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Capital crimes convictions should be reviewed in detail

A substantial number of people who once were unwavering supporters of capital punishment have become opponents. Their conviction that some vicious criminals should pay the ultimate price remains firm. But revelations that a substantial number of people convicted of crimes were innocent changes everything. No one wants to learn an innocent person has been executed. In Tennessee, the daughter of a man executed 13 years ago after being convicted of killing a woman is crusading to clear her father’s name. April Alley maintains her father, Sedley Alley, was innocent. He confessed ...

Lawsuits necessary to resolve vaping issues

For decades, tobacco companies insisted their product was not hazardous to health. When scientific proof countered that, they maintained their advertising strategies were not calculated to get as many new smokers hooked on nicotine as possible. We know now that all of those protestations were, well, smoke and mirrors. It is appropriate, then, to find out the truth about e-cigarettes and how they are marketed. Scientists already are discovering that “vaping” carries with it serious health risks. Some public health officials add, however, that e-cigarettes may be a path ...

Port of entry hours should be maintained

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection wants to advance the closing time of two North Dakota ports of entry, citing a need to better use of personnel as the reason. The Carbury and Antler ports, both in Bottineau County, will close earlier, at 7 p.m. and 5 p.m. respectively, rather than 10 p.m., beginning next Sunday unless CBP officials change their minds. They did change their minds regarding shortening the hours at the Maida port in Cavalier County after town hall meetings but didn’t retreat on the other two ports. The CBP needs to reconsider. The shorter hours have nothing to ...

Fed turns corner on ACE research

Should one need further proof that the federal government and its bureaucracy are dangerously behind and out-of-touch with reality, take a look at the “revelation” presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week. It turns out, childhood trauma — or Adverse Childhood Experiences, in CDC jargon — can lead to physical and mental health problems later in life. The CDC knows it’s true because it finally got around to conducting a study, which found those with a higher number of ACEs had significantly higher numbers of health and lifestyle issues such as ...

Transparency still an issue within Roamn Catholic Church

A variety of potentially divisive issues, ranging from immigration to gun control, were being discussed by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops during a national meeting in Baltimore this week. Dealing with the elephant in the room ought to be at the top of their agenda. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, who is archbishop of the Galveston-Houston diocese, is ending a three-year term as head of the national Conference of Catholic Bishops. Much of his time in the post has been dominated by controversy over the church’s handling of predator priests — and those with even higher positions in the ...

Finding the exact cause of vaping deaths is imperative

Use of tobacco in all forms can be hazardous to one’s health. That is a fact, not open to dispute. Yet cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco and smokeless tobacco are legal for sale in all 50 states, with some restrictions. That is a puzzle to many who wonder why federal laws intended to safeguard Americans’ health do not seem to pertain to tobacco. They do, however. Any tobacco manufacturer adding dangerous substances to the already hazardous product — say, opioids — would feel the full wrath of the federal government. The same policy needs to be adopted toward e-cigarettes ...