Christopher Blank
A native "Florida Man," Christopher started in this business as a copy clerk at the renowned St. Petersburg Times before persuading editors to let him write. He moved to Memphis in 2001 to cover arts and entertainment at the Commercial Appeal. Since then, he has contributed to nearly every publication in Shelby County, writing features on everything from the Civil War to Civil Rights. Also, Elvis... a lot of Elvis.
He has won numerous awards for both print and radio reporting, including a 2017 Green Eyeshade Award for Public Service Journalism.
In 2020, he was named Senior Producer at the University of Memphis' Institute for Public Service Reporting.
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From a U.S. lawmaker's violent video to a Memphis councilmember's unhinged rant, political analyst Otis Sanford says it's time to double down on decorum. -
When the I-40 bridge was closed for repairs last June, shutting down a major U.S. transportation artery, Tennessee's U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty called for more federal spending on highways and bridges. This week, they rejected the bill that will bring the needed billions, labeling the funding "socialism." -
When Republicans held a recent special session of Tennessee government to combat what they claim to be federal overreach in the fight against COVID-19, a lack of debate and input from constituents brought subsequent criticism to the laws they passed. -
More than 16,000 Tennesseans have died of COVID-19, but stemming the pandemic was not why lawmakers returned to Nashville this week for a special session devoted to COVID issues. -
A special session of the Tennessee legislature this week ended with more than $800 million in incentives and spending on Ford's new truck plant in West Tennessee. But the state could also be on the hook for TennCare accounting errors. -
Tennessee's Republican lawmakers are facing calls from Republican voters to add extra safeguards to voting such as paper ballots, even though the state claims it has one of the most secure systems in the country. -
The Memphis Zoo wants more parking. The State of Mississippi wants to own Memphis water. This week political analyst Otis Sanford starts the conversation on how these debates are playing out. -
The announcement that Ford Motor Company plans to build a major electric vehicle plant 50 miles east of Memphis is big news for the region.
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Consolidating Memphis and Shelby County governments may have its benefits for cutting some red tape and bureaucracy, but political skepticism cuts across party lines. -
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.
