Vue lecture

Dolly Parton and the ‘Pretty Darn Good’ Southern Church

For many Americans, Ms. Parton represented an idealized style of faith: one centered in small rural congregations that prize community over ideology.

© Will Crooks for The New York Times

The Robert F Thomas Chapel at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge Tennessee on Wednesday.
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How Trump’s Policy Agenda Runs Through One Federal Court, in Texas

For years, conservative litigants flocked to Judge Reed O’Connor’s district. Now, North Texas has become a favorite destination of the Justice Department.

© U.S. Courts, via Reuters

Judge Reed O’Connor in 2018. He has built a reputation as a conservative stalwart and became the chief judge of the Northern District of Texas last August.
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The South Loved Dolly Parton. It Saw the Best of Itself in Her.

Even as her talents and work ethic opened up the world to her, she kept coming home. For many in the complicated region she’s from, that meant a lot.

© Will Crooks for The New York Times

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