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Americans should be concerned about the fine print on Trump’s new oil deal

So, it was a war for oil after all. On social media Friday, President Trump announced that the United States and Venezuela have struck an agreement for “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY.” The whole thing is appalling, starting with the all-caps. I have no love for the Venezuelan regime, run by, in Trump’s words, “the Highly Respected Interim President” Delcy Rodriguez. But this is a “deal” that Rodriguez couldn’t refuse. We invaded her country, abducted her criminal-dictator boss, Nicolas Maduro, and made her our satrap. According to the Wall Street Journal, ...

Dear Annie: Is her drinking my business?

Dear Annie: I’m 74 and just moved in with my younger sister. Since I’ve been here, I’ve noticed she’s drinking more than I remember her drinking before, close to a bottle of wine nearly every night. She otherwise seems fine. She’s still doing her gardening, cooking meals for herself and meeting up with friends. But still — this can’t be good for her. I’m hesitant to critique how she lives when she otherwise seems fine, especially when it’s something she’s doing in her own home. Do I say something, or is this none of my business? — Newly Moved In Dear Newly Moved ...

Antique tools of the trade command interest, provide utility

Labor Day is a great time to take a look at the tools and trades of yesteryear. Some of them are still around. For example, an H. Gerstner & Sons oak machinist’s chest from the early 20th century sold for $512 at an auction by Eldred’s. H. Gerstner & Sons is still operating, although it is ...

Will we get price relief or a Canadian trade war?

I will never understand why President Donald Trump, brought back to office partly in response to a sharp rise in prices during the Joe Biden interlude, would pursue the expensive tariff policy we’ve been subjected to since the beginning of 2025. And yet here we are, with another reason to be unhappy about inflation and the cost of living. Sadly, the administration’s response to the pressure is as erratic as its tariff policy. On one hand, Trump lowered tariffs to bring down the price of beef, effective this week. The White House acknowledged the link between tariffs and higher ...

A small but welcome justice at Gitmo

The recent suppression of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s torture-tainted confessions at Guantanamo Bay is far more than a victory for a defendant. It is a victory for the Constitution. The United States government today alleges that Mohammed was the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, a crime of historic horror that demands accountability. For nine years, the government told us that the mastermind of the attacks was Osama bin Laden, whom it never charged for 9/11-related crimes. Then, after it dispatched U.S. commandos to murder him when they could have arrested him, it recognized it ...

Dear Annie: Biting that hand that feeds him

Dear Annie: For the 23 years I’ve been married, I’ve cooked dinner for my husband nearly every night. He has no idea how much planning, shopping and cleanup goes into it. I think he thinks the food just appears. Recently, he’s turned critical about nearly every meal: The chicken’s too dry, the vegetables are too salty. I’ve told him how irritating this is; he just kind of shrugs. I’m about ready to stop cooking for him altogether and let him fend for himself. Is that too petty? — Done Dishing It Out Dear Done Dishing: Twenty-three years of doing something doesn’t mean ...