Democracy’s premise is that ordinary citizens can make solid decisions on complex issues. But this basic principle and the structure of laws and practices erected over the centuries to safeguard it are being questioned as rarely before.
People sure can be funny sometimes, intentionally or, as is more-often the case, unintentionally by just being themselves.
In 1949, the Soviet Armed Forces put a new, deadly assault rifle into general use, the AK-47. The Mikhail Kalashnikov design was soon disseminated around the world as a cheap, effective, durable military and police weapon.
A turbulent week in the economy is a very good time to write about fundamentals. Trade, its origins and its benefits are a timely topic. I must warn readers that these ideas aren’t very hard, but rather shockingly simple. They will challenge what you’ve heard in the media and on the campaign trail.
Small cities and towns have been the worst-hit victims of the property-tax caps. In the decade since their introduction, the caps have forced such communities to either reduce or eliminate services, or burden residents by raising taxes and adopting new user fees in an effort to maintain thos…
Indianapolis officials have announced they will no longer provide tax abatements to companies paying any worker less than $18 an hour. This welcome news coincided with announcements by Kansas City and Austin to suspend tax incentives. Perhaps the incentive fiasco surrounding the Amazon and F…
Out of respect for some families, not talking about child abuse or neglect might seem like the right thing to do. Unfortunately, it clearly is not the right thing to do if a child is endangered. Neighbors, teachers, relatives and passers-by all have a stake in raising a child in a safe environment.
I’ve been struck recently by news coverage of climate change and humans’ degradation of the planet.
On this there seems to be agreement, that no resident of Oaktown likes the changes (or “improvements”) the Indiana Department of Transportation is making to the section of U.S. 41 that runs along the town's east side.
Economic performance has been reduced domestically and aboard
A cliché about violent offenders is that someone often will say what a nice, quiet neighbor the person was before the eruption. A new study of mass attacks in America suggests quite the opposite — and that perhaps more of these rampages can be prevented.
The 9/11 attacks impressed upon all Americans that terrorism was a threat that we could not ignore. It remains so today.
Directives announced last week from Gov. Eric Holcomb are aimed at improving access to tobacco cessation products for Hoosiers.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday told young people a number of falsehoods he's been relating to adults for months and took a misleading swipe at the female Democratic lawmakers he's trying to turn into foils.
A moment of national unity bathed in triumph
Today in History
We're not big believers in public officials being responsible for all the bad things other public officials say or do. It's become a too-common political weapon to ask lawmakers to condemn members of their own party, even for behavior that's not representative of anything more than one perso…
Americans' age, education level and religious affiliation matter greatly when it comes to their opinions on a prospective clergy member's sexual orientation, gender, marital status or views on social issues such as same-sex marriage or abortion, a new poll shows.
A few years ago, I was at a polling place here in Indiana where a long line of people stood waiting to vote. A woman recognized me and called me over. “Why is it,” she asked, “that you politicians make it so hard and inconvenient to vote?”
What we said two years ago remains true today: Transparency is one of the hallmarks of good government in a democracy.
The past decade has seen a blossoming of research on the geography of employment and the effect of automation on the demand for workers and skills. These studies benefited from significantly richer data sets on people and skills that enabled substantially more sophisticated labor market analysis.
Today in History
Seizing on an opening provided by the Supreme Court, the Trump administration is scrambling to offer a new, legally defensible rationale for adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. But it's all a charade ordered up by President Trump, who is determined to enlist the decennial censu…
The Supreme Court’s decision to stay on the sidelines on the issue of partisan gerrymandering is a blow to anyone concerned about fairness in elections.
WASHINGTON — Americans are generally satisfied with their personal finances, but many lack confidence in their ability to afford retirement, an emergency expense or even their daily living costs.
As it turns out, they can, at least in Fort Wayne
You might’ve noticed you’re paying a bit more at the pump than you did in June.
Independence Day weekend was an opportune time to reflect on liberty. It was also a good time to note that the father of economics, Adam Smith, published his great "Wealth of Nations" just as Jefferson finalized the Declaration of Independence.
Nearly 37 years ago, my mother was in the final weeks of her 18-month-long losing battle with pancreatic cancer.
Gambling has been a part of life in Indiana for decades — slot machines, table games, horse-race parlors and lottery tickets are available to Hoosiers who want to try their luck and risk their money. But soon, anyone in Indiana who is at least 21 years old will be allowed to bet on pro- and …
To expand college access, we need to make it less expense up front
WASHINGTON — The solid economy is doing little to bolster support for President Donald Trump.
Of all the forces shaping our politics today, gerrymandering stands alone as the least discussed and most consequential one.
To the Editor:
WASHINGTON — This was no Trump rally. Ten Democrats kicked off the presidential debate season with a sober rendering of policy that featured a smattering of missteps on climate change, the economy and more but no whoppers.
The Trump administration continued to nibble away Monday at the problem of high healthcare costs, unveiling a set of proposals to bring more transparency to the industry's byzantine pricing practices. But like just about everything else the administration has done on healthcare affordability…
Gary parent Rick Castejon says the 'Most Annoying Male' award was given last month to his 11-year-old son, who has autism, at a Bailly Preparatory Academy awards lunch.
I don’t know why flying saucers don’t visit the Columbus area anymore.
NEW YORK — A sizable number of U.S. voters say they'd have some hesitancy about supporting an LGBT candidate for president, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. In fact it's an issue for many more than a candidate's race or gender.
A community's quality of life can be measured in a number of ways. None is more important than the health of its residents.
Cities often tout their low cost of living as a tool for attracting new residents. On the face of it, that would make sense. After all, who wouldn’t like to pay less for the things they buy: home, auto, food and recreation? Who would not wish to move to an adjacent neighborhood and pay less …
It happened. The yield curve inverted. The big one. The 10-year Treasury bond rate dropped below the 3-month Treasury bill rate. That’s the inversion that economists think is the most reliable indicator of a coming recession.
The nonchalance public officials in Indiana show practical democracy and the public’s right to know is perhaps only rivaled by the indifference of the public itself.
Anyone claiming a partisan witch hunt against Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill will have to rethink an inconvenient part of that proposed storyline.
Today in History
It’s hardly shocking news to learn that Indiana has one of the highest smoking rates in the nation.
You may not be ready for next year’s elections, but in political time, they’re coming up fast. Even politicians who aren’t running for president are crafting their stump speeches. Which means that at some point you’re almost certain to hear someone announce, sternly, “I. Will. Not. Compromis…
Today in History
The resolution passed last week by the South Bend Common Council is a solid idea you might think that everyone would support.
We are paying to train men and women in the occupations of the past, not the future
Today in History
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.