Opinion

Pay attention to power bases

How one can predict what another person will do under pressure? I admit that nothing is 100%, but it is better than 50%. The first thing is to pay attention to social and economic power bases. Those are the people where social and economic approval is wanted and valued. For example, two senators said they would obstruct a nomination unless they got a concession. One also said he really wanted to vote for the nomination. Both senators ended up withdrawing their objections to the nomination consistent with the social and power bases they ascribe to. The reason for the withdrawal was ...

AAA: Speeding becoming the norm carries dangerous risks

Feel like you’re going too slow by following the speed limit when driving? Recent research shows you’re not alone in that perception. Speeding has become so common that many drivers consider going 10 mph over the posted speed limit acceptable, while nearly half believe keeping up with traffic is safer than obeying the speed limit, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. The findings suggest many drivers no longer define speeding by the posted speed limit alone, AAA states in a news release. Three in 10 drivers agreed with the statement, “No one actually drives the ...

A special golden anniversary

Golden anniversaries used to be special celebrations in the days when people got married and stayed married. This year marks the golden anniversary, not of a married couple, but of an organization that invests in the lives of people whom politicians largely ignore. It’s called Prison ...

Trump is threatening to bomb Oman, but why?

The world knows that U.S. President Donald Trump is angry with Iran. But he’s not happy with the small country lying across the Strait of Hormuz from the Islamic Republic, either: Oman. Oman has played a relatively low-profile role since the Iran war began, including as a mediator. But its ...

Almanac for Aug. 19, 2026

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 19, the 231st day of 2026. There are 134 days left in the year. Today in History: In 2010, the last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after a U.S.-led invasion marked the beginning of the Iraq War. Also on this date: In 1692, four men and one woman were hanged after being convicted of witchcraft at Salem in the Province of Massachusetts Bay; the story of one of the men, John Proctor, inspired Arthur Miller’s play “The Crucible.” In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia ...

Editorial cartoon for Aug. 19, 2026