If you don’t think the interest on the federal debt is a problem, try this quick exercise. Grab your pay stub for June and see how much you paid in federal income tax, then realize that over 75% of that was effectively your contribution to interest on the debt last month. No roads, schools, military or hospitals — just interest. Houston, we have a problem.

A couple of decades ago, universities entered a new kind of competition. In addition to the academic programs, campuses were enhancing their living and recreation facilities. I still remember the first time I heard about the lazy river installed at Louisiana State University in 2017 that spelled out “LSU,” but they were by no means the only university that sought to woo students based on out-of-class amenities. Water parks, giant spa pools, aquatic basketball, etc. popped up at several large campuses. Predictably, there was also backlash from faculty and citizens, especially concerning these projects at public universities (see the NY Times opinion piece “No College Kid Needs a Water Park to Study”). Still, despite these amenities, students still come to universities to learn and to gain the credentials to make a good living, support their families, and contribute to the well-being of their communities.

From the moment I learned about hillbillies as a child, I was entranced.

In sending a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland asking for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate Justice Clarence Thomas’ many undisclosed gifts as possible criminal ethics and tax violations, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse and Ron Wyden are standing by their duty to protect the legitimacy of the federal government and the balance between the branches.

Sadly, political violence is as old as politics itself, around the globe and, yes, in the United States. However, the last decade has seen a marked increase, especially in the United States.

Details are still emerging about the attempt to kill Donald Trump — about the shooter and how it was possible, and also what it says about America.

Project 2025 is the staffing and policy planning organization led by the Heritage Foundation. It published “Mandate for Leadership,” a 900-page document of policy recommendations, for the next Republican administration. Project 2025’s numerous unpopular conservative policy positions, such as its proposal to ban most abortion procedures nationwide, have come under fire.

Overshadowed by the wonderings about President Joe Biden’s vigor was the actual purpose of the NATO alliance’s 75th anniversary summit in Washington last week. It marked three quarters of a century since Harry Truman hosted leaders of 10 nations from Western Europe, as well as Canada, to create a new, permanent defense pact in 1949.

President Joe Biden, as you’ve no doubt heard, has had a rough few weeks. Yet last Tuesday, he signed a bill into law that could well prove transformative for America’s energy future. Here’s hoping — whatever happens in November’s election — that more progress lies ahead.

Arecent Supreme Court decision striking down the Trump administration’s ban on bump stocks was a setback for public safety, but only a temporary one — provided Congress still has the courage to do the right thing.

Six decades after the age when most people do, I’ve become obsessed with Lego. My gateway drug was a set reminiscent of an ice cream truck. Like many parents, I was trying something new as a way to connect with one of my kids. Unlike many parents, in my case the kid in question was an adult, and I was building a set that he had designed.

As communities along the Gulf Coast begin the cleanup from Hurricane Beryl, which made landfall Monday as a weakened Category 1 storm, they should find comfort in knowing that help is coming. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is well schooled in disaster recovery and has been on the ground since spring, when some of those same areas suffered flooding in uncommonly heavy rains.

Democrats are in crisis at the moment, divided over whether President Joe Biden should stay in the race after his disastrous debate last month or clear the way for another, younger candidate.

Awhopping one in eight U.S. adults have taken GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic for weight loss and related conditions. Their popularity and efficacy have sparked a prescription-writing frenzy in recent years, leaving both medications on the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage list since May 2023.