By Megan Strickland Nearly a month ago, a Democratic contender with about a snowball's chance in Hades of winning Texas's First Congressional District came and sat down in my newspaper office. Texas's First District consists of some largely rural, Evangelical Christians, with backgrounds in farming, ranching, oil, gas and timber. Some of its counties are... Continue Reading →
Hospitals in Rural and Urban Areas Could be Hit Hard by Trump Recommended Drug Subsidies Cuts
By Leah Richard The American Hospital Association is hoping a lawsuit against the Trump administration will help save a drug subsidies program they say is designed to help hospitals treat lower-income patients. It’s a problem that could impact hospitals that serve large portions of the uninsured in big cities and small communities across the country.... Continue Reading →
On Bipartisanship and A Good Porter
By Ellison Wade Western North Carolina isn’t a place many would search for reasonable debate on the widening partisan divide affecting our country. In general, people out here have pretty much made up their minds. This is Trump territory. Growing up in a family of Democrats, I’ve gotten used to being the nagging blue voice... Continue Reading →
New York city weathers storms and attacks with a spirit of community and cooperation
New York is the United States’ principal city and the most populous urban area in the nation. It serves as one of the world’s financial and cultural capitals, to say nothing of the political clout -- the United Nations is headquartered here and several presidents have called New York and its surrounding areas home, including... Continue Reading →
Jackson, Mississippi has never fully recovered from the Civil War
Jackson, Mississippi has a long and storied history. Having had its beginnings in the aggressive conquering of the Choctaw people of the region and subsequent treaty violations and violent removal of its people, it was built on the backs of slave labor. Named for Andrew Jackson prior to his presidency, the city’s beginnings were anything... Continue Reading →
The election of 1896 was the first real Rural Urban Divide in the United States
It can be difficult to understand the magnitude of events as they are occurring. Seemingly large events at the time can seem underwhelming when viewed through the lens of history, and others may seem like business as usual but may have repercussions for years, decades, or even centuries to come. The presidential election of 1896... Continue Reading →
Flyover city of Omaha continues to move to the right
Omaha is often a forgotten city by those outside of the region. Situated on the border of one of the reddest states of all, Nebraska, and one of the more conservative leaning blue states, Iowa, it is often overlooked by coastal elites -- the epitome of flyover country. But Omaha is also a sprawling metroplex,... Continue Reading →
The tug of war over healthcare brings out the best and worst in people
Healthcare has been one of the defining issues of both the current and previous presidential administration -- if not the last dozen. When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, he signed over the nation’s economy and health to both the IRS and the big insurance companies. What was billed as a beneficial... Continue Reading →
Misinformation and stigma still surround transgender debate
Being transgender anywhere in the world can be difficult. As a population, trans people face discrimination at much higher rates than any other group, they are often maligned or mocked in mainstream culture, and violence committed against them occurs with alarming frequency. They also have higher incidences of mental health issues , including suicide --... Continue Reading →
Seven myths about illegal immigration that refuse to die
Illegal immigration has been in the news quite a lot lately, thanks primarily to President Donald Trump and his push to wall off the southern border with Mexico. But while many express concern about immigrants coming in from an economic, a security, or even a cultural standpoint, there are several myths out there about those... Continue Reading →