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General Time is undefeated in battle

I am on a mudslide toward death. Well, we all are, really, when you think about it, but sometimes it just seems you’re slipping down the side of the mountain faster than at other times. Like, for example, when you’re approaching a birthday that starts with a “fif” and ends with crying in the car because the clouds are moving too quickly overhead. It’s not as silly as it sounds — though it is, admittedly, fairly silly. I had dropped off the kids at camp and was driving back to the house when I got to a stoplight. I looked up and saw shocking blue, scattered white puffballs ...

Can anyone govern Britain — or America?

As Britain gets ready for its seventh prime minister in just 10 years, it’s time to ask whether the parliamentary system itself is broken. That might explain not only why landslide election victories don’t translate into stable leadership in Britain but also why America’s Congress is so feckless. Is representative government an idea whose time has passed? In Europe as well as America, leftists prefer that judges and bureaucrats wield permanent power, as supposedly impartial experts who know best how to stop the weather from changing and how many genders there are. ...

Dear Annie: Daughter-in-law has distanced herself after baby

Dear Annie: I am heartbroken over my daughter-in-law’s sudden and painful change in behavior since the birth of our grandson a year ago. Before the baby was born, we had a warm relationship. For four years, she was sweet, kind and very much a part of our large extended family. She joined family trips, holidays and even our “happy birthday” text chains. We truly believed she felt invested in us. Since giving birth, however, she has almost completely cut off communication. She rarely answers texts or phone calls. We have offered to drop off meals, babysit so she can get her hair ...

How to access older medical records after switching providers

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve decided that it’s time for me to find a new primary care doctor. My biggest concern is access to my medical records. I currently have access to a patient portal to request doctor appointments or prescription renewals and review test results. Since the health care providers in my area use different portals, I need to know if I’ll have access to my past records. More importantly, will my new physician have access to my CAT scans, doctor’s notes, and other information that I’m not privy to through the patient portal? In the past, I know I could request that ...

Why Trump couldn’t bring Iran to heel

Iran, a second-rate power in a state of economic collapse, just fought the U.S. to a standstill in a major military conflict. The disappointing outcome has echoes of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, in that a major world power hasn’t been able to impose its will on a militarily inferior foe. The problem comes when we run into an enemy that has a high threshold for pain and is determined to outlast us, while we make what we hope will be a time-limited commitment, seek to avoid escalations that carry unpredictable risks and operate from a tenuous base of domestic political support in ...

A president who is never too busy to celebrate himself — at our expense

What does it mean to be an American in 2026? Two distinctly and significantly different visions showed themselves in recent days. On the South Side of Chicago, there was the long-awaited opening of the Obama Presidential Center. In the presence of three past presidents and an assembly of dignitaries and music stars, former President Barack Obama saluted “American values we can all share,” and he expressed his faith that Americans “are looking for fairness and common sense and mutual respect, that deep in our gut we want to find a way to turn towards each other again, not further ...