Pam Sohn

America should give itself a pat on the back.

Just before 4 p.m. Friday, the U.S. had logged 253,458 deaths from COVID-19.

Don't write off the world. But don't count out climate change, either.

By the end of the year, the pandemic-stalled economy is projected to have generated 5.9 billion metric tons of emissions — about the same level as 1983, according to The Washington Post's reporting on the study.

Chattanooga government is looking to boost diversity in its use of contracted vendors after a study presented to the City Council this past summer showed that only 10.78% of city-awarded contracts over five years ending in fiscal 2018 went to minority- and women-owned companies.

As Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger appears poised to do the right thing and extend our local countywide mask mandate, a number of Republican governors in other states are looking at the novel coronavirus surge and doing the same or more — statewide.

With COVID-19 cases and deaths surging, we're both saddened and encouraged to learn that Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger believes "there's no other way" but to consider extending the county's mask mandate set to expire Sunday.

Remember when Donald Trump - drunk with his own grandiose visions of winning a landslide re-election after besting COVID-19 with the very best health care our country has to offer - boasted that the novel coronavirus wasn't really so bad and, what's more, it would be gone the day after the election when Democrats would no longer be able to cry "COVID, COVID, COVID" to hurt him politically?

Imagine a time when political polarization slows. When we don't have to read about radical liberal Democrats in all caps and hear snide comments about Republican or conservative wing-nuts.

Finally, late this week, the number of Republican leaders who have congratulated President-elect Joe Biden inched into low double digits.

There is a new effort underway to save Tennessee walking horses from soring — and to save the Tennessee Walking Horse and its industry.

It's not a question of whether President Donald Trump is leaving. He is. He has one foot out the door.

President-elect Joe Biden is moving quickly and taking care of business.

Joe Biden's victory to become president-elect of the United States is an enormous relief to most Americans — especially to the more than 75 million of us who supported him — the most votes ever placed for a presidential ticket in the history of this country.

President Trump, trying tirelessly to cast doubt on the 2020 election, stepped to a microphone late last week and did what he does best: lie, misguide and show his ignorance.

We know what yesterday, yesteryear and yester-presidential term has brought us.

So it all comes down to Georgia.

The future looks much brighter for America and Americans with each tick up of Joe Biden's lead in the 2020 presidential race.

We voted. And we voted. And we voted some more.

Today is the day. Election Day 2020. If you haven't voted already, get out and cast your ballot.