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Ending gerrymandering

In the debate over redistricting, one truth is too often buried beneath legal jargon and partisan maneuvering: Gerrymandering is, at its core, about voter dilution. It is the quiet engineering of political outcomes, line by line, until communities that should speak with strength are instead reduced to whispers. For decades, one of the most consequential tactics has been “cracking,” splitting cohesive communities, often made up of Black voters, across multiple districts so they become a minority everywhere and a majority nowhere. The impact is profound. A population large enough to ...

Dear Annie: A letter left without a word

Dear Annie: I’m devastated. My oldest and dearest friend of 50 years visited me recently. We had a good day together, and everything seemed normal. A few hours after she left, I found a letter she left in my bathroom. It said some very hurtful things — that our friendship was toxic and she was walking away. She’s blocked me from calling or texting her. I’m so sad and depressed. I don’t know why she didn’t feel that talking to me about this was necessary. I feel the letter was a cowardly act. She didn’t give a reason for ending the relationship, just that it was ...

Celebrating Mother’s Day with a look at mothers in collectibles

Celebrate Mother’s Day with a look at mothers in collectibles! Decorative arts are filled with images of mothers in domestic scenes, attending to household responsibilities, or enjoying time with their children. Mothers and children are often pictured in advertisements, selling images of ...

The party Americans want doesn’t exist yet

In the decades since the 1850s, third parties — parties other than the Democrats and Republicans — don’t have a great record of success in U.S. elections. Who remembers the Free Soil Party, the Know Nothings, the Populist Party, the Bull Moose Party, the Dixiecrats or the American Independent Party? And yet, I wonder whether things might be different in the coming decade. The Gallup Poll shows the largest political party in the country is no party at all. Forty-five percent of voters consider themselves independents with the Republicans and Democrats tied at 27% each. The ...

Our savings matter, but this bipartisan push misses the mark

President Donald Trump and Congress want to help you increase your savings. And you should. At the household level, saving is the foundation of financial security and the seed capital for a better retirement. At the economy-wide level, savings fund investment that expands the capital stock, raises wages and grows the economy. A society that does not save is a society slowly consuming its future. So, any politician who wants to help Americans save more deserves at least a hearing. What should such a politician propose? The first thing to do is remove all government-made barriers to ...

Dear Annie: To go or not to go

Dear Annie: My dad is turning 73 next month, and my mom is throwing this big party for him. She is begging me to come, but my parents live across the country — a six-hour plane ride. I work full time and have two kids under 5. My family only takes a trip like this once or twice a year, and if I’m really honest with myself, I don’t want to spend it on this family party. At the same time, I know they’ll be disappointed if I say no. I feel guilty but also spread thin. How do I decide? — Torn Daughter Dear Torn Daughter: There’s no perfect answer, only the one you can live ...