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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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.
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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. -
A panoply of new Tennessee state laws took effect on July 1. Political analyst Otis Sanford says that while some are meaningful and timely, others are merely political grandstanding.
