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World Cup visitors see US for all of its great attributes

Editorials

The World Cup is kicking off here in the United States and for the next five weeks, a sport most Americans cannot be bothered to watch will bring the rest of the planet to our doorstep. They are already arriving. Germans, Spaniards, Egyptians, Australians, every continent but Antarctica is showing up and something is happening that ought to make us pause. Their minds are being blown away by us. A German named Freddy came to Atlanta and made his way up to North Georgia, went tubing on the Chattahoochee, drove through Chattanooga and on to Auburn, Ala. He has been tweeting it all home in ...

Trump: Lawfare is good for thee but not for me

Editorials

President Trump may hate being the target of lawfare, but he sure knows how to wield it against anyone who crosses him. That’s the story of John Bolton, his former national security adviser, who is agreeing to a plea deal essentially for the sin of writing a critical book about his time advising Trump. The president has been determined to seek revenge against Bolton, who wrote his well-regarded memoir, “The Room Where It Happened,” based on his 17 months running the National Security Council in Trump’s first term. Trump first tried and failed to block publication, then went to ...

It’s OK to embrace compliments

Editorials

Most times when I’m invited to speak at a conference, someone introduces me by reading the short bio provided. But this past week at the Southeastern Writers’ Association Conference, my friend, the Georgia judge and novelist Lori Duff, introduced me. She started off by warning she might embarrass me, then proceeded with the most generous and warm introduction I’ve ever received. What a gift to hear how your friend sees you. Not that long ago, I would have struggled to listen. I would have made self-deprecating jokes to not appear arrogant or uppity. Self-worth is something I’m ...

Why drinking alcohol is well worth the small risks

Editorials

Is a glass of wine with dinner going to increase your chance of getting cancer or another serious illness? For the past few years, we’ve been deluged with studies and news accounts suggesting that the answer is yes. This week, the USDA reinstated a caution in its dietary guidelines about limiting alcohol. Note: This is the Trump administration. No sane person seeking guidance on a health matter would look to its science-trashing witch doctors. At the moment, they appear to be whipsawed by industry interests and other constituencies. But who cares? They forfeited credibility the ...

Lawmakers wise to take another look at HB 795

Editorials

A group of lawmakers appears to have listened to advocacy groups and ordinary Ohioans, as they have stepped away from sections of state House Bill 795 that would have banned family members from serving as paid caregivers in the state. The anti-fraud effort is understandable, but as is often the case in Columbus, lawmakers took it a step too far. “How dare you come in my house and tell me who can care for my child! I’m not standing here telling you thank you,” Marlana Kendrick said last week, according to Statehouse News Bureau. “I drove two and a half hours from Cleveland ...

A toast to Yost for success at ‘Doing Big Good’

Editorials

“Do Big Good.” That short but snappy commandment served as a fitting motto that Dave Yost lived by to characterize his mission as chief legal officer of Ohio. Though prissy grammar purists might take issue with his phrasing, few would deny that former state Attorney General Yost succeeded in fulfilling that promise to state residents. As he left office this week for a new job in the private sector, he also leaves behind a legacy of large-scale achievements to benefit Ohioans for the better for years to come. Yost on Monday ended a 25-year stint in public service as Delaware County ...