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Articles by Mark Harmon
Push back on book bans by reading Tennessee authors Original
Our legislature has an obsession with getting books out of the hands of young people, via a 2022 measure called the “Age Appropriate Materials Act” that was updated in 2024. A different approach would be more beneficial. What books involving Tennessee or Tennesseans should people be reading? My list is, by definition, subjective and incomplete — and I welcome others to add to it. Let’s start with some authors with strong Tennessee connections.
Families Paying $25K+ A Year For Youth Sports: How Did It Get So Expensive?
Good evening, Before we get to the news, here’s a taste of what we’re up to this weekend in our weekly “Cheers To The Freakin’ Weekend” section.
Trump’s slush fund scam has a Tennessee-connected origins story Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout June 10, 2026 It’s easy to get whiplash from the daily revelations and machinations about President Donald Trump’s sham lawsuit against his own Internal Revenue Service, one doomed to failure but the perfect pretext for negotiating effectively with himself to set up a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund.
Tennessee lawmakers push hatred of Muslims
Several Tennessee elected officials are among those sowing anti-Muslim rhetoric. (Photo: Getty Images)region. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) You may have missed a recent kerfuffle on social media: Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles declared “Muslims don’t belong in American society” in a post on X. He also declared, “Pluralism is a lie.” Several religious groups condemned the statement, as did U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
Tennessee lawmakers push hatred of Muslims Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout May 4, 2026 You may have missed a recent kerfuffle on social media: Tennessee congressman Andy Ogles declared “Muslims don’t belong in American society” in a post on X. He also declared, “Pluralism is a lie.” Several religious groups condemned the statement, as did U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He replied on X, “Andy Ogles is a malignant clown and pathological liar who has fabricated his whole life story.
Voucher expansion defies logic and Tennessee voters Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout April 13, 2026 Tennessee’s legislators seem determined to push forward on school vouchers, despite good recent evidence that such programs, locally operating under the alias Education Freedom Scholarships, are costly, ineffective, and unpopular with the electorate. The Tennessee Senate version of expansion would increase the program to 40,000 seats for the 2026-2027 school year, doubling the current number; the House version would get us up to 35,000 seats.
GHOSTS OF SICILY
Absorbing history of an unlikely alliance. Harmon, an actor, and Carroll, a former special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigation Service—co-authors of Ghosts of Honolulu (2023) and Ghosts of Panama (2024)—tell another odd but true story of derring-do. They remind readers that the first six months of World War II were disastrous for American ships, with U-boats torpedoing hundreds as soon as they left port.
Tennessee's terrible power choices • Tennessee Lookout Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout March 3, 2026 Permit me, if you will, a bit of personal history on how I came to be suspicious of Tennessee’s current approaches to energy. When I was a senior at Penn State University, a representative of student government called me and warned that I might be needed to help prepare my dorm for evacuees from Harrisburg. That moment occurred at the height of uncertainty over the partial nuclear core meltdown at the nearby Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
Knox County mixes religion and immigration Original
The Tennessee legislature’s penchant for echoing Trump immigration policies is having repercussions across the state, including in my neighborhood. As January came to a close, I was able to view online a Knox County Commission meeting. Some 70 people were in attendance. Commissioner Rhonda Lee sponsored a resolution to contradict our school board and declare that Knox County was just fine with our legislature forcing or at least nudging schools to determine the immigration status of students.
Ruling in Tullahoma case upholds free speech protections in Tennessee high schools Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout January 28, 2026 Tullahoma, a small city on I-24 between Nashville and Chattanooga, may seem like an unlikely place for a big First Amendment challenge, but for several years one has played out there — and mid-January brought a victory for free speech among high school students. It all started in August 2022 when Tullahoma High School administrators suspended a student for posing three memes lampooning then-Principal Jason Quick.
Remembering University of Tennessee-Knoxville Chancellor Bill Snyder Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout November 10, 2025 Readers may have heard of William T. “Bill” Snyder. He served as Chancellor of the Knoxville campus of the University of Tennessee from 1992 to 1999. In fact, he was chancellor when I was hired there, but became a friend because he lived in my neighborhood, and even served as treasurer for my successful 2006 campaign to become a Knox County commissioner.
Stark federal choices harm Tennessee Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout October 28, 2025 Former President Joe Biden is fond of quoting from his father, “Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget—and I’ll tell you what you value.” Of course, our current federal government no longer budgets directly. It stumbles through months at a time with extensions, continuing resolutions, and bills with large budgetary effect — but often not complete or even rational.
How a Knoxville church shooting changed my life Original
A conservative activist shot and killed at an Utah college campus. A gunman fatally shoots a Minnesota legislator and her husband, and mortally wounds their beloved dog. Judges and legislators increasingly get threats — and in 2020 a judge’s son was murdered when an assailant came to their door. Roughly 140 law enforcement officers were injured in the Jan. 6, 2021, politically-motivated assault on the U.S. Capitol. Political violence rightly offends us to the core when we read about it.
Consolidation of TV station ownership in state limits options for Tennesseans Original
Rarely do we think about who owns the local television stations licensed to serve our communities, but a recent proposed merger of two big TV owners would have huge implications for Tennessee and the rest of the nation. The plan also demonstrates the folly of excessive deregulation allowing for the growth of media behemoths. When you watch CBS programming on WREG in Memphis, you are not watching a CBS-owned station.
The need for Knox County vehicle policies Original
Knox County Property Assessor Phil Ballard faces one count of official misconduct for, in the words of the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury, improperly using a “county vehicle approximately 150 times while receiving a $7,600 annual travel allowance and repaid $2,776.95 after the improper use was discovered.” Ballard, who has served as assessor since 2008, and I started together as Knox County commissioners in 2006.
Knox County lessons about a trustworthy trustee Original
At a recent Knoxville Smokies baseball game, I had a brief but nice chat with Ed Shouse, former Knoxville City Council member, former Knox County Commissioner, and former Knox County Trustee. I congratulated him on being one of the few recent trustees not facing scandal.
Tennessee lawmakers set no good example for "success sequence" bill • Tennessee Lookout Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout April 17, 2025 Tennessee’s legislature recently overwhelmingly passed the Success Sequence Act, requiring public schools to teach about the positive outcomes of a life path that goes, in order: graduation from high school, moving on to jobs or further education, marriage and then having children. It’s not bad advice, but one wonders about the merits of our state legislature offering it.
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett and other Tennessee congresspeople avoid town halls
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District clearly doesn’t like or do town hall meetings. He did one in 2019 during his first year in Congress in Grainger County. Rutledge, the county seat, has a population of 1,331 while all of Grainger County is 24,681. Burchett shows up at well-controlled and politically safe events and photo opportunities in parts of his district like Lenoir City, Maryville or Maynardville.
U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett and other Tennessee congresspeople avoid town halls
Knoxville Republican Congressman Tim Burchett joins the other Republican members of Tennessee's federal delegation by failing to hold public meetings. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District clearly doesn’t like or do town hall meetings. He did one in 2019 during his first year in Congress in Grainger County. Rutledge, the county seat, has a population of 1,331 while all of Grainger County is 24,681.
Stop performance act legislating: Tennessee lawmakers pursue spectacle rather than policy
Let’s face it — public policy is boring. It can be historic and morally uplifting, as in the 1964 Civil Rights Act. It can be consequential and helpful, as in the G. I. Bill of Rights. It can be liberating, as was giving voting rights to women. Most of the time, however, public policy is the tedious but important decisions like how to define a wetland, what kind of pipes are best for a stormwater system or how many valid signatures are needed on a recall petition.
Tennessee Sen. Becky Massey's bad day • Tennessee Lookout Original
State Sen. Becky Massey, a Republican who represents roughly half of Knox County, started February with a rough morning at a legislative forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the East Tennessee chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. I’ve watched Massey for years, and noticed her pattern is to diffuse controversial topics with discussions of process.
Tennessee Sen. Becky Massey’s bad day
1 day ago Knoxville pizzeria makes USA Today’s 2025 Restaurants of the Year list KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
The Tennessee legislature is better understood as a theme park Original
Inspired by a recent trip to Walt Disney World, I’ve decided the only way to understand the current Tennessee legislative session is to approach it as a theme park. Here is my guidebook to Legislative Land. The premier attraction this season is Gov. Bill Lee’s Voucher Roller Coaster. The clunky voucher train careens wildly and threatens to go off the rails.
One Knox County commissioner and a Christmas story Original
Knox County Commissioner Andy Fox is relatively new at the job; he started in September. However, the South Knoxville Republican certainly is making a name for himself by pushing a nonsensical idea: he wants to turn down federal money. Fox thinks that would be a good way to pressure the federal government to stop spending and borrowing so much. Other commissioners of all political stripes have gently reminded him federal dollars are really helpful for things like.
How William Mendoza-Euceda shows us a better way Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout October 28, 2024 The presidential and vice presidential debates saw the Republican ticket continue to push falsehoods and racist rhetoric about immigrants, to capitalize on the fears of part of the electorate — one that is scared by change, and feels cheated or neglected. I wish those folks could meet William Mendoza-Euceda. At age 18, Mendoza-Euceda was one of the youngest delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Professors and press both must fight anti-intellectualism Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout August 16, 2024 Fall semester starts soon with all the promise that comes with it. For more than 40 years I’ve taught on a university campus, and this is my favorite time of the year. New students are taking library tours, attending their initial class meetings and enjoying all the wonderful cultural and intellectual events that happen on a campus. The one minor annoyance is a virulent strain of anti-intellectualism long at play in some radical right circles.
East Tennessee congressman seeks to defund U.S. agency based on a lie
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout July 30, 2024 U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett, a Knoxville Republican, bizarrely bragged in his July newsletter about introducing a budget amendment that would get rid of funding for the U.S. Agency for Global Media. You may not have heard of that obscure agency title, but it is the administrative hub for such important things as Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). Don’t be misled by the use of the word radio in one title.
Beware of false appeals to the American people Original
Perhaps you’ve noticed the habit of U.S. politicians of all stripes to reference “the American people.” For some it is close to a nervous vocal tic. Pressed on any point, they will assert with certainty and bravado that the American people take the position they are advocating, or demand the policy they support.
Knox County Board of Education chair wrong about the benefits of school choice
Mark Harmon July 2, 2024 at 3:07 AM·3 min read Knox County Board of Education Chair Betsy Henderson recently penned a Knoxville News Sentinel guest column, "We can support both public schools and school choice," in which she opined that supporting public schools is compatible with supporting school vouchers. Nope. Henderson uses the nauseating euphemism for vouchers: school choice. She wrote, “[W]e need to consider the benefits true school choice would have brought to families across our state.
Words matter in Tennessee's debate over guns and gun laws • Tennessee Lookout Original
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout June 3, 2024 We are long overdue to use more precise language about our national obsession with guns, and our repugnant aversion to gun safety legislation. The biggest problem is the willingness by politicians and news outlets to echo the term ‘Second Amendment’ when it is babbled by gun extremists. It makes no sense to ask the question, “What do you think about the Second Amendment?” The only answer is, “It exists.
Different worlds in congressional newsletters Original
DCInbox.com is a very useful tool for keeping track of what our federal legislators are putting in their online constituent newsletters. I decided to run a check on Tennessee’s nine House members and two U. S. Senators and stumbled into a strange world often at odds with global reality. I checked on all of them from the start of this year through mid-May, looking especially at how they presented global threats like Russia’s war against Ukraine and the existential threat of climate change.
The parallels between hockey and political decoding
I am a fan of the Knoxville Ice Bears, a professional hockey team that is part of the Southern Professional Hockey League. For the better part of two decades I have gone down to the Knoxville Civic Coliseum to cheer raucously for our local team, sticking with them through the many championship years and the rough seasons like the one just ended.
Analysis: U. S. election dangers, as explained to Europeans
I’ve had the good fortune to teach in both London and Prague, and to have presented research in Lisbon and Istanbul, and I recently tried to explain our national politics to some baffled Europeans, with the following result. As we enter the heart of the U. S. election season, I understand how it can seem confusing and bizarre.
Doctor Who vs. the Orange Blob
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout March 5, 2024 Things were going according to plan at McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tenn. Air Traffic Controller Mike Fellows had just guided the Donald Trump campaign plane to a distant runway adjacent to a National Guard Armory, set up for a Trump Super Tuesday rally. “Tower to Armory Security,” Fellows said. “All clear. The Ego has landed.” “Confirmed,” replied Brad Johnson, the on-scene planner, “Trump should be de-planing soon for the rally.
Tennessee's private school voucher effort has a sidecar scam – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout February 29, 2024 While we wait for whichever awful version of Tennessee private school vouchers becomes the final bill, we shouldn’t lose track of a sidecar scam also making its way through the legislature: House Bill 1191 and Senate Bill 135, respectively sponsored by Rep. Ryan Williams, R-Cookeville, and Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon.
Diane Ravitch: a serious scholar for our voucher debate – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout February 12, 2024 It’s alarming watching our state stumble into an ill-advised scheme for school vouchers, the spectacle made all the worse by our legislators ignoring all the credible analyses and studies showing the systems do not really have educational value — and, in fact, overall do substantial harm at great cost.
Barbara Jordan, Donald Trump and Respecting the Constitution – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout January 15, 2024 Millions of people have taken an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. Members of the military, elected officials, and naturalized citizens all take the oath. It should be more than just a perfunctory act; it should be a profound and meaningful affirmation of what unites us as Americans.
Tennessee attorney general pursues a silly crusade – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout January 8, 2024 Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti probably does not read the academic journal Managerial Finance, but at the start of this month a guest editorial there nicely summarized some very relevant work casting doubt on a bizarre and unnecessary lawsuit Skrmetti is pursuing. In our name, Tennessee’s AG is suing BlackRock, a large asset manager with worldwide reach and scope.
Extremist Republicans speak 'obfuscato' – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout January 2, 2024 Esperanto was an artificial language, created in 1873 by Polish ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof for the purpose of having a universal second language. Though spoken in some places today, the effort largely failed. When I hear many of our radical-right state and federal Tennessee politicians speaking, sometimes I think they are speaking Esperanto or perhaps in tongues. Now, however, I believe they are crafting a new language I’m calling obfuscato.
An Andy Ogles case study: Stupidity as tactic, lifestyle or default – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout November 27, 2023 Members of Congress have some truly remarkable resources available to them. The Library of Congress, adjacent to Capitol Hill, has an estimated 164 million items in multiple languages and formats. The subjects cover an impressive array of human knowledge, arguably the single most thorough compilation of information ever gathered.
Tennessee's DesJarlais sponsors an affront to human dignity – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout November 14, 2023 Several years ago, I wrote and performed a skit about Tennessee U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, the anti-abortion crusader who urged both his mistress and ex-wife to have abortions. It was for Front Page Follies, a performance of skits and satirical songs to raise money for journalism scholarships. The Middle Tennessee physician and congressman’s walk-on music was Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.” I played DesJarlais as a creepy and callous Lothario.
Tennessee congressmen failing Ukraine challenge – Tennessee Lookout
You may have noticed that Republicans in the U. S. House extracted a price for keeping the government open through mid-November. That price was that there would be no additional Ukraine assistance in the legislation, known in Congress-speak as a continuing resolution. President Joe Biden insisted a separate bill advancing the aid would go forward and last week asked Congress to approve a funding package to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Israel and other countries.
Glenn Jacobs compares health insurance to auto insurance: he's wrong – Tennessee Lookout
Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, perhaps better known as the wrestler Kane, recently penned a column, joining with Justin Owen of the Beacon Center, the go-to place for right-wingers seeking material to support a predetermined conclusion. The column in the Knoxville News Sentinel could be dismissed as just another radical rightwing piece of blather, but Jacobs is widely known to harbor ambitions to become Tennessee’s governor. Thus, we need to grapple with what that column reveals.
Doing nothing, and doing even that badly – Tennessee Lookout
There’s a problem with doing nothing — how do you know when you’re done? It is more than a philosophical question, or a rumination on activity versus stillness. Our state legislature has stumbled through a special session of almost no significant legislating, but failed to stick the landing on when to stop doing nothing. Perhaps we should lay the blame on Gov. Bill Lee. He put out a list of 18 things that the legislature could do, all carefully avoiding any mention of the word gun.
GHOSTS OF HONOLULU
Though sometimes unnecessarily breathless, this is decent military history that will appeal to World War II buffs. It’s no secret that Japanese spies worked in Hawaii in the years before Pearl Harbor, but there was also a Japanese American agent working to foil them. Screen actor Harmon and NCIS technical adviser Carroll try their hand at history, and it’s mostly a success—at least for readers who can acclimate to present-tense narration and occasionally overheated prose.
Burchett plus falsehoods equals embarrassment – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout July 31, 2023 Conover Kennard at the site Crooks and Liars had some fun recently with bizarre statements from East Tennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett. The headline on Kennard’s article was, “WTF: We’re not sure if this Republican is talking in tongues or not.” She relayed much of Burchett’s blather about Dr. Anthony Fauci blurted to Newsmax host Chris Salcedo. “He needs to go!” Burchett exclaimed, skipping several synapses and adding, “In fact, he did lie.
Let’s wake up to the Chamber’s horrors – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout June 26, 2023 In the eastern part of Knox County, Tennessee, the Midway Road exit off Interstate 40 takes you to a fascinating, and almost empty, business park. Perhaps one day it will house some significant operations, but currently (more than seven years after the Chamber of Commerce won a protracted battle with neighborhood groups over the zoning) little is here.
Donald Trump’s dress rehearsal revealed – Tennessee Lookout
News organizations repeatedly have referenced a Donald Trump “dress rehearsal” before federal agents showed up to find and to seize government documents the former president shielded from being returned. I have it on good authority the dress rehearsal went something like this: Trump pulled out a bullhorn and bellowed to the assembled staff on the lawn of Mar-a-lago, “We have FBI agents arriving tomorrow. This is our last chance for a dress rehearsal.
Blackburn’s Tinky Winky moment – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout June 1, 2023 Sometimes radical right culture wars, all on their own, just slip from absurd outrage to self-parody. Perhaps the most famous moment was in 1999 when Moral Majority Founder Jerry Falwell proclaimed the purple preschool Teletubby, Tinky Winky, was gay. Tennessee’s U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in mid-May had her own Tinky Winky moment when she teamed with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz—rarely a good idea on any matter.
Tuberville shows how we’ve lost our sense of how to argue – Tennessee Lookout
by Mark Harmon, Tennessee Lookout May 15, 2023 U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and former Auburn University football coach, recently fumbled a simple question from Richard Banks of WBHM radio in Birmingham. Banks asked, “You mentioned the Biden administration trying to prevent white nationalists from being in the military. Do you believe they should allow white nationalists in the military?” Tuberville responded, “Well, they call them that.
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