A groundbreaking analysis by McClatchy Newspapers documents the worsening problem of poverty across America, including the South.It found that millions of working Americans are falling closer to poverty, while the gap between the rich and poor continues to widen. Especially... More...

Bill Quigley, a people's lawyer in New Orleans and advisory board member of Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, has an excellent overview this week of the situation in the Gulf Coast, 18 months after Katrina. (For more about Katrina and what... More...

The Middle Tennessee State University Survey Group semi-annual statewide poll is widely recognized and frequently quoted by the media, public officials, and political campaigns. Their latest Spring 2007 poll found some interesting results that suggest growing dissatisfaction among Tennesseans regarding... More...

In what some environmentalists are hailing as a big victory in the fight to curb global warming pollution, the board of TXU Corp. this week accepted an offer to sell the Dallas-based energy giant to private investors and cancel plans... More...

Bill Quigley, a "people's lawyer" in New Orleans and advisor to Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch, has an excellent power point presentation about the tragedy still unfolding after Katrina. Check it out here.As we show in our report today, A New... More...

This week marks the 18-month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The Gulf Coast is still in crisis -- tens of thousands of people are still displaced, the region's recovery stalled due to a lack of housing, jobs, schools and other basic... More...

Our blog piece this week on the search for CIA "ghost pilots" involved in extraordinary rendition flights -- including new evidence linking three North Carolina pilots to the debate over torture -- is igniting a firestorm of outrage. We've also... More...

The South used to be the place President Bush could count on for support of the Iraq invasion and "war on terror." But over the last year, the tide has steadily turned in the South, leaving the administration with few... More...

It was one of the most heartrending incidents that unfolded during the Hurricane Rita disaster: A motorcoach evacuating frail elderly residents and staff from a Texas assisted living facility in advance of the storm burst into flames on Interstate 45... More...

The folks at Emerging Democratic Majority's Donkey Rising blog (who noticed our post earlier this week about the South's prominent role in next year's presidential primaries) opine on Thomas Schaller's latest ode to the "lost" South:Schaller is right about the... More...

As Chris noted in this recent post, there is growing world-wide opposition to the death penalty, and the numbers are down in the U.S. but it's still most prevalent in the South.The case of a mentally deficient death-row inmate in... More...

Imagine living near an open-air pool containing thousands of gallons of hog excrement, the acrid stench from which is so overwhelming that it leads to chronic burning eyes, coughs, sore throats and diarrhea. Then imagine that the noxious stuff is... More...

As R. Neal reported yesterday, the South's influence on the presidential primaries is poised to grow -- and setting the tone will be South Carolina. The Democratic primary will be January 29, 2008 -- the first in the South and... More...

It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans and around the South. On the second Fat Tuesday since Katrina, the folks in New Orleans can forget their worries for a day and celebrate life. This New Orleans Times Picayune editorial says... More...

If the 2008 presidential primaries play out as they are currently shaping up, there could be a lot more attention paid to Southern states and it could come a lot earlier in the process.As states jockey for more prominent positions... More...

Greetings visitors from Daily Kos (where this is a #1 diary) and elsewhere.In a fast-moving story that's being followed by several news organizations (including reporters here at the Institute), the identities of three North Carolina pilots -- all operating under... More...

For Iraqis, there's probably no better symbol of what's wrong with the U.S. mission in Iraq than the Green Zone -- the fortified and insulated "Little America" that U.S. forces created in the aftermath of the invasion.While brutal violence, lack... More...

Remember FDR's rural electrification? It transformed the South, or at least the Appalachian Tennessee Valley for every future generation.While broadband internet access isn't quite on par with electricity as a basic human need in modern society, it's almost as important,... More...

A coalition of environmentally concerned investors is targeting 10 companies that it's identified as lagging behind industry peers in responding to climate change -- and half of them are South-based energy giants. The investors have filed shareholder resolutions urging the... More...

Former CIA contractor David Passaro was sentenced yesterday in a North Carolina courtroom to eight years in prison for the torture of an Afghan detainee who later died. He was the first U.S. citizen charged and convicted of detainee abuse... More...

News that House Speaker Jim Black (D) of North Carolina will plead guilty to federal corruption charges tomorrow marks the final chapter in the downfall of one of the most powerful political empires in the state's history. The Raleigh News... More...

A controversial ordinance to make English the official language of Nashville has made the national news wires after Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell vetoed it yesterday. Purcell says the ordinance was "unconstitutional, unnecessary and mean-spirited," and that it "does not reflect... More...

After years of dwindling membership, the Ku Klux Klan is on the rise again by successfully exploiting the highly charged issue of immigration, according to a new report from the Anti-Defamation League titled "Extremism in America.""If any one single issue... More...

"We're ready to make nice!" Natalie Maines announced as the Dixie Chicks raked in five awards at the Grammy's last night, including album of the year. It was easy for her to be in a charitable mood, with the Chicks... More...

The big story in the blogosphere today is a new report [pdf] from the Pentagon's inspector general, which states in no uncertain terms that undersecretary of defense Douglas Feith used "dubious" military intelligence to push for war in Iraq.Most dubious... More...

In many ways, the public face of poverty hasn't changed much over the last 20-30 years. Say the words "poor people," and our minds easily flash to scenes of urban 'hoods and rural shacks. But this week MSNBC/Newsweek covers a... More...

"OUR servants meet in OUR House. They decide how to spend OUR taxes. But their decisions have been corrupted. Rich corporations pay to play in our House. We can't match their money, but with God's Grace and your hard work,... More...

Earlier this week, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2545 went on strike at Maremont Exhaust Products, a manufacturer of mufflers and other auto parts in Loudon, Tennessee. It is believed to be the first... More...

Because of problems with Blogger, we're providing live updates to our earlier post on the Waxman hearings on military contracting over at our top-ranked diary entry over at Daily Kos. Join us there, and feel free to leave comments here... More...

With controversy continuing to rage over the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's intentions to tear down more than 4,000 public housing units in the New Orleans area and replace them with fewer, more expensive homes, the agency through... More...

UPDATE: You can watch the Waxman hearings live online here. And welcome, Daily Kos and David Sirota/Working for Change readers.As Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) gears up for the second day of his House Hearings on Waste, Fraud and Abuse of... More...

Bush's proposed $2.9 trillion budget includes a record $481 billion for defense spending, a 12% increase, plus $245 billion for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here at home, Bush's budget cuts $101 billion in Medicare and Medicaid funding, and... More...

Global warming is happening. It's caused by human activity, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. And its consequences are severe and unavoidable.At this point, the best humankind can hope for is to stave off the worst-case scenario while preparing for... More...

The AP has a bizarre story out today about former Sen. John Edwards' new plan for universal health coverage. Unlike most news stories covering a candidate's position, the headline and lead of the story focus only on one aspect --... More...

Peyton Manning, son of New Orleans, finally shook the monkey off his back and led the Indianapolis Colts to victory in the unofficial U.S. holiday known as the Super Bowl. The game had some compelling story lines -- Manning's final... More...

Here at Facing South, we're often asked: why do you have so much hope about the possibilities for progressive change in the South? There are lots of reasons for optimism, but one of the biggest is the South's rich and... More...

As the place where the Wright brothers made their historic take-off, North Carolina likes to brag that it's "First in Flight." But the state's ongoing involvement in the CIA's torture taxi service puts it first in flight of a most... More...

America has lost a great writer, and a fighter for truth and justice who never gave up and never backed down. A tribute from an editor and friend:Of course, having grown up in Texas, all of this made sense to... More...