Jonah Goldberg: Socialtists pose no real threat in America
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it’s almost like the GOP is secretly promoting the Democratic Socialists of America, which is now producing much of the energy and excitement within the Democratic and Republican parties.
Jeb Bladine: A daily flood of consequential surprise stories
Flash floods through the Midwest-South-Appalachian corridor have dominated summer news, often overshadowing a flood of consequential surprises in our daily news feeds. That thought surfaced this week ...
Investigating the Bible: Putting feet on prayers
A little girl was very upset that her brother made a trap to catch birds. Later the same day, her mother saw her daughter smiling and cheerful. Curious, she asked her why. “First, I prayed that my ...
Gary Conkling: Small liberal arts colleges as steadily disappearing
As a graduate of a small liberal arts college, I feel sad to see the demise of similar institutions around the country, with more likely to follow.
Quirk of the Week: A flippin’ fertile foray
Things can get topsy-turvy when it comes to Quirk. It’s the spirit of this appreciation of the unusual, but sometimes it’s literal, as one stop in this roadside roundup will show. Recent ...
Mel Gurtov: Trump triggers retreat on climate front
Mel Gurtov, syndicated by PeaceVoice, serves as an emeritus professor of Political Science at Portland State University. We once took for granted everyone concerned with global warming outside the Trump ...
Local editorial wins international honor
Steve Bagwell, editorial page editor at the News-Register, has been honored with a Golden Dozen award for editorial writing by the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. This is the sixth ...
Cyrus Javadi: Why is health insurance so infuriatingly opaque?
Have you ever sat down at the kitchen table, opened a bill from a doctor, hospital or clinic, stared at the amount you owed, and exclaimed:
Investigating the Bible: Who can you trust?
Long before Amazon, many shopped using the Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalogue. Colorful and with around 1,000 pages, it supplied everything an American needed or didn’t need and wanted. A catalogue ...
Jeb Bladine: Blockbuster AI stories and hypothetical surveys
Every week seems to produce another blockbuster story about artificial intelligence, while we beginner, amateur and semi-pro practitioners try to navigate the giant web of AI opportunities and issues. This ...
Quirk of the Week: Nuts about Anthony
Third Street seems to be nuts about Anthony the squirrel. Squirrels may have their detractors, but you’ll find few on Third Street, at least when it comes to Anthony. Anthony, a lively Western ...
What in the Yamhill: The ABCs of McMinnville
To the observant eye or longtime local, the fact that McMinnville’s main north-to-south running streets in the city’s oldest section are in alphabetical order may not come as a shock. The ...
Kirby Neumann-Rea: Don't lean on the AI crutch for work you can do yourself
An ad line seen on Facebook proclaims: “New AI-powered software creates ghostwriter-level fiction books in under 90 minutes.” I am writing a book. I’m a walking cliche — a retired ...
Jeb Bladine: Legislature tosses transparency, citizen rights
Sometimes, I wonder if state legislators care about law-making transparency, or even bother to read proposed bills before voting on them. As evidence, look no further than the 2026 legislative session. Locally, ...
