As long-time readers of this column know, I do not delve into politics or current events. You might think this comes from a desire to find common ground with all my readers. You might think I am trying to bridge the divide in a time when there...

With Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s signature last week, her state took the lead in the race to pass the nation’s most restrictive abortion law. Ivey gave women elsewhere one more reason to be grateful they live in a state that protects their right to...

Today’s topic is change. It makes the world go round, but a lot of people hate it anyway. Change is inevitable, and yet the older we get, the more we’re inclined to resist it. It can be evolutionary or revolutionary, and it always has its share...

A surveillance program that allows the U.S. government to comb through hundreds of millions of Americans’ telephone records in search of connections to terrorism could soon be a thing of the past. That would be good news for personal privacy and...

Good afternoon, graduates of this particular area high school OR community college OR four-year college. Whoever scheduled me as your graduation speaker has made a terrible mistake. It was such an awful mistake that nobody made it, and you’re...

Oil points intentionally misleading Regarding last Sunday’s column headlined “Industry must find emissions balance:” It is disappointing to read an academic repeating talking points from the oil and gas industry, particularly when those points...

Every time I see the latest economic news, I thank Hillary Clinton. Every time I see those high GDP numbers (up 3.2 percent last quarter), I thank Hillary. Every time I see those record low unemployment numbers for blacks, Latinos and women, I thank...

Lysistrata, the character from the Aristophanes play of the same name, declared a sex strike to try to stop a devastating war in ancient Greece. Alyssa Milano, the actress and political activist, declared a sex strike to try to stop Georgia from...

Most rational people could quickly stipulate Alex Jones is a conspiracy nut, Milo Yianopolous is a provocateur who solicited neo-Nazi and white supremacist figures for feedback and story ideas and Louis Farrakhan has a history of anti-Semitism as a...

I just finished doing a final read of high school seniors’ summaries. That’s something my newspaper compiles from surveys we pass out to the soon-to-be graduates and then publish on the eve of their commencement. It’s uplifting to read about...

My husband, Peter, and I just spent a couple of days staying with our scientist friends. I’ve honestly never had scientist friends before, so there is a lot to learn. One of our scientist friends, Wolfgang, is responsible for filling the ice cube...

Warning: This contains spoilers to “Avengers: Endgame,” which I believe is the 418th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moviegoers, it’s been three weeks. “Avengers: Endgame” has made $3.2 billion worldwide. You’ve had time to see it...

There is no more disputing it: methane emissions are dropping even as oil and gas production continues to surge in America’s top shale basins, including the prolific Permian Basin in Texas and New Mexico. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, but it...

The last thing the world needs is more of Robert Mueller’s commentary, but Congress is determined to have him hold forth at a public hearing. It’s not as though we don’t already have the special counsel’s version of events. He mustered...

My husband Peter is preparing for the End Times. This might not be literally true, but it would certainly appear to be if you checked out the food supplies we have stashed away. Peter hates the fact that packages now contain less than they used to...