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The states stated their cases in 2023

The states really are the "laboratories of democracy." Despite frustrations expressed from time to time with good old American federalism ÎÞëÊÓÆµ“ the idea that the 50 individual states have a sovereign stake in this vast continental country of ours ÎÞëÊÓÆµ“ there's always a light at the end of the ...

Beat boredom during school break

Q. I think IÎÞëÊÓÆµ™m the only kid in the world who is in a hurry to get back to school. IÎÞëÊÓÆµ™m so bored during this break. ItÎÞëÊÓÆµ™s too long. I just live with my mom and she works two jobs. I donÎÞëÊÓÆµ™t connect with my school friends when IÎÞëÊÓÆµ™m not in school because I donÎÞëÊÓÆµ™t have a phone. Is it weird ...

Wright, Pittsburgh and Fallingwater

The greatest living architect poured scorn on the idea. Frank Lloyd Wright, famous in these parts (and elsewhere for that matter) for Fallingwater, his iconoclastic residential design set off in the woods of Fayette County, criticized the notion of saving the Pittsburgh "Triangle," as he put ...

A hope for tolerance at Christmas

The idea that the past has something to teach us is time-worn: we say it, but do we really mean it? Mostly, the answer is no. However, this particular moment in our national history may be, could be, the exception. If it happened once, it can happen again. Fingers crossed. Eleanor Roosevelt, ...

Year-end honors for 2023

WeÎÞëÊÓÆµ™ve made it! WeÎÞëÊÓÆµ™re at the end of 2023. ItÎÞëÊÓÆµ™s time for various entities to hand out their annual awards for the year. Time magazineÎÞëÊÓÆµ™s 2023 Person of the Year was a no-doubter ÎÞëÊÓÆµ“ Taylor Swift. IÎÞëÊÓÆµ™ll be honest. I canÎÞëÊÓÆµ™t remember the last time I heard a Taylor Swift song. Or, if ...

Biden’s political problems are acute

Not only is President Joe Biden tied, or even behind, Donald Trump in some recent public opinion polling, but he has two severe foreign policy crises at a time when his public focus should be on framing his domestic agenda as well his prospective election opponent as a mortal enemy to American ...