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People in prison also need to feel the sun and see the sky

Letters to the editor

Janet Irons State College Citizens of Clinton County may be rightly proud that their county jail, located in McElhatten, follows state law by permitting its incarcerated residents to get one or two hours per day outside, in a prison yard, weather permitting. This is not only a state requirement; it also benefits the residents of the jail, many of whom came to prison suffering from mental health issues. Multiple studies have shown the physical and mental health benefits of being outdoors for all people. What many of us don’t know is that the jail in the county next door, Centre ...

Dear Annie: Toddler

Columns

Dear Annie: My granddaughter, “Melanie,” thinks that she has a half-sister 24 years younger. Melanie believes that her father, long divorced from her mother, was asked by his former unattached girlfriend with whom he remained friendly, to “help” her have a child before it becomes biologically too late. Now, my granddaughter has become very attached to the 2 and 1/2 year old and visits her at least once a week. She finds a lot of physical resemblance to herself when she was that age. She sees her father participate lovingly in the little girl’s activities. She has asked him ...

Unity, and careful messaging, will be key to Dem resurgence

Columns

Here’s an easy lesson for rising political hopefuls to draw from Francesca Hong’s failed bid to be Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee: Don’t demonize Thanksgiving. Hong, a chef, state legislator and democratic socialist, was the clear front-runner in the Democratic primary race until a social media comment she posted six years ago, now deleted, turned up, in the way that old tweets often do to embarrass political candidates. You didn’t have to be a right-winger to slap your forehead, shake your head and condemn cheap shots at a holiday long cherished by countless ...

Is the Iran War worth it?

Letters to the editor

K.L. Johnson Jersey Shore I don’t understand why Trump administration officials, and Republicans in general, cannot explain the consequences of Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons. The current talking point seems to be “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” which fails utterly as an explanation of why. The reason is simple. If the current Iranian regime achieves a nuclear weapon, they will use it — believing that their god has ordered them to destroy both Israel and the United States, and also believing that they will be supernaturally protected from any reprisal. The only ...

United States adversaries pose threats

Letters to the editor

Donald Moskowitz Londonderry, NH The Heritage Foundation Study of March 4, 2026 exposes military threats from four countries. China poses the biggest threat to our national security. It has more naval vessels than the United States. China continues to claim sovereignty over the South China Sea and threaten Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan. It desires to control the Far East sea lanes, which could impact world trade. Russia’s nuclear arsenal, including non-strategic nuclear weapons, is second to the U.S. Its invasion of Ukraine creates an ongoing threat to Europe. Russia ...

Woman with back pain inquires about strengthening devices

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 77-year-old woman with degenerative disc disease. I had an L4 microdiscectomy surgery in 2020, but I still have chronic pain in my lower back. Although I do core strengthening exercises with physical therapy (which helps), I’m still in daily pain. I’ve been seeing advertisements for multifidus muscle-strengthening devices, such as NeuroMD and ReliveX. What’s your opinion on this type of exercise device? — C.K. ANSWER: I think that better non-pharmacologic therapies are needed for back pain, and the theory of electrical stimulation to strengthen the back ...