The Cardinal's Nest

Education Reimagined: The Journey of West Virginia is a 9-minute short documentary by Dignity Unbound that tells the story of how West Virginia’s education system went from failing its students to helping them thrive, thanks in part to the innovative solutions championed by the Cardinal Institute of… Read More

Lots of kids would thrive in career or technical education (CTE) but are currently in schools that do not meet their needs. Many of these students are fortunate to have free public options available. That’s not true everywhere, but Education Savings Accounts (ESAs, known as Hope Scholarships) can ma… Read More

Tomorrow, the West Virginia State Legislature gavels in to begin its 85th session. On the agenda are promises of bold ideas for reform – encouraging a better future for generations of West Virginians to come.   Very few see promise within West Virginia’s hills, but for mountaineers full o… Read More

For many, January marks the anxious start to tax season and reminds us how much the government takes from our paychecks every year. But what if there was a way to keep more money in your pocket?  … Read More

Taylor Dawson and Mark Cunningham are empowering Tennesseans to reclaim control of their lives as a communications team at the Beacon Center for Tennessee based in Nashville. They join Garrett today to discuss culture and politics in Tennessee and share their perspectives as transplants from Alabama… Read More

The political events of 2020 and 2021 have shown how important it is to know our Constitution. Unfortunately, most of us don’t. Even worse, it’s hard to raise money for people who teach the Constitution because of state laws that restrict free speech. There are great organizations that help teachers… Read More

Alex Brill is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he studies the impact of tax policy on the US economy as well as the fiscal, economic, and political consequences of tax, budget, health care, retirement security, and trade policies. He also works on health… Read More

Ask any American about the core problems with government, and you’re sure to hear stories of the “good ol’ boys’ club”. That group that tosses good bills, sneaks in bad pork, and generally twists the arm of government into making themselves even richer. It’s no secret… Read More

Emma Ayers, Managing Opinion Editor at Young Voices and native of northeast Tennessee, joins Garrett on today’s episode to talk about the importance of tradition and religion in Appalachian culture. Together, they also explore the importance of meaningful work to the future prosperity of the Appalac… Read More

There’s no question that children throughout the country have suffered learning losses since the onset of the pandemic and the transition to virtual learning. The vital questions now center around how much learning loss has occurred and how can those losses most effectively be overcome. Thanks to ne… Read More