The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

We must fix our broken immigration system and combat the rising food costs every single American across the country is facing right now, and we must do it now. Agriculture producers across the country have been facing a labor short... — Updated 9/21/2022

President Biden’s student-loan debt forgiveness plan is one of the worst decisions I’ve seen this president make. This debt “forgiveness” would have Robin Hood rolling in his grave—it takes from the poor to give to the ri... — Updated 9/14/2022

Tensions have steadily risen between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for years now. From the pandemic-era trade wars to military drills around Taiwan, it’s clear the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),... — Updated 8/31/2022

Inflation has soared from 1.4% in January 2021 to 8.5% in July of this year, and parents are bearing the brunt of these increased costs as they face their annual back-to-school shopping trips — on top of the mounting costs for... — Updated 8/24/2022

It’s no secret the situation at our southern border is out of control. Indeed, recent figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show record levels of border crossings are continuing, including a record-setting number of ter... — Updated 7/20/2022

This week marked the conclusion of the public comment period for Governor Inslee and Senator Murray’s recently released draft Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement Report. I have read the Inslee-Murray report, and while I... — Updated 7/12/2022

This Fourth of July, Americans in Central Washington and across the country are contending with a host of financial worries. Red-hot inflation has contributed to a skyrocketing cost of living and continues to wreak havoc on... — Updated 7/6/2022

The Biden Administration must be held accountable for failing to serve Central Washington’s veterans. This weekend, details on a draft report from the VA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) broke news headlines, outlining... — Updated 6/22/2022

A year and a half ago, when President Biden was sworn into office, gas prices were $2.39 a gallon. Today, gas prices have more than doubled, averaging $5.01 per gallon. The Labor Department reported Friday that inflation rose to... — Updated 6/15/2022

China has been buying up American farmland, and, for some reason, people aren’t worried about it. Maybe they’re unaware that China’s American agricultural land holdings have increased over tenfold in the last decade. Maybe... — Updated 6/8/2022

Over the past year and a half — under the Democrats’ one-party rule — rural communities like ours in Central Washington have been harmed by the failed, anti-energy policies coming out of our nation’s capital. Gas prices... — Updated 6/3/2022

This week, as Native American tribes and communities gather to honor the women and girls who have been murdered or gone missing at alarming rates here in Central Washington and across the country, the glaring question remains:... — Updated 5/4/2022

Currently, a little over 1.3 million people are serving on active duty in our nation’s military—that is less than half of one percent of the U.S. population. Securing our national defense and protecting our interests is a heavy... — Updated 4/20/2022

 Farming season is here, and unfortunately, due to supply-chain issues and rising energy costs exacerbated by President Biden’s policies, input costs are at a record-high. This has placed a huge burden on Central Washington... — Updated 4/13/2022

It is completely mind-boggling that amidst an energy and supply chain crisis, President Biden would remove a source of power and transportation for an entire region. Yet, just last week, the White House updated their blog with a... — Updated 4/6/2022

One of the biggest misconceptions about Daylight Saving Time is that farmers pushed for it, because “they needed daylight hours to work in their fields”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The adoption of daylight saving... — Updated 3/23/2022

As the Congressman for Washington’s 4th Congressional District, my number one priority is advocating for the people who live and work right here in Central Washington, contributing to our communities and economy. That’s why,... — Updated 3/16/2022

If you ask almost any farmer in Central Washington these days what their most pervasive problem is, I can guarantee they’ll say labor. Producers across Washington and the country are keenly aware that there simply isn’t enough... — Updated 2/16/2022

Living in Central Washington means you’re pretty much as far as you can get from the southern border while remaining in the land of the free, so it’s easy to think President Biden’s open-border policies don’t affect us. Unf... — Updated 2/9/2022

Christmas is the season of hope and joy, and as we look to the brightening days ahead, it is important we bring that same sense of love and generosity that has filled our hearts and homes over the last few weeks with us into the... — Updated 1/5/2022

A few weeks ago, I was speaking with former Defense Secretary General James Mattis about some of the lessons he’s learned over the years. One of his biggest takeaways? How incredible of a community Central Washington is, and... — Updated 12/22/2021

On Friday, the Labor Department announced that consumer prices increased by 6.8 percent in November compared to last year, the largest annual increase in over 39 years. If that doesn’t make apparent the impacts President... — Updated 12/15/2021

As talks of defunding the police ring through the halls of Congress, West-side legislators in Olympia continue to push through policies that are negatively impacting our communities, and this time, the consequences could be... — Updated 12/1/2021

103 years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect and ended “the war to end all wars.” Now, we honor that day, the 116,516... — Updated 11/10/2021

For more than 20 years, a group of plaintiffs led by a litigious special interest environmental group have held our region hostage, threatening to breach our dams and drain the lifeblood of our region. Their lawsuits have never... — Updated 10/27/2021