To the Editor:

Donald Trump has exerted power as no previous president has in our history. His actions raise a chilling question. Is Peggy Noonan right? She recently wrote in the Wall Street Journal that our republic is in jeopardy because of the actions of our president.

To the Editor:

Irrespective of your political position or party, all aware Americans should have been embarrassed by President Trump’s performance at the United Nations. For nearly an hour he presented clearly refutable lie after lie interspersed with petty peevish complaints. 

On Oct. 1, Republican-controlled Congress shut down the federal government, bringing a renewed round of confusion, finger-pointing and uncertainty to tourism-reliant Southern Appalachia — a region still paying the price for generational poverty, and still struggling with recovery from Hurricane Helene more than one year ago.  

To the Editor:

Disappointing national employment numbers were released last week. Estimates were much lower than expected, and may be precursors of a shrinking economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that 19,000 jobs were filled in May, 14,000 in June, and 73,000 in July (bls.gov/economic news release 8/1/2025).

To the Editor:

A year ago …. who would have thought …

That the richest man in the world who helped elect the president with $290 million would be appointed to a bogus government agency and then walk in to real agencies with his teenage hackers with handles like “Big Balls” and fire thousands of government employees, destroying decades of institutional knowledge and dismantling agencies and parts of agencies that work on behalf of and protect American citizens. 

Growing up, my family spent every July Fourth at Ocean Lakes Campground in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We had a little blue and white camper on a permanent lot. It wasn’t much, but it was ours, and years of special memories were made on that little piece of property.

Whether you’re Black, Hispanic, Indigenous or White — LGBTQ+ or cisgender — if you’re thinking about promoting equity and inclusion in historically marginalized communities by combating institutionalized discrimination, racism and sexism, congratulations! You just committed thoughtcrime, because some words are more equal than others. 

To the Editor:

Despite what MAGA Republicans say, our esteemed president inherited a robust economy from President Biden (except for egg prices, apparently). The stock market was booming, unemployment was low and inflation was going down. 

To the Editor:

It seems many have talked about the three branches of government and their separation and nonelected personnel. I don’t know why people don’t realize that the President is the head of the Executive Branch and can control hiring and firing in his 15 departments.

To the Editor:

I realize by the time this is printed that the Oval Office meeting with President Zelensky (Friday, Feb 28) will be old news. But it should never become old news. We saw what we saw, and it has given us clarity about who our leaders are.