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Wanted: A congressman who delivers

Letters to the editor

Connie Schulz State College Central Pennsylvanians are worried about prices for everyday needs, affordable health care, an unjustified war, quality education and a corrupt administration. Representative Glenn GT Thompson did nothing in his last term to show he understands Central Pennsylvanians’ concerns, and his re-election campaign makes clear he won’t change. When Thompson was asked about the district’s most pressing issues, he cited his “great legislative success” restoring whole and 2% milk in schools and added a vague statement about the need for a long-term farm ...

What happened to initiative?

Columns

Two years after voters tossed Democrats from power in Washington, polls show they are ready to switch sides again. Does it make sense to welcome back a party and its ideas that were so recently rejected? The reason so many voters are frustrated by both parties is that they have been putting too much faith in government and too little faith in themselves. It’s called initiative and the lack of it has contributed not only to dysfunctional government but also to a loss of the things that built and sustained America through challenges greater than high gas prices and “unaffordable” ...

Shedding light on the condition of MOGAD and its symptoms

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: Over the past 20 years, my now 65-year-old son-in-law has been tentatively diagnosed with Lyme disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis (MS) without a definitive diagnosis. He has cognitive impairment and some physical limitations. Now, after a spinal tap, they’ve made the diagnosis of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease (MOGAD). What can you tell me about this condition and how it can be treated? — S.R. ANSWER: MOGAD is an autoimmune disease of the brain and spinal cord that’s similar in some ways to MS, so the two are ...

I’ve been studying election integrity for 26 years, and here’s why I expect a normal election this November instead of chaos

Columns

Fear of federal interference in the 2026 midterms, from intimidation stoked by armed officials at the polls to seizure of ballots, has been growing in the United States. That’s led state and local voting officials across the country to draw up plans for scenarios requiring them to summon law enforcement or prepare legal filings so they can keep the polls open. In an interview with The Conversation’s politics and legal affairs editor Naomi Schalit, election law scholar Justin Levitt takes the temperature down a bit. Levitt says that while voting officials’ preparations mean they ...

Bladder prolapse causes discomfort in 68-year-old woman

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I am a 68-year-old female who’s in great health, except for cholesterol levels that are a tad high. In January, I was diagnosed with a prolapsed bladder. My gynecologist said it was stage 1, and therapy will be able to help. I’ve been through physical therapy and done pelvic floor exercises, but they don’t seem to be helping. Is a bladder prolapse uncommon? I don’t have any other female friends who’ve experienced this. I’m more often than not very uncomfortable with the discomfort and “bulge.” I’m a very active person with gardening and house chores, ...

$2 trillion — and no excuse

Columns

The federal government just closed fiscal year 2026 with a deficit of nearly $2 trillion, according to figures the Congressional Budget Office released last Thursday. Only the two pandemic years of 2020 and 2021 were worse. Today, though, there is no recession and no emergency. These enormous budget deficits are the new normal. The usual response to a deficit warning is that the government just needs more money. It doesn’t. Thanks to the remarkable strength of the private sector, federal revenue rose by 3%, to more than $5.4 trillion, over the fiscal year. But spending rose by 6%, ...