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Lessons from Graham Platner

Columns

How can Graham Platner, who might win the Democratic nomination for senator from Maine in next Tuesday’s primary election ever be seriously considered for such a job, given the amount of personal baggage he carries? The answer is we have so lowered our standards and think so little of our politicians that, as the saying used to go, anyone can grow up to be president, or senator. Platner has been accused of so many things that just one would have been enough to derail his candidacy in another era when character mattered. Today, power is all that appears to matter and the way in ...

Constipation persists after a colonoscopy from six months ago

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 66-year-old male in good health. I’ve always had very regular bowel movements, usually spending less than five minutes in the bathroom daily. About six months ago, I had a colonoscopy. Since then, I’ve been constipated with very hard stools. My doctor recommended fiber supplements three times a day and Colace. I’ve been doing this for four months without relief. My diet hasn’t changed in the past year. I drink more than the recommended amount of water and exercise daily. What can I do to get back to normal? — B.L. ANSWER: Constipation for a few days ...

Coronary artery score continues to raise amid statin treatment

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m an 80-year-old male who doesn’t drink or smoke, exercises regularly, and takes telmisartan for blood pressure and rosuvastatin for cholesterol. I’ve never had any heart issues except for a diagnosis of arteriosclerosis. Five years ago, my calcium score resulted in a left anterior descending artery at 92.9 Agatston units, while the other arteries were all zero. Now this same test shows my LAD artery at 91.6, with the left main coronary artery at 57.6 and the right coronary artery at 31.6. Now, the total score is 180 compared to 92.9 five years ago. I’ve ...

Can the nearly $1 trillion‑a‑year US military really be depleting key weapons in Iran?

Columns

The fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire announced on April 7, 2026, after 40 days of war came at an opportune time for the United States. Several reports indicate it is running out of weapons amid the conflict. As a scholar focused on U.S. military deployments, these reports are concerning and somewhat surprising. After all, the United States spends more money on its military — nearly US$1 trillion annually — than the next nine highest-spending countries combined. How can the U.S. military be depleting its weapons against a largely isolated country that spends less than 1% of what the ...

Dear Annie: Husband’s dream hobby has become a nightmare

Columns

Dear Annie: My husband recently bought an old classic car, the kind he has dreamed about since he was 17. He made the purchase after seeing one roaring down Main Street with the top down. It is shiny, loud, impractical and, according to him, “an investment.” According to me, it is a very expensive midlife crisis with chrome bumpers. He found it online after months of searching and drove three hours to see it “just to look.” Naturally, he came home with a bill of sale, a grin on his face and a car that now sits in our garage under a special cover like it is the crown jewels. ...

The invisible forces that keep the doors open

Columns

We’re not southern enough to be yes, ma’am or no, sir, but I try to nudge manners into my kids’ daily interactions with strangers. Today, I nudged him when I saw two women cross the parking lot and asked him to open the restaurant door. One of the women was older and one much younger, maybe a grandmother and granddaughter. The younger one smiled at him and said thank you as she walked through. The older one didn’t acknowledge him at all. At the table, my mom called it entitlement, but that didn’t feel right. It’s more that some people grow accustomed to moving through the ...