America’s 250th birthday has Howard Franklin thinking regionally. The Atlanta-based public relations executive released a new report arguing that the South is now the country’s true economic and political center, noting that if the region were its own country it would have the third-largest economy in the world.
On July 4, 2026 — America's 250th birthday — Ohio River South published Accelerating South: Risks, Rewards, and the Road Ahead, the inaugural edition of The Next Southern Century. The nine-state American South is now the largest economic region in the United States — bigger than the Northeast, bigger than the Pacific. If borders were drawn around it, the region would rank as a top-three economy in the world. The South is no longer the part of the country playing catch-up. It is where America's next quarter-century gets decided.
FAST COMPANY | Today, politics doesn’t sit at the edge of your business; it runs straight through it. Whether you are expanding to new markets, reshaping your workforce, rolling out AI tools, or making any business decision of consequence, your success is now directly shaped by decisions made in government organizations. That could be a city hall or a state capital. It could also be a federal agency that is increasingly pulling you in different directions.
Howard Franklin talks with host Mariva Martin about the reshaping of political power underway across the country
DIGITAL POLITICS | Howard Franklin, CEO of Ohio River South, joins host Karen Jagoda to shine light on the evolving political, economic, and demographic landscape of the American South. The question is how these shifts have changed the electorate and created opportunities for a new wave of political candidates. The most effective ways to reach Southern voters still include traditional in-person engagement alongside digital outreach to reach urban, suburban, and rural communities.
SAPORTA REPORT | When Mayor Andre Dickens delivered his fifth State of the City address recently, he spoke to an audience that extends far beyond Atlanta’s borders. That audience, our state legislature, holds the key to Georgia’s next decade of growth — a key that can only be turned through stronger, more formal city-state collaboration.
AJC | The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who marched with King and passed away Feb. 17, was the ultimate bridge between that era of street-level protest and the world of business and finance. In fact, Jackson was, in many respects, the most effective activist investor this country has ever produced. His genius was in recognizing that capitalism itself could be a tool for civil rights.
THE WELL NEWS | In the past year, navigating the second Trump administration has proved a tall order for government officials across the country. Yet nowhere has that divide been felt greater than in medium- to large-sized cities, often led by Democrats, and located in red states.
“The last 30 days have shown us that you don’t have to be on Capitol Hill to feel the impact of Washington.” That’s exactly why Ohio River South has expanded its presence in Washington, DC – to ensure that businesses, policymakers, and stakeholders in the South don’t just adapt to federal decisions but help drive them.