The Telegram & Gazette of Worcester (Mass.), Nov. 26: On most any other day, the resignation of the Secretary of Defense would have commanded headlines and dominated the national conversation. But with the nation’s attention focused on Ferguson, Missouri, the departure of Chuck Hagel was just another news story. That’s unfortunate, because Hagel’s resignation ”“ […]

The Day of New London (Conn.), Nov. 26 The rioting that took place following a grand jury’s decision not to indict a white Ferguson, Missouri, police officer for the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teen was understandable, but inexcusable. It was understandable because the black neighborhood in this St. Louis suburb is filled with […]

In autumn, the faraway hills here are so ablaze with color ”“ shimmering reds, deep oranges ”“ that no single hue or tint stands out. But in winter, the North Country becomes a portrait in black and white, and this November, the contrasts already seem to have sharpened. So it should surprise no visitor ”“ […]

So! Anyone else groggy today? If you’re not, then you didn’t do Thanksgiving the right way. See, back when the Native Americans kept the pilgrims’ tummies from a-rumblin’ through a booger-freezing winter, they did so with a very clear goal: Allow the white settlers to survive so they could kill off the indigenous tribes, take […]

The Record Journal of Meriden (Conn.), Nov. 17 Once again, truth turns out to be stranger than fiction: The National School Boards Association has ended its brief partnership with a large corporation that supposedly was going to help it convince kids not to take up smoking. And which large corporation might that be, you ask? […]

Most Americans ”“ from the Obama family in the White House to my little family in Texas ”“ will get a much-deserved break from work on Thanksgiving Day. But millions of others won’t. Understandably, firefighters, police, and hospital workers will stay on the job. After all, they’re providing essential services for our society. Yet Walmart, […]

On Nov. 22, at the funeral of my late son, Stephen Roberts Jr., I was so humbled. I knew how special he was to me. Yet to see the amount of people who took the time to show their respect, it was just so overwhelming. I do apologize for the way everyone was informed of […]

Every day, a remarkable group of Mainers performs a great labor of love: Caring for aging parents, spouses, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and friends so they can remain in their homes. They are on duty 24/7, and often cannot take a break. Yet they wouldn’t have it any other way. These caregivers are truly unsung […]

The Nashua (N.H.) Telegraph, Nov. 21 If your memories of Bill Cosby begin with the Cliff Huxtable years and NBC’s 1980s blockbuster hit “The Cosby Show,” it’s likely you can’t fully appreciate the positive influences he had on race relations in America. In the 1960s, deadly riots erupted in the urban centers of many major […]