Through the Looking Glass: Don’t give a shot about the pain
By Sarah Delia, senior writer

When I was a child the only joy I remember getting from surviving a mandatory shot at the doctor’s office was the promise of a lollipop, sticker with a smiley face on it or—if I was lucky—sneaking one of each. I’ve noticed that as I’ve gotten older shots no longer have rewards after receiving them such as a plastic toy or piece of candy, rather there are consequences for neglecting to get them. More...

Between the Lines: Prescription drug abuse plagues southwest Virginia
By Patrick Callahan, senior writer

A recent article published in The Washington Post by Nick Miroff describes the seriousness of prescription drug abuse in rural southwest Virginia. Though the article focuses mainly on miners, some of the statistics are astounding. For instance, individual deaths due to overdoses associated with prescription painkillers have increased by 270 percent in the past decade, and in one county the rate of such fatal overdoses is 13 times that of counties in northern Virginia. More...

Breeze Perspectives: The dissolution of the Clinton crown
By Whitten Maher, contributing writer

The New Hampshire primary last week found the erstwhile Democratic golden girl, Sen. Hillary Clinton, fighting not only for votes, but also, it seemed, for her soul. Having come in third place in the Iowa Caucus Jan. 3, Hillary was expected to place a distant second in the Granite State. Yet somehow Clinton defied the polls and scored one of the biggest upsets in recent political history. More...

Breeze Perspectives: Giuliani is gambling with his presidential campaign
By Tony Spadaccia, contributing writer

Three states, three different outcomes, one big mess. That’s the state of the fight for the Republican nomination right now as the race has transformed itself into a free-for-all. This means the only real winner in all of this is former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani. More...

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