I‘ve spent thirty years underground, breathing in the dust and history of these Appalachian hills. Now, in late 2025, my breath comes short, a rattling reminder of the price we paid for “keeping the lights on.” They call it Black Lung; I call it the sound of a man running out of time. But lately, it ain’t just the miners who are wheezing—it’s the whole state. We’re witnessing what the folks in suits call “demographic decline,” but down here, it just feels like we’re being erased. Continue reading
Category Archives: Political determinants of health
Venezuela’s Rare Earth Resources
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The focus on Venezuela’s resource wealth extends far beyond its vast oil reserves. The mineral Coltan, known in its refined form as Tantalum, represents a critical strategic vulnerability for the United States, placing Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Arc squarely within the Pentagon’s defense planning.
Tantalum: The Foundation of Modern Warfare Continue reading
Slavery Sparked America’s First Opioid Wave.
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Before the headlines about OxyContin, before the fentanyl crisis took over the streets, and way before the Sackler family became a household name, America was already battling a massive opioid beast. We think of the opioid epidemic as a modern tragedy, but the blueprint was written over 150 years ago, right in the smoke and blood of the Civil War.
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Exploring Genetic Links
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Genetic research often reveals uncomfortable truths for those clinging to ideologies of separation, and nowhere is this more evident than in the legacy of Henrietta Lacks. Her cells, known as HeLa, were harvested from a Black woman in 1951 and became the first immortal human cell line, fundamentally changing the landscape of modern medicine. This biological immortality mocks the very concept of racial hierarchy, as these cells became the universal standard for human cellular biology, irrespective of race.
Life Deletes Erro
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Good evening. Tonight, we turn our attention to a complex and evolving story involving one of the most prominent figures in technology, Elon Musk, and the platform he now helms, X, formerly known as Twitter. We’ll explore the documented connections between his personal statements, his background, and the concerning rise of white nationalist content and misinformation on the platform. Continue reading
The Healing Hustle, Healthcare’s Big Money Problem.
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Yo, let’s break it down. At its heart, medicine is supposed to be about one thing: keeping people healthy. It’s a mission. But on the streets of the healthcare world, that mission is constantly clashing with a powerful hustle: the push for profit. We’re talking about the big players—insurance giants, drug companies, medical device makers, and even the top-dog specialists—all in a system where the bottom line can sometimes shout louder than a patient’s needs. This ain’t just a local issue; it’s a global struggle between care and cash. Continue reading
Is Male Circumcision an Act of Cruelty?
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Whether male circumcision is considered “cruel” is the subject of a significant, long-running, and often emotional debate that involves deep cultural, religious, ethical, and medical perspectives. There is no universal agreement on this issue. The procedure, especially when performed on infants for non-medical reasons, sits at a contentious intersection of parental rights, bodily autonomy, and medical ethics, leading to starkly different interpretations around the world. Continue reading
Trump’s Dark Triad, A Work In Progress
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Ever found yourself utterly perplexed by the actions of certain leaders? The decisions that seem to defy logic, the pronouncements that border on the surreal? I, for one, have spent countless hours pondering the motivations behind those who wield power. Today, we’re not offering definitive answers, but rather a lens through which to view a particularly compelling case: Donald Trump’s personality, as seen through the prism of the “Dark Triad.”
Public Health vs. Personal Freedom
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Remember the COVID-19 mask debates? Or how about arguments over vaccine mandates? Turns out, humanity has been having these same fights for centuries! One could almost say millennia, if we consider the ancient world’s attempts to contain leprosy or other contagions through isolation and social ostracization. This isn’t a new phenomenon; it’s an enduring clash between what’s best for everyone (public health) and what individuals want for themselves (personal liberty). It’s a tension as old as society itself, a dance between the collective and the individual that shapes our laws, our ethics, and, ultimately, our very survival. Continue reading
Trump’s mass deportation is backfiring
