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What James Madison can teach Americans about religious freedom today

Columns

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, debates about religious freedom continue to occupy the center of American public life. Since taking office for a second time, the Trump administration has issued a number of executive orders on religion that raise new questions about religious freedom. On May 1, 2025, the administration established the Religious Liberty Commission. The commission will advise the White House on policies intended to protect the free exercise of religion and to prevent discrimination against people of faith by the ...

Dear Annie: When a rock becomes sand

Columns

Dear Annie: My husband of five years has dementia. We’ve known about it for two or three years. He retired last year, and I work full time. It’s getting harder. He argues every point, doesn’t want me to go anywhere without him and repeats himself. He says he will just “wait for me” when I ask for things to be done or when I try to get someone to help him with things. I financially can’t stop working yet. To make it harder? Almost everyone has ghosted us. He’s home by himself most of the day. His family doesn’t call or come by. Some of my family and a couple of my ...

Memorial Day offers somber reminders ahead of America’s 250th birthday

Our View

As we approach the dawn of our 250th year as a nation, we would be remiss if we did not take time to reflect on the sacrifices of those countless ancestors who gave their lives to help bring us to this point. We find it particularly poignant at this time that the prototypes for Memorial Day were originally created in honor of the Union soldiers who died during the Civil War — a stark reminder that, were it not for their backs and their lives, the United States would never have made it to its 100th birthday, let alone its 250th. In our modern moment of great division, high emotions ...

Dear Annie: Scaling back without guilt

Columns

Dear Annie: For years, I’ve made it a point to remember every birthday in my extended family — my nieces, nephews and now their children — by sending cards with a little money tucked inside. It’s been my way of staying connected since I don’t see them often. Now I’m retired and living on a fixed income, and the cost has quietly added up. The truth is, everyone in my family is financially comfortable, and I’m beginning to feel the strain of keeping up this tradition. I’d like to scale back and send monetary gifts only to those 19 and under, while still sending cards to ...

The Founding Fathers would’ve gotten rid of Trump long ago

Columns

In 1788, Virginia convened a convention to debate ratification of the new U.S. Constitution, promulgated in Philadelphia the year before. The pardon power proved to be a sticking point for some delegates. George Mason, the primary author of Virginia’s own constitution, was among those worried that the unchecked ability to unilaterally pardon criminality could lead to abuses of power. What if the president “may frequently pardon crimes which were advised by himself?” James Madison acknowledged that this would be a serious abuse but argued there was a remedy. “There is one ...

How a CAC scan makes a difference in interpreting heart risk

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m 67 and in decent shape. I run 3-4 miles three times a week and lift weights three days a week. I take 20 mg of rosuvastatin daily. My LDL cholestrol is 85 mg/dL, and my HDL is over 80 mg/dL. I have controlled blood pressure at 125-130/80 mmHg with an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB). Seven years ago, my provider asked me to do a coronary artery calcium (CAC) scan because it could be performed at no cost to me. I did, and my score was 530. The recommendations were to get on a statin, which I was already on (rosuvastatin), as well as low-dose ...