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Dear Annie: A big birthday with an even bigger price tag

Columns

Dear Annie: My younger sister is turning 30 and has planned a birthday dinner at a trendy rooftop restaurant where the tasting menu is $165 per person — not including drinks, tax or tip. She also wants us to split the cost of a professional photographer “to capture the moment for all of us.” I want to celebrate, and the dinner does sound fun. But I just had to replace my transmission and pay an almost $2,000 dental bill. I’m in penny-pinching mode, and I think a home-cooked dinner or a less-trendy restaurant would be just as fun. I told my sister I might skip the dinner and ...

If the filibuster falls, Trump would be eerily close to getting his wish — King powers

Columns

The Republicans’ greatest allies are the Democrats. They make error after error and repeat their errors. They say a dog goes back to its poop. Well, maybe that would explain it. In the spirit of March Madness basketball, the Democrats will jump for the “head fake” and simply go the wrong way, every time. It is sad to see. For example, the Save America Act is a tool in President Donald Trump’s toolbox. He is using this bill to get rid of the Senate filibuster. He has even stated that he would sign no other bills until this bill has been signed into law. That is an ...

Cosmetic results of surgery for a fatty tumor can vary greatly

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I was diagnosed with a large fatty tumor on my left thigh. It’s very ugly. What can I do to get rid of it? — V.O.P. ANSWER: Lipomas are common fatty tumors that may occur on the trunk or the limbs. The vast majority are benign, but very large tumors can possibly be liposarcomas. So, an ultrasound or MRI prior to treatment should be considered. Surgery is the standard treatment. I’ve had patients in whom surgery was done very easily and took very little time, while others have had much more extensive surgeries when the tumor is deep and not ...

Dear Annie: Our marriage is great, but our love has gone quiet

Columns

Dear Annie: I have been married for 22 years to a good man. He is faithful, hardworking and, by most people’s standards, a wonderful husband. He has never given me any reason to doubt his loyalty, and he has always taken his responsibilities seriously. From the outside, we look like a solid, dependable couple. We raised our children together, built a home, paid the bills and showed up for the holidays, the school concerts and all the ordinary moments that make up a life. But somewhere along the way, I seem to have disappeared. My husband still remembers to ask if the car needs gas ...

Fundraising on war and national security secrets

Letters to the editor

Diane Ebken Port Matilda President Trump’s foray into Iran has generated mixed reactions. The majority of Americans oppose the war, but voters are divided along party lines: Republicans are more likely to support the war, whereas Democrats and independents are more likely to oppose it. But even those who accept the President’s actions have to recoil at the way he is trying to profit from the war. He’s now raising money from the casualties of the war he started — and selling our national security. A fundraising email from a Trump-linked political action committee used ...

Selling national security

Letters to the editor

James Serene State College It’s no longer enough to say this administration blurs ethical lines. It’s erasing them. While ordinary Americans struggle with rising costs, those closest to power continue to profit. Consider Jared Kushner: while serving as a chief Middle East negotiator, he was also seeking to raise $5 billion for his private equity firm from governments in that region. That’s not a gray area. It’s a blatant conflict of interest—once unthinkable. And he’s not alone. From Don Jr. and Eric’s drone venture to Stephen Miller’s private prison ...