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Donald Trump’s threats to Iran are war crimes

DEAR EDITOR: On Easter Sunday morning, the president of the United States announced his intention to commit war crimes. That’s not hyperbole or partisan rhetoric. Legal scholars citing the laws of armed conflict, using the same framework American military commanders are trained on, confirm that deliberately targeting civilian power plants and bridges constitutes a war crime. Causing excessive suffering to civilian populations clears that bar. We called it a war crime after World War II. The label hasn’t changed. On April 6, The Vindicator ran the headline: “President ...

Trump is seriously out of his mind

On Easter morning, President Donald Trump posted: "Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! "Open the F----n' Strait, you crazy b-----ds, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH!" he continued, adding, "Praise be to Allah." Now, I ask you: If you were in the Iranian regime, would you be: (1) frightened by this post or (2) relieved that you were finally causing Trump to melt down? I'd guess (2). You'd see his post and figure that Trump —- posting on Easter Sunday — has finally gone utterly and definitively ...

A foolish NATO was a big loser in the Iran war

NATO members are not legally required to join any member's military operations that are not formally sanctioned by the alliance or not aimed at protecting the homelands of the membership. But they often do just that. Some NATO members joined the Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq on the theory that, in the post-9/11 environment, the Taliban and Saddam Hussein were dangers to all Western security. They followed the precedent set by America's 1999 intervention in the distant Balkans, leading a three-month NATO campaign to dismantle Slobodan Milosevi 's often bloody ambitions of a ...

Natural gas is the bedrock of Ohio’s energy future

DEAR EDITOR: Ohio is facing an unprecedented surge in energy demand, and as our state grows, the pressure on our electrical grid intensifies. It is critical that we rely on proven and affordable power sources to keep our communities safe and our economy moving. We cannot afford to gamble on intermittent energy, and natural gas plays a key role in ensuring our grid remains strong. Unlike other sources that fluctuate with the weather, natural gas provides the “baseload” power necessary to ensure our grid remains stable. This stability is what keeps energy reliable and affordable ...

Focus on responsibility for Alcohol Awareness Month

DEAR EDITOR: April is Alcohol Awareness Month, a time to reflect on your alcohol consumption. For adults who choose to drink, the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasizes moderation, advises that drinking less is better for overall health than drinking more, and notes that some people should not drink at all. The scientific report that informed these recommendations defines moderate drinking as up to one drink per day for women and up to two per day for men. Examples of one drink include 12 oz. beer, 5 oz. wine, or 1.5 oz. distilled spirits. Each contains the same ...

Did you really think Trump would lower prices?

President Donald Trump’s assault on our democratic institutions did not stop voters from giving him a second term. The top reason they cited for reelecting him was the economy, notably their unhappiness over high prices. During the campaign, Trump promised to “bring prices down, starting on Day One.” How he would do this was left to our imagination. It seemed something along the lines of using his awesome powers to freeze prices and even make some melt. That and a pack of lies. Two days back in office, Trump issued a “Fact Sheet” headlined “President Donald J. Trump ...