I can tell you from personal experience that hospice care is a blessing, and the professionals who administer that care are angels. Traditional hospice care is available to anyone who is diagnosed with a terminal illness and has six months or less to live. In that regard, end-of-life care ty…
r children starting kindergarten for the 2021-22 school year in Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools will end April 23, 2021. Also, in 2021, district staff are preparing the first major review of its Student Assignment Plan since School Choice was implemented in 1995.
From school boards to city councils, we depend on local news for information. But do we truly appreciate it? As my first official job, the late Joe Sink hired me, a green 16-year-old, to answer phones in the circulation department of The Lexington Dispatch. I was drawn to the buzz in the newsroom.
A wise man once advised me never to complain about a problem unless I was prepared to offer a solution, and, where possible, I’ve always tried to adhere to that advice in my newspaper columns. For example, I’ve criticized long-serving politicians by advocating for term limits, and I’ve criti…
The late great Ernie Banks, a Hall of Fame baseball player, once said, “the measure of a man is in the lives he’s touched.” If that’s true, then Daniel Seaman must be one of the most successful men in Heaven. He was a devoted husband and loving father. He was a loyal friend and confidant. He…
Before the Pandemic came along, we were a nation consumed with erasing history. Every week, it seemed, there was another statue or monument being torn down, or a building being re-named, all in the cause of racial justice. Don’t get me wrong. I do not now, nor have I ever revered the memory …
Every family in America has been affected by COVID-19, some from loss of life, and others from loss of employment. But another casualty of the Pandemic has been education. To put things in perspective, there are approximately 74 million children under age 18 living at home, and another 20 mi…
“It’s Sunshine Week across America, a time when the public’s right to see government records and attend government meetings — in order to hold government officials accountable to the people who employ them — is traditionally celebrated.
"Men weren’t really the enemy. They were fellow victims suffering from an outmoded masculine mystique that made them feel unnecessarily adequate when there were no bears to kill.”
I’m not a big fan of lists, mainly because the person or organization that compiles them does so subjectively. For example, I don’t care how many Super Bowls Tom Brady wins. I still think Peyton Manning is a better quarterback. I cringe every time someone publishes a list of the “Ten Best Fi…
The COVID-19 virus has taught us some painfully valuable lessons. For starters, it showed us how ill-prepared we were to deal with a pandemic, and it underscored disparities in our healthcare system. The pandemic has also given our elected officials an opportunity to either shine or shrivel …
For over 20 years now, Richard Burr has managed to enrich himself through unethical means, mislead the American people about a deadly virus, oppose letting Americans buy cheaper drugs from Canada, take money from industries he was supposed to regulate (then push for tax breaks for them), and…
During his storied career, Hal Holbrook portrayed, among other things, a President, a Senator, a Secretary of State, and a Deep Throat whistleblower. All of them spoke eloquently about life, politics, and the human condition. But it was Hal himself who often articulated views that were befit…
Means-tests have long been a public-facing characteristic of American social programming. They have drawn considerable ire for their tendency to withhold important welfare services, stigmatize claimants, and clog funding channels, and are thus rarely implemented by, for example, Western Euro…
“Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love,” - Martin Luther King, Jr., from “Where do we go from here?” sermon, 1967
For the past 70 years, prime time television has been inhabited by thousands of loving couples who’ve had to navigate either comedic or dramatic situations to stay together. Therefore, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I’ve compiled a list of memorable duos that have graced the small screen.
Dr. Sadie Leder Elder also offers insight on how the COVID-19 global pandemic has impacted romantic relationships.
I had only known Cloris Leachman for less than thirty minutes when she asked me to take off my clothes. More on that in a moment, but suffice to say it was one of those things that sort of sticks in your head, much like everything Cloris did, and she did a lot. Cloris passed away on January …
I have lived through the last 17 Presidential Inaugurations, including one I attended in person and another that I was assigned to cover. In each case, I was struck by the majesty and awe of the occasion, and that includes our most recent inauguration, despite its scaled-down nature.
Donald Trump stirred up a bunch of angry White people, asked them to storm the Capitol building, and disrupt a Constitutional proceeding. It was a sickening sight to see as these Trump sycophants breached a secure area, yelling and creating chaos. No, I’m not describing the siege on January …
Four years ago, Hillary Clinton made a statement that backfired on her. While enjoying a comfortable lead in the polls, she showed disdain for Trump supporters by referring to them as “Deplorables.” Not surprisingly, that slur served to motivate millions of folks to show up on Election Day a…
When 18-year-old Deon Kay left his home in Congress Heights, D.C., on Sept. 2, 2020, he was a brother, an athlete, and an enthusiastic student— one who “was creating plans for his future.” Within hours, he was shot down by Southeast Washington police for brandishing a weapon inside a vehicle…
In the annuals of pop culture there have been three great debates: Coke or Pepsi? Ford or Chevy? Ginger or Mary Ann? The answers to the first two questions may never be settled, but the third is a no-brainer. The overwhelming majority of men and women everywhere prefer girl-next-door Mary An…
As I sit here and pen my last "Letter From the Editor" I am thinking of lyrics from the anti-war, biblical Byrds' bop, "Turn! Turn! Turn!"
"The Educated Youth" is my descriptor for a subset of the population of contemporary young people. By “young,” I mean those ranging in age from teenagers to their mid-thirties. “Educated” indicates those sufficiently informed on both marginalized communities and policy procedures to comprehe…
Raleigh, NC - Today, Governor Roy Cooper appointed left wing political hack Darren Jackson to fill conservative jurist Phil Berger’s seat on the North Carolina Court of Appeals following his election to the Supreme Court. In a record turnout election, North Carolina voters chose conservative…
Adoptee Strainer
Sitting here on the eve of the eve of New Year’s Eve, reminiscing on the collective shit show this year has been for everyone in the country, state, and Triad is definitely a bummer. But things certainly could have been a lot worse for both Ian and me. That is the thing about our white, cisg…
Looking back on 2020, no one would disagree that COVID-19 was the biggest story of the year, but for much of the first quarter, it wasn’t a story at all. We began the year with President Trump being impeached for alleged abuse of power. Not surprisingly, the Republican controlled-Senate vot…
There’s never a dull moment in Tenet, a globe-trotting, hi-tech, time-tripping action blow-out from writer/producer/director Christopher Nolan – but there are plenty of confusing ones.
As the nation begins to wind down from an exhausting Trump-era administration where chaos, contradiction, and following the rule of law has been subject to interpretation, is it any wonder why local Democratic voters are shocked and appalled at the most recent turn of events in local politics?
Governor Cooper just can’t seem to win for losing these days. The North Carolina Democratic Governor is popular with ordinary citizens, but not so much within the bar and restaurant community. The industry blames him for a wide range of woes since being placed under restrictions enacted in M…
Congressional leaders have been negotiating another round of stimulus for nine months and finally struck a deal on a massive package this week. Republicans and Democrats have been mired in partisan gridlock for most of the year on points most important to their respective caucus. Congress pa…
This past weekend, Winston-Salem-based wedding venue, The Warehouse on Ivy, located at 1245 Ivy Ave., declined to host a lesbian couple’s marriage ceremony.
Cooper Administration Demands Unemployment Benefits Back Right Before Christmas
It’s that time of year again for predictions about the upcoming year. In my case, of course, these will be forecasts for the economy. Here are seven predictions I think have a reasonably good chance of happening in 2021.
Party-going restrictions of COVID-19 notwithstanding, this holiday season is still the perfect time to remind folks not to drink and drive. Unfortunately, it’s a reminder that needs to be uttered in every season. That’s because, according to the Centers for Disease Control, intoxicated drive…
Small independently owned restaurants are facing an extinction level event as we move deeper into colder months and the coronavirus spread reaches all-time highs. Without immediate financial aid, over 75% of the state’s 19,504 eating and drinking locations are in danger of closing permanently.
When I announced North Carolina had its first known COVID case on March 3rd, most of us didn’t expect to be living like this in December. Instead of preparing for beloved holiday traditions, we’re making virtual gathering plans and mourning the loss of more than 290,000 Americans from COVID-19.
As we do our best to celebrate this holiday season, let’s not forget that there are people beyond our immediate circle of family and friends who are suffering, and could benefit from our love and generosity.
I applaud President-Elect Biden for moving quickly to create his own COVID Task Force, and for stacking it with people who actually know about and recognize science. Among other things, the task force is assessing the development of effective vaccines, and making plans for distribution and a…
She’s your star student: the quiet teenager hunched over an SAT prep book in the back of a loud classroom, her schedule loaded with AP classes (all of which she is undoubtedly acing) and extracurricular activities. She’s your neighborhood tiger mom: the middle-aged lady rushing her children …
Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I'm not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinski, or Donald Trump calling neo-Nazis “very fine people.”
Dear Mayor Joines, Mayor Pro Tem Adams, City Council members, and City Manager Lee Garrity,
Dear Dr. Moore, Mr. Winslow, and Dr. Taylor:
Featured photo: Screenshot of Megan Thee Stallion's powerful, Oct. 3 performance on Saturday Night Live.
Not too many years ago, North Carolina was considered to be a politically inconsequential state. That’s because our voting patterns were predictable, and our presidential primaries were held so late that we hardly ever figured into the nominating process. But as our population grew in both n…
Black and Brown transwomen are dying at an alarming rate in this “great” country. In 2020 alone, 36 trans people— 27 of which were identified as Black and Latinx— have been violently killed, marking an all-time high in fatal violence against trans folks since the Human Rights Campaign began …
