Free Republic

MEMPHIS — For decades, this storied American city has watched companies come but mostly go, its vacant storefronts and blighted buildings a reminder of its days as a thriving manufacturing hub and the painful decline that followed as those jobs vanished.As Paul Young, the city’s mayor, puts it, Memphis has been “the city people forgot about.”Then last summer, Memphis landed what Young and local business leaders called the city’s largest corporate investment in a generation — a “transformative” development for a place that has struggled to convince outsiders of its continued potential.The project was something every city dreams of, Young...

Dear Sugars, I’m riddled with shame. White shame. This isn’t helpful to me or to anyone, especially people of color. I feel like there is no “me” outside of my white/upper middle class/cisgender identity. I feel like my literal existence hurts people, like I’m always taking up space that should belong to someone else. I consider myself an ally. I research proper etiquette, read writers of color, vote in a way that will not harm P.O.C. (and other vulnerable people). I engage in conversations about privilege with other white people. I take courses that will further educate me. I donated...

The latest Keystone Poll finds incumbent Republican Congressman Jim Gerlach locked in a tight battle for re-election with challenger Democrat Lois Murphy. The poll of 431-registered voters conducted by the Center for Opinion Research at Franklin & Marshall College finds Gerlach with a 45-to-38 percent edge. When narrowed to likely voters, Gerlach's advantage is down to 44-to-41 percent. Gerlach scored a two point win over Murphy in 2004. Poll respondents list the war in Iraq, the war on terror and healthcare as the top issues. The sixth district covers portions of Berks, Montgomery and Chester counties.