NASHVILLE (AP) — Gov. Phil Bredesen’s planned benefit reductions in TennCare are designed to save taxpayers $2.5 billion over four years, but the restrictions may not affect enough enrollees to reach that goal. Actual hospital stays, outpatient procedures and doctor’s visits were below the governor’s recommended annual limits, according to an analysis of how enrollees…

NASHVILLE (AP) — Senators on both sides of last week’s abortion debate expect the issue to come up again — not within the decorous confines of the Legislature, but in the open brawl of elections this fall. After the Senate voted 18-15 last Thursday, largely along party lines, to change the proposed constitutional amendment, it…

By TOM SHARP / Associated Press Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — School officials are just starting to understand the implications of Gov. Phil Bredesen’s proposal to equalize teacher pay, and not all of them are happy. The proposal puts more money into the system, and schools are glad for any help they can get. But, since…

MT Media Relations MURFREESBORO — Ryan Darnell’s two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth broke a tie game and helped Middle Tennessee defeat Southwest Missouri State, 5-3, on a cloudy and dreary Sunday afternoon at Reese Smith Field, giving the Blue Raiders a series victory over the Bears. Chase Eakes singled with two outs…

By JIM O’CONNELL / AP Basketball Writer No more East, South, Midwest and West. The NCAA regionals are now identified by the names of the cities. Don’t be confused, though. Just about everything else stays the same. There are still 65 teams in the field, of course, and there will still be 64 games to…

By The Associated Press Austin Peay’s perfect run through the Ohio Valley Conference fell short in the league tournament championship but was more than enough Sunday to help the Governors land their first bid to the National Invitation Tournament. The Governors (21-9) will host Belmont at 7 p.m. CST Wednesday as one of three teams…

By TERESA M. WALKER / AP Sports Writer NASHVILLE (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings finally can relax. His Commodores earned their first NCAA tournament berth Sunday in his five seasons with the school, surviving a situation eerily reminiscent of his first year in 2000 when they were snubbed despite the same 8-8 Southeastern Conference…

By CHUCK SCHOFFNER / AP Sports Writer For once, Connecticut did not quite measure up with the best in women’s basketball. Tennessee earned the top overall seed in the NCAA women’s tournament Sunday and will play in the Midwest Regional. Duke (Mideast), Penn State (East) and Texas (West) received the other No. 1 seeds. And…

By TERESA M. WALKER / AP Sports Writer SUMMITT It’s Tennessee time for the Midwest Region of the NCAA tournament. The Volunteer State sent six teams to the tournament for the first time Sunday, and the selection committee placed four of them in the Midwest Region led by top-seeded Tennessee and joined by No. 2…

By Doug Patton / Columnist If one accepts the view that the criteria for presidential greatness is the ability to confound one’s political opponents by stealing their issues and outsmarting them at virtually every turn, then New York Post columnist and political author John Podhoretz makes a convincing case for the premise of his new…