Breaking News

Columns

Dear Annie: Missing my built-in best friend

Dear Annie: My sister, who is also my roommate, started a new job that is keeping her super busy. She doesn’t come home from the office before 10 p.m. most nights, and she’s gone again early in the morning. Her last job was remote, as is mine, so I’m used to having her around all the time. Now I can’t even get her to respond to a text. I know it’s nothing personal. She just needs to be focused on work right now. But still, I’m left feeling like I lost my best friend. I can barely get any time or attention out of her these days. Should I say something, or should I just wait ...

CMV infection in woman causes developmental issues for baby

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you please inform and educate us, especially pregnant women, about the effects of cytomegalovirus (CMV)? This is the No. 1 reason why children are born deaf to parents that aren’t deaf. My niece was pregnant and evidently caught a bad cold, but it was CMV. She remembers her ears being very stuffy, and she had a hard time hearing. Her doctor noticed that the baby had a smaller head size than normal and calcification in the ventricles of his brain. He had extensive treatments for a number of months. He has problems, including throwing up every time after drinking. ...

How Pittsburgh became the early alarm bell for the DSA’s rise

The rise of the Democratic left in Pittsburgh did not happen overnight. It was built over years through patient organizing, disciplined recruiting and a clear-eyed focus on the races that mattered most: low-turnout primaries where entrenched power was vulnerable. Mik Pappas’ 2017 race for Pennsylvania’s 31st Magisterial District judge offered an early hint that the local Democratic establishment was losing its grip on some of the contests it had once taken for granted. He was underfunded, openly aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and not expected to mount a serious ...

Even in conservative North Dakota, some socialist institutions thrive

Candidates affiliated with Democratic Socialists of America, an organization well to the left of the Democratic Party, have scored wins in several of the party’s competitive primaries. It’s very likely that they will win House seats in the November 2026 elections since the candidates reside in progressive strongholds. Although those candidates have drawn much attention, this is hardly a new trend. Bernie Sanders, the nation’s most prominent identified democratic socialist, has represented Vermont in the House or the Senate since 1990. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New ...

Dear Annie: Seeing my future in hers

Dear Annie: I’m 58, never married, no kids, no siblings, no nieces or nephews. A neighbor of mine is very ill and in a nursing home. She has a daughter, but the daughter barely even bothers to visit her, and it breaks my heart. I call my neighbor often to try to lift her spirits. At the same time, I’ve been dealing with some depression myself. I keep thinking about how I will be 70 one day — and who will be there to visit me? I have health problems, but I stay on top of my appointments. I’m terrified I’ll end up like my neighbor, alone in a home with no one around to show up. ...

Capgras syndrome causes woman to believe spouse is dead

DEAR DR. ROACH: My mom has Capgras syndrome and firmly believes that her husband (my dad) is dead. She thinks that there’s someone whom I snuck in and built a lie around, and she tells everyone that this man is the same man. It’s really difficult for us, especially my dad. I understand that Capgras cannot be cured, but there are medications that help with the situation. She won’t go see any medical professionals (since they believe that she has Capgras and her husband isn’t dead). There are some other wild stories she tells/believes that absolutely aren’t true. What can a ...