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Media vs. America?

Alysa Liu is an American figure skater whose family fled China and faced harassment and persecution by Chinese authorities. She won gold. You might have missed it. The American press corps chose, instead, to praise Eileen Gu, an American skier with family ties to the Chinese communist party. Gu skied for and was paid by China. The press elevated her over American athletes until shifting to hating our hockey team. “Eileen Gu won three medals — one gold and two silver — in Milan and now has six total medals over the span of two quadrennials. She also made herself one of the most ...

Too many meetings? Make them better

It seems the feeling that there are too many meetings comes up frequently in conversations these days. Time is precious. No one wants to sit in meetings that don’t add value. On the other hand, well-run meetings have a positive impact in many areas.  This column offers tips on how to make the most of your meetings. It is not inclusive; there are many good tools on this topic that are easy to locate. However, these are some of the most helpful practices I’ve discovered over the years. The starting point with any project is to diagnose the situation. When it comes to meeting ...

Confusing policy

This had the potential to be a foreign policy for the ages, but it now appears that Donald Trump has created one that only confuses. If he has a solution to the problems besetting the world, Trump has yet to articulate one, except to coerce, blockade, and threaten. From Iran to Ukraine, Cuba, and Venezuela, the Trump Doctrine resembles more a performative policy linked to a floating craps game. Although he points to some successes, Venezuela and Gaza, to name two, are all wrapped in caveats. The Maduro regime still exists in the form of Delcy Rodríguez, and Israel still has designs on ...

ArtsBank offers fun February end

The ArtsBank Auction offers our community an event that is an entertaining way to finish out this cold winter month.  The doors at Orchard Hall will open at 6:30 this evening and excellent hors d’oeuvres will be ready for guests to enjoy. Music will accompany a time for mingling with friends and looking at the art offerings. The grand auction will begin at 8 p.m. ArtsBank has paid local artists to teach art lessons in Randolph County Public Schools for thirty years. These working artists go into classrooms for six weeks to teach elementary students how to paint or do other ...

Not Just On Islands

The crime of child sexual abuse has the nation’s attention lately in a way never seen before. While we collectively, and rightfully, seek justice for these victims, let’s not forget the kids up the street, or down the holler, who are currently in the midst of the same horrific experiences. Last year, Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) in West Virginia saw 4,734 new kids, and of those, 2,182 were referred for suspected sexual abuse. 2,182 kids. That’s approximately 161 separate little league teams or 108 classrooms full of West Virginia kids who came to a WV CAC in 2025 because Child ...

Judicial defeat

The Supreme Court dealt Donald Trump’s program a significant judicial defeat. By a 6-3 margin, it denied the President power to unilaterally levy tariffs without congressional approval. Principally, it limits Trump’s use of the International Emergency Powers Act, which allows tariffs to be imposed during a “national emergency.” Jimmy Carter signed the law on Dec. 28, 1977. It was meant to curb Presidential power, but the Trump Justice Department incorrectly interpreted it as granting the President fiat authority. For Trump, the decision closely resembled the defeat dealt to ...