By Robert Reich – Donald Trump said last Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the economy is “roaring backâ€. Rubbish. The Labor Department gathered the data during the week of June 12, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day. By the time the report was issued last…
Fourth of July 2020 – “THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we…
By Steny H. Hoyer – U.S. House Majority Leader – Problems encountered by voters in recent primary elections continue to present a warning to all Americans ahead of our general election in November. Many voters — particularly minority voters — have waited hours at their polling locations or were turned away outright. Thousands who requested…
The Big Picture -Â By Glynn Wilson -Â In these times of heightened existential anxiety, when disasters and crises seem to be assaulting the planet, the country and the human psyche in end-times proportions, where are we to turn for solace? Many human beings will turn to their version of a god, prayer and worship.…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. — We don’t have much time. It’s addicting in our newly evolved human condition to stay focused on the fast breaking news of the moment, the sensational clickbait. From day to day, we bounce back and forth from one crisis story to another.…
In Union there is Strength – “A house divided against itself, cannot stand.” — Abraham Lincoln The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. — Why can’t I just wake up on one beautiful spring Sunday morning in America and see beyond the view of the mountains a scene of peace,…
Let us open with a song. Oh, little Jeff Sessions It’s a mystery how you made it this far The devil messes with God’s best-laid plans You prayed and gave the country Donald Trump Then he dumped you in a Mobile trash heap You get no spare change It must feel mighty strange To say…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. – In all my travels, with the exception of Yellowstone, this view looking west toward Mount Mitchell is the best spot I’ve found. In some ways, however, it inspires sitting in a comfortable camp chair, staring off into space and doing nothing. But…
Even While Social Distancing Apart“Instead of complaining that the rose bush is full of thorns, be happy the thorn bush has roses.” – Buddhist Proverb The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS, N.C. — The polar vortex swooped down into the Southland this Mother’s Day weekend and not only froze the…
By Doug Jones – U.S. Senator – This is a difficult day for all of us. New unemployment numbers released this morning, some of the worst in our nation’s history, paint a grim picture of the economic devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The official U.S. unemployment rate hit 14.7 percent, and the Labor Department…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – MARION, N.C. — If May flowers spring from April showers, and adversity is followed by good fortune, then maybe the month of May in the year of the Big C might be a harbinger of better days ahead. We could all use the scent of some flowers…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ala. — The whole world is in shock. If the coronavirus doesn’t kill you, the stress from the economic collapse may. What to do about it? Maybe look on the bright side? This will probably be the coolest summer in a couple of decades. It’s…
By Robert Reich – Both our economy and the environment are in crisis. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few while the majority of Americans struggle to get by. The climate crisis is worsening inequality, as those who are most economically vulnerable bear the brunt of flooding, fires, and disruptions of supplies of…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – At this sobering time in Earth history, perhaps we should take a moment on this milestone 50th anniversary of Earth Day to reflect a little on where we are as a people in our relationship to the planet. (Earth Day is April 22. We are posting this…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ala. — Are you getting your affairs in order? I know I am. If this is not the end of the world as we know it, I don’t know what else that could go wrong to make it so. Yellowstone could blow and we would…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ala. – It’s a tough business always being brutally honest. But somebody has to do it, right? Sorry in advance. There’s no funny little ditty to sing you this morning. This is just not funny anymore. As I sit here isolated and alone on the…
By Trace Thompson – I grew up in a small conservative town in northwest Alabama. In high school, I played football, drove a truck, and wore my favorite pair of blue jeans day after day. Most importantly I attended church my entire life. I read and studied the Bible and, to this day, live by…
Editor’s Note: Back in January 2019, I put out the call for writers to help us cover the Democratic Party’s 2020 primary, since I didn’t think I could do it with so many friends on Facebook on all sides. Julie Slama answered the call, and got things started by profiling the amazingly large and diverse…
The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ala. — The dots on the coronavirus map and the color representing the Republican Party are not the only bright red things around here right now. In the mountain woods of North Alabama, the pollen count is on “Very High.” So your runny nose, sneezing…
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” – — Hunter S. Thompson – The Big Picture – By Glynn Wilson – PENSACOLA, Fla. — On the last Saturday afternoon in March, the Pensacola Bay Bridge should be jammed with Spring Break traffic headed to the beach. But Highway 98 was almost without traffic…
