Breaking News

Lifestyles

DEAR ANNIE: Carrying weight of a one-sided friendship

DEAR ANNIE: I am writing about a friendship that has weighed on my heart for quite some time. I have known this woman for more than 20 years, and in many ways, she has been a loyal and lively part of my life. We have celebrated happy occasions together, seen one another through disappointments and shared the kind of history that is not easily replaced. But in recent years, our friendship has begun to feel less like a comfort and more like a burden. Nearly every conversation revolves around her troubles, her grievances, her worries and the endless complications of her daily life. When ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: Always send thank-you note for gifts you receive

DEAR HELOISE: I cannot go without responding to Bob, in Santa Ana, California, who said that not thanking someone for a gift is somehow acceptable. I feel confident that most people don’t give gifts to receive a thank-you note, as he implies. Gifts are defined with the caveat of “not expecting anything in return.” But extending acknowledgement and appreciation is just plain common courtesy and decency, especially if a request is involved as it is in a wedding registry. There was certainly time and motivation required to devise and post a wish list. This also applies if the gift ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Doctors should not profit from drug firms

DEAR DR. ROACH: Your recent column said the “law” prohibits doctors from getting money from prescriptions. However, they get perks from pharma reps like dinner, golf, etc., and many push supplements on TV. Many “doctors” across the country make their income from prescribing supplements to patients for chronic fatigue syndrome or COVID. —D.K. ANSWER: There are statutes that prevent physicians from directly profiting from prescribing certain medications. The Stark Law prevents doctors from referring their patients to entities where the physician has a financial interest. ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

If you’re a good bridge player and are lucky besides, the combination might make you well-nigh invincible. For an example of what these two ingredients, properly mixed, can produce, we present this deal from the 1956 Masters Pair championship, won by Alvin Roth and Tobias Stone. Stone ...

Teens to receive Eagle of the Cross award

YOUNGSTOWN — The office of Youth and Young Adult Accompaniment of the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown will present the 2026 Eagle of the Cross Award to area teens. The award, which is the highest honor the diocese bestows on youth, was created by the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry and introduced 28 years ago. It is given each year to a group of extraordinary high school juniors and seniors who model Catholic-Christian leadership among their peers, demonstrate a dedication to the faith and display moral integrity. The annual award has been given to juniors and ...