Former president Donald Trump often says, “We’re leading, by a lot” in the polls, which likely means that he knows he is trailing. He hopes the remark will discourage supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris while simultaneously setting up his supporters to believe the vote was rigged, sho…

Over the past 30 years, if not longer, you’ve probably heard someone talk about the changing nature of America’s economy, particularly shifting toward service/consumption industries while sectors such as manufacturing have diminished thanks to massive offshoring, among other things.

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For those of you who read the Gazette-Mail in print, you’re used to seeing Tom Crouser’s name and face in this spot on a Tuesday. Unfortunately, and to my utter shock and sadness, Tom suffered an injury last week that put him in an intensive care unit, and, on Friday morning, his family info…

In college, I had a double major in journalism and English. So, for half the day, I had professors telling me to write shorter, and, for the other half, telling me to write longer. I’ve remained confused and noncommittal toward most things to this day.

JD Vance denied last week that former president Donald Trump would use the military to target civilians who oppose him, although Trump suggested he would. Problem is, he can. Here’s how.

The looming presidential election boils down to math: Presidential immunity, plus Donald Trump’s return to the White House, equals the first American dictatorship. It could happen, but only if enough Trump supporters believe that saying farewell to our democracy is worth the momentary bliss …

Donald Trump’s allegation that Vice President Kamala Harris “didn’t send anything or anyone at all ... as men, women and children drowned” after Hurricane Helene is a lie. He also claimed that the Biden administration confiscated relief supplies others tried to send. Also, untrue. How could …

It was in early December 2022, while Donald Trump was still moaning about an election that he falsely claimed had been stolen, that he announced that there should be “the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” if it would help Republicans,…

In an online ad for his congressional bid, Virginia Republican Derrick Anderson can be seen with his wife and three daughters standing outside their average, relatable suburban home. The same video also shows Anderson sitting at the head of the dinner table talking with his family, and, alth…

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Donald Trump’s strategy of delay, delay and delay paid off regarding his trial on charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach — until it didn’t. Trump got his trial postponed; however, details of special counsel Jack Smith’s assertions are now publicly available. Here’s more.

I was listening to a New York Times podcast that included a discussion about generational differences in politics when my train of thought was completely derailed by a startling revelation. One of the hosts mentioned a Gen Z trend of binge-watching camcorder footage — home movies — from the …

An average is the best of the worst, and worst of the best. If it’s 70 degrees in , that doesn’t mean the temperatures in downtown , Yeager Airport and up Elk are all precisely 70 degrees. That’s a number to generally describe the whole. Such is the case when Donald Trump…

In a recent Michigan town hall, Donald Trump, while discussing oil drilling, confused Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge with Bagram airbase in Afghanistan. “We have Bagram in Alaska. They say [its oil reserves] might be bigger than all of Saudi Arabia.” He repeated the muddled message a half…

Every year in early November, the community of Guyandotte, in the eastern part of Huntington, conducts an event called Civil War Days. There are artisans, people in period costumes and local historians on hand. There’s also a reenactment of the Confederate raid on the town that took place on…

When I meet fans of a previous West Virginia University bowl opponent, I claim we won, even if we didn’t. Often, they agree. Why? Many vaguely remember the game but don’t remember the score. Same happens with false political assertions. Many vaguely remember the issue but not the details. He…

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I am not a Donald Trump supporter, but if I were, I would be profoundly disappointed in his debate performance Tuesday night. Kamala Harris, who Trump has said is as “dumb as a rock,” repeatedly backed Trump into rhetorical corners over the course of the 90-minute debate.

During tonight’s debate, I suspect you might hear claims like how good former president Donald Trump is as a businessman. In fact, last week, Trump told the Economic Club of New York, “I took care of our economy like I would take care of my own company.” That’s not as positive of an assertio…

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Shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when I was working at a small daily newspaper in Kentucky, a local church called me up and asked if I’d be interested in doing a story about a production they were putting together to honor the military.

I was shocked and deeply sad when the news broke last week that Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, had been killed while cycling along a road near their hometown in New Jersey.

Long-sought relief from the sky high costs of seniors’ medications is on the way, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act which President Joe Biden signed into law on Aug. 16, 2022. The Act requires drug makers to negotiate lower prices with the Medicare agency. Not a single Republican in Cong…

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In a recent column, I mentioned being uncomfortable while in a room with a guy wearing a very loud Trump hat. A reader lit me up for it and, while I didn’t agree with a lot of what was said, it did make me recognize the double standards that sometimes get applied to these things, regardless …

Creating a tax policy is more difficult than creating a snappy slogan. No tax on tips? That’s like not taxing people driving red cars, or people with blonde hair, or those with blue eyes. Both of our presidential candidates are for it, but both are wrong. Besides, that’s not the issue. The i…

The 2024 Olympic games have come and gone, leaving us with images of nations coming together for the common good. Thankfully, politics generally remained on the fringes. An exception was that war-torn Ukraine won 12 medals, which happily was 12 more than Russia, given that Vladimir Putin’s e…

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West Virginians have heard the stories of the coal industry and its history in the region over and over. When we hear the stories of violent labor disputes, poor working and living conditions, devastated communities and an industry in decline we accept it as a tragedy. But it’s not always ea…

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As another school year begins, I find myself thinking about the day in 2021 when homeschooling began for an 11-year-old little girl in Boone County. Three years later, she was dead. A deputy sheriff found her body “emaciated to a skeletal state.” Young Kyneddi Miller’s mother and grandparent…

Childlessness is the unfortunate state of not having children. Child free, on the other hand, is the fortunate state of not having children. What does this have to do with public policy? Plenty, according to JD Vance. Maybe nothing according to me. Here’s more.

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When it comes to historical significance, the departure of Joe Biden from the field and the soaring rise of Kamala Harris to candidate for president are events whose impact rivals those of President Lyndon Johnson’s decision not to run in 1968, Harry Truman’s victory over Thomas Dewey and th…

President Joe Biden, aware that his chances of winning reelection were declining, put his country above his ego and ended his campaign. Donald Trump, an egomaniacal convicted felon, continues to run, mainly in hopes that being elected will enable him to dodge prison.