Newt Gingrich’s attacks on the independence of the judiciary must be taken seriously. Gingrich is running neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney in the polls. He very possibly could be the Republican nominee. He could, therefore, become…

Last week the Senate, in rare bipartisan action, passed a compromise bill, 89 to 10, to extend unemployment benefits and the payroll tax cut another two months and continue to pay physicians at the current…

Dear Santa, Considering that you were an old man with a white beard and a roseaceaist nose when I was a kid, which was quite a while ago, I know you must believe in second,…

With Thanksgiving leftovers still in the freezer and prospects of mouth-watering Christmas feasts burning bright, half of America’s population can toast their toes in front of a cheery fire and enjoy the holidays. Many of…

Dear Editor, A couple of weeks ago, I was called by our city animal control officer, Zachary French, asking if I had a white dog that was missing. I had not realized that our cocker-mix,…

  Dear Editor, Once again, child sexual-abuse allegations have people everywhere shaking their heads in disbelief.  Anger and frustration fill the airwaves, news columns, and blogs with questions like “How did this happen?” and “How…

As it turned out the caller wasn’t interested in an Iolan’s opinion unless it was what she wanted to hear. “Hi, I’m with the National Rifle Association. Can I ask you a few questions,” a…

Norway is the happiest of them all, or so says the Legatum Institute.  And what is the Legatum Institute? More about that later. Norway ranks first in happiness because it has a per capita gross…

The Supreme Court jumped smack dab in the middle of election-year politics by deciding to hear three major cases.  It announced Monday it would decide whether Arizona’s tough anti-immigration law will stand.  Last Friday it…

In a welcome move away from partisanship, Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas and Sen. Mark Warner, a Democrat of Virginia, have introduced a bill aimed at juicing up the economy. Called the “Startup Act,” the…