ArcaMax

This column is the latest in a series on parenting children in the final years of high school, "Emptying the Nest."

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Over Presidents' Day weekend, my eldest daughter took her 17-year-old sister to tour a few colleges in Northern and Central California. A part of me desperately wanted to go with them — my youngest's first real college ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Senate won’t be confirming Gov. Ron DeSantis’ choice of Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich for the Commission on Ethics this year, marking the second time since August that an ethics appointee of the governor has run into potential ethical problems.

The ethics board nominees all were recommended for...Read more

KUNG FU PANDA 4

Rated PG for martial arts action/mild violence, scary images and some mild rude humor.

What it’s about: Dragon Warrior Po leaves the Valley of Peace and embarks on a journey to Juniper City in order to vanquish The Chameleon.

The kid attractor factor: It's animated and features a beloved character.

Good lessons/bad lessons:...Read more

When Olivia Rodrigo sings, “seeing you tonight, it’s a bad idea, right?” she’s referring to an ex-boyfriend. But parents taking their 9-year-old to her concerts might want to ask themselves the same question.

For months, elementary school-aged children have been begging their moms and dads for a chance to see Rodrigo perform at her Guts...Read more

News reporters, broadcasters, podcasters and all-news-all-the-time channels tell us the world is a rotten place. To quote an old adage: "If it weren't for bad news, we'd have no news at all."

Bad news is essential for the news industry. It's the IV bag keeping the patient alive, the fuel in the engine, the caffeine in the coffee.

And so the ...Read more

Q: My children’s mother has to have surgery. I did not hear this from her, but from the children. Evidently, she has had serious back problems for a while, yet I had no idea. The kids tell me they will be staying with their grandmother for about a month while their mom is recuperating. We share equal custody. Shouldn’t I be asked to weigh ...Read more

Those who deal with anxiety can have trouble with daily activities like school work, job performance and personal relationships. It’s estimated that 31.1% of adults in the U.S. suffer from an anxiety disorder.

“With other medical illnesses, you may be able to see physical symptoms. But with anxiety, you don’t necessarily see what the ...Read more

Prebiotic sodas are on the rise because of marketing campaigns that have taken over TikTok. As concerns about gut health grew on the popular app, so did companies creating and promoting their brands with the help of influencers — generating the hashtag #GutHealth, which has more than 7.4 billion views.

According to the Mayo Clinic, prebiotics...Read more

Brianna MacMahon’s "On the Precipice," the first book in the New Caelus series, is a unique sci-fi character study that readers won’t want to miss.

Raelynn Mabry, a recent graduate with a bright future among the elite governing class, is taken on as the intern to one of the planet’s top leaders. Levin Liston, the Lord Regent of Diplomacy ...Read more

In "Searching for Zen," author Albert T. Franklin weaves an exhilarating tale that seamlessly melds elements of fantasy and science fiction into an epic narrative of self-discovery, love and the enduring power of the human spirit. From its humble beginnings on Earth to the vast expanses of the cosmos, this book takes readers on a gripping ...Read more

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Republican state legislator has filed a plan to protect in vitro fertilization procedures in Missouri following an Alabama court ruling that declared frozen embryos are unborn children.

State Rep. Bill Allen, a Kansas City Republican who narrowly unseated an incumbent Democrat two years ago, floated a measure Wednesday...Read more

We are two moms whose only sons, Miguel Carrasquillo and Andrew Flack, lived in Illinois and died young from cancer. Our boys, both in their 30s, made emotional videos pleading to die peacefully from aggressive cancers.

As similar as our two stories are, our sons experienced very different deaths.

One suffered horribly before his death from ...Read more

'DUNE: PART TWO'

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some suggestive material and brief strong language.

What it’s about: The sequel to the epic "Dune" follows Paul Atreides on Arrakis as he becomes one with the Fremen and accepts his destiny.

The kid attractor factor: Older kids and teens will be drawn to the big sci-fi spectacle...Read more

It takes not just a village but apparently several overlapping villages to keep a human alive.

For my purposes, it takes my people.

My daughter’s people.

My sons’ people.

It takes my doctors, the bank lady, my haircutter, my therapist, my friend who makes me breakfast, my other friend who makes me dinner, the people who run the local ...Read more

It is a seismic jolt when kids fly the coop. I know from experience that it's sad. And may I say it is sadder when girls leave home than boys, because by age 18, boys have so much testosterone coursing through their bodies that it is simply time for them to go.

"We love you, but go. Just go. Take your truck and your drums with you. We'll call. ...Read more

Q: My mother is out of control. She is very upset that my ex left and says horrible things about her when the kids are around. Her last rant called their mother “a lying, cheating ho.” And I didn’t know what to do. I try to reel her in, but she doesn’t listen. I don’t want to stop her from seeing her grandkids, but she doesn’t ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Tina Descovich, the co-founder of the right-wing advocacy group Moms for Liberty, on Monday pushed back against accusations of political bias and conflicts of interest as she gets one step closer to being confirmed as a state ethics officer by the Florida Senate.

Descovich — who Gov. Ron DeSantis picked to serve on the ...Read more