In January 2025, the newly elected President... declared a “national energy emergency” during his inaugural address.

“We will bring prices down, fill our strategic reserves up again right to the top, and export American energy all over the world,”...

Since he began his second term, the reserve’s volume has only risen by around 5%.

The U.S. is considering coordinating ​sales of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve with ‌releases from other countries as prices soar during the war on Iran, the Energy Secretary said on Monday, 3/9/2026.

When students moved out of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus in May 2025, they left 191 dumpsters full of discarded material such as clothes, food and electronics, UTK professor Chris Mayer said.

This year, the university plans to hold an art project to raise awareness as it pursues a “zero-waste” goal.

A public exhibit called “From Discard to Trashterpiece” is scheduled to open on March 21 from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Sustainable Future Center on Ogle Avenue, featuring artwork and performances. A smaller version of the exhibit is scheduled to remain open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. through April 18...

That's a lot of trash. You have to wonder how much of the clothing and electronics are still useful.

Uber launched a feature Monday to allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its riding-hailing platform.

Kind of sad/scary this option had to be enabled.

In January, 2026, Tennessee State Senator Janice Bowling filed Senate Bill 1949, the “mRNA Bioweapons Prohibition Act,” prohibiting the manufacture, acquisition, possession, or distribution of mRNA injections and products; requires state and local government officials to use all lawful means necessary to investigate or enforce suspected violations; punishes violations the same as manufacturing, acquiring, possessing, or transferring a weapon of mass destruction, which is a Class B felony."

Bowling 's district 16 covers a 6 county area south and east of Nashville, including Tullahoma.

From Wikipedia, Sen. Bowling, In 2021, said she believed early voting created “mischief”, "said the Covid 19vaccines could lead to genetic modification", "claimed that her rural district were providing litter boxes in schools to children that identify as cats."

As witnessed by an Alabama transplant.

If you haven’t spent much time in D.C., this might seem a bit different, perhaps because it is. The military-industrial complex isn’t some paranoid fantasy. Here, it advertises on TV and in magazines.

But especially on the Metro.
...
“Physical AI commands the sky,” a banner for Applied Intuition promises next to a picture of an AI-empowered jet fighter. “Intelligent software guides autonomous systems to deliver a decisive advantage for the warfighter.”

Watch the video version here. You will see more of the military ads. You don't have to login, just hit the X to close the sign up/login window.

Tomorrow morning is the time to change the clocks forward for Daylight Savings Time.

March 8, 2026, at 2:00 A.M.: Clocks are set forward 1 hour (“spring forward”), losing an hour. Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour later than the day before. There will be more light in the evening. (Again, we generally change our clocks before bed on Saturday.)

We'll lose an hour of sleep.

“We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope. Each day we wake up to some new assault on our democratic institutions, another setback to the idea of the rule of law, an offense to common decency. Every day you wake up to… to things you just didn’t think were possible...

From the man of Hope...

Anthropic, the artificial intelligence startup, is fighting the U.S. government.

Anthropic has until Friday evening to decide whether it will accede to the Defense Department’s demands that it be able to use the company’s AI models how it sees fit.

The U.S. government could "force it to comply by invoking the Defense Production Act."

Amazing that one company can wield such power over the U.S. government. Why doesn't the government just move on to one of the several AI companies declaring their prowess?

One of Knoxville's oldest businesses, Mayo Garden Center, is shutting down.

Crouch Florist (1865) is the oldest, followed by Knoxville Iron (1868, now Gerdau Long Steel North America, more recently known as CMC Steel, still at 1919 TennesseecAve.), and Mayo's (1878).

They have announced a closing sale starting Friday, March 23, 2026.

They might not have been the oldest, but I wonder if they are the oldest with relationships to the original owner.

I have shopped there off and on for many years. They have great employees and service. I wish them well. They will be missed.

For some reason the U.S. House Oversight Committee felt it critical to force and subpoena President Clinton and Secretary Clinton to testify about Epstein.

The videos are now available.

President Clinton deposition

Secretary Clinton deposition

I watched some of Secretary Clinton's deposition. She was very poised and serious. She did her homework. I admire her even more. One specific instance was about an email, not to or from Clinton, but mentioned Clinton and Mr. & Mrs. Epstein. She mentioned there were a lot of Epsteins in the district and the criminal Epstein had no Mrs. Heh.

What a waste of time and money.

House Bill 2064 bill would change a state law prohibiting people from carrying a weapon “with the intent to go armed.” It also would legalize carrying weapons in state parks.

"The God-given right to keep and bear arms has been foundational to the continued success of our state and nation,” Rep. Chris Todd of Madison said in a statement early in the session. “This critical legislation provides needed clarity by reforming the structure of our gun laws to ensure law-abiding Tennesseans can legally carry firearms across the state. These essential changes preserve liberty and safeguard the ability of citizens to protect themselves, their families and their communities.”

That just doesn't mesh. However, I'm not a religious scholar.

The GOP’s state executive committee requested 149 primary candidates statewide be stricken from ballots on Wednesday. That list included five candidates who were verified to appear on the Blount County ballots in May.

Shawn Carter, from Blount county mayor primary
Brad Bowers, from Blount county mayor primary
Brett Coulter, from Blount county mayor primary
Phyllis Crisp, from Blount county register of deeds primary
Beth Myers-Rees, from Blount county register of deeds primary

The letter does not indicate the reason for a candidate’s inclusion. The main change to the party by-laws are two fold, the first being a voting history requirement and the second is the party $250 fee.

Here is a list of the 249 candidates removed from the ballot. It appears there are 6 from Knox County.

UPDATE: all Blount County candidates are now listed as bona fide and qualified to appear on the Republican primary ballot in May.
According to election files all five have voting records that meet the requirements added to the GOP bylaws in 2025. The appearance on the draft list would appear to be for other criteria associated with filings and party fees.

A total lunar eclipse will happen in the early hours on March 2–3, with the best views occurring in western North America.

Over the course of its nearly 1 hour of totality, the moon will change to deep shades of rusty red, creating a breathtaking sight in the night sky.

The Full Worm Moon reaches its peak on the morning of Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 6:38 A.M. ET. This year’s March Moon is especially notable because it coincides with a total lunar eclipse. The eclipse reaches its greatest point at 6:33 A.M. ET—just minutes earlier—and during totality, the Moon can take on a coppery red or orange glow.

Partiality begins at 4:50 a.m. Eastern time,

Some good discussions. Normally Gloria Johnson attends these events but she had a conflict for the rescheduled time. Don't know about the rest of our legislative delegation--they rarely bother to show. Sens. Briggs and Massey, Rep. McKenzie and Wright (Sam and Dave!) were there.

Here it is

The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might take generations to repair, and there is little hope for US health and science while he remains at the helm. Calls for his resignation now number in the thousands. Congress must exercise its duty of oversight and hold Kennedy accountable for his record, or else accept responsibility for endorsing President Trump's decision to let him “run wild on health”.

The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in England in 1823. It is one of the world's highest-impact academic journals and also one of the oldest medical journals still in publication.

Alcoa Regional Planning Commissioners signed off on a preliminary plat for a 273-unit apartment complex off Topside Road in the Winterpast subdivision on Feb. 19.

The new development is proposed for at/near 1528 E Topside Road.

If completed according to preliminary plat designs submitted by Tim Shaw with Hagen Engineering, the Views at Topside Apartments, located at 1528 Topside Road, will include eight three-story apartment buildings, a clubhouse and pool, a mail center, a playground, a dog park, a car wash and maintenance building, and several parking aisles throughout.

Could it be any more boring? This is near the additional 700+ apartments built in the past 3+ years in the same area (Topside at Pellissippi Pkwy). One of those complexes does have a much more interesing exterior, Topside 333.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital is officially becoming Dolly Parton Children's Hospital!

This announcement marks a powerful new collaboration designed to elevate children’s healthcare across East Tennessee and beyond.

East Tennessee Children’s Hospital got its start in 1937. It’s had the name East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for more than 50 years.

The current administration’s proposed new rules for Obamacare [ACA, Affordable Care Act] plans next year would shift more health care costs to Americans, with much higher deductibles that could lead to greater medical bills.

Under the proposal, people who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their health insurance coverage could choose plans with much lower monthly premiums. But that could leave them exposed to medical expenses totaling thousands of dollars more than A.C.A. plans do now before their insurance would kick in.

Affordable Care Act sign-ups have dropped by "about 1.2 million consumers compared to the 24.2 million who signed up around this point in time last year, and 1.3 million fewer sign-ups than the final enrollment numbers reported at the end of Open Enrollment in 2025."

"It will likely be several more months before we have a more complete picture of the state of ACA Marketplace enrollment."

McKay’s, the beloved shopping destination for used books, music and other physical media, announced plans to close its Knoxville location after 40 years.

The last day of business at the location at 230 Papermill Place Way will be Sunday, May 3. It is closing because the property has been sold, according to information posted on McKay’s website.