Claire Heddles

In a recent report by a United Nations panel, scientists warned ocean levels could rise by several feet this century. WUOT’s Claire Heddles spoke with one of the contributors who says there are factors that could make this number even higher.

Dr. Richard Alley, a geologist and leading climate scientist, discusses human impact on sea level rise, how this could affect Tennesseeans and where he's sees hope for the future. 

Immediately east of downtown Knoxville, the Civic Coliseum went up in 1961. That was followed by the police headquarters and the James White Parkway in the following decades. And, in the next few years, a state-of-the-art science museum will be built there. City leaders have praised philanthropist Jim Clayton for funding the $150 million dollar project. But some residents are questioning why there wasn’t more public input or consultation with the surrounding neighborhood. This is an especially thorny question because of the legacy of urban renewal on that very land.

Governor Bill Lee recently signed a bill ensuring adoption agencies can continue receiving state funds even if they exclude people for religious reasons. Opponents of the new state law say it essentially allows state-funded agencies to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Data show LGBTQ families are at least four times more likely to adopt children than straight, cisgender couples.

Looking toward the end of 2019, WUOT's Claire Heddles spoke with William Fox, an economist and the director of the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research, about the state's decade long period of economic expansion and what it means for the future of Tennessee moving into 2020.

The Tennessee Department of Human Services announced a plan this week to spend some of the $732 million in federal aid the state had put into reserves. But it’s not the only money that’s gone unspent. Last year, Tennessee was one of only two states that returned part a federal grant intended for childcare. This year, it could happen again. WUOT's Claire Heddles reports.

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