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Pass salt, pepper of loss

I swam in the beautiful bay water three times that day. Salt on skin does wonders. Six of us had a sundown dinner on the roof, with a homemade almond cake a la creme and fruit for dessert, a ferry and lighthouse in the distance. Everyone around the table at the house party was a true-blue friend. Some I’d known forever, so it seemed. Our host created a spell, a consoling space of light in these times. My spirits suddenly took flight once we left Washington and crossed the silver Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The Eastern Shore land, with corn growing on all sides, held a promise that ...

Threats to US greatness loom large as America turns 250

Success often sows the seeds of future failure. That’s the danger America faces now. America is a great and powerful country. But this shouldn’t blind us to an obvious historical reality. Great empires rise — and fall. Just look at the history of the Roman Empire. Or the Babylonian Empire. Or the Mongol Empire. Success often comes with a temptation — to abandon the things that made you successful. Think about an athlete who’s spent a decade training for six hours a day, six days a week. He makes it to the pros and signs a big contract. Suddenly, he’s a ...

Get to know data centers before simply rejecting them

It’s a tradition like no other. Several entities — Merriam-Webster and Oxford University Press among them — pick a term and proclaim it the Word of the Year. We’ve had slop, rage bait, six-seven, brain rot, rizz, authentic, goblin mode and gaslighting blow up in recent years. Based on news mentions during the first half of 2026, it appears that the leader at the turn for this year’s Word of the Year is data centers. They’re a hot topic because they’re popping up all over the country as our collective love affair with tech and all that comes with it continues and ...

Why Trump could not bring Iran to its knees

Iran, a second-rate power in a state of economic collapse, just fought the U.S. to a standstill in a major military conflict. The disappointing outcome has echoes of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, in that a major world power hasn’t been able to impose its will on a militarily inferior foe. The problem comes when we run into an enemy that has a high threshold for pain and is determined to outlast us, while we make what we hope will be a time-limited commitment, seek to avoid escalations that carry unpredictable risks and operate from a tenuous base of domestic political support in ...

Suspect’s family saw something, said something

Most Americans have the idea of “if you see something, say something” burned into their minds. But acting on it — especially when what you see is a family member behaving worryingly — can be a little tougher. Family members of Tycen Proper, of Danville, Ohio, made the right decision and had the courage to follow through with it. In doing so, they may have saved many lives. Proper was allegedly part of what the U.S. Department of Justice has described as a plot to attack the Ultimate Fighting Championship Freedom 250 on June 14. He is 19 years old and facing charges of ...

Trump’s deal with the devil unfolds

President Trump’s interim peace deal with Iran, which the U.S. maintains has partially opened the Strait of Hormuz and sent oil prices tumbling (but not yet gas prices), may be good for the short term — meaning the November elections — but long term it is not in the best interests of the United States, Europe or the rest of the civilized world. The reason is, to paraphrase stock disclaimers — Iran’s past performance on keeping its word is a guarantee of future performance. And what about those proxies Iran has been supporting? If Iran doesn’t cheat on the deal, which is a ...