The bourbon bubble has burst

Tight budgets and health concerns have slowed U.S.
bourbon sales. (Photo by Thomas Park, Unsplash)

After years of sales growth and production expansion, bourbon distillers and barrel cooperages have seen their businesses shrink as Americans tighten their purse strings, explore sober-curious lifestyles or choose hangover-free options like cannabis and THC beverages, reports Laura Cooper of The Wall Street Journal. "The Trump administration’s trade wars have dented U.S. alcohol exports."

Bourbon's renewed popularity began around 2010, as craft cocktail designers used it as an elevated staple, followed by the pandemic lockdowns, when "Americans heavily stocked their bar carts … with bourbon and other spirits," Cooper explains. "But after peaking in 2022 at 31.2 million nine-liter cases, consumption of American whiskey — including bourbon, Tennessee whiskey, rye and single malts — has slowed."

In Kentucky, where 95% of the world's bourbon is made, the spirit's sinking sales are leading to closed stills, employee layoffs and labor-hour reductions. The state is "awash" with unsold bourbon, Cooper reports. "Kentucky is sitting on roughly 16.1 million barrels of bourbon — the equivalent of around 300 million cases. That’s the largest reserve ever, enough to last as much as 10 years."

Because U.S. law requires bourbon to be aged in new, charred barrels of oak, the bourbon boom became a barrel boom. At its zenith in 2023 and 2024, distillers were "paying upward of $285 per barrel. Since then, prices have dropped significantly, industry players say," Cooper adds. Some large spirit companies have announced plans to sell their cooperages because barrel production isn't needed.

Since bourbon distillers can only use a barrel for bourbon once, when barrels are emptied, they are "often resold to distillers in Scotland or Ireland, where they can find a second act storing scotch, rum or other spirits, over a lifespan of some 80 years," Cooper explains. Used barrels that would have fetched "more than $200 at the end of 2024, now go for around $50, as liquor demand has also plummeted."

Flora & Fauna: Newborn calf cuddles; coast martens recovery; smoke-resistant potatoes; Puppy Bowl XXII

This newborn calf was struggling in the deep freeze until she was brought indoors to curl up on couch.
(Photo by Macey Sorrell via WKYT-27)

Frigid temperatures left a newborn calf struggling for survival until her farming family in Mount Sterling, Kentucky, brought her indoors to warm. up. "The calf was born outdoors in single-digit temperatures. Macey Sorrell said her husband, Tanner, went outside to check on the pregnant mother and found the calf, suffering in the cold," reports Dylan Lovan of The Associated Press. Macey Sorrell told reporters, "When we brought her in, she had ice on her. The afterbirth was still on her. I had to wipe all that off. I took out the blow dryer and warmed her up, and got her all fluffed out."

During autumn, leaves change into vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red, then tumble to the ground, where they brown and return to nature. But not all leaves fall. "Even in the height of winter, a curious number of oak and beech trees refuse to let go of their brown, brittle foliage," write Kasha Patel, Emily Wright and Marvin Joseph of The Washington Post. Scientists are investigating why some plants don't seal off dead leaves, causing them to fall. "They found a surprising number of species hold onto their papery remains — but the explanations are anything but cut and dried."

Humboldt martens are known for their inquisitive 
expressions. (Photo by Ben Wymer via Popular Science)

Having once ranged all about the Pacific Northwest, coastal martens, also known as Humboldt martens, were believed to have been hunted into extinction by fur traders "until a U.S. Forest Service biologist discovered a small population in the coastal woods of northern California in 1996," reports Laura Baisas for Popular Science. Coastal martens, known for their cute, inquisitive furry faces, are "related to weasels, otters, mink, wolverines, and fetters are making a slow recovery in the forests of the Pacific Northwest. . . . They are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and are at risk due to habitat loss, rodenticides, vehicles, and disease."

Current rules only allow mules to compete as jumpers.
(Photo by Amy Heartfield via The Chronicle of the Horse)

Horses aren't the only four-legged animals that can be trained for hunting competitions -- mules can too. But current U.S. Equestrian Federation rules only allow mules to show in equine jumping competitions. Sport horse breeder Kimmy Risser and Holly Fox, who are both mule enthusiasts, are pushing to have the rules changed, reports Sarah K. Susa for The Chronicle of the Horse. According to Risser and Fox, "There’s just no reason mules can’t compete against horses. Hunter classes have clear standards, and mules can be held to those same standards and judged equally alongside their horse competitors."

Wildfire smoke in the West can spread for miles from a fire site and harm crops in its path. "Similar to how it affects humans, smoke can block out sunlight and inhibit photosynthesis," reports Shelby Vittek for Offrange. Idaho researchers have been working with different potato varieties to identify the most smoke-tolerant. "The current study is focused on three French fry cultivars: Russet Burbank, which makes up almost half of all plantings in the state; Clearwater Russet, a new variety that’s popular for its heat resistance; and Alturas Russets, a late-maturing and high-yielding potato. Preliminary results already show that certain varieties might fare better than others." 

                   The Puppy Bowl's fine flying canine promoters soar to an epic Styx song.  

Puppy Bowl XXII returns to screens on Sunday, Feb. 8, beginning at 2 p.m. EST. The furry competition between Team Ruff and Team Fluff is sure to feature penalty flags, squeaky toys, Hail Mary catches, adorable side-eyes, fumbles, speedy paws and touchdowns. This Animal Planet tradition is one of the country's biggest rallies for pet adoption. This year's teams boast a highfalutin lineup, including puppies like "Button," who has soft ears and a hard game. Or "Lobster Roll" from Westbrook, Maine. She's 30 pounds of muscle. . .not the seafood kind. . . It's football, only better.  

Quick hits: 'New' Superman is super-rural; VA restructuring; chocolate bar price bump; public pool safety; how much land does each state farm?

Superman (David Corenswet) and his dog Krypto in ‘Superman’ (Warner Bros, IMDb image via the Yonder).

Before Superman was super-anything, he was an orphan raised by farmers in Smallville, Kansas. The newest Superman is an old-fashioned, sincere and sometimes corny-sounding hero-in-the-making, who struggles to stay true to his ideals "in a world beset by 24/7 media noise, rationalized indifference, and organized meanness," writes Adam B. Giorgi for The Daily Yonder. "The boon of super strength and super speed doesn’t necessarily make it any easier to keep being good in the face of hardship, to do the right thing when the chips are down, or to be kind even when it’s not expected or rewarded."

After shedding roughly 30,000 jobs earlier this year and announcing it plans to curtail further layoffs, the Department of Veterans Affairs is still restructuring. "Senior leaders are telling employees that major changes are still coming," reports Eric Katz of Government Executive. "The VA is looking to empower medical center directors. Several employees, based on meetings and internal conversations, speculated that headquarters and possibly regional staff could be a casualty of that change."

'Inflation isn't finished with your chocolate bar.'

Chocolate maker Hershey may sell delightful sweets, but its latest announcement is a summer bummer. "Hershey is raising prices on its candy in response to continued high cocoa costs," reports Owen Tucker-Smith and Jesse Newman of The Wall Street Journal. While exact price hikes will vary, U.S. consumers can expect a roughly 20% increase on Hershey treats. "Three-quarters of Hershey’s confection portfolio should continue to cost $4 or less. . . .Demand for Hershey’s products has stayed strong. Shares of Hershey are up more than 7% this year."

With its varied seasons and climates, U.S. farmers and gardeners grow thousands of different crops each year. The amount of land dedicated to principal crops depends on the state. Discovering which states and regions farm the most land is best described in the map shared below.

Over half of Iowa is dedicated to farming. Click on map to enlarge.

The future of farming may involve less physical labor and more technology. "Imagine a farm where fleets of autonomous tractors, drones and harvesters are guided by AI that tweaks operations minute by minute based on soil and weather data," reports William Boston of The Wall Street Journal. "Farmers could swap long hours in the cab for monitoring dashboards and making high-level decisions. . . . Despite the promise of digital tools and autonomous machines, cost is a big barrier." 

Taking care while enjoying public pools can help reduce the chance of illness or skin rashes.
(Photo by Maria Korneeva, Moment, Getty Images via The Conversation CC)

Does chlorine kill all infectious "things" that end up swimming in the public pool? No. "Summer news headlines and social media posts often spotlight the 'ick-factor' of communal swimming spaces. These concerns do have some merit," writes Lisa Cuchara for The Conversation. "The good news is that chlorine, which is widely used in pools, is effective at killing many pathogens. The not-so-good news is that chlorine does not work instantly, and it doesn’t kill everything. . . .Read Cuchara's 10 tips for healthier public pool swimming here.

Flora & Fauna: Axolotl is the 'comeback king;' corn seed miracle; big snake haul; two-note song; tracking butterflies

Known for their regenerative powers, scientists are learning
from the 'adorable' axolotl. (Photo by TK, Unsplash)

Limb regeneration may sound like an 'X-Files' episode, but U.S. scientists are working on it. "With a silly smile and frilly gills, the axolotl has wriggled its way into the hearts of millions," reports Dino Grandoni of The Washington Post. "But this adorable species of salamander is also helping researchers investigate a serious medical mystery: Could the human body be coaxed to regrow a severed arm or leg? Scientists are turning to the axolotl because it is an expert at regeneration. . . .The species is also a comeback king, able to regrow not only lost limbs but also tissue in the heart, lungs and even the brain."

It's hot and humid, and corn tasseling season is almost here. "If someone writes a book about the 'seven great wonders of agriculture,' tasseling and pollination must be on the list," reports Tom J. Bechman of Farm Progress. "The process of producing hundreds of new corn kernels per plant, all from one original seed, is simple yet complex at the same time." Read how the miracle of corn happens here.

135lb female Burmese python found while radio-tracking 
a male scout snake. (Conservancy of Southwest Florida photo)

'Snakes on a Plane' might be a good summer movie fun, but in Florida, hundreds of people drop the film drama and eradicate snakes on land. "It was a milestone moment in Florida’s 25-year war on invasive Burmese pythons: an eye-popping announcement that biologists had removed 20 tons of the slithering invaders from waters in and around the Everglades in little more than a decade, as well as shattering their previous record for a single-season haul," reports Richard Luscombe of The Guardian. "The successes of the team at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida showcase the progress that has been made in efforts to reverse the snakes’ takeover of the state’s natural wilderness."

The only thing sharks can regenerate is their teeth.
That's probably enough. (Photo by Wai Siew, Unsplash)

Two notes + Razor-sharp teeth = One summer blockbuster. “Da, duh. E and F have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator," writes media history scholar Jared Bahir Browsh for The Conversation. "Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. . . . I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes. . . "

Pollen is a way to track butterflies.
(Jozsef Szabo photo, Unsplash)

If you want to help the world be a better place for all creatures, then do one small thing to help insects: Provide an insect-friendly habitat. "This includes supporting a variety of native plants that can provide both nectar and leaves, which are food for many herbivorous insects throughout their lives. A good habitat also provides places for insects to nest, such as bare ground or leaf litter. Bigger patches are better, but even small gardens can be helpful," write Christopher Halsch and Eliza Grames for The Conversation. "At the same time, limiting exposure to other threats is important. Actions such as dimming artificial lights at night and reducing the use of pesticides can help."

How can the fluttering trails and migrations of butterflies be traced and mapped? With pollen. "Those tiny pollen grains are helping researchers study a process that until now has been largely inscrutable: the migratory patterns of insects as they move around the globe," reports Saugat Bolakhe for Knowable magazine. "Analyzing pollen collected from 264 butterflies from 10 different countries . . researchers identified 398 different plants they could use to track the butterflies’ movements."

Quick hits: Timely 'Star Wars' series; U.S.A.-made shoes; modern Appalachian cooking; incarcerated firefighters

The Star Wars franchise might begin and end in "a galaxy far, far away," but its newest series 'Andor' serves up some close-to-home conflicts. "Migrant farm workers sweating visa status amid amped-up immigration enforcement. Aggressive strip mining of the land without consideration of local communities.  … Rising disregard for due process and human rights," writes Adam B. Giorgi for The Daily Yonder. "Various installments in the franchise have been associated with or said to draw inspiration from then-contemporary concerns, including the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the American invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. But it’s arguably never been more timely or effective than it is in 'Andor.'"

Keen moved part of its production back to the U.S.
(Keen photo via BBC North America)

High tariffs are one tool the Trump administration has put in place to try to stimulate American manufacturing growth, but even as those costs hit the U.S. market, the question remains, "How can the U.S. reinvent its manufacturing sector in today's global economy?" While U.S. factories look different now than they did in the 1970s, it can be done. Family-owned Keen Footwear located outside of Louisville, Ky., is showing the way, reports Michelle Fleury of BBC North America. "With just 24 employees on site, the factory relies heavily on automation — sophisticated robots that fuse soles and trim materials — underscoring a transformation in how goods are made today."

If it feels like life needs a reset or even an "undo" button, heading outside may be the answer. "Nature can save us from a world gone mad," writes Dana Milbank of The Washington Post. "I hiked the Appalachian Trail, and it fixed my brain. … I wandered happily along the trail spotting the colors of the forest in spring: the red columbine, the lavender wild geranium, the lacy maple-leaf viburnum. … I found myself talking back to the birds that seemed to be following us."

Pharmacist Jan Brandenburg shares her
Appalachian roots in her new cookbook.

Sometimes sharing recipes from home is the best way to showcase what your region is all about. For Jan Brandenburg of Kentucky, home is Appalachia, where she learned to love cooking, baking and science. "Today, after nearly 40 years as a practicing pharmacist, Brandenburg has published The Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia, a tribute to her Eastern Kentucky roots and a vibrant exploration of how food — like medicine — can nourish, heal and connect," report Dana Cox and Rosa Mejia-Cruz for UKnow. "Brandenburg often finds herself offering guidance to patients … not just on medications, but on food choices, too. And she's just as happy to share recipes."

Seeing and smelling my mom's homemade yeast rolls rising in a warm oven, getting a nose-full of Grandma's mildewy basement where I used to fetch canned tomatoes, hearing the old Gordon Lightfoot song my dad played until everyone had it memorized. Those are all distinct experiences with memories and feelings attached to them. According to social psychologist and researcher Chelsea Reid, that feeling — nostalgia — is good for us. Reid explains in her story for The Conversation, that "sentimental longing for treasured moments in our personal pasts is linked to our well-being and feelings of connection with others … triggered by sensory stimuli such as music, scents and foods, nostalgia has the power to mentally transport us back in time."

A line of ARC-supported firefighters head off to battle a blaze. 
(ARC photo via Civil Eats)

When people think of firefighters, they don't also think about prisoners, but that's what some firefighters are, and just like non-incarcerated firefighters, they need care, too. "As hurricane-force winds caused wildfires to raze entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles County, more than 7,500 firefighters risked their lives. … Among them were an estimated 1,100 inmates from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation," reports Nadra Nittle of Civil Eats. "Sam Lewis of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition discusses why good meals, better pay, and post-release support could transform the future for incarcerated firefighters — and why society should see their humanity."

Quick hits: Appalachian brooms; soap science; school lunches on tour; summer train traveling; escaping the heat

Cynthia Main makes handmade brooms, Appalachian style.
(Sunhouse Craft photo via the Yonder)

When a talented crafter with an entrepreneurial bent got busy making handmade brooms, a new sustainable business in Appalachia was born. "Rural arts programs helped Eastern Kentucky maker Cynthia Main develop Sunhouse Craft, a sustainable business with an Appalachian sense of place," reports Kim Kobersmith of The Daily Yonder. "Main is driven by sustainability and community. With larger revenues, she can pay her small staff a living wage and offer her restored historic storefront as a community gathering space, while moving closer to her goal of developing a 100% local supply chain."

Pioneering women of the 1800s spent grueling hours over a fire making soap every spring. Sounds horrible, but soap itself is somewhat of a miracle. "The discovery of soap dates back approximately 5,000 years, to the ancient city of Babylon in what is today the country of Iraq," writes Paul E. Richardson for The Conversation. "Although billions of people use soap every day, most don’t know how it works. As a professor of chemistry, I can explain the science of soap. . . Soap molecules come together and surround the grime on your hands. The water-loving heads of the soap molecules are on the surface, with the water-fearing tails inside the micelle. This structure traps the dirt, and running water washes it all away."

 

Philadelphia children eating a 'three-cent dinner' at school.
(Science History Institute photo via Smithsonian)

Since the late 1800s, Americans have been arguing over kids' school lunches, but beyond the controversies, the topic offers an interesting look at the U.S. diet. "A new exhibition in Philadelphia spotlights the evolution of American nutritional health through a unique lens: the school cafeteria," reports Sonja Anderson for Smithsonian magazine. "Medical inspections revealed that schoolchildren were malnourished. Many had scurvy or rickets, diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies. . . . Philadelphia and Boston became two of the first cities to offer meals to public school students in 1894. According to a statement from the museum, the exhibition features a tiny aluminum token from 1909, which a Philadelphia child would have used to purchase a 'penny lunch' at school."

A California Zephyr trip is chockablock with scenic
views. (Amtrak photo)

Summer is a time for growing gardens, hiking, swimming, dodging mosquitoes, slathering on sunscreen, and, if you're lucky, taking a long vacation. "Here's how one writer used the $500 Amtrak rail pass to criss-cross the U.S. over the course of one month," writes McConnell Quinn for Condé Nast Traveler. "Unlike planes, where everyone stays in their bubble, trains are oddly social — a rotating cast of characters and glimpses into lives I’d never otherwise encounter. With the USA Rail Pass, I crossed the country three times in 30 days. . . I watched the Pacific creep into view on the Coast Starlight, rode the California Zephyr through the Rockies at sunset, and drifted to sleep somewhere in Texas on the Sunset Limited."

July's heat is surely coming, and for those of us with limited air conditioning options, planning where you will go to keep from baking -- beyond grocery store freezer aisles -- is a priority. One of the all-time favorite spots for escaping heat and humidity is movie theaters. AMC theaters must know they are part of some people's melting prevention plans because "beginning July 9, the movie theater chain will offer 50% off adult movie tickets on Wednesdays for those part of the AMC Stubs rewards program," reports Ramishah Maruf of CNN News. 

Summer is also a time for great reads. It could be on a beach, by the pool, in the grass with your horse or any number of amazing places to chill out and read. Not sure which book to kick off your summer escape? Try one from this list of books that will be made or have already been released as 2025 movies. Wilson Wong of The New York Times writes, "Here are some of the thrillers, romances, sci-fi page turners and detective novels coming soon to a screen near you. This is a running list. Check back for more updates as the year goes on."

"The first novella in the Murderbot Diaries series, 'All Systems Red,' follows a security android that secretly hacks its own operating system, allowing it to think and act independently," Wong writes. "But when an expedition goes strangely awry, resulting in several scientists’ deaths, the robot must help the humans in its own unit unravel the mystery before a similar tragedy befalls them." Murderbot premiered on Apple TV+ on May 16.

Friday quick hits: Rural top-flick picks; dairy funds; heat can kill; racial voting division; bread debate; hop on a new train

Eita Okuno, Anna Sawai, and Hiromoto Ida in 'Shōgun.' (FX /IMDb image via The Daily Yonder)

On steamy days when the pool is too crowded and you can't handle any more of Mother Nature's energy-sucking heat, it might be time to chill indoors and take in a rural flick. From the "Mad Max Saga" to wrestling's fierce Von Erich family drama to the stunning "craftsmanship and costuming" in "Shōgun," Adam B. Giorgi of The Daily Yonder has some fine movie picks that will make relaxing in the AC much more fun.

In states with the highest number of drug overdose deaths, patients in treatment for mental illness often live with an opioid use disorder that mental health clinics are unable to treat, a study showed. "Despite high rates of opioid use disorder among people with mental health disorders, only a third of community outpatient mental health treatment facilities in 20 high-burden states offered medications for OUD," reports Shannon Firth of MedPage Today. "Among the 450 community outpatient mental health treatment facilities surveyed, weighted estimates showed that 34% offered medications for OUD, reported study co-author Jonathan Cantor, PhD. JAMA Network Open published the study in June.

Jersey Scoops capitalized on the USDA's new small
dairy initiative. (Jersey Scoops photo)

What's better than locally made ice cream or homestead cheeses? More of both. At least that's what the Department of Agriculture seems to think. The USDA is funding a new initiative that "aims to transform and diversify the dairy industry, one small producer at a time," reports Naoki Nitta of Civil Eats. "At 'Jersey Scoops' in Loleta, a small, unincorporated community in Northern California’s Humboldt County, the ice cream is as fresh as it gets. From pasture to parlor, its organic, butterfat-rich milk travels less than 10 miles, produced by a herd of Jerseys pasture-raised on the misty coast. . . . But Jersey Scoops didn’t get here on their own; they leveraged a $60,000 grant from the Pacific Coast Coalition’s Dairy Business Innovation Initiative to secure both the space and equipment." Learn about how local cheese ventures are leveraging this funding here.

As global temperatures continue to spike, awareness of heat-related illnesses is especially vital for outdoor workers and their employers. Heat can make workers sick, but it can also be deadly, reports Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press. "With much of the United States, Mexico, India and the Middle East suffering through blistering heat waves. . . several doctors, physiologists and other experts explained what happens to the human body in such heat." To find out how heat kills, click here.

Handmade bread is much different than mass produced
loaves. (Bluegrass Baking Company photo)

Bread is considered a U.S. family staple for affordable nutrition, but the processing that creates a uniform and stay-fresh loaf has landed "packaged bread in the middle of a fraught debate over 'ultra-processed food,'" reports Jesse Newman for The Wall Street Journal. "Less-processed foods tend to be more expensive and quicker to spoil. . . . For bakers like Jim Betts, owner of Bluegrass Baking Company in Lexington, Ky., most packaged bread is a far cry from the food that has been sustaining humanity for at least 10,000 years." To read why homemade bread is so dramatically different and more pricey than store-bought loaves, click here.

The U.S. rural-urban voter divide primarily exists among whites, a new study published in Politics, Groups, and Identities found. Kate Blackwood for PHYS.org reports, "When it comes to politics, Black and Latino residents of rural America differ far less, if at all, from their urban counterparts than do non-Hispanic white residents, the researchers report." One of the study's authors, Suzanne Mettler, told Blackwood, "Rural and urban Americans began moving apart politically in the late 1990s, and the division has widened and deepened since then. . .We wanted to know whether all Americans, regardless of race and ethnicity, are swept up in this growing cleavage.

A Borealis Amtrak train rounds the corner
surrounded by Midwestern fall colors. (Amtrak photo)

Midwestern states have been busy working to add more train services to their transportation portfolios. The new Amtrak Borealis service between Chicago and St. Paul opened last month after 12 years of planning, reports Daniel C. Volk of Route Fifty. "The new service was also a breakthrough. It is the first new passenger route launched in Minnesota since 1975, and the first in Wisconsin in more than two decades. . . . Officials in both states — like dozens of others across the country — are now planning for even more new passenger routes, because of incentives in President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure law." Borealis trains include wide reclining seats, ample legroom, free Wi-Fi and views of the Mississippi River between St. Paul and La Crosse, Wisc., in daylight in both directions across Wisconsin.

Norman Lear's success removed rural America from mainstream TV; 'All in the Family' marked the end of an era

Photo via The Daily Yonder

Rural American life once played center stage for network TV shows, but as the 1960s drew to a close, a new type of comedy -- built around cities and more urban characters -- took rural TV's place at the top, reports Jeffery H. Bloodworth of The Daily Yonder. "Fifty-three years ago, Norman Lear's breakout hit, "All in the Family," aired on CBS. It touched an immediate nerve. An instant hit, the program became the nation's most-watched television show of its era. But Lear's legacy is more complicated for rural Americans. His 1971 rise signaled the demise of rural America on network television."

Lear's "All in the Family" used more topical humor that poked fun at the country's post-1960s culture wars. Lear followed up his 1971 success with shows like "Good Times," "The Jeffersons," and "Sanford and Son," all of which "were defined by their urban settings, realism, and topical humor," Bloodworth writes. Rural-themed shows such as "Hee Haw" and "Green Acres" were canceled in the" 'rural purge'. . . . Norman Lear marked the end of an era."

In the 1960s, U.S. cities grew exponentially, as did the popularity of rural TV comedy. Explaining why country humor was so popular, Sara K. Eskridge, a historian who authored Rube Tube: CBS and Rural Comedy in the Sixties, told Bloodworth, "I think they provided a sense of soothing. They were set in contemporary times. But they were focused on friendships. You don't see conflict. . . . Nostalgia works great for this. The future was in the city, and when people think 'rural,' they think of the past."

Quick hits: Film explores Christian nationalism; human brain limits; sun activity and the eclipse; Marvel & HBO go rural

'Christianity is about the values of inclusion,' one of the
film's interviewees says. (God + Country photo)

A new documentary that explores the rise of American Christian nationalism and the threat its increasing influence poses to democracy has been released in select theaters, reports Russell Contreras of Axios. Directed by Robert Reiner, the film, "God + Country" features interviews with Black evangelicals, religious leaders and scholars, as well as Charlie Sykes of The Bulwark, a conservative anti-Trump website, and Russell Moore, a theologian who "resigned from the Southern Baptist Convention amid a backlash over his criticism of Trump." The film asks interviewees from all walks of life if/how the movement is based on Christian principles and what are the risks to the democratic process when Christianity becomes a political ideology.

For many Americans, maybe the post-pandemic "new normal" could be best described as "living with constant uncertainty," which is not a comfortable position for humans. "To stay motivated as we encounter unprecedented levels of uncertainty in every aspect of our lives, we should understand that the human brain simply was not built for this," report Heidi Grant and Tal Goldhamer of Harvard Business Review. "Knowing what your brain does well — and what it does surprisingly poorly — can give you a much clearer sense of the strategies you need not just to endure but to thrive." Read some comforting and helpful coping strategies here.

A NASA satellite captured this image
of sunspots. (NASA image via WP)

Greeting Earthlings! The sun is putting on some incredible shows this year. "Solar flares, eruptions on the sun's surface and sunspots are expected to multiply and intensify throughout this year, as our yellow star enters its most active period in two decades," reports Kasha Patel of The Washington Post. "That could lead to more beautiful dancing aurora far and wide, but also radio blackouts and satellite disruptions."

From outlawing gender discrimination in federally funded programs to bolstering cleaner air to reducing child poverty, the U.S. government has achieved some landmark policy successes, writes Darrell M. West in his opinion for Brookings. Read here for all 10 success stories.

The path of the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. (NASA Science Visualization Studio graphic via Mashable)

Unusual, dark and spectacular -- the solar eclipse is coming this spring. "Witnessing a total solar eclipse — wherein the moon completely blocks out the sun — is a rare opportunity," reports Mark Kaufman of Mashable. "But on April 8, 2024, millions of Americans will be in the 'path of totality,' allowing many to experience something that's at once astonishing, unsettling, and thrilling."

Alaqua Cox as Maya Lopez in 'Echo' (Photo
by Chuck Zlotnick, Marvel Studios via DY)

New films featuring remote places are getting noticed. Even Marvel Studios left New York City to stage its new mini-series "Echo" in Tamaha, Oklahoma, where a Choctaw Nation adventure unfolds. Adam B. Giorgi of The Daily Yonder writes, "It follows Maya Lopez, a closely held associate of a New York-based criminal magnate, as she returns to her Oklahoma hometown after a violent falling out with her boss."

Night Country detectives face
unending darkness. (HBO photo)

 

For those who love rural and seek darker twists, HBO's newest "True Detective" season, Night Country, is set in Alaskan's northernmost place, the North Slope Borough, which is 150 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The story "follows the disappearance of eight men from a research station and how it might be linked to the unsolved murder of an indigenous woman," reports Kristian Bert of NBC Today.

North Slope Borough, Alaska
(Wikipedia map)

"The show gets its name from the concept of a Polar Night, a phenomenon that occurs at the north and south poles, where night lasts all day during the winter."

The plot involves two detectives -- Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) -- who must work together to solve the crimes without the help of Anchorage police.

A live call-in radio show aims to give the Midwest a 'place at the table' in national conversation about issues facing U.S.

Jeremy Hobson with Cynthia Wang during The Middle’s
first episode. (The Middle courtesy photo)

The voices of middle Americans can sometimes go unheard in discussions about problems and opportunities facing the United States. But Jeremy Hobson, a former NPR host, has found a way to highlight those voices. He's the producer and host of a live-caller radio show aptly named The Middle, which highlights midwestern opinions, reports Corbin Bolies of the Daily Beast. "Each episode of The Middle, which airs live on Thursdays on nearly 400 radio stations across the U.S., revolves around a singular topic, with Hobson, two expert panelists, a journalist-turned-DJ — and hundreds of live callers — weighing in with their perspectives."

An Illinois native, Hobson felt that most radio shows "rarely considered those who lived where he was born — residents whose states’ electoral politics often shift presidential elections," Bolies writes. Hobson told him, "I’ve been in public media for over 25 years. What I have seen, and I grew up in central Illinois, I feel like these voices need to have a part in our national conversation. . . . That’s what we’re trying to do. So it’s about bringing these voices in that are not typically heard, allowing listeners to take part.”

Stephanie Curtis, the content director of Minnesota Public Radio, told Bolies: “I thought it’d be more of a program where, like, ‘What are those people in the middle of the country thinking?’ But it isn’t. It sounds like it’s led with real curiosity. It’s about the biggest issues that are facing the U.S., but then highlighting the voices of people from the Central Time Zone, from Middle America.”

The Middle began with a "series of self-funded pilot episodes that aired just before the 2022 midterm elections — and a yearlong, individual pitching process to radio stations nationwide. Hobson officially launched the show in September out of WILL-FM, the Illinois Public Media station in Urbana, Illinois," Bolies reports. "It currently airs across 380 public radio stations nationwide. Hobson believes it is the only national public radio program in the U.S. that takes live calls."

Hobson aims for The Middle to give the Midwest a voice that genuinely reflects the region. He told Bolies: "One of the things we’re trying to do here is to dispel the stereotypes of the geographic middle and say no, actually, it’s incredibly diverse, it’s incredibly dynamic, it’s incredibly interesting, economically and in so many other ways. . . . It’s a time that people from all walks of life in the middle have a place at the table and the national conversation.”

Hotly debated 'Try That in a Small Town' became a roaring success after CMT publicly took the video off its playlist

Jason Aldean performs in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin.
(Photo by Joshua Applegate, Getty Images, via Axios)

If there ever was an example of "all publicity is good publicity," it's Jason Aldean's controversial tune "Try That in a Small Town." The song sits at No. 2 on Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart. The heated backlash is the propulsive force behind the song's climb to the top, reports Adam Tamburin of Axios Nashville. "The song depicts an exaggerated urban-rural divide in which cities are dominated by unrest that isn't tolerated in small towns."

The song dropped without drama in May, but when the video aired in mid-July, a maelstrom of criticism hit Country Music Television. CMT publicly yanked the video from its playlist, and the controversy hit the charts. Kurt Bardella, a Democratic strategist who runs the country music tipsheet The Morning Hangover, told Tamburin,"You couldn't ask for a better gift when it comes to promoting a record, especially for that core Jason Aldean audience, than what CMT did."

The song's ubiquity proves Bardella's point. Tamburin writes, "Billboard reports the song sold 228,000 digital singles last week, the largest sales week for a country song in more than a decade. It logged 11.6 million streams, a 547% jump from the week before. . . . The video remains popular on YouTube, where it has logged more than 18 million views since its July 14 release."

Critics claim the video is racist, encourages lynching and promotes gun violence. Factually speaking, "The video features a performance in front of Tennessee's Maury County Courthouse, which was the site of a 1946 race riot and a 1927 lynching," Tamburin reports. "Aldean has defended the song, tweeting that 'there is not a single lyric ... that references race or points to it.' At a concert last week, Aldean said his fans had pushed back against 'cancel culture'. . . . Bardella says the situation mirrors broader political debates over cancel culture, with country fans ultimately feeling defensive and entrenched. A better approach, he says, would be to discuss the context of the video without trying to keep people from seeing it." As of July 25, the Black Lives Matter images in the video were removed.

"Song of the day" picks from the Axios Nashville staff:
Nate's song of the day is "Small Town" by John Mellencamp.
Adam's song of the day is "Small Town Saturday Night" by Hal Ketchum.
Axios southern bureau chief Michael Graff's song of the day is "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" by Pearl Jam.
Copy editor Katie Lewis' song of the day is "Small Town Hypocrite" by Caylee Hammack featuring Chris Stapleton.

'Try that in a Small Town' a missed opportunity, small-towner writes; W. Post writer calls it 'a fantasy of violent retribution'

Jason Aldean in 'Try That in a Small Town' (YouTube)

Either from their lyrics, curious catchiness or infectious beat, some songs and accompanying videos can bring people together. Jason Aldean's latest song 'Try That in a Small Town" isn't that sort of tune, writes Skylar Baker-Jordan in an opinion piece for The Daily Yonder.

"Jason Aldean broke onto the country scene in 2005 with his top 10 hit 'Hicktown.' Subsequent songs, such as 'Amarillo Sky' (about the plight of farmers) and 'Flyover States' (an ode to the heartland) cemented his reputation as a preeminent troubadour for rural America," Bakr-Jordan writes. "So how did his latest offering, 'Try That in a Small Town,' get it so wrong?"

The song dropped quietly enough in May. The video followed on July 14. "The backlash was swift and severe, with Country Music Television pulling the video mere days after it debuted. . . . Lyrics like 'cuss out a cop, spit in his face/stomp on the flag and light it up, Yeah, ya think you're tough,' Aldean and the songwriters position big cities as crime-ridden hellholes where people 'Pull a gun on the owner of a liquor store.' In a small town, though, you can 'see how far ya make it down the road' because 'round here, we take care of our own.'" (The gun angle is explored here.)

Taking care of neighbors is great, but the lyric implies that rural areas are more kind, Baker-Jordan writes: "By pitting urban versus rural, he is not so much extolling the values he grew up with as he is exacerbating the divide already present in our nation. Rather than acknowledging that crime – which happens in rural communities too – is the problem, he blames cities." (Republican presidential candidates are playing the song at events, NBC News reports.)

The video's major location is "a courthouse where an infamous lynching occurred in 1927," but "the production company behind the video denies this was intentional," Baker-Jordan reports. But it "only adds to the problematic nature of the song," which "excludes people of color. . . . Black people live in small towns. Gay people live in small towns. Progressives live in small towns. They have never been the sole purview of conservative white men like Aldean." UPDATE, July 25: Black Lives Matter images in the video have been removed.

Columnist Paul Waldman of The Washington Post calls the video "a fantasy of violent retribution against outsiders — those who would bring the supposed lawlessness of the city to the small town. . . . Were it not for Aldean’s recent political feuds with other artists and the provocation in the video, the song might have simply been cast on the gigantic pile of country songs about small towns. There might be no theme more ubiquitous in the genre: what makes rural life worthwhile, what people in rural areas enjoy and how they live their lives. Some of this music is earnest — even sentimental — about finding pride and meaning in the place where you come from."

That's the sort of song Baker-Jordan wishes Aldean would write. She calls the song "a missed opportunity. . . . Aldean could have produced an anthem that extolled the values of neighborliness and collectivism, which I would agree our nation needs to return to. . . . [Instead] Aldean recorded an anthem dripping with disdain for half the country and filmed a music video at a site of a racist hate crime. . . . I don’t come away from that song feeling like he cares about me. I come away from it feeling like he’s attacking me. And I’m from a small town, too."

Legendary and loving: Dolly Parton's Dollywood, near her homeplace, shows Americans how to accept one another

Dollywood welcomes all. (Ilustration by Ally Rzesa, The Boston Globe)

Replacing Americans' interpersonal, ideological tensions with vibes of shared heritage and togetherness can be achieved with a hefty dose of Dolly Parton, writes Christopher Muther of The Boston Globe. While visiting Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Muther discovered a collective love for prorietor Parton: "Her broad appeal and aura of benevolence are why Dollywood is one of the rare places in the United States where you'll encounter a true ideological melting pot. I observed conservatives and queers on the same rides at the same time. I can't think of anywhere else in the U.S. where these two groups would be enjoying themselves in close proximity."

Sperling's Best Places map

Parton grew up as a sharecropper's daughter "in a one-room cabin near Dollywood (its location is kept secret) with her 11 siblings," Muther notes. "She became a country-music star more than 50 years ago, but more importantly, she became a pop-culture sensation and a legend. Dollywood celebrates it all. . . . Parton is a rare jewel of a human whose coat of many colors includes red and blue states (plus many rainbows)." She has been outspoken about diversity and inclusion, which probably makes her crowds diverse and inclusive.

The park, like the woman, delights visitors. "Dollywood is a candy-coated dive into Parton's subconscious. . . . If Parton's legacy and message of universal love were not attached to the park, would anyone be here? I suspect not. . . . Dolly is the great unifier. . . . Few (if any) musicians have scored number-one hits on both the Billboard Christian and electronica charts. . . . She is a woman who can collaborate on a cake mix with Duncan Hines and design clothes for dogs."

Parton sets an example that, if multiplied outside Dollywood's boundaries, could heal some of our nation's wounds. "Clipping wings is not on-brand for Parton. She professes her deep love of God and shares her spirituality," Mathers writes. "But her down-home values don't come at the expense of excluding gay fans and the drag community. She has supported her gay fans for decades. . . . '[Dollywood is] a place for entertainment, a place for all families, period,' Parton said in a 2014 interview with Billboard magazine about those who are critical of the LGBTQ+ community. 'It's for all that. But as far as the Christians, if people want to pass judgment, they're already sinning. The sin of judging is just as bad as any other sin they might say somebody else is committing. I try to love everybody.'"

"Was anyone passing judgment at Dollywood the day I was there?" Muther asks. "Perhaps. But people were respectful of each other. . . . Parton's Appalachian amusement park re-creation of the U.S. may be cornier than Kansas in August, but it's a place where a wide swath of people are respectful and smiling. . . . . The only animosity I witnessed happened between a mother and daughter bickering in a gift shop over who would get to wear the 'Good Golly, Miss Dolly' T-shirt."