Opinion

A report from Northwestern University’s Medill School puts it bluntly: The loss of local journalism that we’re seeing in the United States is “a crisis for our democracy and our society.” I couldn’t agree more. We rely on free and vigorous news media for the effective functioning of our democracy, at all levels of government. […]

Israel [on Oct. 7] was savagely attacked by the terrorist organization, Hamas. The brazen strike claimed the lives of more than 1,300 innocent civilians including dozens of Americans. Images from the terrorist attack were horrifying. Women and children were murdered and kidnapped. Elderly were slaughtered in their homes. [At least 30] Americans were killed. It

It’s not hard to imagine that as Congress edged closer and closer to shutting down the U.S. government at the end of September, most Americans watched with a sense of both disbelief and bemusement. Disbelief, because on Congress’s list of key responsibilities, keeping the federal government running surely ranks near the top. And some degree

Consumer and Republican backlash against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investments has increased dramatically in the past year as states, Congress, and presidential candidates have taken on the issue, promising to rein in the largely green-conscious movement of capital amid spiraling energy and food costs since 2021. Boycotts of brands such as Bud Light, Disney,

As the political press continues to gear up for next year’s presidential election, I’ve been struck by how little attention many national reporters have paid to a potential third-party bid by the group known as No Labels. The organization, which says it’s committed to bipartisanship and political centrism, has secured ballot access in at least

Gov. Kathy Hochul and her political allies have made great efforts to convince New Yorkers they are motivated by improving our democratic processes, but actions speak louder than words. The push to widely expand mail-in voting runs contrary to what voters expressed in a statewide referendum in 2021, yet New York State is prepared to

Gun owners, outdoor sportsmen and women, and stores selling firearms and ammunition are now subjected to some troublesome procedures and protocols after new regulations went into effect on Sept. 13. The crux of the changes pertains to the way background checks will be conducted, as well as new fees associated with buying guns and ammunition

We can no longer pretend that climate change is just a theory or that it’s a problem for the future. From deadly fires in Hawaii to devastating floods in the Northeast to record heat waves across much of the country, we see constant reminders of what a warming climate can do. But how can we

The national unemployment rate reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) rose from 3.5 percent to 3.8 percent in August as an additional 514,000 Americans said they could not find work in the BLS’s household survey. Now 6.3 million Americans are said to be unemployed, the highest in more than a year. But

One of the hardest things to watch as Congress has evolved over the past decade or more is the extent to which its oversight muscles have atrophied. Sure, committees on Capitol Hill still haul members of the administration in front of them to ask uncomfortable questions. But while there has always been a tinge of