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Deal increases access to obesity drugs

Americans are going to get a little healthier. President Trump cut deals with the drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to increase access to obesity drugs in a major benefit to American public health. The agreements are a win-win-win — good for consumers, good for the companies and good for Trump. One of the most irrational superstitions of our time is that Big Pharma, which has long been routinely delivering near-miraculous therapeutics to extend and improve our lives, is a public enemy. Its latest breakthrough is a class of so-called GLP-1 drugs that make it easier to lose ...

Remind voters what this country is about

Reading commentary about the recent elections, I thought of an observation of Nobel prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman. Feynman said, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” That is, we must always be disciplined in looking at things as they are and not bend to the temptation to see them as we wish them to be. After the recent Democratic election sweep, we are hearing that there is unhappiness out there. But is this really news? Currently Gallup reports that 27% of the Americans are satisfied with the direction ...

Fear stopped clock of American electorate

I once met a man who claimed to make up his mind who he wanted in presidential elections only after stepping into the voting booth. “Are you kidding me?” I asked, aghast. How could anyone, I marveled, not know who they were planning to vote for? What were they waiting for, a message from beyond the grave? “Yep,” the guy said, kind of shrugging with a laugh. The older I get, the more I think he’s the Everyman American Voter: ignorant and indifferent. In the wake of recent elections, I’ve read and heard plenty of crowing over the Democratic victories in ...

Finding meaning in increasingly digital world

As we are in what I like to call the seventh-inning stretch of the fall semester, my English composition students are preparing to write their final short essay on “Gen Z: Technology and Communication.” This is the topic where I feel my students are experts since, as Gen Zers, they are the first true digital-native generation. I had discussion groups in each class where students shared their viewpoints on how they deal with technology and communication primarily through social media, and I learned some interesting and insightful things from them. I provided them with questions ...

Can socialism ever be more than fad in America?

Socialism is making a comeback, according to friend and foe alike. A new poll suggests that a majority of registered voters don’t like capitalism. A Gallup poll in September also found that support for capitalism was slipping. A Data for Progress poll around the same time showed that — after asking some decidedly leading questions about democratic socialism — people liked democratic socialism. Still, Politico combined the results to declare: “Capitalism is out ... and socialism is in.” And just this week, a podcast dedicated a segment to explaining “How socialism got ...

No veteran should go hungry in America

According to U.S. government data and recent policy studies, nearly 25% of America’s veterans live either below the federal poverty level or paycheck to paycheck, with little margin for unexpected expenses. To get by, many adopt emergency-level budgets. But even the harshest austerity measures may not be enough. Life at the bottom still costs money. Mortgages and rent must be paid. Vehicles are needed to reach work or medical appointments. So, what can be cut? Too often, it’s food — eating less or sacrificing nutrition. Tragically, many veterans and their families face this ...