US Opinion and Commentary

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Two More Weeks

Posted October 25th, 2016 at 4:42 pm (UTC-4)
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14 days and counting before most Americans vote in the 2016 presidential election. While most polls have Hillary Clinton ahead of Donald Trump, predictability is among the casualties in this election.

And there is still time for events to make an impact. Such as Monday’s word that Obamacare premiums will rise by an average of 25 percent. Republicans jumped on the news with a chorus of “I told you so.” Trump promised to replace Obamacare “with something much less expensive.”

Clinton is spending the campaign’s final two weeks encouraging supporters to get to the polls, and if possible, cast their ballots early as a way to rebut Trump’s assertions that the election is rigged.

Listen for familiar story lines from both candidates as they make their closing arguments for votes. Trump and Clinton will concentrate their efforts on handful of competitive states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, North Carolina, Nevada and Iowa. Traditionally Republican Texas, Georgia and Arizona are now considered toss-up states, opening the electoral map for Clinton and the possibility of a third party candidate picking up momentum.

A Better Way to Educate Doctors

Posted June 28th, 2016 at 1:04 pm (UTC-4)
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Clay Johnston, the dean of the new medical school, was asked if we should be worried about doctors using Google to better inform their diagnoses. He replied that, on the contrary, we should worried if our doctors are not doing that.

Obama’s Final Pitch

Posted January 11th, 2016 at 2:24 pm (UTC-4)
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The White House has already hinted at the tone and focus of President Barack Obama’s last State of the Union address. Positive. Forward looking. And, most of all, the president is expected to counter Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump’s decidedly negative, and often time offensive, narrative of the country. While these annual speeches often come off as ceremonial and full of unfulfilled promises, this one — Obama’s eighth — is a marker. After he utters his final words “…and God bless America,” the race to replace him will have officially begun.

The President Prepares for Final State of the Union Address

Posted January 11th, 2016 at 1:36 pm (UTC-4)
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“I don’t think I’ve ever been more optimistic about the year ahead as I am right now.”

Our World in 2016

Posted December 31st, 2015 at 10:09 am (UTC-4)
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Predicting what the future holds is nearly always a risky pursuit. We can examine and dissect events past, trends and patterns, but do we ever really know what is to come? We do in one case: America will elect a new president in 2016, ending President Barack Obama’s second term. And experts agree overwhelmingly that the world will continue to be plagued by the threat of terrorism. But what about the global economy? Gun violence? The Iran nuke deal? Europe’s migrant crisis? Some of the world’s most pressing issues will be stubbornly familiar and hard to remedy; others are likely to emerge as new challenges in a new year.

How I Would Replace Obamacare

Posted November 11th, 2015 at 3:29 pm (UTC-4)
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Under my plan, instead of an insurer directly paying all the bills, consumers would be empowered to make choices that are right for them. For instance, an asthma patient could save money by choosing a treatment costing $8,000 instead of one from a different hospital in the same city costing $34,000.

Did the Supreme Court Overreach on Controversial Rulings?

Posted July 8th, 2015 at 4:12 pm (UTC-4)
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The decision to make same-sex marriage the law of the land has roiled many conservatives, some of whom say the court is guilty of “judicial tyranny.” The decisions, they argue, show the court is becoming politicized. Supreme Court justices are appointed by the president to lifetime terms. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has gone so far as to call for the justices to face election.

Supreme Court Rulings Suggest Social, Political Shift

Posted June 30th, 2015 at 3:36 pm (UTC-4)
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As the court winds up its term, decisions on controversial cases such as Obamacare and same-sex marriage have provoked heated debate. Supporters are hailing the constitutional inclusiveness of the rulings, while more conservative observers are decrying a court that they argue has overstepped its boundaries.

Obamacare Exchanges Imploding State By State

Posted June 23rd, 2015 at 2:17 pm (UTC-4)
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In the last couple of weeks, President Obama’s talking points have taken a turn for the weird.