The Crackers and Frackers Could Hold the Keys to 2020
MONACA, Pennsylvania—All Darrin Kelly wanted for the energy workers in Western Pennsylvania was that the Democratic presidential hopefuls would talk to them before going to […]
It Will Take Hometown Heroes to Fix Broken Towns
Post-industrial Middle-American towns like East Liverpool need an abundance of people like Greg Bricker.
Cancel Culture Isn’t Real Life—Yet
But just imagine how the world would be if it became more like Twitter.
Small-Business Men Get a Front-Row Seat for Everyday Life
WAUPACA, Wisconsin—In another lifetime, the Park Motel and Supper Club sat along U.S. Route 10 and enjoyed both local patrons and famished travelers looking for […]
The Perils of Trading Social Interaction for Social Media
When we replace the human-level communities we thrive in—such as religion, civic responsibility, education, and volunteerism—with communities online that give us a false sense of power, we are heading down the path of failure.
The Death of a Local Newspaper Rocks America to Its Core
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio—When the press stops rolling at The Vindicator this month, a lingering question will once again taunt the residents of the Mahoning Valley: How […]
Rural America, ‘Romanticism,’ and Open Minds
ACCIDENT, Maryland—Hours before the festivities began, generations of families were lining up along U.S. Route 219, which is Main Street in this Garrett County town. […]
Lara Trump Tries to Fix Her Party’s Woman Problem
Last week, one month before she was set to give birth to her second child, Lara Trump came to King of Prussia, Pennsylvania to kick […]
Party, Personality, a Big Name, and a Primary in Western Michigan
Peter Meijer’s decision to run for Congress in Western Michigan was a surprise to no one who knows the 31-year-old Grand Rapids native. He is […]
In North Carolina Special, National Questions Intrude on Local Issues
By the end of the summer, towns such as this will be flooded with national reporters covering the special election for the 9th Congressional District.
‘Real America’ Inside the Beltway
It is often said our nation’s capital is filled with wealthy college-educated elites operating in a company town where everything is transactional. They are a […]
Richard Trumka and Big Labor Try to Come Home
Richard Trumka needed to come home. Walking into the union hall at the Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers building along the Monongahela River, the AFL-CIO president […]
What Happens When Joe Stops Being Joe?
FACTORYVILLE, Pa.—Joe Biden has always gotten away with being Joe Biden. This was true when he was President Barack Obama’s vice president, and it was […]
Finding America at a Back-Roads Gas Station
DICKERSON, Md.—Everything happens for a reason. At least that’s what people tell you when your plans go south. Driving from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C., recently, […]
It Can Take a Foreigner to Teach Us the American Dream
NORTH VERSAILLES, Penn.—Starr DeJesus admits she learned a lot about both the generosity of the American people and her own potential from an immigrant who […]
Coming Home
No matter where you lived in America on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the story often begins with a sapphire sky filled with airy, […]
What’s the Matter With Virginia?
LEXINGTON, Va.—Clare Perry considers herself a Democrat. Grayson Pearce is a Republican. She’s from Richmond, and he’s from Virginia Beach. Despite holding opposing political values, […]
Why Trump Is Bitter the Firefighters Endorsed Joe Biden
PITTSBURGH—Joe Biden’s decision to kick off his presidential campaign in Western Pennsylvania Monday shows that he is not just in a battle for the soul […]
After Mueller, Nobody Has Changed Their Views on Trump
Nothing has changed. Just about no one has moved away from where they stood on November 9, 2016, when they woke up trying to comprehend […]
An Answer to the Cost of College and Community Collapse: Community Colleges
PITTSBURGH—When the Pittsburgh Pirates opened their season two weeks ago at PNC Park, Nathan Sibley, a York County, Pennsylvania, kid who struggled in high school […]