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The bell tolls for American generosity

Columns

Could doing a great job directing foreign aid ever be a giant step toward the presidency? It certainly was for Herbert Hoover. After World War I, Hoover led the American Relief Administration, which saved millions of lives in Central and Eastern Europe, including newly communist Russia. By 1920, he was nationally famous and won the presidency in 1928. A century later, the Trump administration initially offered $500,000 for relief to Nepal after last month’s floods. Nepal’s GDP per capita in 2025 was about $1,536 compared to the United States’ $90,027. As a percentage of U.S. ...

Dear Annie: A freshman course in crushes

Columns

Dear Annie: I’m an 18-year-old woman who just started my freshman year of college out of state. Everything is going well, and I’m meeting new people with different perspectives. One thing I’m experiencing is my “I don’t know” phase, which is new for me. Especially with relationships, I don’t know if I like certain boys because they’re convenient or if I really like them. For context, there were two boys who lived on the same floor as me before I changed rooms because of roommate issues. They were attractive, and I thought I liked both of them, but I wonder if it was ...

UTI issues might be due to a conglomerate of kidney stones

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Five years ago, I was diagnosed with a kidney stone while getting an ultrasound for a different reason. A CT scan was ordered, which showed that I had a conglomerate of small stones within a calyceal diverticulum in the posterior mid-pole of my left kidney. My urologist at the time said it wasn’t in an area that was amenable to shock wave lithotripsy or a stone removal with a scope. He said that I could have a wire inserted by interventional radiology, then go to the operating room for a stent that would require an overnight hospital stay. He also said that I could do ...

What we remember when we remember 9/11

Columns

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you learned of the September 11 terrorist attacks that occurred 25 years ago? Do you remember what you saw on television or how you felt? Is your memory highly detailed, and are you confident that what you are remembering is an accurate recollection of those details? For most people who lived through the event, their answers to those questions will be a resounding “yes!” As a memory researcher, I know long-lasting and vivid “flashbulb memories” typically are for mundane events like driving to work or cooking dinner. ...

Dear Annie: Some comforts never get old

Columns

Dear Annie: I hesitate to write this because I’ve never seen anything like this subject in your column. I am a grown woman, mom and grandmother and still have a “blanky.” When I come home from work and walk in my bedroom and see the piece of the silk end, I immediately feel relaxed. I know this sounds crazy, but it gives me comfort. I wouldn’t call it a problem — more of an insecurity, maybe? I sleep with it, but it stays in my bedroom. I swear I’m a normal person! But I wonder if other grown adults have a childhood habit they still do today. — Still Need My Blanky Dear ...

Never forget 9/11

Columns

I was sitting in my home office not far from the Pentagon when it happened. The TV behind me had the sound lowered but I suddenly became aware of a major development. I reached for the remote and cranked up the audio. A plane had struck one of the twin towers in New York. TV anchors initially speculated it must have been a small plane that had run off course, but soon a much larger plane struck the building and then a second one hit the other tower. It quickly became clear America was under attack. I saw smoke rising from the Pentagon and went up on the roof to get a better look. My ...