I received an invitation to Chuck Edwards’ townhall only two days before the event. With such short notice, imagine my surprise—and delight—when I found that more than 2,000 people had mobilized and showed up last Thursday. Hoping to Get In AB Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium holds fewer than 400 people. The line stretched past the building, around the parking lot, and back down the other side. We waited patiently, chatting with strangers and applauding whenever someone walked past

Question: Is Trump really serious about improving the U.S. relationship with Putin and Russia? Observations: Let’s first review his...

Late Tuesday evening (2/25/25), the U.S. House passed President Musk’s (oops, President Trump’s) requested budget on a party-line vote. So, our Representative, Chuck Edwards, threw us under the bus again. Many constituents in NC District 11—except for the many billionaires who live among us—will take a hit to the pocketbook. One Republican, Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky, said, “Here’s the deal: We are cutting taxes, and we’re not going to cut spending to match it, so

lon and the Oligarchs. No, it’s not the name of a new boy band. It’s my name for the billionaires intent on destroying democracy to further enrich themselves . Let’s Put Elon and the Oligarchs in Context: There are around 800 billionaires in the U.S. 13 of them are (or soon will be) in Trump’s cabinet. The net worth of the billionaires in the Trump administration is $382 billion . The net worth of Trump’s cabinet alone is $11.8 billion (separate from his wealthier advis

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act , currently in Congress, could cost you your right to vote—especially if you changed your name when you got married. This disturbing Project 2025-related effort claims to prevent non-citizens from voting. It was introduced last year but did not come to a vote. Now, it’s back on the docket for 2025. A Solution in Search of a Problem Despite claims from the president and many Republicans that non-citizens are voting in high n

The news from Washington has been coming at an unprecedented clip over the past week. At first, it might seem somewhat disjointed, but there is actually quite a measure of connectedness. FBI and CIA Trump has been salivating at the prospect of wreaking vengeance on the FBI. In Trump World, any attempts by the FBI to hold him accountable for his extensive crime spree during his first term are seen as “deep state” persecution. Trump and Musk’s Narcissistic Personality Disorders

Our Three Voices in Raleigh Are Failing Henderson County Our three voices at the North Carolina General Assembly— Senator Tim Moffitt and Representatives Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson —all voted for SB 382 , twice . In fact, Mr. Johnson was one of three sponsors of the bill. Described as “disguised as disaster relief” by a Hendersonville Lightning editorial, SB 382 has significantly weakened local zoning control , making it harder for cities and counties to protect fa

Our Henderson County Public Schools are under attack. Leadership We have seven members on our HCPS School Board. All are registered Republicans. Three of the members, including the Board Chair, are reasonable. The other four have an agenda that includes: Introducing some form of Bible instruction during the school day. Eliminating “woke” instruction (and presumably “woke” teachers). Guarding against instruction using Critical Race Theory. Banning books deemed inappropriate (t

I over-consumed media before the election. I was glued to my phone all day and late into the night, reading everything and diving into endless rabbit holes. What was I looking for? A glimmer of hope that the outcome would be something I could live with. My spouse called me neurotic. I muttered under my breath, "You won’t think I’m neurotic when everything I’m afraid of comes true." Yep, that sounds neurotic. After the election, like many others, I went on a media-free diet. C

Did you or anyone you know vote for Elon Musk for any office? Yet, some Republicans are now referring to Musk as “Prime Minister.” I think of him as the “Puppet Master in Chief.” He is certainly exercising a lot of control over the incoming Trump administration (and the President-Elect himself). This is an unelected man with no federally mandated position in our national government. He is accountable to absolutely no one—except, presumably, Donald Trump. He certainly is not a

Our state reps are disrespecting us. Reps. Jennifer Balkcom and Jake Johnson, along with Senator Tim Moffitt, are part of the current Republican supermajority in Raleigh. They vote in lockstep with Republican leadership and agendas. Recently re-elected to new terms, their actions make it clear they prioritize party power over the people they represent. A Sham of a Relief Package These representatives voted to overturn Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of the Hurricane Helene relief pack

It looks like Trump is serious about deporting undocumented immigrants. His choice of leadership for this task includes a former head of...

As a young teen, I read Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. I watched women fighting for equality and the right to govern their own lives....

The Scorecard I’ll make a prediction right now that might not seem bold or visionary: Whenever Donald Trump’s economic strategies start...

Trump’s Tricky Tariff ’Treat’ is Scary! If you ’re worried about inflation and rising prices, can you afford to pay $2600 more per year...

Those Crazy MAGA Republicans In an email to Republican voters, the NC Republican 11th Congressional District Chairwoman admitted, “I...