Editorial

Can the republic survive Attorney General William Barr? That’s the question that has seized the media and center left, which have worked themselves into a full-blown panic over an attorney general who is, inarguably, a serious legal figure and one of the adults in the room late in President Donald Trump’s first term. Some 2,000 former Justice department employees have signed a letter calling on Barr to resign. An anti-Barr piece in The Atlantic opined that “it is not too strong to say that Bill Barr is un-American,” and warned … [Read more...] about William Barr is his own man

President Donald Trump is right that he does “have, as president, the legal right” to meddle in Department of Justice decisions. However, when he makes public comments, or when it can be shown that he has privately discussed any federal criminal case with his Justice subordinates, it should be considered undue interference, and a judge should order that all prosecutions of affected individuals or groups be halted. Furthermore, another count of obstruction of justice should be added to the list of criminal charges he will face when he … [Read more...] about The low Barr

As NASCAR driver Ryan Newman walked out of a hospital Wednesday, the world was still marveling that he even survived the final lap at Monday’s Daytona 500. His car hit a wall, flipped, went airborne, was T-boned and skidded on its roof toward the finish line. There was no response on Newman’s in-car radio, and everybody started having 2001 flashbacks. On the final lap that year, Dale Earnhardt died in a crash that looked pedestrian compared to Monday night’s violence. The contrast shows how much NASCAR has evolved, and … [Read more...] about Ryan Newman’s miraculous Daytona survival a safety-first lesson for the NFL

By BEN DeGROW In Michigan, the burden to finance a school’s buildings falls almost entirely on a district’s local taxpayers, with little more than indirect support coming from the state. But some voters say they have a hard time finding out about elections that districts hold to ask for more money. Last year, a group of citizens in an Upper Peninsula community expressed their frustrations with an August school bond election. Voters, they say, did not receive adequate notification from the district, and about three in four voters … [Read more...] about It’s time to Improve the school bond election process

The rich are different from you and me — they can buy themselves instant presidential campaigns. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has elbowed himself into the Democratic nomination race solely on the basis of his fortune. His campaign is high-handed as only a billionaire many times over could even contemplate. He entered late, is skipping the early contests and hasn’t participated in any of the debates to date (although that will change soon, thanks to the Democratic National Committee retrofitting its rules for … [Read more...] about Mike Bloomberg’s offensive campaign

By LEE H. HAMILTON When he was just a young teenage schoolboy, George Washington sat down and copied out 110 “Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior.”  Many of these had to do with simple manners. “Cleanse not your teeth with the tablecloth, napkin, fork or knife,” reads Rule 100. Good advice at any time. But the first rule the future president wrote down and followed for the rest of his life was especially notable: “Every action done in company, ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.” There are times … [Read more...] about Without civility, our system doesn’t work

I’ve ranted about the expression “Breaking News!” before. But like any issue I confront, it only gets worse. So it is with this one. Nowadays, all the networks, without exception, open each and every newscast with that worn-out expression. Obviously, the anchormen and -women have been ordered to start with their robust “BREAKING NEWS” declaration as a way of contriving drama and immediacy, even if the top story happened hours ago. It’s the handiwork of the marketing consultants who rule TV reporting, hucksters whose job it is to … [Read more...] about Breaking news

In his most recent State of the Union address, President Donald Trump asked Congress to stand with him and “prohibit free government health care for illegal aliens.” He was referring to “Medicare for All” proposals that would provide government health benefits to all U.S. “residents,” including undocumented immigrants. Whether our public health is better served by including or excluding the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country is a debate worth having, and one that will surely take place should any Medicare for All … [Read more...] about Is there room in the United States for legal immigrants who need assistance?

Children in the United States are dying from the flu even as the new coronavirus continues to spread. That should give us more than a little pause. As some Americans continue to scoff at best health practices, including appropriate vaccines for the flu, how ready are we to handle a viral pandemic? Some 10,000 Americans have died of the flu this year, and 180,000 have been hospitalized. "Please, it is not too late to get a flu shot, and there are measures we can all take that can help keep us healthy this season.” Connecticut … [Read more...] about The deadly serious business of fighting the flu

And so 2016 finally draws to a close. It’s been the longest election year in American history. It ran from Feb. 1, 2016, the date of the Iowa caucuses, to the Senate vote to acquit President Donald Trump in early February 2020. It’s true that Nov. 6, 2016, was a signal event in this long election year, but it didn’t really conclude anything, even though the result wasn’t in doubt. Usually, contested elections are ties or near-ties. This is the first time an election has gone into overtime, with repeated attempts at what were in … [Read more...] about The end of 2016