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It appears MAGA is on the verge of a split

It would appear that MAGA is on the verge of a split. The unifying face within the movement is Donald Trump, who is behaving in ways befitting a corporate executive and not a Populist leader. Marjorie Taylor Greene, in an interview, described her beliefs as “America First” rather than MAGA. Too much preference for corporate bosses and the Epstein affair caused the split. Impatience with the feckless Mike Johnson, the Marionette Speaker of the House, drove both Greene and Nancy Mace out of the tent. Evidence of these divisions is rife. Steve Bannon seems confused by Trump’s ...

Counting our blessings

Irving Berlin’s “Counting Your Blessings” sung by Bing Crosby in “White Christmas” (1942) has been on my mind during this busy season. We are setting up our 100 Christmas Trees to celebrate 100 years since the Kump House was completed. There are many things that could go wrong with complicated events like this one planned for two Sundays, Dec. 21 and 28 from 1–3 p.m. at the historic Kump House across from Kroger in Elkins. Bing Crosby’s lyric “When I’m worried and I can’t sleep, I count my blessings instead of sheep” helps me when our task seems overwhelming. We ...

What being a good mentee looks like and why it matters

People need mentors now more than ever. Career paths are more uncertain. AI, technology, and economic shifts are creating cultures of uncertainty; working with a mentor (or serving as one) can make a huge difference. A mentor is an experienced person who provides guidance, support, and advice and serves as a role model for someone else. This person is often called a mentee. There are formal mentor/mentee relationships as well as informal ones. The tremendous value of a mentor came home to me as I was reading an interview with someone who was being recognized for their positive impact ...

Trump’s retribution campaign

Donald Trump’s retribution campaign brings to mind Richard Nixon’s obsession with getting even with opponents. Even though it was clear his Democratic challenger would be George McGovern in 1972, Republicans broke into the DNC Watergate Headquarters, along with “dirty tricks, one of them creating a bogus diplomatic cable linking John Kennedy to the assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963. This was heavy-handed and later regarded as over the top. Dick Tuck, an old Democratic prankster, had managed to attract the ire of Nixon. Indeed, he sabotaged several ...

The (non-Christmas) lists

‘Tis the season. No, not that season. It’s the season for end-of-year lists. Time magazine, which, like so much in print journalism has suffered from a loss of readers, has published its annual list called the “most influential people of 2025.” The list includes “Artists, Innovators, Titans, Icons, Leaders, and Pioneers.” Time’s “Person of the Year” is Artificial Intelligence. That might also apply to Congress. Most of the people Time considers influential I have never heard of, so they haven’t influenced me. Maybe it’s a generational thing. You may be ...

President Trump’s inflation trap

What can Donald Trump do to stop morphing into Joe Biden? The two presidents could hardly be more different in most ways — but in the one that counts most with voters, Trump is in danger of resembling his predecessor. Americans rejected Biden and the Democrats last year because they were incensed at the lousy state of the economy. Right now, they’re not much happier with Trump’s economy. Inflation was the No. 1 concern on voters’ minds last year, and it’s still a top concern today. Trump’s team say they plan to tout “affordability” as a theme Republicans can win ...