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‘Warp speed’ needs to be pursued now and later

Distribution of millions of doses of vaccine effective against COVID-19 was no Christmas miracle. It happened only because many people at private drug companies worked hard and at top speed — encouraged by the federal government — to develop and test the vaccines. And they were released much sooner than would normally have happened because regulatory agencies adopted President Donald Trump’s “warp speed” strategy. One need not be an admirer of Trump to give him and his administration credit for that. Their efforts to get the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines available quickly have ...

Don’t put others at risk on New Year’s Eve

It will not be a surprise if months of pent-up frustrations prompt many people to blow off more than a little steam this New Year’s Eve. The evening is viewed by many as the one time a year they let their hair down, anyway. There is nothing wrong with having a little fun, of course. But there is plenty wrong with putting others a risk. You know exactly where we are going — driving while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. It is always a danger on New Years’ Eve and may be even more so this year. In some states, traditional partying venues will be either shut down ...

Nashville reminds us of our heroes

Once again, we have been reminded of how courageously many law enforcement personnel react to their protect-and-serve mandate. On Christmas morning, a bomb exploded in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. It had been placed in a recreational vehicle. The perpetrator had placed a loudspeaker in it, from which a few people nearby may have heard a recording warning them of the bomb. Many did not hear that warning. What they did hear was six Nashville police officers who had been alerted to the bomb, rushing from door to door, often in close proximity to the recreational vehicle, telling ...

No-knock raids deserve to be banned

Law enforcement agencies throughout the nation have been rethinking their tactics this year, in efforts to prevent tragedies such as the death in March of Louisville, Kentucky, resident Breonna Taylor. Taylor died during a raid by police investigating illegal drug trafficking — with which she was not alleged to have been involved. She perished in a hail of bullets after police burst into her apartment and her boyfriend, who says he thought criminals had invaded their home, opened fire. Police fired back and Taylor was killed. Louisville police insist they announced their presence ...

Punishment owed to some drug makers

It seems difficult sometimes to keep up with all the lawsuits against drug companies without a scorecard. But the more we learn about the truly evil practices in which some engaged, the more it seems the punishment cannot be too harsh. A bipartisan congressional report issued last week explains that some companies selling addictive opioid painkillers spent as much as $65 million funding allegedly nonprofit groups that promoted use of such drugs to ease pain. The practice continued until 2019, long after the hazards of opioids were known widely. Responsible pharmaceutical firms backed ...

We must retaliate against rogue nation hackers

What is being called the SolarWinds hack of tens of thousands of private and government networks may have been the most serious digital invasion of the United States ever, those with knowledge of the situation have said. It may take years to repair the damage, they add. As many as 18,000 computer networks have been compromised by the hack, which got its name from the Texas software firm through which the hackers invaded networks. U.S. intelligence agencies say the attack bears all the signs of having originated in Russia. More detailed knowledge of where blame should be laid needs to ...