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Americans should be concerned about the fine print on Trump’s new oil deal

Columns

So, it was a war for oil after all. On social media Friday, President Trump announced that the United States and Venezuela have struck an agreement for “THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY.” The whole thing is appalling, starting with the all-caps. I have no love for the Venezuelan regime, run by, in Trump’s words, “the Highly Respected Interim President” Delcy Rodriguez. But this is a “deal” that Rodriguez couldn’t refuse. We invaded her country, abducted her criminal-dictator boss, Nicolas Maduro, and made her our satrap. According to the Wall Street Journal, ...

Antique tools of the trade command interest, provide utility

Columns

Labor Day is a great time to take a look at the tools and trades of yesteryear. Some of them are still around. For example, an H. Gerstner & Sons oak machinist’s chest from the early 20th century sold for $512 at an auction by Eldred’s. H. Gerstner & Sons is still operating, although it is ...

Why working‑class people account for around 1% of lawmakers in the US – and only 2% in the average democracy around the world

Columns

Both major U.S. political parties regularly tout their commitment to working-class Americans and claim to be the party of the working class. However, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans nominate many candidates who spent substantial time in working-class jobs. This near-absence of people from working-class jobs in the halls of power matters. According to research in the U.S. and in other democracies, safety net programs are stingier, business regulations are flimsier and protections for workers are weaker than they would be if people from working-class jobs went on to hold office ...

False increase in A1C level might be possible for one swimmer

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: How could I have an A1C of 5.9% in March, then 8% in July? My diet has been the same. I rarely eat fast food and never drink sodas; I avoid carbs such as sweets and breads whenever possible. Because I was so encouraged by my A1C of 5.9%, I increased my vigorous swimming routine to 2 hours a day. I’m cutting this down to 1 hour on most days, since it didn’t do any good. I do have anemia with hemoglobin and hematocrit at low to low-normal levels, which is always due to AVMs (arteriovenous malformations). I’m 77, and my BMI is over 30. I do need to lose some weight, ...

A small but welcome justice at Gitmo

Columns

The recent suppression of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s torture-tainted confessions at Guantanamo Bay is far more than a victory for a defendant. It is a victory for the Constitution. The United States government today alleges that Mohammed was the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, a crime of historic horror that demands accountability. For nine years, the government told us that the mastermind of the attacks was Osama bin Laden, whom it never charged for 9/11-related crimes. Then, after it dispatched U.S. commandos to murder him when they could have arrested him, it recognized it ...

Dear Annie: Biting that hand that feeds him

Columns

Dear Annie: For the 23 years I’ve been married, I’ve cooked dinner for my husband nearly every night. He has no idea how much planning, shopping and cleanup goes into it. I think he thinks the food just appears. Recently, he’s turned critical about nearly every meal: The chicken’s too dry, the vegetables are too salty. I’ve told him how irritating this is; he just kind of shrugs. I’m about ready to stop cooking for him altogether and let him fend for himself. Is that too petty? — Done Dishing It Out Dear Done Dishing: Twenty-three years of doing something doesn’t mean ...