A go-to argument of the modern breed of climate-change deniers is that carbon dioxide is good for plants and what’s good for plants is good for humans. Well, sure, a greener planet actually could be beneficial for humanity. But let's not ignore the many not so beneficial effects. Seasonal-allergy sufferers could give you at least one.

Hay ...Read more

In only a few weeks, the United States has walked away — or rather sprinted — from decades of global leadership. It’s unrealistic that another power will fully replace the role America has played in shaping global affairs, but some are navigating how to fill some gaps.

Europe and China both have incentives to step up, for different ...Read more

Since resuming office, President Donald Trump has not for one minute parted from his promise to leverage tariffs to ignite a new “golden age.” At times, he seems to be working continually to stimulate major trading partners into arrangements that make America great again.

However, anyone attempting to follow the bouncing tariff proposals ...Read more

Last fall, when initial data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a surprising drop in drug overdose deaths, the universal response was relief. We were finally getting something right in addressing the opioid epidemic, which accounted for most of the decrease and has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans.

That progress...Read more

Democrats were against the filibuster before they were for it.

The left continues to rage against Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for casting a vote to avoid a government shutdown. He and a handful of other Democrats, including Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, voted to break the filibuster on the funding bill.

It’s unclear why some ...Read more

Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s pressing problems on the battlefield and President Donald Trump’s brazen unpredictability have done what no other combination has done before: shocked Europe out of its peace dividend slumber. An increasing number of European leaders are now asking themselves whether the Continent can afford to ...Read more

A classic episode of “All in the Family” features Archie Bunker taunting his wife’s liberal cousin, Maude, by denouncing Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As Maude begins to fume, Edith begs her husband to stop and notes that “his whole family was for Roosevelt.” Archie brushes it off: “That was for two terms, but that was it. We didn’t ...Read more

For the past month and a half, the world has waited for what seemed like the inevitable passing of Pope Francis.

The spiritual and titular leader of 1.3 billion Catholics was hospitalized for a severe respiratory infection that turned into double pneumonia and partial kidney failure — a scary diagnosis for the healthiest person, but a ...Read more

“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet asks, making the point that what matters is a person’s essence, not what we call them. That’s true in love. In politics, not so much.

People entering the U.S. at our southern border are now routinely called a name — migrant — that is contributing to the nation’s toxic political ...Read more

One of the best antidotes to polarization is open, respectful dialogue. How can we come together if we aren’t engaging with each other? That’s especially true of our elected officials, and so we are encouraged by the recent uptick in town halls.

What disheartens us is that these opportunities for genuine discourse are being hijacked by ...Read more

How do you say, “I am going to break Social Security” without actually saying “I am going to break Social Security”?

Donald Trump doesn’t have to have to say a thing. A leaked memo says it all.

Starting March 31, the Social Security Administration will shut off its phones to newly disabled claimants and new retirees, people trying ...Read more

One of the most electrifying shocks of the new Donald Trump era is how quickly the president has moved to ally with the Kremlin against Europe — and the security of the United States.

Let me repeat. Trump is eagerly courting Vladimir Putin, who has made clear in speeches and deeds he detests America and its NATO partners and wants to ...Read more

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 slashed the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% and more than doubled the federal estate tax exemption rate for married couples, from $11 million to $27 million. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee of Taxation found that beginning in 2027, lower- and middle-class families could ...Read more

My young friends told me the same story as the novelist: People don’t see them when they’re behind the counter. They might greet the customer by name and he’d looked confused or even annoyed, till something in his brain would click and he realized he was speaking to someone he knew. They were the help, and invisible.

Writing novels not ...Read more

As America’s capricious trade war rolls on, the European Union may be Washington’s next target. The EU’s instinct to retaliate is understandable — but a tit-for-tat escalation is exactly the wrong response.

Although details are murky, the White House plans to announce what it calls “reciprocal” tariffs on April 2 — with rates that...Read more

From Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Big Tech to Republican members of Congress to universities to law firms, President Trump is using bullying intimidation tactics to get his way. His targets can push back or give in, but capitulation to a bully only brings more bullying.

Zelenskyy now agrees to what Trump offers (although that ...Read more

What, exactly, does the Democratic base want? More. More of everything. Including new leaders.

When will Democrats step up to “flood the zone” with the vigorous fight for our democracy that this moment demands?

Our elected leaders repeatedly complain about President Donald Trump’s domination of the daily news cycle. Why didn’t it occur...Read more

Even before President Donald Trump started his trade wars, McDonald’s Corp. top brass knew this year would start sluggishly.

Prices are up for food, paper goods and labor, while many of the Chicago-based burger chain’s core customers are finding the menu unaffordable. As a result, CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors last month, “The ...Read more

For me, the daughter of small business owners, winter and the holidays meant more family time at the dining table, not just to eat but to hand-write thank you notes to our customers.

My brother would climb up to the attic to bring down bins full of greeting cards my mother and I had purchased the previous year after Christmas, when the holiday ...Read more

Over the past two decades, school districts have spent billions of taxpayer dollars equipping classrooms with laptops and other devices in hopes of preparing kids for a digital future. The result? Students have fallen further behind on the skills they most need to succeed in careers: the three R’s plus a fourth — relationships.

Today, about...Read more