This nation has been pinballing from one tragedy to another over the past half-year, and at times it seems we are simply incapable of absorbing more grief. From the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy to the shooting in Newtown, Conn., to the bombing here at the Boston Marathon to the latest — the tornado that on Monday literally leveled the city of Moore, Okla. Yes, the city of 55,000 today
On his first full day in office, President Obama declared “a new era of openness,” supposedly easing access to federal records and lifting the pall of secrecy that hovered over the George W. Bush White House. Just words. By some measures, Obama has been the worst modern president for press freedom. His administration has filed an unprecedented six criminal cases against whistle-blowers, accusing leakers of espionage when, as in the
With a Republican super majority in Nashville, the GOP has the power to push any legislation it wants into law – whether or not the legislation is good for the people the governor and the legislature are supposed to represent. Because we are a conservative community and our thinking generally aligns with the Nashville Republicans, that situation doesn’t pose too much of a problem for the Lakeway Area. However, when
Half a loaf being better than none, Tennessee cities stand to benefit from a one-year ban on annexations, even though they may not like it. The proposal initially called for a referendum before a city could add new territory — which would have been better — but that proposal was “amended down to the very bare bones,” its sponsor said. The result is that no city in the state can
Last year, too dry. This year, too wet. Spring planting is never perfect in America’s agricultural heartland. The past few growing seasons have been especially challenging. Yet crop yields have held up. One reason: bioengineered seeds, a big improvement on the ones Grandpa planted: The corn and soybeans grown across Illinois today are nearly all genetically modified to resist insects or tolerate herbicides. By protecting against pests and weeds, this
The Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative groups for extra scrutiny so far appears to be a case of bureaucrats run amok and leadership failing to rein them in. If that holds true, the overreach is not a redux of the 1970s, when President Richard Nixon’s administration ordered the IRS to target his perceived enemies. The furor among conservative groups notwithstanding, nothing yet indicates that President Barack Obama or anyone
In the kids movie “Finding Nemo,” a small fish’s recommendation to “just keep swimming” reflects a brave and admirable trust in the future. But our nation’s “just keep building” approach to border security should be based on something a little more concrete. And it isn’t. This week’s report from the Council on Foreign Relations is not the first time that the U.S. has heard about the Department of Homeland Security’s
Hundreds of Bean Station residents gathered Friday evening to hold a candle
Camden West may not have a clear memory of his veteran great-grandfather
Hundreds of Bean Station residents gathered Friday evening to hold a candle
Camden West may not have a clear memory of his veteran great-grandfather
SCOTTSBORO, Ala. — The Walters State golf team set a new program
MURFREESBORO — Cherokee High School sophomore Evan McCracken won the state shotput