Christopher Blank

As the federal government orders companies of 100 employees or more to require vaccinations, Tennessee Republicans consider calling a special session to "deal with" efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Last week Tennessee was No. 1 in the country per capita for new COVID infections and dozens are dying each day statewide.

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris will likely run for reelection next year, says political analyst Otis Sanford. But that doesn't mean he won't face opposition. A few potential candidates are exploring runs for that office and the open race for Memphis mayor coming in 2023.

Texas has enacted one of the most extreme anti-abortion laws in the country. Tennessee will likely follow suit.

The laws and executive orders were meant to keep kids in schools in areas such as Memphis and Nashville, where Democratic leaders have taken a more aggressive approach to dealing with COVID-19. But with the delta variant rampaging across the state, even the reddest towns are closing schools because neither safety nor remote learning is available.

Shelby County Hospitals sounded the alarm this week and the health department responded with a new indoor mask mandate. What's keeping still more than half the population from getting the vaccine?

As COVID cases reach record levels in Shelby County, Republican politicians in Nashville have been fighting for the right of unvaccinated children here to go maskless in classrooms. Political analyst Otis Sanford says it has little to do with what's best for children.

As Covid's delta variant sweeps through Shelby County, filling hospital beds with sick people and a growing number of children, vaccine resistance is increasingly seen as a danger to society.

The Delta variant has an easy time spreading through Shelby County's large number of unvaccinated citizens. 23 people have died from COVID in the past week, and hospitalizations are rising. Thanks to vaccine hesitancy, local health officials may now have to consider more restrictions.

As Republican state lawmakers clamp down on what health officials can say about COVID-19, Memphis lawmakers consider whether local voters should be aware of a candidate's party affiliation.

Patriotism and protest were in the news this week as Capitol Democrats assembled a committee to investigate the Jan. 6 insurrection. And in Tennessee, factions weigh in on what constitutes Critical Race Theory and whether transgender bathroom signage will catch on in liberal Memphis.