Holy smokes

Marsha Blackburn

Ancient Lore Village, a fantasy-themed event space in South Knoxville, is now open for business.

Fantasy-themed event space Ancient Lore Village opens in South Knoxville

They are not doing harm while focused on stuff like this.

House Bill 930 was filed in February by Representative Chris Hurt. The Senate version of the bill, SB 925, is scheduled for a vote Tuesday.

The ladder could become ‘official state tool’ of Tennessee

ROADS AND BRIDGES: In Tennessee there are 881 bridges and over 270 miles of highway in poor condition.

DRINKING WATER: Over the next 20 years, Tennessee’s drinking water infrastructure will require $8.7 billion in additional funding.

The Need for Action in Tennessee

White House report highlights Tennessee's infrastructure needs

This past season, me and my teammates on the East Tennessee State men’s basketball team decided that we were going to kneel during the national anthem. We wanted to continue to shine some light on racial injustice and police brutality in this country.

Our head coach, Jason Shay, fully supported our decision and had our backs every step of the way.

Then, last week, after our season ended, Coach Shay abruptly “resigned.”

Our Coach Should Still Be Our Coach

Tennessee was deemed the worst place to live in the world for Covid-19 transmission this past winter. That didn’t happen by accident; it has been a snowball of failures in leadership, lack of education, and tourism economies being left to fend for themselves.

'Vaccine interlopers’ exploit chaotic policies to skip line in rural Tennessee

The person, who has not been identified, was flung about 10 feet out of the cart and landed on the track, according to an accident report filed by Gatlinburg Mountain Coaster. The rider was taken to the hospital.

A rider was ejected from a Gatlinburg, Tennessee, roller coaster and flung onto the tracks

Clear skies, full lungs means a win for all as Knoxville's air quality improves

About 2.2 million people, who earn too much for Medicaid and too little for Obamacare subsidies, fall in that coverage gap nationwide, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Their positions have ignored much evidence that states that have expanded did not take on additional cost burdens and increased coverage saved American lives.

The conversation around Medicaid expansion appears to be undergoing a new and dramatic shift in some of the holdout states, however. Central to that change is the Biden administration’s offer, via its Covid-19 relief bill, of increased federal dollars over two years to states that adopt expansion for the first time. It’s expected that funding could cover the states’ Medicaid costs for that period.

'Changed hearts and minds': Biden's funding offer shifts Medicaid expansion debate

"What I'm looking for is somebody who can win in November," McConnell told CNN. "I don't care who they like or don't like. Can they win in November? So it's not an ideological thing. It's not a 'who do you think is going to be the nominee in '24' thing. It's can you win in November?"

McConnell quietly courts Senate primary candidates 'who can win' regardless of Trump ties

These are the bottom 10 states:

Missouri
South Carolina
Arkansas
Oklahoma
Louisiana
Tennessee
Kentucky
Alabama
Mississippi
West Virginia

Not sure what I think of this. Any comments?

Opinion article on bill

Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021 (H.R. 842)

The Knoxville Bijou Theatre David Crosby concert was postponed last year and now has been cancelled.

David Crosby has sold the recorded music and publishing rights to his entire music catalogue – including the works of the Byrds, Crosby & Nash, Crosby Stills and Nash, and Crosby Stills Nash and Young – citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Crosby said: “If we could get paid for records and play live we would not be doing it. None of us.”

David Crosby sells music catalogue, citing Covid restrictions on touring

On Tuesday, it was Parton’s turn, and she had a message for others.

“I just want to say to all of you cowards out there, don’t be such a chicken squat. Get out there and get your shot,” the 75-year-old said in the video.

Dolly Parton gets a taste of her own medicine

I assume this goes on at all levels of government ...

There was nothing new about Trump’s attempts to convert political appointees to civil service employees, a process called “burrowing” by some government watchers; outgoing presidents have done it for years. (Civil service workers have protections that political appointees do not, and are harder for new administrations to fire.)

Trump railed against the 'deep state,' but he also built his own. Biden is trying to dismantle it.

From Congressional Budget Office ...

The Budgetary Effects of the Raise the Wage Act of 2021

Every decade, coinciding with the census, states redraw their legislative maps to better reflect where people live. In most states, lawmakers draw the maps, though a handful use commissions. The stakes are high: Some states will gain congressional seats, while others will lose them. These boundaries are then set for 10 years, barring intervention by the courts, and determine who votes where.

It's time to redraw America's voting maps. Where's the data?

The former Knox County Sheriff, Jimmy "JJ" Jones, has been away from the office for more than two years after Tom Spangler began serving the county. Now, Jones is saying he wants the chance to serve again.

Jimmy "JJ" Jones to run for Knox County Sheriff again in 2022

The project will also add bike lanes, street lighting, on-street parking and a new roundabout.

City plans for multi-million dollar overhaul of Sevier Avenue

Pretty harsh ...

"Oftentimes when they are evicted for lot rent, they're forfeiting the equity on the home. You could lose your home for $1."

"You're selling under a fire sale," Slonski said. "I've seen people sell their homes on Facebook Marketplace for $1,000."

Mobile home dwellers hit even harder when facing eviction