The Department of Justice in President Donald Trump’s second term has sometimes been referred to as the president’s personal law firm. But that characterization is unfair to law firms. Although private lawyers advocate zealously on behalf of their clients, most constrain themselves within the limits of the law and professional ethics.

Under...Read more

As the U.S. wades even deeper into the conflict with Iran, some Democratic and progressive political figures are trying to figure out how to connect the public’s wariness about war with concerns about affordability and the widespread reaction against President Donald Trump’s xenophobic immigration policies.

If you’re looking for a ...Read more

There are many plausible rationales for the U.S.-Israel war against Iran. Some proponents have even suggested that one goal is to deal a blow against China.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo argues: “If this regime falls and gives way to a government that actually represents the will of the Iranian people, Beijing can say goodbye to the ...Read more

President Donald Trump has a habit of referring to Democrats as “radical-left lunatics.” The unfair pejorative aside, it turns out the typical Democratic voter isn’t even left wing. Let that sink in.

According to an expansive poll conducted recently for centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, a majority of Democratic voters who expect ...Read more

“Today, the demands on business and workers are different. Firms must meet world-class standards, and so must workers. Employers seek adaptability and the ability to learn and work in teams.”

Sound familiar?

It’s the sort of guidance you’ll find on X, in studies issued by nonprofits, and, as I recently dug up, a report by the ...Read more

What’s the difference between a 15-year-old and a transgender adult? The 15-year-old can drive legally in Kansas.

It sounds like a joke, but it’s a cruel reality. As of Feb. 26, Kansas has invalidated the driver’s licenses of the approximately 1,700 trans Kansans whose licenses reflected their gender rather than their birth-assigned sex. ...Read more

South Korea is getting a rude awakening about what happens when U.S. priorities shift: Even long-standing alliances can start to look like relationships of convenience.

Any erosion of American reliability in the Indo-Pacific weakens confidence in Washington. It also strengthens China’s narrative that the U.S. is unwilling to stay the course ...Read more

Deep into its third week, the war in Iran is beginning to chafe President Donald Trump’s wider foreign policy and domestic agenda. Trump, who is often immune from the types of repercussions other politicians typically face, now has his back against the wall as gas prices continue to rise, the global oil supply dwindles and lawmakers on Capitol...Read more

A Virginia man previously convicted of terrorism charges opened fire in an Old Dominion University classroom on Thursday morning, killing one person and wounding two others, plunging our region into mourning. Were it not for the swift, courageous action of students who ended his life, this tragedy could have been much worse.

Details are coming ...Read more

WHITE SALMON, Wash. — Seth McBride's life was forever changed on a snowy mountainside in British Columbia.

McBride was — and is — a thrill-seeker. Growing up in Juneau, Alaska, with the untamed outdoors as his stomping ground, he loved to rock climb, mountain bike and, especially, strap on his skis and fly, soaring headlong off heart-...Read more

President Donald Trump’s choice to launch a joint military campaign with Israel against Iran represents the crowning achievement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decades-long campaign to court the Republican Party’s most conservative elements. But like the attack on Iran itself, that may prove a short-term success with heavy ...Read more

Last week brought more bad news for American democracy when the Pew Research Center released survey results showing that “Americans are more likely than people in other countries surveyed in 2025 to question the morality of their fellow countrymen.” As Pew reports, “The United States is the only place we surveyed where more adults (ages 18...Read more

Little shocks me these days, but when I heard President Donald Trump’s remark this weekend that after “totally demolishing” much of Iran’s Kharg Island, the United States “may hit it a few more times just for fun,” I was taken aback.

War is not fun.

Hearing a president speak about bombing “just for fun” reflects something much ...Read more

Before our celebrations of the Declaration of Independence’s 250th anniversary reach a fever pitch this summer, it might be worthwhile to introduce some humility into the occasion.

In ancient Rome, for example, when a general won a great battle, he was given a triumph — or victory parade. Huge crowds would cheer as the spoils of war were ...Read more

My mother, Terrie Montgomery, was always organized, outspoken and deeply involved in our community. When she started repeating purchases and struggling to keep track of details, it took us months to name what was happening.

In Black families, many of us learn to push through difficulties and handle things privately, which means we might ...Read more

Are you concerned that your taxes killed dozens of Iranian children? Should we be more concerned about this than we are?

It’s not that I’m against taxes. I’m not thrilled when April 15 rolls around, but let’s face it: Taxation is an essential part of the social compact that makes our nation possible. But once our money goes into the ...Read more

It’s not normal for a priest to bring a cell phone into the sanctuary when he is celebrating Mass. But when Father Paul Haverstock heard there were masked immigration agents in the parking lot of his church in January, he said he wanted “a clear recording of me letting the agents know that we’re in the middle of a religious service.”

...Read more

Tax day is a few weeks away, yet politicians across the country are still scheming to concoct new ways to separate people from more of their own money.

Whether it’s a proposed “wealth” assessment on billionaires in California, a new income tax in Washington state, higher city income taxes to cover “free” stuff in New York City or ...Read more

If we could ask our animal companions whether we spend enough time with them, what would their answer be? If we’re being honest, many of us probably aren’t meeting their needs. The United Nations established the International Day of Happiness on March 20 to recognize happiness and well-being as universal rights. Our companions deserve both. ...Read more