Breaking News

Editorials

Midterms are Dems to lose

Democrats are buzzing over the surprise victory of Taylor Rehmet in a Texas state Senate race. Rehmet won by 14 points in a district Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. That outcome inspired a piece by Republican strategist Karl Rove titled “Midterms Are Dems’ to Lose — and They May.” Rove doesn’t gloss over Republicans’ weak spots — the president’s dismal approval ratings, falling consumer confidence and the daily churn of Trump-fueled chaos. But he also notes the Democrats’ penchant for nominating far-left activists in moderate districts, candidates who ...

Virginia’s clownish redistricting scheme

Virginia is the new Illinois. The practice of drawing partisan districts is named after Elbridge Gerry, the 19th century Massachusetts governor. Even he might blush at the extreme gerrymander that Democrats in the commonwealth are pushing. They want to go from a congressional delegation with six Democrats and five Republicans — broadly representing the partisan makeup of the state — to a 10-1 Democratic advantage. In other words, purplish Virginia would have a congressional delegation that, in percentage terms, would be more Democratic than that of Illinois; Virginia’s ...

Ohio’s Safe Haven about more than just Baby Boxes

We don’t hear about them often — because the decision to give up a child is an excruciating one, and does not often result in their use — but another Safe Haven Baby Box HAS been used to legally surrender a baby in Ohio. This one was at the Delhi Township Fire Department, where firefighters responded in less than a minute to deliver care to the infant, according to the Safe Haven organization. Founder Monica Kelsey took to social media to make the announcement, saying “We’ve had another baby surrendered legally in one of our Safe Haven Baby Boxes. This time down in the ...

Downsizing MAGA to reality

As we survey the wreckage of Trump’s second term, it is often said that half the country voted for this, or worse, half the country is fine with this. That isn’t true. MAGA is a bit of a moving target, but a recent Economist/YouGov poll found that only 27% of all voters described themselves as “MAGA supporters” and a perhaps surprisingly low 54% of Trump voters so identified. In other words, a minority of the voting public and only a little over half of the GOP is Trump’s loyal base. A new survey from More in Common, an international pro-democracy organization (I sit on ...

Yes, Virginia, there are differences between boys, girls

Am I sexist? I think there are differences between men and women -- traits beyond obvious physical ones. But when I was young, feminist leaders said there were no differences. The only reason men ran most things was sexism. There was plenty of that. One example people forget: Until 1974, women couldn’t get a credit card without their husband’s permission. A women’s movement was long overdue. I believed the new “experts” who said, if we raise children in gender-neutral ways, men and women will behave similarly. Then I had kids. Now I understand that boys and girls ...

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Margie Petrunia of Cortland for her exemplary service over more than three decades as a library aide in the Lakeview Local School District. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce rightfully recognized that stellar service last week by awarding Petrunia its 2026 Recognizing Inspirational School Employee of the Year award. The award, established by an act of the U.S. Congress, honors classified school employees who provide exemplary service to their school communities. Lakeview Schools Superintendent Ashley Handrych nominated Petrunia for the prestigious award. “Margie ...