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Status Quo vs. Alternative

Columnists

The last two weeks have been, like the preceding weeks, nuts. The president insisted the United States must own Greenland and he would not rule out military force, if necessary, to take the island. He imposed tariffs on the NATO allies who oppose his territorial lust. Then he walked it all back for the framework of a deal. The reality is, President Donald Trump has a knack for getting things he could have gotten without all the drama, but the drama is salesmanship for his base. They insist it is the art of the deal, he is the best negotiator and the deal is amazing. Most often, the ...

Trump’s outrageous threats get results

Columnists

Think about it. Heads of government do not normally reveal the texts of private communications from other heads of state. Yet that is what Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store of Norway did Sunday, on the first weekend of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where the international press would have no difficulty finding appalled foreign leaders to comment. You could think of this as a hostile act of a statesman appalled that the American head of government does not know that the government of Norway does not decide who gets the Nobel Peace Prize. It is probably better to think of it ...

Ali risked all for his beliefs

Columnists

Muhammad Ali was honored with his own forever stamp by the United States Postal Service on Jan. 15. “I should be a postage stamp,” Ali famously once said, “because that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked.” I attended the launch celebration in Louisville where Bob Costas served as the master of ceremonies. As I listened to each speaker share memories of The Greatest, I could not help but think about how grounded Ali was in his convictions. I keep coming back to the part of Muhammad Ali’s story when he refused to be drafted for the Vietnam War. Many sought draft ...

Protection

Editorials

It is the season during which many of us simply accept that we will get the common cold or come down with the flu, but failure to do all we can to prevent such viruses can be dangerous. In some cases, it can be deadly. Recently, Ohio reported its first pediatric flu death of the season — a teenager under 18 in Greene County, according to state health officials. In fact, each year there are between one and seven pediatric flu deaths in the state. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nationwide 6,300 to 52,000 people died from the flu annually between ...

Questions Remain

Editorials

It’s a new chapter for Hancock County Schools, and it’s one to which we won’t be seeing an end anytime soon. A decision made Friday morning put the local school district – currently with two high schools, two middle schools, three elementary schools and a tech and career center – fully under the control of the state. The superintendent and assistant superintendent were relieved of their positions, and the Hancock County Board of Education is, for all intents and purposes, powerless. While board meetings will continue, the reality is that those five individuals now are ...

Words that stay with us and shape our lives

Columnists

I was in a meeting with a person who shared something they heard that has had a significant impact on their life. My own thinking went into overdrive on the people and messages that have impacted me (and still do). These messages have been received in various ways: one-on-one with a person, hearing a statement in a meeting or at a presentation, reading a book, watching a video, and so forth. Here is a partial list of messages that have impacted me. I hope you will enjoy this and will add your own to the list. * “Most of what we worry about never happens—and what does happen is ...