VOL. 45 | NO. 1 | Friday, January 1, 2021

State’s bettors set first-month U.S. record at $131.4M
The COVID-19 pandemic that impacted every facet of life in Tennessee this year also slowed the debut of online sports gambling across the state – but not the enthusiasm of bettors.
Expect positive economic growth in Tennessee in 2021 but it may be rocky and somewhat sporadic as the state digs out of the recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
NEWSMAKERS
Six scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have been recognized as Battelle Distinguished Inventors.
BRIEFS
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and the American Federation of Musicians Local 546 have reached an agreement that will bring the musicians of the KSO back to the stage from a furlough that began last August because of the pandemic.
TENNESSEE TITANS

Must win at Texas to guarantee playoff berth
Titans safety Kevin Byard isn’t pulling any punches when it comes to describing the defense’s poor play this season.
For all the talk about locking up a playoff berth early and not having to fight and scramble just to get to the postseason, here are the Tennessee Titans once again having to win in Week 17 to nail down a playoff berth.
BEHIND THE WHEEL

The Ford F-150 has long been the pickup truck to beat, not to mention the top-selling vehicle of any kind in the country. But Fiat Chrysler Automobiles took many by surprise when it introduced the tech-savvy Ram 1500 pickup truck in 2018 for the 2019 model year.
PERSONAL FINANCE
Insurance costs for drivers in their early 20s can be staggering. After teenagers, young adults have some of the highest car insurance rates in the country.
CAREER CORNER
The New Year is finally here. We’ve been waiting for 2021 since Friday, March 13, 2020. That was the day that it became apparent that a pandemic was going to be a big part of 2020.
MILLENNIAL MONEY
With 10.7 million Americans out of work as of November 2020 – and 3.9 million of those workers unemployed for 27 weeks or more – many have been forced into having tough money conversations as a result of the pandemic.