Topic: Appalachia

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

10 best books of April, according to Amazon

Amazon picks the 10 best books of April

All Content

'Hatfields and McCoys': Is History Channel miniseries fact or fiction?

The family feud between the Hatfields and McCoys is brought to life in a new History Channel series. But history and folk legend blur as the show follows the lead of cable TV's more mature fare.
Decoder Wire
Obama loses 42 percent of Kentucky, Arkansas primary vote. Should he worry? (+video)

No and yes. The key issue here may be whether the Kentucky and Arkansas primaries are a portent of trouble for President Obama in North Carolina, a crucial swing state.
Cover Story
With all this natural gas, who needs oil?

It's home-grown, plentiful, and touted as the best way to wean the US off Mideast oil. But there are limits to how far the US can tilt toward a natural gas economy.
10 best books of April, according to Amazon

Amazon picks the 10 best books of April
The Hunger Games: movie review

'The Hunger Games' has echoes of some great films of its type: the reality-show forerunners.
The Vote
Beyond Super Tuesday: Will calendar be kinder to a battered Mitt Romney?

Barring a major upset, Mitt Romney is still on track for the nomination. But Super Tuesday could have been a lot better for him, and the path ahead is daunting.
Origins of America's favorite Christmas carols

An intrepid researcher tracks down the stories behind America's best-loved Christmas carols.
Top Picks: The return of Bob Seger, New York City Ballet's Nutcracker, and more

A Reelz miniseries ponders if a woman ever became Pope, the band Crooked Still wins over listeners with a rich folk sound, James Lee Burke's new novel mixes violence and wonder, and more top picks.
Oka!: movie review

'Oka!' is fascinating despite a messy narrative structure.
Is Obama dragging his feet on environmental issues to get reelected?

The Obama administration's recent record on environmental issues is uninspired, critics say. But the president faces more immediate problems with the economy and record-high unemployment.
Stir It Up!
Six Southern cookbooks

A round-up of recent cookbooks featuring new twists on traditional Southern tastes.
Rural America: 'If government's the problem, shoot it.'

The grand American tradition of disregard for the law – especially rural lawlessness – still thrives. This antigovernment flouting of the law may seem harmless, but it is corrosive and destructive, dismantling society rivet by rivet.
Editorial Board Blog
Paving over America's country roads

One iconic symbol of America's rural poverty has been the dirt road, especially in Appalachia. Despite decades of paving over these back roads in the name of progress, many are still dusty washboard surfaces.
Kosmoceratops richardsoni: New dinosaur adorned with bony bells and whistles

Kosmoceratops richardsoni had a horn over its nose, one atop each eye, one at the tip of each cheekbone, and 10 across the rear margin of its bony frill.
Classic review: The Hunger Games

In a dystopian future state, a teenage girl must fight for her freedom – and her life.
Obama eulogizes Sen. Robert Byrd under West Virginia skies

At a memorial service for Sen. Robert Byrd in West Virginia, regular folks and presidents alike gathered for a public celebration marked by moments of grace and humor.
Rhinoceros-sized dinosaur had horns the size of baseball bats

Unearthed in Mexico, a newly discovered species of dinosaur was found to have had horns bigger than any member of its group, including the legendary Triceratops.
The Vote
Is progressive Asheville Obama’s vision for America?

Hip, environmentally aware, self-reliant and undeniably quaint, Asheville, N.C is a progressive’s vision of what America could be. But mountain liberalism comes at a price.
West Virginia mine disaster shows high cost of fossil-fuel dependence

The West Virginia coal mine explosion should compel us to work for a 21st-century energy strategy that doesn’t depend on costly and dangerous fossil fuels.
Massey Energy: West Virginia mine explosion site's checkered past

The Upper Big Branch mine, where the West Virginia mine explosion occurred Monday, had about 500 violations issued against it last year. The mine is owned by Massey Energy.
Biden to unveil broadband expansion projects to boost jobs

Vice President Biden goes to Georgia Thursday to announce $182 million in stimulus grants for increasing broadband access to homes and businesses in 17 states. A total of $2.5 billion of stimulus money has been set aside for broadband projects.
Joel Salatin advocates a better way to raise food

Farmer/lecturer Joel Salatin champions 'moral farming' as a better way to raise food. 'What is a moral way to raise a chicken?' he asks.
Why police are keeping quiet on Census worker Sparkman death

Just because Census worker Bill Sparkman was found hanging from a tree with the word 'fed' written on his chest doesn't mean he was murdered in an antigovernment act. Sparkman died in an insular county of moonshiners and pot-growers, and police are wary of taking a wrong step.
Grisly hanging of Census worker: an antigovernment act?

FBI is investigating worker's death in Kentucky. Is crime-scene reference to 'fed' a clue or a feint?
Hard times boost pot economy

A surge in marijuana farming this year may be due to unemployment as well as growing demand for the drug.