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Christa Pike and the incomplete justice of death

Why do we kill? It’s a question unlikely to ever be answered to any degree of satisfaction, but one I found myself asking the other day after hearing about the botched execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike. In reading about the story, I learned that Pike and I are almost the same age. It occurred to me that while I was finishing up high school and preparing to go off to college, she was torturing and killing a Job Corps classmate who she thought was trying to steal her boyfriend. She’s been in prison ever since — spending most of the time on death row — while I’ve ...

Dear Annie: My time doesn’t matter to her

Dear Annie: I have been married to a dear man for more than 40 years, but for much of that time, I have felt as though we are not really a team. My husband can be very kind in practical ways. He will happily run errands, fix things around the house and do small tasks for me. But when I truly need his support, especially during stressful or important situations, he often disappears emotionally. He does not defend me when it matters, and if I ask him to help with something difficult, even something he is experienced and qualified to handle, he may simply say, “I want nothing to do with ...

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 78-year old man who was diagnosed with asthma about 10 years ago, after a severe coughing attack left me unable to breathe. Since then, everything has been pretty much under control with Symbicort or Singulair. While I assumed that it’d be a good idea to get a COVID vaccination each year due to my asthma, both my general physician and pharmacist have recommended against it. Along with the reasoning that COVID isn’t as deadly as it was a few years ago, they’ve pointed out that the medications to treat it are highly effective if I do happen to catch it. Even ...

Voters deserve more than a choice between extremes

Many Americans are wrestling with a political dilemma they may not discuss openly. They are concerned about progressive policies they associate with socialism, expanding government, DEI mandates, gender-affirming policies, anti-American sentiment in higher education, and rising lawlessness. Yet they may also have reservations about Donald Trump’s combative style, divisive rhetoric and the political drama that so often surrounds him. For these voters, the decision is not as simple as choosing a party. They may agree with some of Trump’s policies and still question his temperament. ...

Cornell 7 case puts a spotlight on fraternity misconduct – and the limits of universities’ power to stop it

Universities have been trying for years to cut back on the abuses among fraternities, with limited resources and limited success. A new lawsuit, filed by a former Cornell University student in September 2026, is now rattling higher education and drawing national attention. The person, identified as Jane Doe, has alleged that seven Chi Phi fraternity members drugged and gang-raped her at an on-campus fraternity house when she was a sophomore in 2024. Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten declined to pursue criminal charges against the fraternity members in 2024. ...

Dear Annie: More his roommate than his wife

Dear Readers: After my column in response to “Worried Daughter,” who was concerned that her widowed mother was becoming increasingly isolated and dependent two years after her husband’s death, readers wrote with thoughtful suggestions. Thank you to all, but especially to two readers for sharing your personal and professional experiences with the same situation. Dear Annie: As a retired LCSW who spent the last 30 years of my practice focusing on grief and loss, I’d like to offer another perspective. This mother may need her daughter’s support in finding a grief counselor. ...