If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as the recently leaked draft opinion suggests, arguments over how to regulate abortion will move from the courts to the legislatures, in Washington and 50 state capitals. Many critics of the decision, and even some of its defenders — I find myself in both camps — say this is where the debate ...Read more

Once upon a time, it was the activist left that wanted to rip private property from private entities, and it was conservatives who sought to prevent such attacks on free enterprise. But that was when conservatives still believed in their own stated principles. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has once again demonstrated how much he doesn’t. His ...Read more

A new analysis in a prestigious journal offers timely reassurance about the COVID-19 shots' safety and effectiveness to a vitally important but vaccine-hesitant group: expectant mothers.

Making safety judgments for two is a daunting responsibility during pregnancy. Mothers-to-be are cautious about medications, food, alcohol and cigarettes and ...Read more

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as the recently leaked draft opinion suggests, arguments over how to regulate abortion will move from the courts to the legislatures, in Washington and 50 state capitals. Many critics of the decision, and even some of its defenders — I find myself in both camps — say this is where the debate ...Read more

There’s something admirable in the consistency of abortion’s most ardent opponents.

If a fertilized egg is a full-fledged human life, its destruction is indeed no different from the murder of a post-natal person. Thus, a proposed Louisiana law that classifies all abortions as homicide has a logical consistency difficult to gainsay.

If a ...Read more

The most intriguing politician in the Republican Party is an uncharismatic governor who's trying to make the GOP's culture war appealing to suburban mothers.

Ron DeSantis, the 43-year-old governor of Florida, has been on a tear. Originally a tea party-style fiscal conservative, he's embraced a series of hard-edged positions that have boosted ...Read more

A silent killer stalks New York state, ruining lives, destroying families and terrorizing communities, to the tune of more than 13 deaths a day on average over 2021. Its name is opioid abuse, and its death toll is growing. A report this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said drug overdose deaths nationwide rose 15% last ...Read more

In the deepest corners of the right wing, the belief exists that teachers, textbook writers and publishing companies are conspiring to indoctrinate children. It starts with softening students up by talking about feelings. Then, their unsuspecting minds can be shaped to believe in climate change, COVID-19 vaccines, evolution and — worst of all ...Read more

The breakdown of U.S. Supreme Court legitimacy may already have begun as the public perception of the court morphs from one of respectful observances of the law as interpreted by the nation’s top judicial scholars to a view of them as little more than political hacks in black robes. Various states, including Missouri, are on record openly ...Read more

Many news stories stress that our ecosystems are under assault by Burmese pythons and Asian carp. This leads people to conclude that it is the less charismatic fauna such as reptiles and fish that are the most threatening of invasive species.

Proposed amendments to the Lacey Act that the U.S. House passed Feb. 4 seem to perpetuate this ...Read more

On April 18, a federal court judge ended the federal transportation face mask mandate, deeming it an overstep of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authority. Almost immediately, airlines responded by making face masks on flights optional. The White House continues to urge travelers on all modes of transportation (air, rail and public ...Read more

The now infamous Supreme Court draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, repealing Roe v. Wade, is not just a shameful ransacking of a 50-year-old precedent, it is an epic assault on the fundamental right of women to participate as equals in American society.

Roe is not just about the medical procedure of abortion and protecting women’s health ...Read more

As an oncologist who often works with patients walking the thin line between life and death, I am always humbled by working in the clinic. It’s where I constantly realize that my troubles are incomparable to the pain that my patients experience. However, the more I am humbled, the more I discover there is to learn. The more I learn about ...Read more

As parents, we inherently want to protect our children. We tell them stories with happy endings and reassure them that there aren’t monsters hiding under the bed.

But there’s an enemy living among us that poses a fatal threat to kids and adults alike — and we’re simply not doing enough to stop it.

These enemies are “superbugs” — ...Read more

Inflation is likely to be the most powerful issue working for Republicans in this year’s congressional elections. Public concern over it has been rising fast. Republicans can plausibly blame the administration of President Joe Biden for making the problem worse by spending too much money on a pandemic stimulus program he pushed through ...Read more

Everyone familiar with basic Florida law knew that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to manhandle the redistricting process for political gain violated the Florida Constitution.

But DeSantis went ahead anyway and used his office to draw congressional district map lines, blatantly favoring Republicans and disenfranchising the state’s Black voters....Read more

About 200 years ago, a palm tree was planted in downtown Los Angeles.

The fan palm was originally from the Southern California desert, a newcomer to the city like so many who would arrive later. And like so many who settled here, this young migrant prospered while adapting to the changing times.

It grew up as humble landscaping for a home on ...Read more

When Russia sent hypersonic missiles into a shopping center in Ukraine’s elegant port city of Odesa on Monday, it was literally attacking the world.

Ukraine is known as the “breadbasket of Europe” and a global grain exporter. Eighty percent of its wheat used to ship from Odesa until Russia began blockading this major Black Sea port and ...Read more