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Editor’s column: Republicans need to lose the crazy
Thursday, I was speaking to a bipartisan group about the current political environment and giving a recap on all that’s happened since the Nov. 3 Election Day. As the resident progressive, I was joined by a well-known Republican consultant who has carved out a solid career in Tennessee and national politics. For the last question […]
Nashville COVID-19 clinic vaccinates 10,000 in one day
Even before the sun rose over Nissan Stadium Saturday, the first day of Spring was brimming with the renewal that comes after a long winter. By 6 a.m., volunteers stood ready to direct the traffic backed up not for a Tennessee Titans game but for a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. The Nashville Department of Health offered […]
Editor’s Column: Kelsey’s defense of slavery exception fails Four-Way Test
A good friend of mine joined her local Rotary Club several years ago when she wanted to become more involved in the community. I was skeptical at first, knowing little about the organization. I’ve learned more about it and Rotary is a fine civic organization that outlines its mission as a group of “friends, leaders, […]
Editor’s Column: Slatery and Hargett protest too much about voting rights act
Tuesday, reporter Sam Stockard reported Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett and Attorney General Herbert Slatery have both joined their peers in signing letters that announce their disapproval of the “For the People” Act, a voting rights package that passed in the U.S. House March 4. The package, which passed along party lines — 220 […]
Editor’s Column: Tennessee’s Constitution should be handled with care
On Monday, Tennessee officials staged a parade to move three physical versions of the Tennessee Constitution to their new home in the freshly completed Tennessee Library and Archives building. The Tennessee National Guard color guard turned out in smart uniforms, the Tennessee State University drumline high stepped along the downtown parade route, and the constitutions […]
Editor’s Column: The Tennessee-Texas connection extends to emergency in Memphis
The first line of “Blue Yodel #1,” by one of the pioneers of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, goes, “T for Texas, T for Tennessee.” The pairing of the two states is appropriate. There’s long been a kinship between the pair, dating to the 1846 Mexican War. When the United States called for 2,800 Tennesseans to […]
Editor’s Column: Altered state
Monday night, I switched on Facebook to watch Gov. Bill Lee’s third State of the State address. There’s much which I disagree with Lee on but having read a preview of the speech, I felt confident I at least knew what to expect going in. Sure — we are mid-COVID-19 pandemic and Lee had already […]
Editor’s Column: Bill Lee at the midterm
Just over two years ago, Bill Lee became governor of Tennessee. So at this midway point in his first term, it’s fair to review his inaugural promises and assess what’s been successful since his election and what has failed. To make a fair assessment, I watched his 15-minute inauguration speech from Jan. 19, 2019. In […]
Commentary: Giving gratitude for the lessons of Trump
On Wednesday, as I joined millions of other Americans who tuned in to watch the inauguration of President Joe Biden, I simultaneously scrolled my social media feeds. Many of my friends and acquaintances expressed feelings of joy and relief. Many said they shed tears of emotion. And more than a few had words for former […]
In historic vote, Hendrell Remus becomes first Black chair of Tennessee Democratic Party
The Tennessee Democratic Party took a historic step Saturday, voting to elect Hendrell Remus as the first Black chairman of the party. Remus won on a second ballot vote against longtime Democratic activist Wade Munday. Munday, who serves on the Democratic National Committee, has also worked at the TNDP as communications director and served as […]
Commentary: Stumbles by both Tennessee House caucuses bode no good for Tennesseans
This week Tennessee General Assembly opened the 112th legislative session and it’s been notable for the messes in which both House of Representatives caucuses commenced the new year. The supermajority Republicans had a scandal in the making even before Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton gaveled in the session. On Jan. 8, just days before […]
Memphis’s Community Legal Center names Jerri Green interim executive director
Attorney and former candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives Jerri Green will serve as the Interim Executive Director of the Community Legal Center in Memphis, the organization announced Monday. In a written statement, the CLC said, “We are confident Jerri will provide strong leadership and continuity during this time of transition as the CLC searches […]