Latest news with #USATODAYNetworkTennessee
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Thank you, David Plazas, for your civility, in your service to Tennessee conversations
David Plazas probably never dreamed when he took the editorial director job at The Tennessean, he would yet again drive further down south to Georgia. But alas, that is where he will plant his next stake with family in the deep Georgia marshes (amid bustling Atlanta) after 11 years leading editorial conversations throughout Middle Tennessee as director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee and 25-year career with Gannett. I'd like to think when he gets there, people will see the Southern charm he has acquired in Tennessee and quickly embrace him as a new local, the edges of his Chicago roots polished from his stay. Or maybe, his hospitality was always there anyway. Whether or not you agree with views expressed in his columns, I can assure that anyone who has ever met David in person has been immediately disarmed with a smile and a genuine ear for listening. He opens doors for others, looks you in the eye, has an intentional handshake and patiently waits for you to finish your sentence. The first year I was in the Tennessean newsroom in 2019, I watched him escort fellow opinion writer Alex Hubbard and his service dog to and from his workstation everyday. (I learned from experience not to leave food in my aisle trash can to avoid tempting canine Xana on her walk.) During his time at The Tennessean, David has dedicated his career to facilitating conversations, presenting differing opinions and introducing new ideas as founder of the Civility Tennessee initiative, Black and Latino Voices and led diversity initiatives. More: Thank you, Tennessee, for your hospitality. Now, it's time to move south. | Opinion David's leadership in public discourse has led to countless enlightening conversations through the Tennessee Voices podcast, election debates, initiating conversations with city and state leaders in the newsroom and, not to mention, his visits to communities across Middle Tennessee. Whether transportation, controversy, growth, politics or culture, David has always been on the forefront of issues affecting the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area. And he did not forget about rural surrounding communities in Middle Tennessee in the process. I was especially glad when he decided to trade his view of sky-high buildings in Nashville to kick up a little dust at Mule Day in Columbia —my neck of the woods— last year. From what I understand, he enjoyed the covered wagons drawn by mules and even had a ham and biscuit on a friendly porch, a Mule Day tradition. And, yes, in David Plazas-style, he opened up conversation with someone completely different from him, found common ground and, yes, wrote a column about it. From the nuances of Nashville to the backroads of Middle Tennessee, David captured the issues affecting Tennesseans and has a heart for underrepresented communities. He understands how issues affect the region from a 10,000-foot view to the tiniest nuances in his beloved city for over a decade. He thanked Tennesseans for their hospitality in his farewell column May 1, but thank you, David, for your civility. Let's continue the legacy and the conversations, Tennessee. Kerri Bartlett is Middle Tennessee Region Editor and a member of the Tennessean editorial board. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Farewell Nashville Tennessean's David Plazas, thank you for civility
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The world benefited from Pope Francis's leadership, tolerance and empathy
Editor's note: This editorial was written by the USA TODAY Network Northeast Editorial Board, a sister network to the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. We mourn the death of Pope Francis, a leader whose humility and compassion brought kindness, welcome and courage to our increasingly conflicted world. Francis, the first Latin American pope, led the Roman Catholic Church into a new era marked by compassion, inclusion and commitment to global community. A champion of the poor, his voice of tolerance constantly sought empathy for migrants and those in need or danger. In his final public remarks, delivered by an aide to a crowd gathered at St. Peter's Square in Vatican City on Easter, Francis summoned those virtues, which together were the defining themes of his papacy. 'How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!' the late pope wrote. In recent months, even as he struggled to maintain a slipping grip on his own health, Francis was a sharp critic of the second administration of President Donald Trump and its immigration policy, which he said disregarded the 'dignity of many men and women, and of entire families.' Francis' humility and devotion to the idea that the church should be a global leader whose example should be marked by grace was evident in his final address. 'On this day, I would like all of us to hope anew and to revive our trust in others, including those who are different than ourselves, or who come from distant lands, bringing unfamiliar customs, ways of life and ideas!' he wrote on Easter. Francis' election as Bishop of Rome in 2013 was a massive shift for the Holy See. The Argentinian Cardinal, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who had served as archbishop of Buenos Aries, was a progressive in the politics of the Catholic Church. His elevation as pontiff was a break from the doctrinaire, conservative emphasis brought by his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. Francis quickly set a new tone — he eschewed the much of the formality and pageantry of the papacy; he instead brought humility, empathy and even humor. He happily waded into the global politics of the day and was a constant advocate for mercy, encouraging world leaders to err on the side of peace and tolerance. Despite some early stumbles, Francis' example brought welcome relief to a church that had been rocked by a decades-long sexual abuse scandal — an episode that was especially painful in the American Catholic Church, which is still reeling from the impact of thousands upon thousands of victims. The divisions that have marked global politics for much of the last two decades were present in Francis' church, despite his best efforts to sew unity and quell critics. Here in the United States, his more inclusive posture was often met with reluctance and some resistance by conservative Catholics who remain reluctant to yield on social debates around reproductive, women's and LGBTQIA+ rights. He pushed back on the revival of dated liturgical practices, including the Latin Mass, which has grown in popularity in the United States over the last decade. Still, a Pew Research Center poll found that his critics were loud — but not a majority; as many as 75% of American Catholics had a favorable view of the pope in 2024. The day before his death, Pope Francis met with Vice President J.D. Vance, a convert to Catholicism who has used the Church's teachings to justify the administration's policy on migrants, to share Easter greetings. Francis, who penned a letter to American bishops on migration in the aftermath of some of Vance's remarks in February, appeared to offer warm welcome summoning a warm and strategic diplomacy that we think sets a remarkable example in our increasingly fractious world. Opinion: Kindness is at the center of Easter's joy. Remember that amid fears of Trump Ultimately, Francis saw himself and his papacy as instruments of mercy and peace. In his final remarks on Easter, he condemned the unresolved conflict in Gaza, and called for a new cease-fire and for the release of Hamas-held hostages. Easter, he commendably reminded the faithful, should be a moment to break down the divides that stir human conflict. 'The light of Easter impels us to break down the barriers that create division and are fraught with grave political and economic consequences,' he wrote. 'It impels us to care for one another, to increase our mutual solidarity, and to work for the integral development of each human person.' This article originally appeared on Pope Francis leaves a legacy of tolerance and empathy | Opinion
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump is abusing his power. Is this a 'constitutional crisis' or something more?
In the last couple of weeks, President Donald Trump's rapid-fire executive orders have led legal experts to say his actions either have caused or are edging toward a "constitutional crisis." Frankly, I don't know what that term means anymore, given the confusion over whether we are in it or about to be in it. So, over the weekend, I opened up my pocket U.S. Constitution and read it to try to find some clarity. I also reflected upon the many essays written by former Tennessee Attorney General Paul Summers, who wrote in the USA TODAY Network Tennessee publications for two years about each article and amendment in the U.S. Constitution. He always reminded readers that studying the USA's founding documents is "time well spent." My conclusion is this: What we're seeing is a gross overreach of the executive branch of government that must be reversed and contained. Yes, Article II grants the president tremendous amounts of power, but Article II, Section 1 (8) says: "Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: − "I do solemnly swear (of affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." The president is a public servant not a king. His powers are limited by design. The Trump administration has faced 135 lawsuits as of March 23 due to its actions from firing federal employees to seeking to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. The reason that so many entities, including Metro Nashville Government and nonprofits, are suing the federal government is because they believe that Trump has overstepped his authority, for example, by halting federal grants Congress already authorized. Article I of the U.S. Constitution created Congress, but the GOP majority in the Senate and House seem to have very little interest in reining in the president because he happens to be a Republican. Meanwhile, the courts, created in Article III, are pushing back, but they are moving way too slowly for the speed of executive orders. Opinion: Tumultuous tariffs, federal layoffs leave TN readers uneasy about the economy The three branches of government − legislative, executive and judicial − are co-equal and meant check and balance each other. On Feb. 13, 99.7 Super Talk conservative talk show radio host Matt Murphy invited me on his radio show to discuss presidential adviser Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency and an unscientific survey The Tennessean published that showed a majority of our readers think DOGE wields too much power. Murphy insisted that the Constitution's Article II endows President Trump with the authority to do what he is doing. I disagreed on the air and I continue to disagree. For example, Trump signed an executive order eliminating birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. whose parents are not legally in the country. The problem is the clause is in the Constitution. 14th Amendment, Section 1: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." In addition, the Supreme Court effectively ruled in the 19th century decision United States v. Wong Kim Ark (1898) that "all persons" means "all persons." Trump has no authority to amend the U.S. Constitution. In fact, Article V grants the power of proposing constitutional amendments only to the Congress or to state legislatures. The president is not mentioned once in that article. So I found strange that Tennessee's current Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti's office has filed an amicus brief to defend Trump's executive order action on birthright citizenship. 'Courts are empowered by the Constitution to resolve cases and controversies, not to issue sweeping policy proclamations or manage the executive branch,' Skrmetti said in a March 21 news release. 'The American people are the ultimate source of authority and legitimacy for every branch of our government, and every court interpreting the Constitution must therefore adhere to the understanding of the voters who adopted the constitutional language. "Undermining the sovereignty of the American people through judicial overreach threatens to alienate the people from our constitutional system and thereby cause grievous harm to liberty and public order," Skrmetti added. The Supreme Court may buy this argument, but I still think the problem is executive overreach, not judicial overreach. Just to reiterate what I wrote earlier, the president has no role whatsoever in the constitutional amendment process. In 2000, legal experts were calling a "constitutional crisis" the impasse between George W. Bush and Al Gore Jr. for the presidency that year. While Gore, the vice president at the time, initially conceded on Election Night, he took it back when results showed Florida's vote count was too close to call. What ensued were weeks of drama, tension andgrowing polarization. However, friction is a natural part of democracy. Democracy can sometimes be messy, but the judiciary eventually resolved the issue when the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the vote count in Florida. Gore conceded the race, but theoretically, he could have continued his fight and we might have seen a version of the Jan. 6, 2021, riots 20 years earlier. The difference though was that Gore responsibly believed in limited government, the power of institutions and the integrity of the people's vote. It's a view not shared by the current occupant of the White House. Take the time to re-read the U.S. Constitution to see that the presidency is the creation of a compact that is about sustaining limited government and freedom for its citizens. Elected leaders should never pretend that the president has more power than he is granted by the U.S. Constitution. For the sake of our republic, presidential overreach − and abuse − must be checked. David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@ or find him on X at @davidplazas or BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Trump's executive overreach is abuse of constitutional power | Opinion
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wicked or The Brutalist? Tell us which Oscar nominee should win Best Picture.
The 97th Academy Awards telecast takes place on Sunday, March 2. As a movie buff and member of my local community theater, The Belcourt in Nashville's Hillsboro Village neighborhood, I am eagerly working to watch all 10 nominees for Best Picture. As of this posting, I have watched nine of 10 and plan to see my 10th ('A Complete Unknown') within the next few days. I will be writing a column about my favorites and invite you to agree, disagree or offer your own picks. In 2024, my column naming "The Holdovers" as my favorite film over eventual winner "Oppenheimer" became one of our best read essays of the year. In the meantime, we want to hear from you. Take our survey for which Best Picture nominated movies will win and should win, and what was left out. Thank you for adding to the conversation. David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@ or find him on X at @davidplazas or BlueSky at This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Does Wicked deserve Best Picture at the Oscars? Tell us. | Opinion
