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New genetic approaches raise hopes for restoring the American chestnut to its former glory

Columns

The American chestnut tree was a dominant and iconic species in many Appalachian forests until it was devastated by an introduced fungus from Asia called chestnut blight. A majestic forest tree, an American chestnut was typically 50 to 100 feet (15 to 30 meters) in height, but could grow as tall as 150 feet (45 meters) over its several-hundred-year lifespan. Its leafy canopy provided shade and beauty from Maine to Mississippi. The chestnuts it produced had helped to nourish wildlife, Indigenous peoples and European settlers alike. Its rot-resistant wood was also prized for ...

Dear Annie: Does forgiveness fix all?

Columns

Dear Annie: Most often a cheating husband or wife causes the divorce. Most would want to end their marriage after finding their partner cheated. And most people would advise the offended partner to leave. This is most of what I read in people’s letters and people’s responses to you. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Actually, it can be one of the most beautiful things in the world. Love. Love and forgiveness. Love, forgiveness and thankfulness. I remember a serious girlfriend telling me once she would divorce me immediately if she found I cheated, no questions asked. And I ...

Ukrainian War remakes war

Columns

Wars remake war. New weaponry, new tactics, new strategy time and again produce results no one predicted or thought possible. Revolutionary France’s levee en masse and Napoleon’s bold attacks prevailed over staid 18th-century siege warfare and subdued all Europe. The aggressive assaults produced horrendous casualties but were unable to move the Western Front trenches more than a few meters in World War I. Less than 20 years later, the European theater in World War II was the scene of blitzkrieg attacks — France, with Europe’s largest army, was overrun in six weeks — ...

‘Murder 101’ isn’t much about a murder at all

Columns

Like parents, teachers can shape not just a child’s experience in the world but also the very essence of who they are. Stumble into a class with a bad teacher and the encounter might stick with you forever. To wit: I’m a grown woman with kids of my own, and I still remember my 8th-grade social studies teacher, who, on the first day of school, made fun of my exotic-sounding Greek last name and told the giggling class that it sounded like a disease. But the right one can transform your very being. Mr. Hopkins was my 10th-grade English teacher. On his wall, he had a “no ...

Breaking down what exactly constitutes protein

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I know this maybe an ignorant question, but what exactly constitutes protein? I know that it naturally comes from livestock and their byproducts. But one can find diverse categories — such as cereals, pasta, sweet/salty snacks, and even soda pop — with “protein” displayed on the packaging. What’s up with that? — E.M. ANSWER: I’m sure that many people have the same question. There are three major macronutrients (molecules for us to get the calories that we need for all of our activities), and most foods contain some amount of all three macronutrients. One ...

How one boy overcame loneliness and brought a neighborhood together

Columns

Many people across the nation were touched by the heartwarming story of Roman Butzlaff, a 4-year-old boy in Concord, North Carolina, who befriended several of his elderly neighbors and became their adopted grandson. When the CBS Evening News aired its July 10 “On the Road” feature on Roman, I was amazed at his genuine desire to connect with individuals decades older. I’m sure others found this odd at first, as Roman was spending his mornings saying “hey” to everyone walking by his home instead of being immersed in a video game. Many children his age would have ignored the ...