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‘When will markets react to debt?’ Is the wrong question

Columns

Is the federal government’s history of enormous deficits proof that it can keep up the borrowing? Some people think so, and legislators sure act that way. Federal debt held by the public now equals the size of the annual economy — and is growing. Yet investors continue buying Treasury securities. No government bond sale has really failed, no one has suddenly refused to finance Washington’s spending, and no unmistakable moment has forced Congress to change course. That leads some people I cross paths with in academic life to conclude that despite decades of dire warnings, ...

The tyranny of one man’s opinion

Columns

Thomas Cromwell was the Lord Chancellor of England for much of the reign of King Henry VIII. He engineered the convictions and executions of many whom Henry wanted out of the way, including his two predecessors in office — one of whom was St. Thomas More — and even the king’s second wife, Queen Anne. When Cromwell’s son Gregory, who became sickened as he watched his father devolving from counselor to monster, learned that an executioner for the queen had been sent for from France a week before her trial, he asked his father what the purpose of her trial was if the king had ...

Dear Annie: Aunt won’t dish on her dishes

Columns

Dear Annie: My aunt has the strangest quality. I see her at every holiday and family party, and she always brings something delicious made from scratch. For my cousin’s birthday, it was a key lime pie that disappeared within minutes. It was unreal. On several occasions, I’ve asked her for the recipe. I like to cook, and she clearly has good ones. But every time, she says something like, “Oh, no, this one’s a secret!” It’s happened with the key lime pie, roasted brussels sprouts, tortellini soup and a pasta casserole. Four times, I’ve asked; four times, I’ve been turned ...

Let the word go forth: The Trump about Trump

Columns

Donald Trump is not just a bad president. “King” is too good a word for the likes of him. What Trump truly is shall be written in the end. Andrew Johnson was the worst president we’ve had until now. A Southerner who was Abraham Lincoln’s vice president, he took office in 1865 when the Civil War president was murdered by a Confederate sympathizer. Lincoln’s worst mistake, Johnson restored Confederate leaders and generals back to power and undermined the meaning of the war. For that, the hated, bitter and racist Johnson was impeached and almost removed from office in ...

Diagnosis of OPMD is likely in man with a family history of it

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Many of my dad’s side of the family — from my grandmother to my uncles and aunts, as well as their kids — have had oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD). Most people started having symptoms around age 65, and I’m 64. My dad had a bad heart, got the eyelid surgery for OPMD and used a walker since his late 60s. I didn’t get the test yet; however, I do choke often, and my eyelids do droop a little. What are your thoughts on taking testosterone to offset the muscle girdling? I had a radical prostatectomy in 2012 and have had a PSA of 0 ng/mL since. I was on ...

Three easy ways to reduce pain at the pump

Columns

I’ve always argued that the easiest way for families to gauge the health of the economy is to check the daily gas price. Drivers see the 50-foot-high signs in every community in America. They stare us right in the face. I call it the affordability index. In recent weeks, gas prices have hit $4.50 a gallon nationally, and truckers are paying well over $6 a gallon. That’s a bad look with a month to go before midterm elections across the country. These high prices have put consumers in a bad mood. It’s worth mentioning that the average gas price while Donald Trump has been ...