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Conflict in the Middle East highlights need to rebuild domestic mining

The conflict in Iran is posing alarming questions about America’s munitions stockpile and its ability to replenish it. The challenge America faces is not just how quickly we can manufacture interceptor missiles, but whether we have reliable access to the minerals required to do so. Our extraordinary reliance on foreign sources—including geopolitical rivals—for the essential minerals that underpin modern military systems has become an Achilles’ heel. While the Trump administration has taken important steps to address our glaring minerals vulnerability—including investments in ...

The Perils of Isolation: Mental health impacts and the path to substance abuse and suicide

In an increasingly digital and often disconnected world, social isolation has become a growing concern for millions. Whether due to remote lifestyles, life transitions, geographic moves, or personal challenges, lacking meaningful connections can take a heavy toll on mental well-being. Far from being just a fleeting feeling of loneliness, prolonged isolation acts as a serious risk factor, quietly eroding emotional health and opening the door to more dangerous outcomes like substance misuse and suicidal thoughts. The mental health consequences of isolation are deep and wide-ranging. ...

Mahoning Valley’s future begins in the classroom

Five years ago, we saw the Mahoning Valley on the cusp of economic growth it hadn’t seen in years, perhaps decades. It frightened us. It frightened us because we weren’t sure we could provide enough human capital to fill all the jobs being created by large companies, including Fortune 200 firms, locating and expanding here. Any failure could come at the expense of our existing, locally owned businesses who might not have the wherewithal to compete for their workforce needs. Then, last year, we assisted Hubbard art teacher Josh MacMillan’s volunteer effort to organize the ...

Changing political parties has become commonplace

With the changing political climate in the Mahoning Valley, it didn’t come as a major shock that Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice, a longtime Democrat, switched political parties and filed as a Republican. But after pledging her allegiance to being a Republican, Rice withdrew from the race Tuesday, about three weeks after she filed. Having an incumbent change political parties when seeking reelection was uncommon in Trumbull and Mahoning counties. It isn’t so much anymore as Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene did it in 2024, going from a Democrat to ...

Checking out the Valley’s court of appeals elections

Tired of losing courts of appeals and Ohio Supreme Court races, Republicans changed the rules starting with the 2022 election — and have largely benefited. The Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a law in 2021, which took effect with the 2022 election, requiring party affiliation on the ballot for those running for seats on courts of appeals and the Supreme Court. Before that, candidates ran in party primaries and then didn’t have party affiliation in the general election. During the 2018 and 2020 elections, Democrats won three of four Supreme Court races and continued ...

Congressional candidates facing struggle to defeat incumbents Rulli, Joyce

Those challenging the two incumbents who represent the Mahoning Valley — U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, and Michael Rulli, R-Salem — face tremendous odds to beat them. Defeating a sitting member of the U.S. House is very difficult. With the power of incumbency comes name recognition and a considerable amount of money, largely provided by political action committees who know the reliable votes of those already serving in Congress, particularly for a long time. OpenSecrets, a website that provides data and analysis of money in politics, also tracks the reelection rate of U.S. ...