A lesson in how lies lead to dangerous outcomes

Facts, once unassailable, have become, well, difficult to quantify. People make up or repeat lies, especially on social media platforms and other online spaces, and people believe them, think what they read or hear is true, is a fact. As it turns out, those lies can be dangerous. We’ve all witnessed it at the national level, but it’s also happening right here in Western North Carolina. 

Do these politicians have no shame?

To the editor:

The small city of Springfield, Ohio, has been turned into a target of anti-immigrant hate by Donald Trump and JD Vance, echoed by many of their followers. They spread the vicious lie that Haitian immigrants — who are legally documented and were invited by the town leadership to settle there — are eating  people’s pets.

Blame game: Vance, Walz trade barbs in dueling NC appearances

In a series of pointed comments, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Ohio Sen. JD Vance took aim at their respective opponents during separate visits to the Tarheel state last week, with Walz largely blaming former President Donald Trump for the country’s woes, while Vance continues to target unauthorized migrants. 

Another school shooting, another call for assault rifle bans

Remarks given by Tennessee State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, stumping for the Democratic presidential ticket during a visit to Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, took on a more poignant air due to a tragic coincidence and a surprise guest — suggesting Americans remain especially divided on a controversial issue. 

Via Chicago: Day 2, ‘A bold vision for America’s future’

Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Look for a new installment each day this week, through Friday.

Via Chicago: Day 1, 'For the people'

Editor’s note: “Via Chicago” is Smoky Mountain News Politics Editor Cory Vaillancourt’s pop-up daily dispatch from the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Look for a new installment each day this week, through Friday.

A love letter to Appalachia

Editor’s note: This article first appeared online at the website “100 Days in Appalachia.” Meredith McCarroll is from Waynesville, went to Appalachian State and the University of Tennessee and resides in Brunswick, Maine. She is author of “Unwhite: Appalachia, Race, and Film” and co-editor of “Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy.”  

WNC at the RNC: Western delegates reflect on historic GOP convention

Eight days is what it took to shock the world and cast the contentious 2024 Presidential race down untrodden paths. 

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