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Opinion

MAGA is changing

Columnists

Perhaps it would be ironic if, despite all of his populist bluster and brag, Donald Trump turned out to be a traditional Republican. The “great big beautiful bill”’s tax cut turned out to be a massive benefit for billionaires, and his budget fulfilled the wish list for the old GOP. If there is any MAGA influence, it is difficult to ascertain. Of course, it has no tax on tips, as well as no tax on Social Security and other benefits for the base. But generally, Trump‘s government has delivered a budget and program more suited to Daddy Warbucks than the mythical populous. He used ...

Nice leaders protect feelings; Kind leaders protect futures

Columnists

Are you a nice leader or a kind leader? Is there a difference? Yes, an important one. Nice and kind are not synonyms. Niceness is about seeming pleasant and agreeable. It’s about keeping the peace and making people comfortable. This is not a bad thing in many situations. Kindness is about real compassion and empathy. It’s taking action from the place of wanting the best for a person or an organization, even when it means telling hard truths and making hard choices. When a person is “nice,” it is because they want to be liked and often because they are ...

Urgency

Editorials

“The program tackles the root causes of rural health care failure. It gives states the tools to design solutions that last, not Band-Aids that fail.” That was Dr. Mehmet Oz, on the speedily unrolled Rural Health Transformation Program that will make available $50 billion — a possible $10 billion per year to states — each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030. Four years of potential federal funding, half of which is to be distributed evenly to all 50 states IF they apply for it; and half to be distributed based on health care metrics. Federal officials have given states until ...

Political violence must be condemned

Columnists

Political violence must be condemned in all its deplorable forms. Last week, we lost a 31-year-old young man, Charlie Kirk, by the act of a cowardly madman. An evil doer may have thought he prevailed when he took the life of this young man with a beautiful wife and kids, but evil failed miserably. Our prayers should continue to go out to the Kirk family along with our thanks for sharing Charlie with all of us. May God strengthen the family now and in the days and years ahead. Fair fight? In the days of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr people could exercise “political violence” ...

Kirk’s legacy

Columnists

Charlie Kirk, head of Turning Point USA and a prominent conservative influencer, lost his life at the hands of an assassin. He was doing what he excelled at, trying to persuade college students to join his movement, which advanced traditional values. With his tent displaying his challenge, “Prove Me Wrong,” Kirk invited others to debate him. For his trouble, he lost his life in an unspeakable act of violence. Kirk was at the height of his persuasive powers and was highly effective. He worked in a difficult venue, college campuses, which were never known as inviting to right-leaning ...

Phones versus playing

Columnists

When I was a kid, childhood meant playing on the street, riding my bike, hanging out with friends. Most kids now experience a different childhood. Jonathan Haidt’s bestselling book, “The Anxious Generation,” talks about that. He calls it “a tragedy in two acts.” “Act One, we lose the play-based childhood. We stop letting kids run around outside. We’re too afraid they’ll get abducted. ... We get gradual loss of play from the ‘90s through the early 2010s. ... That sets kids up to be weaker.” Because kids who don’t have real experiences are less ...