Hill Country News

Commentary: Grateful for Punxsutawney’s silly fun

It’s the thick of winter. Cabin fever is setting in. Incivility is worse than ever.A delightful, silly diversion is what we need about now, and Punxsutawney Phil has been delivering needed joy this … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 2/2/23

Tyre Nichols is removed from his car during a Jan. 7 encounter with police officers in Memphis, Tennessee.

Commentary: Body camera footage couldn’t save Tyre Nichols

It’s mind-numbing to imagine, in the era of universal video, that five police officers could participate in the brutal beating of Trye Nichols, which led to his death three days later. That their … more

By Stephen L. Carter, Guest Columnist | 2/1/23

A prayer circle forms at the corner of Garvey Avenue and Garfield Avenue on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023, near Star Dance Studio where 10 people were killed and 10 injured in a mass shooting Saturday night.

Commentary: The aftermath of shootings often shows us how politically insane our discourse has become

A few minutes into following my colleagues' coverage of a mass shooting that left 10 dead and 10 wounded during a Lunar New Year dance party, I started to wonder if years of being a journalist had … more

By Frank Shyong, Guest Columnist | 1/26/23

After police tape was taken down, people line up to place flowers at the entrance to the Star Ballroom Dance Studio in Monterey Park, where 10 people were killed and 10 were wounded.

Commentary: We already know which gun policies work

Rand Corporation, the think tank with origins in Cold War military planning, recently issued its latest update on gun policy research. Rand has been sifting through gun research, offering generally … more

By Francis Wilkinson, Guest Columnist | 1/25/23

Tax Refund Check with W-2 and 1040 U.S. Individual Income Tax Return Forms (Getty Images/TNS)

Commentary: Americans unprepared for consequences of freewheeling federal spending

While waiting at a red light one day, my then-4-year-old son piped up from his car seat, “Mommy, the government should give everyone a dolphin.” Yikes. How did my 4-year-old come to … more

By Rachel Greszler, The Heritage Foundation (TNS) | 1/24/23

The Robert F. Kennedy Justice Department Building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.

Guest Editorial: Biden, Trump both mishandled classified materials

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are both being investigated over their handling of classified materials. While publicly disclosed information reflects that the cases are clearly … more

1/18/23

Commentary: Biden will have to face reality about border situation

Entering the second half of his first term, President Biden faces a hostile, Republican-controlled House of Representatives intent on curbing what they perceive as the administration’s continued … more

By Carl Golden, Guest Columnist | 1/12/23

Commentary: Given up on your 2023 reading list yet?

“Time Enough at Last.”The new year reminds me of that classic “Twilight Zone” episode starring Burgess Meredith as a put-upon bookworm.(No, he wasn’t reading on the wing of an airplane! Get … more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 1/11/23

Commentary: 'Let's take a trip for the holidays,' they said

For years, I’ve watched friends and acquaintances take family trips during the holiday season to exciting locations like Disney World, Hawaii, Colorado and Cracker Barrel.Until now, my family has … more

By Jase Graves, Guest Columnist | 1/5/23

A worker at The Gallery Bookstore in Chicago&apos;s Lakeview neighborhood removes water from a window Nov. 10, 2020.

Commentary: Bookstores are a refuge for freedom of speech while censors on both sides wage battle

Freedom of speech is forever embattled. That is its nature. Easy to assent to in the abstract, the principle becomes more challenging when the speech at issue assails one’s most cherished values. … more

By Jamie Kalven, Guest Columnist | 1/4/23

Commentary: Hope is all we have

I’m filled with a renewed sense of hope all of the sudden.Truthfully, I don’t know why I feel such hopefulness.Last Friday I went to the hospital to have a hernia surgically repaired. They … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 12/29/22

Commentary: 2022 food trends: Love them or hate them?

As I write this year-end essay about 2022 trends in food and dining, I must confess that I’m playing catch-up.I have obligations and hobbies, so I wasn’t technically paying attention (i.e., … more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 12/28/22

A COVID-19 particle is pictured in this image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Commentary: The tragedy of avoidable COVID deaths

Whose pandemic strategy really saved lives? Which states or countries lost the most people to the virus? Or to the unintended consequences of mitigation efforts? Now there’s finally some clear, … more

By Faye Flam, Bloomberg Opinion (TNS) | 12/26/22

Commentary: Christmas lights: A judgmental guide

One of my fondest childhood memories of Christmas in the 1970’s was riding around in the family station wagon, “Bessie,” to look at Christmas lights while I whined to my parents about needing a … more

By Jase Graves, Guest Columnist | 12/24/22

Commentary: Will this be your best Christmas ever?

When writing advertising copy, I sometimes find myself desperately searching for a zinger of a tag line — and settling for trite admonitions such as “Make this the best hunting season ever” or … more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 12/23/22

Sofia Gonzalez, a teacher at Morton East High School in Cicero, learned recently of the death of a student shot at a party in Chicago. Gonzalez taught for years in struggling parts of Chicago and tries to spread awareness about the stark realities that urban students face.

Commentary: I lost a student to gun violence. Her name was Ruby

Her name was Ruby. She was one of mine. A sophomore. I offered her one-on-one support in my academic lab as an intervention tier for kids who needed extra pushes in the right direction.I see her … more

By Sofia Gonzalez, Chicago Tribune (TNS) | 12/17/22

We can't find true security in the hope that everything will work out the way we want it to, the author writes.

Commentary: How to find freedom from ‘worst-case scenario’ thinking

As a recession looms on the horizon, many people understandably are worried about their finances and job security. While these concerns are not unfounded, constant worry and stress about things that … more

By Seth Gillihan, Guest Columnist | 12/15/22

Young minors lie inside a pod at the Donna Department of Homeland Security holding facility, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley run by the US Customs and Border Protection, (CBP), in Donna, Texas on March 30, 2021.

Commentary: Immigration detention system is driven by profits

President Joe Biden vowed to end the federal government’s use of private priszons on the campaign trail. His campaign platform further stated that “the federal government should not use private … more

By Sirine Shebaya, Guest Columnist | 12/14/22

Commentary: Have you hugged a Santa impersonator lately?

Danny Tyree is a lifelong small-town southerner and nationally-syndicated columnist. Danny welcomes email responses at tyreetyrades@aol.com and visits to his Facebook fan page “Tyree’s Tyrades.” more

By Danny Tyree, Guest Columnist | 12/8/22

Commentary: Truth is, we like to be lied to

My dog Thurber has been lying to me.It only figures, because it’s impossible to avoid mistruths these days.We just exited a miserable election cycle in which truth stretching, name calling and vote … more

By Tom Purcell, Guest Columnist | 12/8/22

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