Postindustrial

One year ago, the Republican “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” made the largest cuts to food stamps in the program’s history. Now 100,000 Ohioans are going without help, and the state is bracing for enormous new costs without federal help. The Trump/Republican spending law made the largest cuts ever to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is largely used by children, older adults, and those with disabilities. The cuts to SNAP have impacted millions of in-need Americans.

As Pennsylvania voters prepare for the November gubernatorial election, a key issue divides the major candidates: the legalization of adult-use recreational marijuana. While Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro has consistently advocated for a state-run recreational marijuana program, Republican challenger Stacy Garrity stands firmly opposed, promising to veto any such legislation.

With the Aug. 4 primary less than a month away, religious leaders and practitioners of various faiths gathered at the state Capitol to stand up for voting rights amid growing concerns at both the state and federal levels. The gathering in Lansing was one of three in the state, as 250 faith leaders in Detroit, Grand Rapids and the capital city spoke up in support of the democratic process in response to yearslong efforts to sow distrust in the election system.

In light of a federal court decision last month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has directed retailers in West Virginia that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits to again allow people to use SNAP to purchase soda. “You must stop implementing the ban,” the USDA wrote in a notice to state SNAP retailers.

A community and economic development expert with deep Ohio roots examines the potential and pitfalls of reimagining a former steel powerhouse as it searches for a new direction. Youngstown has long been emblematic of Postindustrial America—a city grappling with the remnants of its industrial past while striving to chart a new course for its future.

Data centers fuel the ever-growing demand for social media, artificial intelligence, and streaming services, allowing people to access a plethora of entertainment options and streamline everyday tasks. And their numbers are growing — another 80 proposed projects cataloged by the Data Center Proposal Tracker would more than double the current 71 active sites in the commonwealth.

As we embark on the next 250 years of the American Experiment, let’s not give in to fright-inducing hyperbole; rather, let’s focus on the potential for collaboration and greater things to come. Now that America’s milestone is in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look to the future and consider what we hope the next 250 years will hold. Unfortunately, many on both sides of the political aisle are pessimistic about America’s future.

The Democratic state representative running for governor says Wisconsinites care more about “solutions than labels.” Early on a Friday morning in June at the 76th annual Musky Fest in Hayward, Wisconsin, a sprawling conversation between Democratic State Rep. Francesca Hong, who is running for governor, and dried gourd vendor Pam Boesch ended with an exchange of pregnancy stories.

Thirty-five years led to one moment for Jose Benavides. Under a large tent outside Indianapolis’ Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Benavides became a citizen of the United States. He sported a red-and-white tie under a blue suit. He said it wasn’t intentional; a lot of what he owns is patriotic. A truck and bus driver originally from El Salvador, Benavides previously stayed under different temporary programs since arriving in the United States more than three decades ago.

However, neither of West Virginia’s Republican U.S. Representatives is sponsoring the bill, despite the state’s need. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives introduced a bill this week that, if enacted, would increase black lung disability payments for coal miners and their families and tie the stipends to inflation going forward.