Opinion

Inflation came to a standstill last month. The primary causes of that welcomed outcome were tightened monetary policy and an increase in the supply of petroleum. Nevertheless, Congress passed, and the president signed the Inflation Reduction Act. While this legislation may do many things, one thing it will not do is reduce inflation. Indeed, the most we can hope for is that the new law won’t make inflation worse.

The Indianapolis Business Journal has named its “Indiana 250”, a list of “the state’s most influential and impactful business and community leaders.”

Years ago, I wrote that the institution that would suffer the most at Donald Trump’s hands was the Republican Party.

The morning air is getting crisper. Goldenrod and asters are blooming in the garden. The sun is rising later and later in the morning, and those long summer evenings have been truncated.

Recently, 4,000 beagles were released from a research facility because the dogs were being mistreated. Several organizations are trying to find homes for these adorable creatures. That story was especially sad for me to read, as this month is the 20th anniversary of losing my first beagle. Barney was a rescue, too.

Hearts

I have long been fascinated by the “creative process” of artists. Perhaps my first encounter with a real artist came in the church of my youth. Once every two or three years, my church would invite a “chalk artist” to perform in a Sunday evening service. These artists would set up their large easels in front of the congregation before slowly drawing a scene from the Bible.

“Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.”

For most Americans, the COVID-19 pandemic is behind them; they’ve moved on. Done. It’s obvious from the small percentage of people still masking. Even public health officials, understanding the realities of pandemic fatigue, now attempt to balance best public health recommendations with the public’s willingness to comply with mitigation measures. Politically, the days of mitigation mandates are gone.

Cracker Barrel — that icon of good, old-fashioned buttery biscuits with a side of cholesterol — has come out of the culture-war closet and announced it is sausage pro-choice.