After World War II, the United States and its allies occupied West Germany and helped its post-Nazi leaders build a successful democracy out of the ruins of fascism.

What a difference 80 years makes.

In an astonishing role reversal, German leaders, along with those of Denmark, the Baltics, Poland, and other European allies, have become the ...Read more

Generosity is shocking. Especially when it’s to strangers.

That was my first thought upon hearing of the Dell family donation of $6.25 billion to fund Trump Accounts. I had other thoughts too. We’ll get to those.

But let’s start with generosity, because we don’t see enough of it anymore. The person who slips a five-dollar bill to the...Read more

Few states so self-righteously proclaim their commitment to helping minorities like California does. Gov. Gavin Newsom rarely misses an opportunity to assert his solidarity with people of color, proclaiming in 2022 that “our incredible diversity is the foundation for our state’s strength, growth and success — and that confronting ...Read more

You could field a 16-inch softball league with the celebrities who’ve threatened to leave the U.S. if their presidential pick wasn’t elected in recent years.

What’s more striking today is that it isn’t only the Hollywood set floating the idea of relocating. Increasing numbers of ordinary Americans — especially younger women — say ...Read more

It’s time for all Americans – especially my Washington press corps colleagues – to respect the wishes of all who voted to elect Donald Trump our president by finally being willing to take him at his word.

So it’s time for our news media’s talking heads and instant interpreters to rethink our craft’s default assumption – that ...Read more

Over the past few months, a troubling pattern has emerged across America’s major cities. As President Donald Trump’s administration dispatches federal agents and National Guard troops to jurisdictions — often over the objections of local residents and leaders — police departments are being forced to navigate an increasingly precarious ...Read more

The prevailing narrative about the conspicuous absence of Gen Z from the No Kings protests is a classic case of facile pop psychology masquerading as political insight.

According to this account, young people are "demoralized," "disillusioned," or "too online" to show up in the streets. But this interpretation is not only simplistic and ...Read more

The holidays are a time for joy and celebration—but amid the whirlwind of parties, travel and traditions, it’s easy to overlook those who count on us and play a vital role in our families: our animal companions.

While we revel in festivities, animals often face the challenge of navigating a confusing and stressful environment. Loud ...Read more

When someone tells you that they are struggling, it is generally a good rule of thumb to take them seriously. So it was not the best political move for President Donald Trump to call the affordability issue a “hoax.” Too many Americans are trying to cope with rising food prices and high costs for housing, health care and child care.

At the ...Read more

To say the U.S. Senate has grown dysfunctional is like suggesting water is wet or the nighttime sky is dark.

The institution that fancies itself "the world's greatest deliberative body" is supposed to serve as a cooling saucer that tempers the more hotheaded House, applying weight and wisdom as it addresses the Great Issues of Our Time. Instead...Read more

In the realm of horror, it was hard to beat the headlines last February that you were carrying around the equivalent of a plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics in your brain. The findings, reported in Nature Medicine, generated lots of outrage on morning talk shows and were even repeated as fact by would-be surgeon general Casey Means.

A ...Read more

As the European Union ages, it’s increasingly dependent on migration to sustain its economies. Unfortunately, the bloc’s inability to manage this influx is warping its politics. Unless it can build a better system — one that combines credible border controls with economic opportunity — it risks further decline and fracture.

Each year, ...Read more

One of the joys of living in flyover country is the annual state fair. It is a mix of traveling circus, amusement park, unbelievable food, live entertainment and serious competitions.

You see children (and adults) vying for prizes for raising livestock; you can watch everything from barrel racing to sheep shearing; and you can not only see the ...Read more

One of the most beloved holiday specials ever made doesn’t start with costumed pageants, joyful carols or snowmen come to life but with a self-aware declaration of seasonal depression.

“I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus,” says Charlie Brown, shuffling through the snow as other kids frolic to a song about the holiday’s...Read more

Key members of Congress have seen with their own eyes how the U.S. military deliberately killed two men who survived a missile attack on their small boat.

What the video showed was either a war crime or simple murder. Whether that got through to the politicians depended largely on whether they were Democrats or Republicans.

America is supposed...Read more

On most days, the words “Donald Trump” and “strategy” don’t fit in the same sentence. Combined, they’re an oxymoron in the truest sense. After all, strategy denotes a well-thought-out plan with concrete goals, realistic ways of achieving those goals and a set of principles that serve as an anchor as the president goes about the job. ...Read more

Every year on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day isn't just a time to look back, but it’s a call to action.

This year, that call echoes louder than ever. Even as medicine advances and treatments improve, support from political leaders remains shaky. When the Trump administration threatened to roll back the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (...Read more

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, a wealth manager named Michael Green published a Substack post arguing that a $140,000 income is the new poverty level for a family of four in America, where the official poverty line is $32,150.

The post promptly went viral.

One would hope that economic commentators coast-to-coast mentioned Green as their "...Read more

A terrible irony of dementia — which can result in the inability to recognize people and places — is that the condition itself does not get the worldwide recognition it deserves.

Until now.

The United Nations recently announced a plan to address major neurological disorders, such as dementia. This is particularly significant because many ...Read more

Nevada’s legislative Democrats have flirted with rent control as a means of addressing high housing costs. But their proposals have, thankfully, lacked sufficient support. Perhaps they should consider New York City’s predicament.

Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani wants to bring sweeping changes to the Big Apple. One of his most popular proposals ...Read more