Column

If you are frustrated by wait times to see your doctor, the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, just wait until there may be no doctor to see. NBC News recently broadcast a story about how fewer young people are entering the medical profession. The network cited a report from the Association of American Medical Colleges that “projected a shortage of 42,600 to 121,300 physicians by…

WASHINGTON — On Aug. 8, one of the great historians of his generation and — for a certitude — one of the great teachers of any generation, passed away: Robert H. Ferrell. He was 97. Some thought he was too old to die, but nonetheless he worked to the end. When he retired from Indiana University, we thought he would quietly subside. He did not. He continued to write. Even after pulling up stakes…

At this unique moment in American history, liberals and conservatives have something in common: an abhorrence of government prosecutors run amok. Republicans are livid at the federal fishing expedition known as the Mueller investigation. Bit players have been dragooned into an endlessly politicized probe. The media has taken sides; nonstop leaks have tainted the process.

With the continuing hysteria about Donald Trump's presidency, a few questions come to mind. The first: Can a bad man become a good president? The second: Does one's being a good man guarantee he'll be a good president? Third: Does having a good president require a good man? Is there any evidence of Lord Acton's argument that “great men are almost always bad men?”

What does a white boy from the white suburbs of Washington, D.C., have to say about the passing of soul singer Aretha Franklin? At 16, I was a DJ on a local radio station, playing the rock ‘n’ roll and doo-wop recordings of the day. Many of the artists were black. Richard Penniman (aka “Little Richard”) tells a funny story about white kids back then. In “Hail, Hail, Rock ‘n’ Roll,” the 1987…

Does Donald Trump secretly own the Boston Globe? The question comes as the Globe’s call for newspapers to publish anti-Trump editorials was followed by some 350 newspapers around the country.  Fox headlined the inevitable and forseeable this way: “Trump accuses The Boston Globe of ‘COLLUSION’ with other papers as hundreds run editorials against him.”

WASHINGTON -- A fellow Spectatorian is under enemy fire, and we all must rally around him, particularly because he has done nothing wrong and because if those attacking him triumph, we shall all suffer. The cause is free speech. The free speech that is endangered is in Great Britain, but if the forces of censorship win in London, it is only a matter of time before the forces of censorship will be…

Where have we seen this play before: A woman comes forward to accuse a conservative of inappropriate behavior in hopes of harming him sufficiently so he will be unable to achieve his policy objectives? People with even short memories will recall “act one” was Anita Hill, a law professor at the University of Oklahoma, who in 1991 accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment.…

It's quite simple: Some political relatives are more equal than others. Agenda-driven journalists love to exploit familial dysfunction when a prominent politician is conservative and his or her kinfolk espouse liberal views. When a vengeful offspring, sibling, cousin or distant relation wants to wreak havoc, instant fame and adoration are just a tweet or call away. The media schadenfreude over…

During the weekend of Aug. 4-5 (and the preceding Friday night), 12 Chicagoans were shot dead, and 62 others were shot and wounded, the Chicago Tribune reported. Before last week's mayhem, 1,718 Chicagoans had been shot since the beginning of the year, and 306 had been murdered. Adding to this tragedy is the fact that Chicago's clearance rate is less than 15 percent.

I am offended at the Newseum’s T-shirt. Take a look at the label of this t-shirt at the Newseum's gift shop being offered for sale. It is described thusly: “Ladies Alternative Facts Tee.” On the shirt itself it defines “Alternative Fact” as follows: 1. A false statement delivered with deliberate intent to mislead or to deceive. Synonym: lie, prevarication, untruth.  

If you read any number of my previous columns, then you’re familiar with my thoughts on the Hallmark Channel. The company seemed like an unlikely team trying to save American culture from Hollywood’s ongoing politicization and smut. Yet, here they are creating high quality, apolitical, and  original family-friendly movies and shows that the entertainment industry has been ignoring lately. And…

Entertainment writers need a 12-step program to cure their addiction to late night TV. In the Age of Trump outlets like Deadline.com, TheWrap.com and even the Associated Press feverishly churn out stories based on what late night comics say. Just jokes? Not to these smitten journalists. More specifically, it’s every slam uttered against President Trump and the GOP. Although said outlets are so…

“When I managed to finish my first pussy hat, though, I was overjoyed.” That’s an actual line from an actual article in Slate about politicized knitting. It seems that’s a thing, with a “community,” and you can buy Donald Trump pincushions on Etsy