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The coming revival of America

I detest him and everything he does or says. Ditto his despicable aides and Cabinet members, his unprincipled sycophants and suck-ups. But it’s possible that someday we’ll look back on this horrendous era and say we needed Trump. We needed to see how horrible it could get before America was able to revive its ideals. Please hear me out. Even before Trump, we were barreling down the wrong road. Inequalities of income, wealth and opportunity were worsening. Legalized bribery was soaring in the form of mounting campaign contributions from big corporations and the wealthy. ...

Gitmo and torture revisited

America’s longest current criminal prosecution is in its 15th year, on its fifth judge, and still has no trial date. The defendants are Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four alleged mass murder co-conspirators. Mohammed is the second person that the government has characterized as the ringleader of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Originally, the feds had labeled Osama bin Laden as the ringleader. Yet, rather than charging and arresting bin Laden, in order to keep him quiet it sent a team of Navy Seals to his home in Pakistan to murder him and his wife and their children. After that, the ...

The UK’s dumb exclusion of left-wing influencers

The U.K. government banned left-wing influencers Cenk Uygur and Hasan Piker from traveling to the country because they blame everything on the Jews — and, true to form, Uygur and Piker blamed the Jews. Uygur and Piker were to speak at a South by Southwest conference in London and participate in an event at the Oxford Union, when their visas were canceled. They immediately smelled a rat, and, as usual, one emanating from Jerusalem. “I’ve been banned for criticizing Israel,” Uygur posted on social media. “Are we free anymore? This is oppression of Western citizens by our ...

Red Cross ramps up collection efforts as summer arrives

There’s a lot to be cheerful about, as the end of the school year, warmer weather and the arrival of the travel/vacation season have most people in more chipper moods. But for some, summertime coincides with the “100 deadliest days,” the period from approximately Memorial Day to Labor Day during which there is a dramatic increase in serious incidents such as car accidents, ATV crashes, sports-related injuries and other summertime activities. Sharon Kesselring, executive director of the American Red Cross of the Ohio Valley called it “trauma season.” Meanwhile, Kesselring ...

Medicaid reform needs a scalpel, not a sledgehammer

Ohio’s Medicaid system needs reform. Taxpayers deserve accountability and providers should be held to high standards. Fraud, waste, and abuse should be identified and eliminated wherever they exist. But if Ohio is serious about reducing Medicaid spending over the long term, policymakers must be careful not to confuse costs with investments. Many of the services currently under scrutiny are not driving future expenditures, they are preventing them. Home- and community-based services help older adults and individuals with significant disabilities remain in their homes instead of ...

Anti-Nazi Democrats can’t wait to vote for the Nazi-tattoo guy

One of the biggest mistakes we’ve made as a society is to fool ourselves into believing that politicians are good people. Now, are some politicians virtuous, hardworking and honest representatives of their constituents? Absolutely. Are some politicians motivated by a good-faith belief in public service? Absolutely. Are some politicians examples of strong moral character? Absolutely. But the idea that all politicians are virtuous, hardworking, honest, motivated by a good-faith belief in public service and examples of strong moral character? That’s just plain silly. This reminds me ...