This is the public face of an economy that has tumbled off the edge of a cliff: 9.7 percent unemployment in North Carolina and a half million jobs lost nationwide last month alone.

In the middle of an economic crisis, it doesn't sound like much of a problem. But it is.

Our new president has asked us a question. It took him exactly 15 minutes.

She was the youngest person in the room, and she brought down the house.

Today feels like the fourth quarter, but it's not. There's a lot of time left on the clock.

The analysts and pundits are busy painting the milestones in Tuesday's election with a broad brush. Who could argue?

It was bound to happen. The only surprise is that it took this long.

The dead bear was a prank. But the rest of it is real.

What a strange prayer it is to ask God to seal the lips of your political opponents.

These are tough times for a city accustomed to the feel of wind beneath its wings.

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Mary Schulken
Mary Schulken is an Observer associate editor.