Editor’s note: See the related column on Tennesseans’ struggle to get and stay healthy. What do statewide candidates say about health care in Tennessee? RESOURCES Think Tennessee The Beacon Center of Tennessee Tennessee Hospital Association Impact of small and rural hospitals Strategies for rural hospitals Governor’s Rural Task Force Report Addressing health care costs Health […]

Editor’s note: This is a story package that is part of a monthly opinion page series from the Tennessee Press Association. Related stories for June are about candidates speaking out on health care, plus some related resources and contacts. Tennesseans struggle for health Despite having some of the best health care companies in world, the […]

Social media has taken over the world and appears to control most of our lives. No matter the time of the year, people find any reason or excuse to log onto his or her account to share. These platforms give us a chance to portray the life we want everyone to believe. In some cases […]

I read a book years ago by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale called, “The Amazing Results of Positive Thinking,” and I recommend it as an inspiration and encouragement to your spiritual life. He explains that our mind is filled with all types of thoughts and persuasions, but everyone is held accountable to manage them. We have […]

Every day is a national day of something in U.S. America. June 9 is no different as National Earl Day, National Strawberry Day and National Donald Duck Day. Wait a minute, cartoon characters receive a day in their honor? Why Donald Duck? He’s the best of the Disney genre, but I can think of dozens […]

Here are some of the things I worked on last week: Senate committee approves fourth year of record funding for our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory On Thursday, May 24, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that will fund our 17 national laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), modernize our […]

President Trump is preparing to push a “gag rule” – his most dangerous attack on women’s basic rights, ever. It’s a cruel policy designed to keep people from having access to the best health care available, and it will mean people won’t get the information, birth control, cancer screenings, STD testing and treatment, and other […]

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. And that means it’s time for U.S. Americans to travel across this great land and even the world. Back in 2015, about 33 million Americans traveled overseas. Countless more visited other states. Vacation spending is equal to about 2 percent of the total budgets of all U.S. […]

Some of you reading this just dropped a nice amount of ducats on a recent graduate. You made sure to place a little cash in that greeting card to let him or her know how much you care. Caring seems to cost a lot of money in U.S. America. We spend dough on everything and […]

Thousands of children are on the cliff, looking upon the horizon, moments away from being pushed over into adulthood. As these students rush toward their high school graduation, they’re under the impression they are running toward the finish line. But when they wake up 10 years from now, they’ll realize life was behind them, bull-rushing […]

For those who are interested in the life after this one, there is no doubt some curiosity about where we are going and how to get there. The followers of Christ place their faith in His promises and believe He has the power to save and secure a place in heaven for them. Others who […]

The Buggles’ famous song repeated, “Video Killed the Radio Star.” Well, the cellphone has killed music stores, video rental places, the photo department, mapmakers and bookstores. And this double-edged sword is eyeing more things pre-Millennials used to enjoyed in our everyday lives. While somebody my age, 36, enjoys the luxuries of these smartphones, we do […]