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Democratic Socialists on the rise

Editorials

The story of the year in American politics so far, after Donald Trump ’s falling popularity, is the rise of the Democratic Socialists. Their influence bears watching as the next generation tries to fulfill Bernie Sanders’s goal of taking over the Democratic Party. Avowed Democratic Socialists of America candidate Janeese Lewis George won the Democratic nomination for mayor of Washington, D.C., last week, and it wasn’t close. The 38-year-old won 53.5%-35.9% over mainstream black Democrat Kenyan McDuffie, and she did better in some upscale white areas than in the city’s black ...

Taking a deeper dive into Trump Reflecting Pool mess

David Skolnick

There are two variations on an old saying about the Mahoning Valley and news. One is “All roads lead to the Mahoning Valley,” and the other is “There’s always a Valley connection.” While it’s certainly not the case, it does happen considerably more times than you’d expect — ...

General Time is undefeated in battle

Editorials

I am on a mudslide toward death. Well, we all are, really, when you think about it, but sometimes it just seems you’re slipping down the side of the mountain faster than at other times. Like, for example, when you’re approaching a birthday that starts with a “fif” and ends with crying in the car because the clouds are moving too quickly overhead. It’s not as silly as it sounds — though it is, admittedly, fairly silly. I had dropped off the kids at camp and was driving back to the house when I got to a stoplight. I looked up and saw shocking blue, scattered white puffballs ...

Technology is only great when it works

Editorials

Companies that jump on the latest trendy technology a little too early are often stuck with the bill when it doesn’t turn out to fulfill all its promise. In Dublin, Ohio, taxpayers had to foot the bill for a K5 autonomous security robot the police department called “DubBot,” after it failed miserably at its job. According to a report by the website Futurism, which cited a Columbus Dispatch report, DubBot helped make no arrests and issued no tickets during its less-than-a-year on the job. Or, as the department spokesperson put it, it “wasn’t meeting operational ...

The MOU with Iran is just awful

Editorials

Last week, my column dealt with President Donald Trump’s declaration that the “Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete” — it isn’t — and the release of the White House’s “Talking Points” related to the already infamous “Memorandum of Understanding” that has been signed and is now being sold (unconvincingly) by Vice President JD Vance who has suddenly reappeared on the scene. And as we expected, the MOU — which was supposedly so amazing that the Trump administration refused to publish it until after it was signed — is just awful, demonstrating in ...

Threats to US greatness loom large as America turns 250

Editorials

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 ...