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Columns/Opinion

Word ‘reparations’ getting in way of historical justice

The best way to begin to repair the damage wrought by our nation’s troubled racial history is to dump the politically toxic word “reparations.” Even casual students of history know that black Americans were first legally then systemically disadvantaged by slavery, Jim Crow, discrimination and segregation, and that those disadvantages resulted in a national wound that has yet to heal and seems unlikely to heal on its own. We must — we should — use our resources to attempt to remediate the undeniable damage done by this uniquely awful legacy. Even those of us whose ...

Get used to it! ‘Netflix and chill’ to end

Brian Boyle Los Angeles Times A late-night text suggesting “NBCUniversal streaming service and chill?” doesn’t seem quite as inviting as a “Netflix and chill?” summons via SMS, but it’s the future we’re heading toward nonetheless. A future accelerated by the news that “The Office” is leaving Netflix in January 2021 to serve as the anchor of NBC’s planned streaming platform. Feel free to mourn, fellow young people. Indeed, the Great Streaming Wars are upon us. Consider this the Battles of Lexington and Concord. Gone will be the days when homebody ...

Democrats’ can still untap anti-Trump Kryptonite

Twenty candidates lined up this week for the first televised debates of the 2020 election. The roster is maxed out, with senators, governors, mayors, and tech entrepreneurs all vying for the chance to take down President Donald Trump. There is indeed a Democrat positioned to do that. He boasts that mix of progressive bona fides, mainstream appeal and proven policy track record. But he wasn’t on the stage. It’s Jimmy Carter, of course. That’s not entirely a joke. The public perception of Carter is that he’s a one-term loser crushed by the weight of his own naive ...

Despite the threat do your job

I recently spoke at the Investigative Reporters and Editors conference in Houston. It was an honor to be invited, but I really wondered what I could say that would have any meaning for some, frankly, very impressive reporters and editors. So, I told our story. The Capital Gazette newsroom was attacked June 28, 2018. Five people died, six survived. Through the dedication of our staff, the support of our colleagues at The Baltimore Sun and across Tribune Publishing plus assistance from the University of Maryland and others, we continued to publish. We have been recognized for this ...

Shifting politics: A conservative case for carbon tax

Republicans have long been nearly united in their opposition to any comprehensive effort to reduce climate change. Part of the opposition is political: They may be making the calculation that, although voters are worried about the issue, actual carbon-pricing programs have not always fared so well at the polls. But a significant part of Republican opposition is philosophical: They are worried about opening the door to a centrally planned economy. For the sake of the planet — and their party — they need to let this go. This isn’t to say that Republican fears are irrational. ...

They’re kids. This is America

Children are suffering in migrant camps along our southern border. They are living in cramped, filthy conditions. Many are sick. Six have died since last year. These are children. They have done nothing wrong. How they got here shouldn’t matter. Whose fault it is that they’re here shouldn’t matter. They are here, and one of the wealthiest and most powerful countries in the world is failing to care for them in even the most marginally humane way. Read these descriptions from recent news reports from the border. Don’t skim over them, and don’t look away, because they ...