Breaking News

Columns

The illusion of control in a time of war

In times of war, leaders often project the outcome they hope to achieve. Confidence can rally a nation, strengthen morale, and signal resolve to adversaries. Yet history reminds us that war rarely unfolds according to the plans or predictions of any single leader. The gap between projected outcomes and the complex, often obscured reality on the ground remains one of the defining features of modern conflict. Today, that gap is widening under what military strategists have long called the “fog of war.” Recent statements from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ...

Dear Annie: The last tie to an ex

Dear Annie: Three months ago, I ended a two-year relationship with my boyfriend. We lived together in my apartment. The breakup was painful and overdue. I’ve blocked his number and have no interest in reopening that chapter. The problem is that his mail is still arriving here. Not just catalogs, but things that look important — a bank envelope, something from the DMV, even what appeared to be a medical bill. I feel uneasy throwing them away, but reaching out to him is absolutely off the table. I just want to be done. What is my obligation here? I don’t want to screw him over by ...

Determining whether the MMR vaccine is necessary to get now

DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a question about possibly getting a measles vaccine at the age of 67. I do not recall ever getting measles. But I am the youngest of four, so it is likely that I was exposed through them. I happen to have my vaccination records as a child, and it does not show any inoculation for the MMR vaccine. The last recorded vaccination was in 1967 after the introduction of this vaccine, which I believe was in 1963. Can I assume that I wasn’t given it because I had already had the disease? Or should I play it safe and get the vaccine now? I currently live in Florida, ...

Iran is challenging a bedrock of American geopolitical power

The reason why we have the Fifth Fleet, one of the most awesome naval forces ever assembled in the history of mankind, is to protect the sea lanes in the Middle East. That the Strait of Hormuz is now effectively closed is not just a blow to the global economy and a key point of leverage for the Iranian regime, it is an assault against one of the foundations of American power. Guarding the safe passage of commerce has been a core Anglo-American commitment for a couple of centuries, with the baton of naval leadership passing from the British to the United States around the time of ...

Dear Annie: Teasing or tearing down?

Dear Annie: My younger sister is getting married this fall. I’m happy for her. The problem is her fiance. At family dinners he makes little digs at her — jokes about her cooking, her spending, even her weight. When she laughs uncomfortably, he says, “Relax, you’re too sensitive.” Last Sunday, he teased her about “finally locking him down before 35,” and everyone chuckled. She smiled, but I cringed. I pulled her aside once and asked if she was ever offended by some of his “jokes.” She told me I was overreacting and that this is just his sense of humor. The wedding ...

Woman’s stab-like pains might be a side effect of past radiation

DEAR DR. ROACH: I had breast cancer in my left breast 14 years ago. I was treated with chemotherapy and radiation after a lumpectomy and the removal of 14 lymph nodes. I still have difficulty raising my left arm, along with burning, tingling and itching in my armpit area. I have a small scar on my lung and cracks in my ribs. Four years ago, I developed red streaks on my breast that were finally diagnosed via an MRI as a late effect of radiation. This past year, I developed a thickness that was diagnosed as radiation fibrosis. I now have heart vessel issues that are most likely ...