Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned lawmakers that the federal government will likely run out of cash and extraordinary measures by October 18 unless Congress raises the debt ceiling.

US government will run out of money by October 18, Treasury secretary says

Yellen said that all the investments would be fully paid for through higher taxes on large, profitable corporations, improved enforcement of the existing tax system and savings from reforms to government health care programs.

Yellen says infrastructure overhaul will US boost economy

The data analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation found, using data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, as well as studies on health care costs, that each preventable Covid-19 hospitalization costs about $20,000.

New analysis estimates $5.7 billion price tag for treating unvaccinated Covid-19 patients in the last 3 months

Unvaccinated COVID-19 hospitalizations cost billions of dollars

Biden has a new six-prong strategy to deal with the virus

Biden's six-step Covid plan, explained

Biden announces new vaccine mandates that could cover 100 million Americans

Biden Lays Out Plan To Mandate Vaccines Or Testing For Millions Of Workers

Attacking anti-vaccine movement, Biden mandates widespread COVID shots, tests

General Motors will shut production at most of its North American plants for a week or two starting next week as the worsening chip shortage takes another bite out of its plans.

GM shutting down production at most of its plants in North America

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights is investigating whether Tennessee's statewide prohibition against universal masking in schools discriminates against students who are at a heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

Federal government launches civil rights investigation into Tennessee's school mask policy

Just close your eyes and jump ...

Vols football: No proof of vaccination or negative COVID test required to enter Neyland Stadium

Came across this video and thought some folks might find it entertaining ...

Digital Extra: Full Graham Nash interview on Everly Brothers Park in Knoxville

For the first time on record, precipitation on Saturday at the summit of Greenland — roughly two miles above sea level — fell as rain and not snow.

Rain fell at the normally snowy summit of Greenland for the first time on record

Good move.

Biden said he is directing the Department of Health and Human Services to draw up new regulations making employee vaccination a condition for nursing homes to participate in Medicare and Medicaid. The decision on nursing home staff represents a significant escalation in Biden's campaign to get Americans vaccinated and the tools he is willing to use, marking the first time he has threatened to withhold federal funds in order to get people vaccinated.

Biden says US will require nursing homes get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds

Knoxville's population jumped by around 12,000 people, raising the population total to 190,740. Meanwhile, Chattanooga's population also rose to 181,099 as more people move to Tennessee from across the U.S.

2020 Census: Tennessee cities see population growth, East TN rural counties decrease or stay the same

Tennessee in national news.

As debates over masks in US schools have reemerged as the academic year begins, the Board of Education in Williamson County, just south of Nashville, approved the mask requirement for elementary school students, staff and visitors inside all buildings and on buses beginning Thursday and ending September 21, according to information from the school district.

School mask debate in Tennessee grows heated as local board requires masks in elementary schools

Outraged protesters harass parent outside school board mask vote

The Tennessee Department of Health reported 1,793 people were concurrently hospitalized for COVID-19 on November 14, 2020. It took an additional 53 days to reach the peak at 3,344.

As of August 9, the state was once again reporting 1,793 hospitalizations. However, the acceleration is much faster than in the prior surges, and projections show it could take just 21 more days to reach that peak.

Tennessee's COVID-19 hospitalizations could soon surpass last winter's peak if nothing changes

In another drastic reminder of just how fundamentally the pandemic has distorted the labor market, the number of open jobs soared to a record 10.1 million in June, according to the latest monthly data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary.

U.S. now has more job openings than any time in history

According to Yelp, business owners can opt in to the "proof of vaccination required" and the "all staff fully vaccinated" filters by taking the following steps:

Go to the Business Information section
Click Add (or Edit if you have existing content here) next to "Amenities and more"
Click Yes next to the attribute you'd like to turn on
Click Save Changes

Yelp added that it was already informing users about businesses that require masks and companies that require staff to wear masks.

Yelp introduces features to allow users to find businesses where vaccines are required

Yelp lets restaurants tell you if proof of vaccination is required

Yelp Helps Businesses Communicate Vaccination Requirements

Auburn University is giving away scholarships, unlimited meal plan upgrades, priority class registration and other perks to encourage students to get the Covid-19 vaccine.

One of the top prizes is an A-zone parking pass for the semester, which are usually for school employees. Students could also win $1,000 scholarships, VIP graduation parking passes and a chance to have lunch with Auburn President Jay Gogue.

Auburn University giving $1,000 scholarships, prime parking and other prizes to fully-vaccinated students

They installed roads and greenways, helping connect the city's 50 miles of trails leading to a nature center, lakes, historic sites, playgrounds and a wildlife area. They also installed lighting and utility systems to improve the trails.

Knoxville leaders celebrate finishing first phase of Urban Wilderness Gateway Park with ribbon-cutting ceremony

HUD Fair Market Rent lookup

FY2021 Final Fair Market Rents Documentation System

There is no state, county or city in the country where a full-time, minimum-wage worker working 40 hours a week can afford a two-bedroom rental, a report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition showed.

A full-time minimum-wage worker can afford a one-bedroom rental in only 7% of all US counties — 218 counties out of more than 3,000 nationwide.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25.

But the report showed that a worker would need to earn $24.90 per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom home at Fair Market Rent. And a $20.40 "housing wage" would be needed for a one-bedroom. Fair Market Rents are government estimates of what a person should expect to pay for a modest home in their area.

Minimum wage workers can't afford rent anywhere in America

Tennessee doctors want investigation into state's handling of pandemic

The Tennessee Department of Health is halting all adolescent vaccine outreach, even for vaccines not related to Covid-19, according to internal documents.

The halt impacts all outreach to adolescents, including Covid-19 second-dose reminders, HPV reminders and kindergarten vaccination surveys, according the documents circulated within the department obtained by CNN and first reported by The Tennessean.

Tennessee is halting outreach on all vaccines for adolescents, including for Covid-19

Tennessee abandons vaccine outreach to minors — not just for COVID-19