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Why does the Trump family always get a pass?

U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche joined ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday to defend or explain a lot of controversies for the Trump administration: the Epstein files release, the events in Minneapolis, etc. He was also asked about possible conflicts of interest between President Trump’s family business and his job. Specifically, Blanche was asked about a very sketchy deal Trump’s son Eric signed with the UAE’s national security adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon. Shortly before Trump was inaugurated in early 2025, Tahnoon invested $500 million in the Trump-owned World Liberty, a ...

A holiday gift that left a mark

Dear Annie: We have one son who is married and has two beautiful children. At Christmas time, I go all out to make sure that I gift the grands things I know they will enjoy and appreciate. We also exchange gifts with my son and daughter-in-law. This past year, it was an Omaha Steaks assortment, which I know they love to receive. In addition, I brought my daughter-in-law a bottle of her favorite wine and my son an assortment of craft beer along with their favorite Christmas candies. My husband received his gift from our son, an expensive watch engraved with a very sweet and personal ...

An issue with billing forces a patient to pay out of pocket

DEAR DR. ROACH: As a retired teacher, I have been blessed with amazing insurance that has covered absolutely everything for the past decade. However, when my wife went to get an MRI for a collapsed hip recently, associates for my insurance told me they were missing important paperwork that was needed for approval. However, the doctor’s office manager insisted that she submitted everything and that the problem was due to my insurance. Finally, given my wife’s pain, we had to pay out of pocket. Now, as we are waiting for my wife to be scheduled for the hip replacement surgery, the ...

Chaos is the point of Trump’s war on immigrants in Minnesota

There’s something uncomfortably familiar about President Trump’s jackboot approach to the immigration debate. It brings to mind a memorable off-the-cuff stumble by Chicago’s legendary late Mayor Richard J. Daley when he was asked about allegations of excessive force by city police officers. “The policeman isn’t there to create disorder,” he said. “The policeman is there to preserve disorder.” Say, what? Well, as Earl Bush, the mayor’s press secretary for 18 years, memorably advised reporters on another occasion, “Don’t write what the mayor says; write what ...

The world is in water bankruptcy, UN scientists report – here’s what that means

The world is now using so much fresh water amid the consequences of climate change that it has entered an era of water bankruptcy, with many regions no longer able to bounce back from frequent water shortages. About 4 billion people — nearly half the global population — live with severe water scarcity for at least one month a year, without access to sufficient water to meet all of their needs. Many more people are seeing the consequences of water deficit: dry reservoirs, sinking cities, crop failures, water rationing and more frequent wildfires and dust storms in drying ...

Friend can’t stop throwing jealous jabs

Dear Annie: I have a problem that feels small when I say it out loud, but it is starting to take up way too much space in my head. I have a close friend, “Megan,” who has quietly turned into the scorekeeper of our friendship. She keeps tabs on everything. If I take two hours to text back, she will say, “Wow, must be nice to be busy,” with a little smile that makes it hard to call her on it. If I do not “like” a photo she posts, she will bring it up later like a joke, except it does not feel like a joke. If I spend time with another friend, she will say something like, ...