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Meeting with Putin

Donald Trump’s upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin will be crucial in determining a new world order. The Ukrainian imbroglio remains a barrier to understanding between the two nuclear powers. China, Taiwan, and Europe will feel the impact. But the negotiations are fraught with pitfalls and could potentially lead to world conflict. Trump will be under pressure to shield Kyiv even if it frustrates his desire for a comprehensive peace settlement. The neo-conservative wing of his party, led by Lindsey Graham and Tom Cotton, no doubt wants Trump to make no concessions. The Democrats, led ...

A quiet week of news

Last week was a slow news week when it comes to my specific beat of West Virginia state government news. Reporters who cover the same beat had similar opinions when I talked to them. There are weeks when it is not uncommon for me to write as many as 15 stories per week or sometimes four stories in one day. I certainly don’t mind a busy week, but last week was mostly quiet. Sure, there was the Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia’s summer meeting at the Greenbrier Resort at the beginning of last week, which saw many state elected officials address the group and talk about West ...

Learning from America’s immigrant past

When debating current issues, it’s helpful to avoid inaccurate depictions of past policy, especially on immigration, in which both opponents and advocates of President Donald Trump’s policies have views based on not altogether accurate renditions of the past. Many opponents of Trump’s policies seem to believe the president wants to cut off legal immigration altogether, to shut America’s gates. But in recent times, around 800,000 individuals have taken the oath to become American citizens. In addition, about 1 million people have been granted green cards each year, making them ...

Waging war on a ‘king’

The entertainment press found it very important to report that Hollywood thinks President Donald Trump is an authoritarian. This is still somehow considered “news.” Over 2,300 members of the Writers Guild felt compelled to speak out in an open letter because they believe in their “role in a healthy democracy.” In 2024, democracy was healthy, and Hollywood’s candidate lost. “Writers Guild of America West PAC Endorses Kamala Harris for President,” they announced. So sad. They can’t get over it. When the Left’s feverishly spinning propaganda machines don’t work, ...

Overreach not partisan

Partisanship, although a persistent feature of American politics, has become increasingly intense and divisive in recent years. Both parties seem convinced that the new millennium is the time for either “golden” ages or social experimentation. During the Joe Biden administration, the use of executive orders aimed to alleviate student indebtedness and other economic ills. Donald Trump has his own brand of executive fiat, challenging birthright citizenship and/or pushing tariffs. The central feature of Biden and Trump’s overreach is that they tried to bypass Congress. Before ...

Education emergency measures

State Senator Robbie Morris was our special guest for the August First Friday Focus on Education meeting at Kump Education Center. He explained Senate Bill 516 for providing a new formula to increase tax funding for students in remote rural schools. He introduced this bill as a new legislator in the winter session, but it never got beyond the finance committee. On Tuesday, the Randolph County Board of Education had a visit from state efficiency experts to explain why our county has Emergency Status with the West Virginia School Board. Our local B)E has six months to come up with a ...