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So you want to be a plumber? There’s good and bad

Editorials

The skilled trades have become hot of late. That has many young people dropping plans to attend college. Meanwhile, some desk-bound professionals are said to gaze longingly at nearby construction sites. They daydream about trading spreadsheets for tool belts. They imagine becoming plumbers, electricians or carpenters — welders, riggers or crane operators. The list of hands-on jobs that require real training is long. Why the change of hearts? Three reasons: 1. Artificial intelligence will soon do the thinking required for many of these office occupations. 2. The realization that ...

Patriotism v. pettiness at the State of the Union

Editorials

Most State of the Union addresses are forgettable the moment they end. Not this one. President Trump delivered a consequential speech that highlighted what he believes are some of his major accomplishments during the first year of his second term. He also demonstrated a flair for the dramatic. It was likely the most partisan message of its kind ever delivered by a president. He frequently criticized those Democrats who bothered to attend (more than 70 members didn’t), calling them “crazy” and accusing them of favoring open borders and higher taxes. He also criticized the ...

Jesse Jackson succeeded in keeping all hope alive

Editorials

Having covered the Rev. Jesse Jackson for more than a half-century, I have an insider’s understanding of why thousands of people lined up to wait patiently last week in Chicago to pay their final respects to the departed civil rights icon. Jackson knew when and how to defy power, but he also knew how to cajole the powerful to make room at the table for the excluded. Of all the memories I have gathered in the past 50 years, one stood out on this solemn occasion: Black Expo, an annual convention put on by Jackson’s Operation Breadbasket for several years in the late 1960s and early ...

I don’t care at all if Olympian Alysa Liu is woke

Editorials

As the nation celebrated American figure skater Alysa Liu’s stunning victories at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, there’s a particular collection of embarrassingly sad online dwellers who just can’t understand why conservatives might cheer on Liu. Why? Well, because she is, apparently, woke. For those who just don’t get it, let me explain. In the world of sports in which Alysa Liu is thriving, we (the big bad conservatives) simply don’t care about your politics if you are proudly representing our great nation — which Liu undoubtedly is — and you leave your politics at ...

Bust a move: Ohioans need more exercise

Editorials

All that technology we drag around with us all the time is giving researchers data that provides insight into everything from our travel to fitness. If you have a habit of checking your health and fitness data through a smart watch and app, you are not the only one keeping track. Data from participants, provided by Apple, helped researchers produce the “Apple Heart and Movement Study.” “The heart is an incredible organ, working tirelessly every second of every day,” the report begins. “Understanding how various heart metrics reflect your overall well-being can empower you to ...

Olympian disconnect: press vs. US

Editorials

Alysa Liu is an American figure skater whose family fled China and faced harassment and persecution by Chinese authorities. She won gold. You might have missed it. The American press corps chose, instead, to praise Eileen Gu, an American skier with family ties to the Chinese communist party. Gu skied for and was paid by China. The press elevated her over American athletes until shifting to hating our hockey team. “Eileen Gu won three medals — one gold and two silver — in Milan and now has six total medals over the span of two quadrennials. She also made herself one of the most ...