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Jackson’s legacy

Columnists

Jesse Jackson’s death was noted with predictable comments praising him as a great Civil Rights leader; all this is true. However, comments have omitted his more original contributions. He blended the business acumen of a Whitney Young with the universal vision of a Martin Luther King. With his presidential candidacies in 1984 and 1988, Jackson not only strengthened Black voters, but he also revived the Left’s critique of U.S. foreign policy. He was the first progressive since former Vice President Henry Wallace in 1948 to question orthodoxy in foreign policy. As with King’s ...

A week full of firsts

Columnists

There are many firsts for me this legislative session. One of them has been the budget bill moving earlier than I or many other experienced Capitol dwellers have ever seen it move. The state Senate and House of Delegates came to a compromise on the budget bill on day 51. This was done for the most part to get the bill to Gov. Patrick Morrisey’s desk so he would have five days to consider it prior to the end of the session. If Morrisey does any line-item vetoes to the budget bill, the Legislature would have time to override those vetoes. Vetoes of regular bills take a simple ...

Trump avoiding repeating history in Iran

Columnists

History doesn’t always repeat itself, or even rhyme. People sometimes learn from experience, their own or others’. Example: Woodrow Wilson, a stubborn Southerner, refused to involve any Republicans, all Northerners in those days, in treaty negotiations after World War I. His treaty version, which would require the United States to go to war on a vote of the League of Nations, was rejected by the Senate. Franklin Roosevelt, who had been Wilson’s assistant secretary of the Navy, included Republicans in post-war and treaty planning while World War II was still going on. That ...

New Risks

Editorials

As America’s conflict with Iran continues, the Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement about the heightened risk of lone wolf attacks. Yet the agency tasked with keeping Americans safe — one of the few responsibilities just about everyone agrees is appropriate for government — remains unfunded as Congress bickers over immigration politics. Congressional negotiators reached a deal to fund the federal government but outrage over President Donald Trump’s deportation tactics pushed Democrats to defund DHS. The agency has been in a shutdown since Feb. 14. Both ...

Worrying trend

Columnists

So much for negotiating in good faith, despite the perniciousness of the Islamic Republic, the United States became a wild card diplomatically. As with Israel, they reserve the right to do whatever they please internationally, but their word is not worth much. This is an ongoing trend, not simply an idea of Donald Trump. Many of his Democratic critics do not question whether Iran should be changed, just the methods employed. Joe Biden tsk-tsked Benjamin Netanyahu while he placed Gaza on the rack, but did little to stop it. As with the Gulf War, America needs no “small cause” to ...

Free Tree Talks start third year

Columnists

Thanks to the Elkins Tree Board and City Councilwoman Nanci Bross-Fregonara, we will offer another series of three free Tree Talks at Kump Education Center. These lectures have been sponsored by Appalachian Forest National Heritage grants, and our local, nature-loving audience is always enthusiastic.  Learning about natural science is one of the educational purposes of Kump Center. On March 4, Appalachian Biologist, Lacy Rucker presented the first 2026 Tree Talk at Kump Center.   She explained why the Appalachian Mountains are such a “Hot Spot” for biodiversity, and she ...