The news could not have been worse. Starvation, malnutrition, diseases such as typhoid, smallpox, dysentery, and pneumonia, along with freezing temperatures that assaulted thousands of shoeless feet bloodying the snow, attached to bands of “walking skeletons” exposed to the elements by threadbare garments. They all combined to claim 2,500 lives from General George Washington’s army […]

“Over these last few years, given the wars it has waged and the international treaties it has arbitrarily reneged on, the U.S. government perfectly fits its own definition of a rogue state.” — Arundhati Roy You have the world’s largest military, you’re going to use it, right? Donald Trump and his team, led by National Insecurity Advisor […]

What is the difference between weight and worth? One changes—the other does not. Adding or dropping pounds does not make a person’s worth go up and down. Fear of fat. “Why do modern women in the most affluent countries in the world live like starving people in a primitive land? Why do they choose to […]

The world is growing older.  Except for Africa south of the Sahara, the average age is increasing. There are more old people thanks to medical advances that, together with lifestyle changes, help prolong life.  At the same time, there are fewer young people as parents choose to have smaller families.  While China ended its rule […]

It just happened, you know? One of those serendipitous coincidences that occur when planets line up or you foolishly store oily rags together. It just … happened. Ardis Richardson was looking through the Soup ‘R Market for an egg beater for her mom. Not the electric kind. The turn-the-handle kind. She picked one up and […]

Former Rep. Trey Gowdy stunned House investigators recently by all but announcing the existence of secret FBI recordings of Trump campaign foreign policy volunteer adviser George Papadopoulos, made in the summer of 2016 by an undercover FBI operation. Gowdy made the revelation in an interview Sunday with Fox Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “There are a lot […]

Congratulations, graduates! One day, you’ll look back on the past six years and say, ”Those college days were the happiest of my life.” Honestly, I’m guessing you’ll say that just a couple of days after you leave here and move back into your parents’ house. And every day afterward. Many of you will now be […]

Beto O’Rourke had his. Pete Buttigieg is having his. So is Joseph R. Biden Jr. But Jay Inslee hasn’t had his, nor has John Hickenlooper. And when either Kamala Harris or Amy Klobuchar has hers, watch out. Every four years, a group of presidential candidates have their Moment, a golden intercession when the press and […]

Even for somebody whose job it is to keep up with the news, some stories are just too upsetting. So it was with the recent release of a United Nations scientific report on biodiversity. A week after the fact, I had to force myself to go back and read the story. Headlined “Humans Are Speeding […]