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Opinion

A bleak future

Columns

In January, the world’s biggest toy fair took place in Nuremberg, Germany. The event focused on toys equipped with artificial intelligence (AI): fluffy robots that recognize faces, gestures, and objects; race cars that can be tuned up with AI’s help; and humanoid robots to be built and programmed at home. Toys like these increasingly find their way into stores and are designed to learn about the child’s individual preferences and to assist with solving tasks. Advocates for data protection are concerned that if connected to the internet, these toys will create a detailed profile of ...

The essential mind: Why we must restore the library at KCSD

Letters to the editor

Fred Bucheit Mill Hall How many people are aware that they took the library out of our school? A school without a library is a body without a mind. To deprive children of books is to fulfill the book-burner’s fondest dream: the beginning of mass mind control. When we remove a child’s access to diverse literature, we allow a “cult leader” mentality to take over, telling them not just what to think, but how to think. Book deprivation is the antithesis of intellectual freedom. An uninformed mind is easily manipulated, becoming a pawn of the state. While some argue that ...

We can’t protect what we don’t understand: The case of eastern golden eagles

Columns

There’s a special story unfolding at Bernheim Forest and Arboretum in Kentucky, where eastern golden eagles have made their winter home. Scientists have been tracking golden eagles since the 1970s, but the first known pair to be tracked simultaneously in eastern North America was at Bernheim. It all began with Harper, a male golden eagle that was successfully captured and equipped with a transmitter in 2015. Four winters later, Harper’s mate was also fitted with a solar-powered GPS tracking device. They named her Athena. As part of the Eastern Golden Eagle Working Group, ...

Dear Annie: From retirement dreams to raising kids again

Columns

Dear Annie: I never imagined I’d be packing school lunches again at 62. My husband, “Tom,” and I raised our children, worked hard and finally reached that stage where life felt calmer. We downsized, paid off most of what we owed and talked about traveling, volunteering and enjoying a quieter home. Then everything changed. Last year, our daughter, “Nicole,” hit a wall. I won’t share all her business, but there were issues with addiction and an unstable relationship. One night she called crying, and by the next morning, our two grandkids, “Sophie” (8) and “Mason” ...

This is no longer dysfunction — it is danger

Columns

When a Transportation Security Administration official warns that airports could “quite literally shut down,” we are no longer talking about inconvenience, delays or political theater. We are talking about vulnerability in one of the most sensitive and critical systems in our country. Aviation security is not just another government function. It is a frontline defense. And when that defense shows signs of strain, every American should pay attention. Let’s speak plainly. When security systems are stretched thin, when agents are overwhelmed, when focus is fractured, the margin for ...

Remove triggers for migraines by leading a healthy lifestyle

Columns

DEAR DR. ROACH: I read your recent column about migraines and strokes. About 40 years ago, I began having occasional visual-interference episodes with zigzags, blurry central vision, and more that lasted for about 30 minutes. My doctor described them as ocular migraines. When I read about migraines, the first possible cause that was listed were preservatives, so I started reading labels. My episodes occurred only after eating food with added nitrites and sulfates. It was very consistent, so I now read labels and avoid them. And thanks to the fact that more foods are now being made ...