Spectrum

Often Appalachian natives decry the “drive by journalists” from big cities that come to small Appalachia towns just to capture pictures and depictions of poverty, unemployment, drug addiction and squalid and trashy living conditions. They come, stay for a day or two, take pictures of the most decrepit conditions and human devastation, conduct a few interviews and then leave painting the whole regi...

The news in Washington D.C. regarding the investigation of the Trump campaign for possible conspiracy with Russians in the 2016 election and possible obstruction of justice on the part of the President is roiling. According to Philip Ewing, National Security Editor for National Public Radio (NPR), the news comes at such a rapid pace that all journalists are scrambling to keep up with the latest de...

The days of video or computer games being just for the entertainment of a small segment of our population are over. The gaming industry is exploding and developing beyond the confines of simple games into applications for healthcare, rehabilitation, education and even finance. The business of gaming is worth over a $100 billion globally per year. Games bring in more money that music and movies com...

Some observers characterize politics as a game…a sport where there are game plans, strategies, and winners and losers on almost a daily basis. And, often the news media cover politics as if it were a sporting competition with play-by-play descriptions and color analysis. Such was the case during the most recent three-day federal shutdown over the spending resolution– a battle between Democrats and...

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by news daily pouring out of Washington D.C. and the White House that you find confusing, depressing or just plain outrageous? Do you think that our democracy is in jeopardy by threats being made by the President and other governmental officials against free speech and civil liberties? Do you begin or end your day full of anger or rage at what our government has become...

President Donald Trump is obsessed with and enraged by Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury” book that describes Trump and the West Wing in most unflattering terms, according to Philip Elliott, a Washington correspondent for TIME. The President can’t let it go. It has consumed more than a week of Trump’s time and the ire doesn’t seem to be abating, according to Elliott. The book also has uncovered a sig...

Robert Siegel came to Washington D.C. from New York City’s FM Radio scene some 41 years ago. He thought his transition to Washington was temporary and soon he would be back in the New York scene. Then, he discovered a fledgling National Public Radio. He joined a group of pioneering young reporters, journalists and broadcasters who thought audio storytelling was important and limitless in its possi...

Remember being taught to read through Dick, Jane, and Spot the dog along with Puff the cat, Tim the teddy bear and Sally the baby sister. The Dick and Jane reading series began in the 1930’s and the books were published up until the 1970’s. In the 1960’s the books went through a renaissance to match the changing times. The art work was modernized. An African-American family was added to the storyl...

Some of you love politics… But, don’t you get really tired of all the partisan wrangling, name-calling and finger pointing by our politicians? The two parties usually can’t agree on the day of the week and the nastiness of their verbal exchanges is at an all-time high. One result of this political vitriol is that little gets done in Congress and in many state legislatures and our trust in public f...

Recently, President Donald Trump announced that he was recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The act received widespread bi-partisan Congressional support and kudos from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, the announcement was met by Palestinian condemnation and by protests from some U.S. European allies such as France and other leaders in the Middle East. Protest demonst...

On December 14, the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) is scheduled to vote to rescind a 2015 regulation that would end “net neutrality”. Opponents of this action say it will consolidate too much power over the Internet into the hands of a few large broadband providers such as Comcast, AT&T and Verizon and cable companies. If passed, the high speed Internet providers would be allowed to block...

“Philanthropologist” is a word created by two filmmakers Craig Martin and Earl Bridges. It is a combination of “philanthropist” and “anthropologist.” It also describes what these two filmmakers do. They share stories from around the globe of those sacrificing to serve others. Martin and Bridges are philanthropologists with cameras and microphones. They travel the world documenting stories of human...

The pomp, pageantry, and elaborate ceremonies honoring President Donald Trump on his recent Far East trip met the White House expectations for presidential optics and the perception of exalting the U.S. President. However, many observers wonder if President Trump actually made much headway in negotiating new trade agreements or getting additional help in solving the N. Korean nuclear issue, accord...

Dr. Mario Grijalva is a molecular cell biologist who has focused his career on helping to eradicate Chagas disease – especially in South America. This bug, the Trypanosoma Cruzi parasite, exists only within certain parts of Latin America, and has caused havoc in most countries in the region. The parasites causing Chagas can be transmitted by certain insect bites. The parasites also can be transfer...

While traveling on Air Force One this week in Asia, President Trump lamented the fact that Russia’s Vladimir Putin is insulted by United States accusations that Russia meddled in the 2016 Presidential election. Trump contended that Putin’s bruised feelings would prevent him from making “deals” with the US concerning Syria and North Korea. The President also referred to former Director of National...

North Carolina Science Now is a statewide public television series that also is multimedia. It explains scientific discoveries, research, and principles using ordinary language that is understandable. Not only are the stories long-form news features on UNC-TV but they truly are multimedia. Frank Graff, a veteran of more than two decades of local television news in at least seven different cities,...

After two 12 count indictments were issued against former Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort and his deputy Rick Gates, a guilty plea of a Trump Campaign security advisor was unveiled on Monday. Washington DC was buzzing with strategizing, gossiping, and worrying. George Papadopolous, part of the Trump Security Group, admitted to communicating with Russians who promised Hillary Clinton’s emails...

Each stage of a career-early, mid-career, and retirement bring unique problems and issues that are addressed specifically by career consultant Beverly Jones. Jones is an attorney, an executive coach, an author, a blogger and a podcaster. She works with people at all stages of their careers to help them traverse the ever-changing landscapes of the workplace. Beverly is the author of the book Think...

JJ DiGeronimo is President of Tech Savvy Women. She is a speaker, an award-winning author and an executive strategist. And, she is a strong proponent of women actively pursuing careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). DiGeronimo charted her own course in Silicon Valley after determining that a career in STEM was her ambition. However, she has left the tech world as an em...

Lidia Catalano is a multimedia journalist from Turin, Italy visiting this country to examine the growth of alternative work arrangements. Her primary observation is that this segment of our economy is growing beyond expectations. Alternative work arrangements take many forms such as hiring temporary, on-call and independent contract workers. It also includes freelancers and some short-term contrac...

The devastation in Puerto Rico, as a result of two major hurricanes – Irma and Maria, is beyond most of our comprehension. Half of the population, or 3.4 million people, lack drinking water and 95 percent are without electricity – after two weeks. Additionally, 80 percent have no phone service so outreach to friends and relatives is nearly impossible. Natural disasters drain resources from Puerto...

After being the voice of Bart Simpson in Fox’s animated series, The Simpson’s, for 29 years, voice-over actor Nancy Cartwright wanted to do something different artistically. So, she fired up the “artistic muse” inside her and she co-wrote and produced an independent feature film based upon a portion of her life. It has just been released. “In Search of Fellini” is about “75 to 80 percent” based up...

Judy Woodruff, award-winning broadcast journalist, has spent over four decades covering Washington for PBS, CNN, and NBC. She currently is the anchor of the PBS NewsHour airing across the country on PBS stations each week-night. She has seen monumental changes in journalism and how news is delivered over her career. One change is the role of women. In 2013, Woodruff and her colleague Gwen Ifill we...

Recently, President Donald Trump rescinded an Executive Order called DACA issued by former President Barack Obama protecting undocumented immigrants who came to this country illegally as children. The impact of Pres. Trump’s action could leave 800,000 people – the “Dreamers” as they are called – subject to deportation. Instead of making the rescission immediate, however, Pres. Trump gave Congress...

In 2015, Jordan Phillips mother, Nicole, fought a bout with breast cancer. The diagnosis and treatments were totally unexpected and caught the family off-guard. Jordan, then 12 years old, was sad and frustrated and wanted to do something to help her mother and others like her. So, Jordan, on her own, created a cozy for coffee mugs. She sewed them herself and has sold them in various ways for donat...