A croaky voice and mucus might signify a type of acid reflux

October 13, 2026

DEAR DR. ROACH: Can you give me information about laryngopharyngeal reflux? I develop a croaky voice at times and have lots of mucus in the morning (which doesn’t get coughed up), among other things. Is diet alone enough to remedy the problem? I’m going in for a vocal cord vibration test. — M.M. ANSWER: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is when the acid in the stomach doesn’t stay where it belongs and goes backward into the esophagus. There’s a structure called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) that’s supposed to keep the acid in the stomach, but sometimes it ...

Stop the hysteria over Flock cameras

October 10, 2026

In the bad old crime days of New York City, I spent a Christmas Eve waiting outside an emergency room. Our foursome had been violently robbed in a subway station, and I was eager for the doctor’s report on one member who’d suffered a concussion fighting off a mugger. Because someone got hurt, city detectives took the case seriously. They interviewed us and urged a trip to transit authority headquarters to look at mugshots. We did. Desperate to nail the two attackers, I gazed over page after page of faces. If this happened today, subway and street cameras would have identified ...

Sexual assault survivors’ stories may shift over time – a psychologist explains why it doesn’t mean they’re lying

October 10, 2026

If a person’s story changes in the weeks following an alleged sexual assault, are they not telling the truth? It’s a criticism I’ve seen on social media and heard in the public conversation surrounding the lawsuit filed in September 2026 by a plaintiff known as Jane Doe, a former student at Cornell University, accusing seven male students of rape. Initially, Doe discussed events with a friend but reportedly didn’t identify them as assault. It wasn’t until weeks later, when her experience was labeled as a gang rape by others, that she came forward to ...

Dear Annie: Still haunted by high school

October 10, 2026

Dear Annie: This might seem a little weird for a 78-year-old man, but this really bothers me. When I was in elementary and high school, I wasn’t liked by many of my fellow students. I was shy, a bit awkward and the target of bullying. I never fit in, and I thought high school would never end. Things were better in college. I graduated and went on to stand out in my profession, receiving honors and positive attention from my peers. It was the opposite of my high school experience. I’ve only attended one high school class reunion, and that evening was the longest three hours of ...

Kovels Antiques: Hugo Lonitz is a lesser known majolica manufacturer, but still important

October 10, 2026

Majolica collectors are familiar with many names, like George Jones, Sarreguemines, and, of course, famous ceramics factories like Copeland, Minton, and Wedgwood. Hugo Lonitz may be lesser known, but still important. While most of the best-known manufacturers of the richly glazed ...

Judge the ‘populist’ push for price controls on populist grounds

October 9, 2026

Most Americans apparently agree on at least one thing. Unfortunately, it’s something dangerous: price controls. A new Wall Street Journal poll finds remarkable bipartisan support for government limits on prices, with 93% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans supporting capping prescription drug prices. Nearly four in five voters support capping credit card interest rates at 10%. And large majorities favor capping child care charges for working families. The Journal describes these policies as “populist.” That’s fair, although populism means something more specific than just ...