Of pockets, legs and polarization
“For the people who actually study the origins of civil wars, not just in the U.S., but as a class o...
5 key facts on the inflation blame game
The subject of inflation has been on many tongues in the public policy world of late — especially as...
Scots-Irish roots shape our Southern dialect
“Prove it.” One of this column’s readers challenged me to back up my recent assertion that some Amer...
Exit polls offer useful insights
Every two years, exit pollsters attempt to survey voters who’ve just cast ballots. They post intervi...
Poll presents compelling, alarming picture of NCGOP
From time to time, it is wise to consult a statistical portrait of the nation’s politics. Politics c...
How deep is our economic divide?
The term “economic divide” is commonly used today. It can refer to several aspects in our economy, s...
Labor board: Take your politics to work
The National Labor Relations Board wants to open the door to workplace activism, but winning its cas...
Is justice blind to party labels?
If asked to identify a symbol for justice, most of us would picture a blindfolded Lady Liberty holdi...
Our sky was never falling
From July 2020 to July 2021, there was a net inflow of 637,729 Americans into these top five destina...
Truth and trust in our newspapers
In speaking with some of the people I’ve mentioned in these columns, two things are consistently mad...
Civil war: ‘Our people’ vs. ‘my people’?
To live in interesting times — is it a blessing or a curse? To live in the era of Donald Trump would...
Revolutionary history surrounds us
When I set out a couple of years ago to write my first novel, a historical fantasy called “Mountain ...
Democrats’ ‘Red Dog’ dilemma
During the Donald Trump presidency, suburban areas were a gold mine for Democrats. Across the Sun Be...
Couple confronts reality of ‘till death do us part’
Within the last few years, I have gotten very conscious of my mortality. I don’t think I am going to...
Congress can’t regulate social media
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is on a rampage after Twitter deactivated her account and Facebook place...
Country roads and growing communities
Over the past three weeks it’s been a pleasure to walk around some of the downtown districts in our ...
ECU Health partnership is good news
Having lived through the past couple of years, you will no doubt agree with the 1983 Anne Murray son...
School closures were too risky
When the news broke on Monday that one of North Carolina’s largest school districts, Cumberland Coun...
Omicron brings urgency for vaccination, safety habits
As eastern North Carolina continues to see rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations driven by the ...
5 freedoms we must champion in the new year
Eighty-one years ago this week, President Franklin Roosevelt delivered what was, from a substantive ...
local news
Maple tree planted in memory of Ben Cifers
Shoes are best clue in skeleton case
PITTSBORO — A pair of designer shoes and some ragtag clothing are about the only clues left to the i...
On the coming Butner boom
BUTNER — “We’re on the cusp of a lot of things happening,” said Mayor Terry Turner with confidence a...