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Don’t let the war on woke lull us all to sleep

Columns

History is written to be argued about, I have often said. Recent efforts by the Trump administration’s culture war have offered numerous examples. In recent days, we have seen Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a break from the administration’s war against Iran, announce the re-installation of a Confederate memorial that had been removed from Arlington National Cemetery in 2023. History buffs may recall that the sculpture had been removed as part of a congressionally mandated effort to rid military bases and sites of Confederate names and images. If you are one of those ...

Delay retiring aircraft carriers

Letters to the editor

Donald Moskowitz Londonderry Our 11 aircraft carrier strike groups are stretched very thin around the world: in shipyards undergoing repairs, maintenance, overhauls and upgrades; in transit; and in port after prolonged deployments. A major undertaking has to be the revival of our shipyards to handle the construction and repair of our aircraft carriers. The crews on the ships are enduring physical and mental strain from prolonged deployments which could impact their morale and readiness. My guess is the retention rate on our carriers is low due to these conditions. It has been ...

Elderly friend gets diagnosed with a Zenker’s diverticulum

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: What’s a Zenker’s diverticulum? My 74-year-old friend was diagnosed with it, along with “cricopharyngeal achalasia.” I’ve never noticed any swallowing difficulties before. — S.W. ANSWER: A Zenker’s diverticulum is an outpouching of the esophagus that extends posteriorly toward the spine, at about the level of the thyroid. The muscles there are relatively weak, and a swallowing abnormality can lead the inside of the esophagus to go through the muscular layer around the esophagus, leading to a blind pouch. The cricopharyngeus muscle is the primary muscle ...

We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for

Columns

We’re now officially in the run-up to the midterm elections, with less than two months to go before Election Day 2026. The good news is most Americans now understand how bad Trump is. With the exception of Nixon, he’s the most unpopular second-term president at this stage in his tenure in the history of polling going back to the 1940s. On issues where he once was strong — like the economy, national security and immigration — Trump is now underwater, with more Americans opposing than supporting his policies. All the major problems America now faces are entirely ...

Dear Annie: Held back by husband’s fears

Columns

Dear Annie: My husband is a kind, funny and intelligent man, but at dinner parties he has one habit that is starting to drive me crazy: He talks way too much. He loves telling stories, and once he starts, there is almost no stopping him. A simple story about running into an old friend can turn into a 20-minute play-by-play with every name, date, side comment and completely unnecessary detail included. He often interrupts himself to tell another story, then another, before eventually getting back to the original point. I can see our friends trying to be polite, but sometimes they stop ...

Steelers and faith: The foundation behind the Grit of the Gridiron

Columns

The late afternoon sun catches the twin spires of the Archabbey Basilica at St. Vincent College, casting a long shadow across the pristine practice fields of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ training camp. For 60 years, this rural patch of Westmoreland County has played host to an annual cross-cultural pilgrimage. Here, the secular spectacle of professional football doesn’t just collide with ancient faith; it pulls up a chair and makes itself at home. Last year, the prior of the basilica, Father Maximilian Maxwell, gained accidental national fame. A “fluky,” miraculous game-winning ...