ArcaMax

May is graduation month. Students, parents and friends celebrate the end of one process and the start of another. Once we finish with our formal education, we often forget that our learning should not end. Lifelong learning is critical, and I hope that this column will serve as a reminder that we all have something more to learn. Think of this, ...Read more

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and as I did last week in my column, I will write again about my mother, Jackie Battley Gingrich, who died in 2013 yet remains a living inspiration to me.

This week, I am writing about a different aspect to this remarkable woman. Even before she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in 2004, she knew that ...Read more

Next weekend is Mother's Day, which of course reminds me of my mother, Jackie Battley Gingrich, who died in 2013. So forgive me if I spend the next two weeks writing about her -- and why her views still matter to me. She was a polio survivor, finished college in three years (the first in her family to do so); she was a math major at Auburn ...Read more

The never-ending media outrage machine is undoubtedly focusing on the next soon-to-be crisis and amplifying anything that could possibly pit one of us against the other. Outrage drives ratings up, but it also drives people apart. I've been focusing instead on causes that bring people together. Since this Friday we celebrate the 52nd annual Earth...Read more

"It's the economy, stupid," is the infamous mantra conceived by Democratic political consultant James Carville that underscored the main issue driving the 1992 presidential race. A few months later, Bill Clinton replaced George H.W. Bush as president; it was the voters' focus on the economy that put Clinton in the White House. While this year is...Read more

The news swirling around us this week is about the war in Ukraine, the variability in the stock market, the rapid increase in the rate of inflation and the continuing issues related to the supply chain. It's too easy to be drawn into the news and confusion of the day, to respond on Twitter or to lash out at others due to fear and uncertainty.

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You're not the only one noticing the higher prices at the gas pump and in the grocery store. In addition to rising prices, the war in Ukraine is on a constant loop on news channels, providing additional events to worry about -- events that we cannot control. Even those few who were watching the Oscars for entertainment could not get away from ...Read more

Recently, there has been much media attention about the Parental Rights in Education bill, which Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has promised to sign soon.

What does this bill say? "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a ...Read more

We've all noticed how ugly and personal politics can be. Often, it's not enough to disagree with someone's point of view or belief. Instead, politicians all too often resort to name-calling, character assassination and contempt for the other person. This is the one item in politics that seems to be nonpartisan. Both parties have candidates, ...Read more

It's been just two weeks since Russia invaded Ukraine, but it feels like months. During that time, we've all gotten to know Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and possibly even looked up Ukraine on the map.

Zelenskyy is a fascinating figure. He earned a law degree from Kyiv National Economic University. Before entering politics, he was an...Read more

Lent began this week. In the Christian tradition, the Lenten period is a time of fasting and prayer, preparation and reflection in anticipation of Easter, which commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus. Historically, Lent has been a time to provide instruction to new converts and young Christians as a way to strengthen their faith, as ...Read more

Last week, an organization that used to provide guitar lessons to girls in Afghanistan released a music video featuring those girls. The video was shot prior to the withdrawal of U.S. forces last summer and the subsequent takeover of their country by the Taliban.

The Miraculous Love Kids, a 501(c)(3) program, is run by Lanny Cordola, an ...Read more