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Forget the ‘paper,’ embrace the ‘news’
BY KEN PAULSON There was a period in the late ‘60s when the Beach Boys, desperate for a hipper identity, reportedly considered shortening their name to “Beach.” Of course, the Backstreet Boys may perform into their ‘80s, but there’s no question that a dated name can take a toll. Take the newspaper. With an emphasis…
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Friends of the Tug Fork River, DEP and REAP deserve praise for tire cleanup
The Friends of the Tug Fork River organization is the driving force behind the recent tire cleanup of the Tug River between Warfield and Kermit. The group received help from the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and REAP (Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan) to remove hundreds of tires from the waterway in the last couple…
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‘Cult of positive thinking’
BY SONALI KOLHATKAR The late Barbara Ehrenreich was best known for her 2001 bestseller “Nickel and Dimed,” which showed that hard-working people simply weren’t making it in America. But Ehrenreich, who passed away this September at 81, made an equally great contribution to economic justice with her subsequent book, “Bright-Sided.” It argued that the cult…
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9/11 yesterday and tomorrow
BY MAGGIE HETTINGER Yesterday, we all celebrated 9/11 day. It’s been 21 years, right? I’m sure the TV was full of “remembrance,” if that’s what you watch. I did not. Yesterday morning, my church placed the American flag beside the altar. We sang together, “This is my song…this is my home…these are my hopes…but other…
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Does sparing the rod really spoil the child?
BY THOMAS L. KNAPP “When police found a kindergarten boy who had walked off from school after attacking his teacher and classmates,” Elizabeth K. Anthony writes at The Conversation, “it didn’t take them long to start guessing about the cause of his behavior.” Long story short: The cops concluded the boy wasn’t getting enough of…
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Head-to-head
This week the Mountain Citizen editorial team went head-to-head on the issue of student loan forgiveness. Student loan forgiveness may lead to long-term economic growth The Whitehouse has announced a three-pronged plan for student loan forgiveness that has caused predictable division across party lines. Despite the many criticisms of the plan, student debt relief is…
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Of course women will be arrested for abortions
Did you think otherwise? BY IVONNE ROVIRA Originally published at Forward Kentucky (This was originally posted in May 2019.) During his campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump said on MSNBC, “You go back to a position like they had where they would perhaps go to illegal places, but you have to ban it.” He then…
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Disasters bring out the best in Appalachian citizens
Kindness and giving come from the heart Flooding is nothing new to this region of Appalachia. Recently eastern Kentucky went through some devastating flash floods taking many lives and causing millions of dollars in damages to homes, businesses, schools and other property. The July flooding left scars that will never go away. This reminds us…
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The debt crisis sick Kentuckians can’t avoid: health-care bills
State’s rate of medical debtors is 11th, but average debt is low BY ELISABETH ROSENTHALKAISER HEALTH NEWS President Joe Biden’s campaign promise to cancel student debt for the first $10,000 owed on federal college loans has raised debate about the fairness of such lending programs. While just over half of Americans surveyed in a June…
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Is it time for a strong third-party candidate
Biden’s poll numbers are poor We, as Americans, need a solid and legitimate third-party system to give voters another choice when the 2024 presidential election comes along. The apathy by many voters, Republicans and Democrats and Independents, is growing stronger. People are not happy with the leadership of the two major parties. The way the…