A few years ago, I received a call I’ll never forget. Jeanette Epps, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, Zoomed into my living room from 250 miles above Earth. During our conversation, she told me that one of the reasons she chose her career was a television show my father created in 1966.

She wasn’t alone. I’ve heard ...Read more

Americans have rarely trusted their institutions less. In June, Gallup found average confidence in the 14 institutions it tracks was near a record low. Some 9% of the public trusted Congress, 27% trusted the Supreme Court, and 45% trusted the police. The criminal justice system, as a whole, ranked near the bottom.

Below those totals, however, ...Read more

Like it or not, we are all betting on AI taking over the economy. In the last 40 years, the U.S. has become a nation of stock investors. On the whole, it has made Americans rich. Now the stock market is soaring on the hopes that AI will make everyone more productive — and if that doesn’t work out, we all may learn the definition of a bad ...Read more

The bill for a season in youth sports comes in installments: new skates, registration fees and uniforms. Then there’s the price of travel tournaments, gas and restaurant meals. Finally, the hotel requirement, which feels like one mandate too many. Families are instructed to stay at a designated hotel, or their children — and even their team ...Read more

President Donald Trump might not look smaller, but he is.

At home and abroad, among a significant majority of Americans that includes increasing numbers of Republicans, as well as in the eyes of foreign leaders, the president of the United States is shrinking by the day into a hapless peacock, a cartoon figure posting comic word balloons at all...Read more

President Donald Trump has often sparred effectively with the mainstream media outlets. His latest skirmish, however, is a misstep.

On Friday, Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were no longer welcome in the White House. He justified this decision by writing on Truth Social that they constantly report “fake news.”

Over the ...Read more

“You can’t debate a liar.” That’s the rationale given by Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly, who announced earlier this week that he would not participate in a debate with Byron Donalds, his GOP counterpart.

We vehemently disagree. In fact, face-to-face debate is often one of the best ways to challenge a rival on their beliefs...Read more

Sam Forstag recently joined a text chain to better keep up with a few friends. There’s nothing unusual about that, except Forstag’s texting buddies are a group of Democratic candidates for the U.S. House who share one unusual characteristic: They have spent years in blue-collar jobs.

November’s election will test whether Democrats can ...Read more

With another NFL season kicking off, millions of Americans will spend Sundays cheering for the Eagles, Bears, Lions, Broncos, Dolphins and other animal-themed teams. We admire them because they exemplify strength, intelligence, courage, speed and determination.

The real animals behind those names deserve our admiration, too.

There’s a reason...Read more

The scariest thing about President Donald Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly Tuesday was not the wild exaggerations, false claims, or disgusting slurs against (truthful) critics. That all has become par for the course and was to be expected.

Far more terrifying was the distinct possibility that the president believed his ...Read more

On the surface, it seems the United States spends a lot on public education — more per student than all but a few countries.

Nationwide, the U.S. spends $20,387 per student, fourth most in the world. Only Luxembourg, Norway and Austria — small countries with populations under 10 million — invest more.

Total public-education spending is 5...Read more

Love or hate him, it must be said: Donald Trump is the most extraordinary politician of our time.

He’s survived twin impeachments, a felony conviction, innumerable scandals, moral and ethical lapses, dunderheaded policies and countless exhibitions of heartlessness and bad taste, allowing him to reign over American life like no other figure in...Read more

The U.S. poverty rate in 2025 dropped to its lowest level in history, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau report. Poverty is now at 10.5%, down slightly from last year. Child poverty also hit its lowest level ever, dropping to 13.4%.

The Census Bureau also reported that inflation-adjusted median household income grew by 2.6% and hit an ...Read more

Across the country, candidates are running unapologetically on Medicare for All— and winning.

In just the last several months, three Democratic contenders for U.S. Senate seats clinched primary election wins after making Medicare for All a centerpiece of their campaigns. In Illinois, it was attorney and lieutenant governor Juliana Stratton; ...Read more

The United States spends too much on K–12 education. That does not mean every expenditure is unnecessary, every state should spend the same amount or schools could operate without administrators, transportation and support services. It means the price of public education has become disconnected from the number of students served and the ...Read more

There’s a simple reason that President Donald Trump always seems one step ahead of the courts.

He moves too fast.

Courts, at their best, are magisterial, contemplative, careful to hear both sides. They take the time to cross every t and dot every i before sending forth their decrees.

Trump is a whirligig of ideas, inspirations, occasional ...Read more

President Donald Trump announced Friday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House because of reporting he characterized as false and unfair. Reporters from the three organizations were subsequently denied access, and the outlets filed a federal lawsuit alleging violations of their First and Fifth Amendment rights.

The ...Read more