
I spend a lot of time talking to retirees about their spending plans. Many of them proudly tell me they’re spending far less than the 3%-4% initial withdrawal amounts that are often bandied about in the context of safe spending rates. They tell me they’ve been good savers, they’re frugal, they don’t need more. Underspending seems to be part of their identities.
Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, AP source says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, a sizable amount that is certain to be met with questions from Congress, which would need to approve any new money. The department sent the request to the White House, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change.
Mullin's DHS nomination advances to full Senate despite opposition from Republican Rand Paul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Markwayne Mullin moved a step closer to becoming President Donald Trump's next homeland security secretary after a Senate committee Thursday narrowly advanced his nomination. The 8-7 vote came after a contentious hearing Wednesday and sent the Cabinet nomination to the full Senate, which could act to confirm the Oklahoma Republican next week.
Longtime Middle Tennessee women's coach Rick Insell to retire, be succeeded by his son
MURFREESBORO (AP) — Rick Insell, whose 505 wins in 21 seasons leading the Middle Tennessee women's basketball team made him the winningest coach in school history, announced his retirement on Thursday. Insell's retirement will follow Middle Tennessee's participation in the WNIT. Middle Tennessee (16-15) will play either St. Bonaventure or Drexel at home on Monday night.
Eight states, DirecTV sue to block merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegna
Attorneys general in eight states and DirecTV have filed lawsuits to block the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, arguing that it will lead to higher prices for consumers and stifle journalism. Nexstar announced last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion. If approved by the Trump administration, the deal would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 40 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC.
Tesla faces wider probe of self-driving feature as it prepares to sell cars without steering wheels
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal auto regulators have escalated a probe of Tesla after several of its cars crashed while using its self-driving feature, just as CEO Elon Musk prepares to roll out a new model with no steering wheel or pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a memo dated March 18 that it was examining nine crashes where the self-driving software failed to quickly alert drivers to take control in fog and other poor conditions because the vehicle's cameras weren't picking out road hazards. The NHTSA memo signals a regulatory investigation begun in 2024 over poor visibility crashes could now lead to enforcement action, possibly including a recall of 3.2 million Tesla vehicles.
Iran war underscores risks of Trump's relentless focus on oil
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump returned to office last year, he launched a crusade to shift the country away from renewable energy, drastically undoing the climate-friendly policies of his Democratic predecessor to focus instead on oil and other fossil fuels as the answer to his goal of American energy dominance.
Forsberg, Annunen lead Predators over Kraken 3-1
NASHVILLE (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and added two assists and Justus Annunen made 25 saves to lead the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Thursday night in a matchup of teams vying for a Western Conference wild card.
Supreme Court revives suit from evangelical Christian challenging restrictions on demonstrations
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday revived a lawsuit from an evangelical Christian barred from demonstrating in Mississippi after authorities say he shouted insults at people over a loudspeaker. The high court unanimously ruled in the case of Gabriel Olivier, who says his religious and free speech rights were violated when he was arrested for refusing to move his preaching away from a suburban amphitheater. The city said he had shouted insults like "whores," "Jezebel," and "nasty" at people, sometimes holding signs showing aborted fetuses.
Teenagers sue Musk's xAI claiming image-generator made sexually explicit images of them as minors
NASHVILLE (AP) — Three teenagers in Tennessee sued Elon Musk's xAI this week, claiming the company's image-generation tools were used to morph real photos of them into explicitly sexual images. The high school students, who are seeking to proceed under pseudonyms, filed the lawsuit in California, where xAI — Musk's artificial intelligence company — has its headquarters. They are seeking class-action status in order to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of victims like themselves who either are minors or were minors when sexually explicit images of them were created.
Spanish-language reporter in Nashville is released from immigration detention on bond
NASHVILLE (AP) — A reporter for a Spanish-language news outlet in Tennessee who contends she was wrongly held in detention for more than two weeks was released Thursday after paying a bond recently allowed by a judge, her attorneys said. Estefany Rodríguez Flórez, a reporter for Nashville Noticias who has done stories critical of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, had been in ICE custody after her arrest on March 4 during a traffic stop. She was held in jail in Etowah County, Alabama, then in the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile, Louisiana.
Jurors wade through daunting evidence in high-stakes Meta trial about social media risks to children
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A daunting stream of testimony and evidence has been presented in a New Mexico case that explores what social media conglomerate Meta knew about the effects of its platforms on children. State prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose the risks that its platforms pose for children, including mental health problems and sexual exploitation. Meta's attorneys have said the company has built-in protections for teenagers and weeds out harmful content but acknowledged some dangerous content gets past its safety nets.
Nearly 90,000 bottles of children's liquid pain medication recalled
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly 90,000 bottles of a children's pain reliever have been recalled due to reports of black specs and other contaminants, according to federal regulators. The Food and Drug Administration posted an online notice about the recall of Taro Pharmaceuticals' Children's Ibuprofen Oral Suspension. The company's website states that the product comes in a berry-flavored solution and is recommended for children ages 2 to 11.
CBS News shutters its storied radio news service after nearly a century, ending an era
NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News said Friday it is shutting down its storied radio news service after nearly 100 years of operation as part of a round of layoffs, blaming a shift in radio station programming strategies and challenging economic times. When it went on the air in September 1927, CBS News Radio was the precursor to the entire network, giving a youthful William S. Paley a start in the business. Famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow delivered reports from London during World War II as part of the service.
FCC approves merger of local television owners Nexstar and Tegna as two lawsuits seek to block it
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday said it had approved the merger of local television giants Nexstar Media Group and rival Tegna, the same day that two lawsuits trying to block the deal were announced. Nexstar said last August that it would buy Tegna for $6.2 billion. The deal would create a company that owns 265 television stations in 44 states and the District of Columbia, most of them local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the company had agreed to divest itself of six of those stations.
Energy fallout from Iran war signals a global wake-up call for renewable energy
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — The war in Iran is exposing the world's reliance on fragile fossil fuel routes, lending urgency to calls for hastening the shift to renewable energy. Fighting has all but halted oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, or LNG. The disruption has jolted energy markets, pushing up prices and straining import-dependent economies.
Pete Hegseth's Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the US goes to war with Iran
WASHINGTON (AP) — Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees. His department's promotional videos have displayed Bible verses alongside military footage. In speeches and interviews, he often argues the U.S. was founded as a Christian nation and troops should embrace God, potentially risking the military's secular mission and hard-won pluralism.
US Mint can begin producing Trump commemorative gold coin after arts commission approves design
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal arts commission on Thursday approved the final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald Trump's image to help celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 4. The vote by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members are supporters of the Republican president and were appointed by him earlier this year, was without objection. It clears the way for the U.S. Mint to begin production on the coin, whose size and denomination are still under discussion.
Trump issues executive order requiring CFP to avoid broadcasting conflicts with Army-Navy game
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday barring College Football Playoff and other postseason games from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December. Trump directed the commerce secretary and the FCC chairman to coordinate with the playoff committee, the NCAA and media rights partners to ensure an exclusive broadcasting window for a storied rivalry played on the second Saturday each December.
Mikayla Blakes storms past Vanderbilt women's single-season scoring mark in NCAA opener
NASHVILLE (AP) — All-American Mikayla Blakes needed only part of the first half Saturday night of the NCAA Tournament to become the best single-season scorer in Vanderbilt women's history. Blakes came in with 837 points just 19 shy of the mark of 855 points set by Wendy Scholtens during the 1989-90 season, and the nation's scoring leader had 23 by halftime against No. 15 seed High Point just four off her average of 27 a game.
Landmark trial in New Mexico to decide whether Meta misled users about children's safety risks
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in a landmark trial in New Mexico where social media conglomerate Meta is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children. Jurors will take up the case after the arguments and six weeks of testimony from scores of witnesses that included teachers, psychiatric experts, state investigators, top Meta officials and whistleblowers that left the company.
Supreme Court hears arguments Monday over late-arriving ballots, a Trump target
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Monday in a case from Mississippi over whether states can count late-arriving mail ballots, a target of President Donald Trump. The outcome of the case could affect voters in 14 states and the District of Columbia, which have grace periods for ballots cast by mail, provided they are postmarked by Election Day. An additional 15 states that have more forgiving deadlines for ballots from military and overseas voters also could be impacted.
Nonprofits, unions and airports rally to feed TSA officers as shutdown drags
Across the country, collections are popping up to help Transportation Security Administration officers who have been without full pay for more than a month due to the partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security. The charity World Central Kitchen, more accustomed to feeding those in war zones and disaster areas, started providing meals to Washington, D.C.-area airports after many TSA officers missed their first full paycheck. On Thursday, Feeding San Diego began distributing 400 boxes with pasta, beans and peanut butter as well as fresh produce like strawberries and potatoes to affected agents near the airport after a request from TSA and the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority.
Iran built a vast camera network to control dissent. Israel turned it into a targeting tool
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The role of the Israeli military's hijacking of Iran's street cameras in the killing of the country's supreme leader underscores how surveillance systems are increasingly being targeted by adversaries in wartime. Hundreds of millions of cameras have been installed above shops, in homes and on street corners across the world, many connected to the internet and poorly secured. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have enabled militaries and intelligence agencies to sift through vast amounts of surveillance footage and identify targets.
Senate ready to confirm Mullin to Homeland Security as TSA standoff deepens
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is on track to confirm Markwayne Mullin as homeland security secretary, President Donald Trump's nominee to take over the embattled department after firing Kristi Noem amid a public backlash over the administration's immigration enforcement and mass deportation operations.
Supreme Court sounds skeptical of late-arriving ballots, a Trump target
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court 's conservative majority on Monday sounded skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a persistent target of President Donald Trump. A ruling, likely to come by late June, that bars counting ballots arriving after Election Day would send officials scrambling in 14 states and the District of Columbia, just a few months before the 2026 midterm congressional elections to change their ballot rules.
Supreme Court rejects appeal from online citizen journalist over her arrest in Texas
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the appeal of a Texas-based online citizen journalist who said she was wrongly arrested in a case that drew attention from national media organizations and free speech advocates. The justices left in place a divided federal appeals court ruling that found journalist Priscilla Villarreal, known online as La Gordiloca, could not sue police officers and other officials over her arrest for seeking and obtaining nonpublic information from police.
Trump administration to pay French company $1B to walk away from US offshore wind leases
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will pay $1 billion to a French company to walk away from two U.S. offshore wind leases as the administration ramps up its campaign against offshore wind and other renewable energy. TotalEnergies has agreed to what's essentially a refund of its leases for projects off the coasts of North Carolina and New York, and will invest the money in fossil fuel projects instead, the Department of Interior announced Monday.
ICE officers aren't trained in airport security. Can they help ease long lines?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been deployed to select airports across the country, where they are meant to help mitigate long lines fueled by staffing shortfalls caused by a partial government shutdown. But ICE officers are not trained in aviation safety and their central role in President Donald Trump's contentious immigration enforcement agenda is raising questions about how effective their assistance might be in easing wait times — and whether it could stoke tensions with travelers.
A media-rating company says a Trump agency is threatening its livelihood
As media organizations go, NewsGuard cuts a low public profile as it follows its mission of issuing credibility ratings about news outlets. The Trump administration knows about it, though, and the company has joined a lengthening list of journalism organizations to face the White House's wrath.
Voice of America journalists allege Trump wants to make outlet a propaganda source
Some journalists at Voice of America charged in a lawsuit Monday that the Trump administration — while largely shutting down the government-run outlet that provides news around the world — has turned what remains into a voice for propaganda. The lawsuit alleges that VOA transmissions to populations in Iran, China, North Korea and to Kurdish populations are not being run as objective news sources, as required by law. Instead, they parrot White House talking points and suppress news that the administration wishes to downplay, according to the lawsuit, filed Monday with the U.S. District Court in Washington.
|
|
|
|
|
|