×

Local columns

The phony government ‘shutdown’ explained

The partial government “shutdown” is a pure political act. It has nothing to do with the amount of money the government takes from taxpayers, though it does have something to do with how much it irresponsibly spends. Democrats are holding the country hostage over Obama-era health insurance ...

Kirk to be given Medal of Freedom on what would be 32nd birthday

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday posthumously awarded America's highest civilian honor to Charlie Kirk, the assassinated activist who inspired a generation of young conservatives and helped push the nation's politics further to the right. The ceremony coincides with what ...

Almanac for Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 15, the 288th day of 2025. There are 77 days left in the year. Today in history: On Oct. 15, 2017, actor and activist Alyssa Milano tweeted that women who had been sexually harassed or assaulted should write "Me too" as a status. Within hours, tens of thousands had ...

Is the other party the enemy?

Just after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a New York Times/Siena poll found that Americans believe polarization is the second most serious challenge facing the nation. (The economy came in first.) As recently as one year ago, fewer than 1% of registered voters cited polarization as a ...

Almanac for Oct. 14, 2025

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 14, the 287th day of 2025. There are 78 days left in the year. Today in history: In 1947, U.S. Air Force Capt. Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier as he flew a Bell X-1 rocket plane over Muroc Dry Lake in California. In 2012, Yeager, at the ...

Trump must stop trampling on our universities

In the course of three days, six U.S.-based scientists have won Nobel Prizes. Every one of them studied or now works at America's public universities. Five were affiliated with or educated by California's system for higher education. President Donald Trump's assault on universities, both ...