Breaking News

Opinion

Judging a book by its cover

Columnists

I enjoy reading. I guess I wouldn’t be in this profession if I didn’t. When I was 5 years old, I told my dad he no longer had to read to me. From that point on, I slept with numerous books under my bed for convenience. I slept with a touch lamp on and didn’t sleep in the dark until I was nearly out of high school, not because I was afraid of the dark but because I’d often fall asleep reading. Growing up, I mostly read nonfiction, such as books about history. I recall borrowing the Time Life series on the American Civil War from then-Pleasants County Sheriff David Kelly (now ...

Just what is going on with the economy?

Columnists

The fate of the Trump administration — and perhaps Republicans in Congress — is tethered to how Americans feel about the economy. And right now, it’s hard to find anyone who can say with confidence what the hell is going on. Thursday offered a fresh reminder of the chaos. As The Wall Street Journal noted, “Stocks surrendered gains and closed sharply lower after a whirlwind day of trading that began after Nvidia posted strong results. The Nasdaq composite led indexes lower after being up on the day more than 2%. It closed 2.2% lower. Nvidia gave up an even bigger gain and ...

The best leaders are those who learn from others

Columnists

When asked what characteristics the most successful people have, I often mention curiosity. This is what it takes to learn from others. In most organizations, there are usually some leaders who are achieving better results than others. This is a good thing. These days, very few travel dollars are needed to get help. What it takes is the willingness to ask the person achieving good results how they are doing it.  One difference between a frontline worker and a manager is that the frontline worker most often works side by side with others who do a similar job. A manager does not work ...

Professionals

Editorials

U.S. Department of Education officials missed the mark badly when they decided, purportedly in a revision that is part of the Big Beautiful Bill, to eliminate nursing, physical therapy, public health and other fields from those graduate study fields in which students are able to borrow loans up to the cost of their degree. Those programs are not, in the opinion of bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., “professional.” In fact, only the following fields are now defined as professional programs, according to the Education Department: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, ...

Avoiding solutions

Columnists

Donald Trump’s rise to power has been marked by both malice and hope. He disliked his enemies, yet he seemed able to craft policies that sounded designed to reverse what he saw as an inevitable decline. His approach to foreign policy appeared to be oriented toward avoiding the George W. Bush style of diplomacy. But lately, the approach has been marked not so much by a positive approach as by a desire for retribution. This pivot is a disturbing departure from his first term, when Trump seemed steadier. Perhaps understanding the essence of Trumpism is to reexamine the twists and ...

Delivering broadband to W.Va.

Columnists

When I talk with West Virginians, connectivity is a topic that comes up frequently. Whether you’re a small business owner looking to develop your online presence and reach a broader audience, or a teacher who needs to send a homework assignment to students who missed a class, broadband access is critical in today’s world. It keeps us connected, has the ability to break down barriers, and leads to significant economic growth. Today, I am proud to say that connection is closer than ever. Last week, the state’s Final Proposal under the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment ...