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What no one will tell you about the national debt — but I will

Editorials

The U.S. national debt just crossed a once-unthinkable threshold on the way toward breaking the record set in the wake of World War II: It now exceeds 100% of America’s gross domestic product. As of March 31, our publicly held debt was $31.27 trillion, while America’s GDP in 2025 was $31.22 trillion. This puts the ratio at 100.2%, compared with 99.5% when the last fiscal year ended Sept. 30. That 100.2% figure will likely climb, because the federal government is running historically large annual deficits of nearly 6% of GDP, which add to the debt. The final tally will depend on ...

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Letters to the Editor

I would try to buy a ticket to Trump’s rose garden fight only if it featured his son-in-law and daughter vs Junior and Eric. Winners will split the golden statue of the Don, and losers must have him to dinner in their homes every Christmas or Hanukkah. — Canfield Get it right people, it’s TRUMP IS DERANGED SYNDROME, not Trump derangement syndrome!! — Struthers Can we have a cease and desist order on the political ads? Give us a break. I’m not interested in Vivek or Sherrod at this point in the election cycle. Some countries allow campaigning only for a limited time before ...

Show love and reject bitterness

Editorials

May 7 marked our nation’s 75th annual National Day of Prayer. This milestone year of reverence to the Lord carried the theme “Glorify God Among the Nations — Seeking Him in All Generations.” For many, this theme holds special significance, as we will be celebrating America’s 250th anniversary in July. The prayer that was posted on the NDP website was written by Task Force President Kathy Branzell, and in it, she praises God for guarding and guiding our country since its inception. The beginning of the prayer is an earnest statement of confession, where Branzell writes, ...

When the pope isn’t right

Editorials

It must be the highlight for any Roman Catholic to meet the head of his church. So it must have been last week for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a practicing Catholic. Rubio was on more than a spiritual journey. His mission was to persuade Pope Leo XIV of the rightness, even the righteousness, of the Trump administration’s actions to destroy Iran’s goal of acquiring a nuclear weapon and likely using it as a means of intimidation, or possibly launching it as a weapon of war. The Pope is committed to resolving disputes through diplomacy. That course would be worth pursuing if ...

Orchids & onions

Editorials

ORCHID: To Brandi Parker, Axess Family Services assistant director of Veterans Services, and her associates for moving swiftly in their needed community mission to assist homeless veterans in the Mahoning Valley. Last week, Parker showed off progress that has been made in constructing 14 apartments for homeless military veterans out of steel shipping containers in Youngstown. The complex, complete with a commons area with special services for veterans, is expected to be ready for occupancy this fall. But Axess is not stopping there. It has purchased land on each of the three other ...

Legislature should act to enhance service delivery to Ohioans

Editorials

If you’ve ever been puzzled, perplexed or perturbed while navigating the often slow-moving and sometimes problem-prone agencies of our state bureaucracy, rest assured, you’re not alone. Complaints regarding Ohio state-sponsored services and professional licensing are relatively common, with some areas seeing eye-popping increases. In one recent year, for example, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office handled over 20,500 complaints from state residents. Clearly, there is plenty of room for improvement in the delivery of Ohio services that could reduce bureaucratic hurdles for ...