Opinion

The wave broke in a flurry of seafoam and squeals of joy.

One of the Israeli government’s initial acts in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel took me by surprise. Israel’s ambassador to the Vatican conveyed an urgent message to Pope Francis. The message was more a demand than a request, and that demand was for Pope Francis to portray Israel unambiguously as the victim and Hamas as the heinous aggressor in any comments he would make about the conflict.

Autumn is a melancholy season for me.

It occurred on February 19, 1942, following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan two months earlier. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, “with the stated intention of preventing espionage on American shores.” What the order actually did was one of the greatest atrocities committed by the United States in its history: the internment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. Canada followed our lead first, then Mexico and several South American countries did too.

The New York Times

As a youngster, I recall asking my father what was the difference between a recession and a depression. His definition was that a recession was when your neighbor lost his job, and a depression was when you lost your job. A half century later, armed with a Ph.D. in economics, I don’t think I’ve heard a cleaner definition. This way of thinking about the economy is what most people do, and I don’t blame them.

The (Columbus) Republic

Whatever else it may be, the 2024 Indiana GOP governor’s race won’t be pretty.

When I was growing up, going to school was not optional. Unless I had a fever and couldn’t get out of bed, I went — no “Price Is Right” on the couch for me. Schools made a big deal out of showing up, even giving away free bikes for perfect attendance.

Las Vegas Review-Journal