Missing Thanksgiving Day
When you are an American living overseas, Thanksgiving is an even more powerful nationally unifying holiday than the Fourth of July. All the Americans know something special is going on;…
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Articles & News
The Treasures of Birmingham
For almost a century, the local library has guarded its city's history.
Why Not Dodge? Why Not Stockton?
I mentioned yesterday that several local initiatives could mean as much to their communities or states as the outcome of most national races. The two historical examples I naturally think of are…
Documentary: A Renewable Energy Revolution in Small-Town America
A documentary about small towns and renewable energy produced for the American Futures project.
A Renewable Energy Revolution in Small-town America
by The Atlantic’s video team See a video (here) made in conjunction with the American Futures project and based on the reporting of James and Deborah Fallows.
What the Renewable-Energy Economy Looks Like
At its peak, nearly one century ago in 1920, the coal-mining industry employed nearly 800,000 people in the United States. Decade by decade, as America’s population has swelled and its…
Update on the Eastport Saga
The never-say-die city
Refugees, Immigrants, and the Battle Over Who Is American
Deb Fallows has a new post up, about what’s actually involved in settling immigrants from Syria—or Somalia or Congo or Bhutan—in the American cities that have taken the lead in…
What It Takes to Settle Refugees
The people of Erie, Pennsylvania, have welcomed immigrants and refugees, and believe that their town is better off for having done so.
Annals of Renewal: MTP Podcast, Knight Competition
1) Meet the Press podcast. Yesterday afternoon I spoke with Chuck Todd for his podcast; the segment has gone up today, and you can find it here on Soundcloud or here from the MTP…
The Generational Difference in Optimism: A Video Look
Older People Moan, Younger People Hope
Is America in a Boiling Fury About Immigration?
Not the America I Have Seen
Documentary: The Truth About American Towns That Welcome Refugees
A documentary about small towns and immigration produced for the American Futures project.
And Now for Something Saner and More Positive: Fresno, Erie
Not to over-personalize, but I feel as if my life in the past few weeks recapitulates the argument my wife Deb and I have been making in our American Futures travels.…
Life in the Air
Getting from here to there by small plane
Old City, Old Buildings, New Life
An art museum with a long history reinvents itself with passion and an entrepreneurial spirit.