"Midwest Is a State of Mind," by Faith Bottum wsj.com/articles/midwe… via Wall Street Journal Opinion

The Middle West Review’s poll reveals that Midwesternism is a state of mind. Geography matters less than having nice neighbors, a sense of community and questionable cuisine, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/40A5JAm

Another enjoyable ready by Faith Bottum Faith Bottum Midwest is--very much--a state of mind, and a very healthy one. wsj.com/articles/midwe…

Midwest Is a State of Mind: You don’t have to live in Iowa. Be nice, flatten your vowels, and bring a ‘hot dish’ to the potluck wsj.com/articles/midwe… by Faith Bottum

When more than 25% of people in Arkansas and Idaho and 9% in Tennessee and Pennsylvania think they live in the Midwest, self-identity has lost touch with geography, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/3MDk6OU

Applications for the Joseph Rago Memorial Fellowship for Excellence in Journalism are open! Launch your career in journalism working with WSJ Opinion. The deadline to apply is January 19th. tfas.org/rago

"Christmas and the Boy Reader"—my new Christmas piece in the Free Beacon: "There are still boys and still books. Still boys who read. But hard to find anymore is the culturally accepted category of the boy reader, the bright little kid who… /1 freebeacon.com/culture/christ…

The Never Trump alarmists never bother to acknowledge the left’s antidemocratic and extraconstitutional behavior in recent years, writes Barton Swaim on.wsj.com/3tH7eRv

Donald Trump might win next week’s Iowa caucuses, but could a strong No. 2 pick up some momentum? asks Kyle Peterson on.wsj.com/3NXhNGS

Beijing’s threats have the effect of increasing support for candidates who project the strongest sense of Taiwanese identity. wsj.com/articles/taiwa… via Wall Street Journal Opinion

Voters took a chance on George Santos and were embarrassed nationally for it. In a typical election, his district probably wouldn’t gamble on another new face. But Gaza and the border crisis have scrambled traditional election predictions, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/3OCNHZv

Maduro Plays the Migrant Blackmail Card wsj.com/articles/madur…

The best available polling says the race to replace George Santos is a dead heat between Democratic former-Rep. Tom Suozzi and Republican political newcomer Mazi Pilip, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/3UzVStF

A CPAC Hero Threatens a Latin Democracy - WSJ wsj.com/articles/a-cpa…

There are six U.S. hostages who have been held captive is some dank Gaza tunnel for 150 days. It’s time the American people learned their names. wsj.com/articles/hamas…

The Smokehouse Creek Fire sparked a spirit that Alexis de Tocqueville would have recognized: a self-organizing community rising up to answer the need created by a natural disaster, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/3T8kszs

The Spirit of Democracy Rises From the Texas Wildfires by Faith Bottum wsj.com/articles/the-s… via Wall Street Journal Opinion

Even in increasingly isolated times, a spirit of community forms when disaster strikes. Maybe that’s especially true in the rural West and Midwest, where the distances are large and official help can be slow to arrive, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/49JNjRE

For the first time in 18 years, a cowboy event has sold out all three days in the Garden. Maybe that’s what New Yorkers have always needed: a little bit of rural in their lives, writes Faith Bottum on.wsj.com/40q5QQM

From Wall Street Journal Opinion: For the first time in 18 years, a cowboy event has sold out all three days in the Garden. Maybe that’s what New Yorkers have always needed: a little bit of rural in their lives, writes Faith Bottum. on.wsj.com/4fYk6oi