The world is taking a right turn. Even when parties clash on policy, their shared values can yield practical results through compromise. But now, conservatives increasingly reject compromise, jeopardizing shared values. Liberal democracy may be retreating. It emerged from the adoption of social welfare policies and the defeat of fascism by American and European democracies. […]

After sharing inspiring stories about people we had recently encountered, a friend of mine said, ‘There is magic everywhere.” So true. As I enter my ninth decade, I’ve decided to pay closer attention to those magical moments. After all, time is all we have. Bowdoin’s recent commencement and reunion weekends offered up an array of […]

About 20 years ago, the belief that commercially significant quantities of fuel blends containing organic materials would soon be available led to the passage of alternative fuel requirements. Yet, because science failed to deliver on its promise, America ended up becoming more dependent on ethanol. That growing dependence affects the price of fuel and feedstocks […]

I dream of the day I will be 100% debt free! I took on debt fairly early in life, when I borrowed money to help cover the cost of my Penn State degree. That turned out to be a terrific investment — I got a good communications job at a high-tech company right out of […]

Though the legislative session isn’t quite over, it’s not too soon to identify the dominant player. To no one’s surprise, it’s Gov. Janet Mills. At least since the installation of legislative term limits in 1996, governors have generally had their way when it comes to which bills pass and which don’t. Legislative leaders, usually heading […]

THE CONVERSATION — Twitter’s move on July 1 to limit the number of tweets users can see in a day was the latest in a series of decisions that has spurred millions of users to sign up with alternative microblogging platforms since Elon Musk acquired Twitter last year. In addition to a surge in numbers on Mastodon, the acquisition […]

After conducting tense research and holding public hearings for more than two years, a California task force determined that payments as part of a reparations initiative could surpass $1 million in certain cases. The proposal is aimed at targeting historical injustices faced by Black residents who are descendants of enslaved people and have battled against […]

With two-thirds of the country disapproving of the Biden administration’s handling of the economy and inflation and an equal ratio believing the nation is on the wrong track, the White House and campaign team have settled on a reboot strategy to change the frame of reference of the debate. Rather than respond to partisan criticisms […]

Freedom of expression should be a great facilitator of truth-telling. Unfortunately, the one doesn’t necessarily follow the other. Free expression also facilitates the dissemination of misinformation and disinformation, opinion, belief, speculation and propaganda. Gleaning truth from all of that is now more difficult than ever as faith in professional journalism erodes under persistent e-narratives of […]