Like many politicians, President Donald Trump often refers to economic growth to gauge the success of his policies. And one of the most common yardsticks politicians use is gross domestic product, which is the sum of all economic activity in a geographical unit, such as a country or a state. […]
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Anti-Abortion, Paid Protestors and the Push to Confirm Kavanaugh
Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court began Tuesday, Sept. 4. Kavanaugh is considerably more conservative than the justice he would replace — a fact celebrated by the anti-abortion advocacy group the Susan B. Anthony List. The organization has been touring several states during the past few […]
Read MoreDocumenting the Opioid Crisis in Numbers and Film
I find myself having to drag my fingers over to click a Twitter link to read Caity Coyne’s Aug. 30, 2018, Charleston Gazette-Mail story headlined “Number of fatal drug overdoses in 2017 surpasses 1,000 mark in WV.” The story is a grim check-up on how much worse the opioid overdose […]
Read MoreOnce-thriving Clairton Sits Next to Booming West Jefferson Hills. Their Children are Learning an Early Lesson on Inequality.
Zion Rumble raced in disbelief through the hallways at Jefferson Elementary in the West Jefferson Hills School District. The hallways were wider, lockers bigger and there were multiple floors for just the elementary kids. Gadgets filled the STEAM lab; students have an art room and lots of bathrooms. At Clairton […]
Read MoreOne of West Virginia’s Last Historic Gristmills Is Still Producing, But Future Is Unclear
A hundred years ago, gristmills weren’t just a place where people went to get cornmeal and flour, they were also gathering places for communities. But supermarkets replaced the local gristmill economy, and few working mills are still in operation today. One of West Virginia’s last remaining gristmills, Reed’s Mill in […]
Read MoreWhat Do Young Appalachians Really Think About Politics? 100 Days Is Going to Find Out
If the past few years of political madness have taught us anything, it’s that voting is one of, if not the most important civic duties in a democracy. The 2016 presidential election saw a total voter turnout of 61.4 percent, which is the lowest it has been since 2000. And […]
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