The ability to solve complex problems is a sign of maturity, intelligence and, some would argue, what separates humans from other species. Difficult questions can engage perception, knowledge, problem solving, judgment, language and memory.
Some people have become so alarmed by what children might read in school or in libraries that they want books they don’t like removed — immediately. The targeted books include scenes of sexual awakening, gender identity, racism or violence.
Finally, after a 50-year effort, four massive dams on the Klamath River in northern California and Oregon will start coming down this July.
During the fight over the new House Speaker election, Congress member Chip Roy (R-Texas), who voted against the anti-lynching act last March, had the immoral temerity to quote Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He did so as he explained how he was positioning himself to the hardliner right of rightwing Kevin McCarthy (R-California).
Many Western states have declared they will achieve all-renewable electrical goals in just two decades. Call me naïve, but haven’t energy experts predicted that wind, sun and other alternative energy sources aren’t up to the job?
Streets in dozens of Iran cities are filled with angry people in popular protests that have already gone on much longer—three months and counting—than those in 2009 and 2019. The unrest erupted when news broke on September 16 that a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, had died in the custody of the morality police after being accused of violating Iran’s mandatory head scarf law.
When Colorado passed its Extreme Risk Protection Orders — also known as a “red flag” law — in 2019, El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder announced his opposition: “I am exploring all legal options and am vigorously challenging the constitutionality of this law.”
On Oct. 30, Brazilians voted in a presidential runoff election that was won by Luiz ‘Lula’ Ignacio da Silva. It was a victory by the narrowest of margins, although in fairness, the president elect’s opponent had the clear support of the federal highway patrol, which reportedly set hundreds of roadblocks in areas of the country that had supported the former president in the first round of voting.
The good news is, despite higher prices, inflation and safety concerns, more Christmas shoppers are browsing online but making in-store purchases.
At every Thanksgiving dinner, my family asks everyone around the table to say what they’re grateful for. It puts new guests on the spot, so sometimes they just thank the hosts — an easy out that makes it harder for anyone else struggling for a good answer. I’ve been in that position, but this year I know what I’m grateful for.
