When it came to their ballot choices on Tuesday, many of the same women who voted to enshrine reproductive rights in their state constitutions also voted to return to the White House the man responsible for stripping them of that right, Donald Trump.

In the rivers of ink and trillions of bytes dedicated to understanding the past presidential election, consider this notion: The race was really a contest of competing narratives.

So … what happened?

Unlike Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, which was surprising and shocking (including to him and Hillary Clinton), his sweeping win Tuesday night was there to see when 70% of Americans were telling pollsters that the country was on the wrong track. That’s more than enough to derail any train and Kamala Harris was the conductor.

It was perhaps natural that campaign coverage of the presidential candidates’ health care policies began and ended with abortion rights; since June 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, 20 states have banned abortions or enacted draconian restrictions on the procedure.

Immigration and the 50 million people in this country who were foreign born have been an unfair target for both political parties in this election. America needs immigrants and the economy would fall apart without their work.

Building permit delays create headaches for everyone.

Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, carving a trail of destruction and causing at least 227 deaths throughout six states, Hurricane Milton pummeled Sarasota, Florida, where I live, with Category 3 winds of more than 100 mph.

The 2024 election marks the collapse of the mainstream media as we know it.

All politics is local, as they say, and it’s understandable that many voters will cast ballots in the presidential election based on pocketbook issues. But they also shouldn’t ignore the bigger picture.

It’s the worst-case presidential election scenario — a 269–269 tie in the Electoral College. In our hyper-competitive political era, such a scenario, though still unlikely, is becoming increasingly plausible, and we need to grapple with its implications.

With an E. coli scare linked to some of its Quarter Pounders, likely the slivered onions thereupon, McDonald’s and its franchisees have had a rough go of late, as reflected in its share price gyrations. But this week brought some good news for the Chicago-based fast-food giant.

Watching election night on cable or network news is a great national tradition. Memorable moments arise as the networks announce their projections in key states. Anchors and commentators demonstrate extraordinary understanding of the unique politics of hundreds of cities and counties across the country. As the results of the most consequential election on the planet unfold, there’s a powerful sense of shared witness.

People often ask me about China’s espionage activity in Hawaii.

All Americans are facing rising prices under the Biden-Harris administration, despite its claim that it’s “fighting to lower costs,” but the burden of soaring costs falls disproportionately on low-income families.

One thing about getting older is that increasing loss is the lay of all the land. Loss of nimble limbs, incremental hearing loss, cataracts (of course). Loss of friends, of family, of famous icons we grew up alongside. It’s such a steady, relentless beat. It doesn’t (yet) take away the dance, but it changes the steps, forcing the dancer to adjust the tap and shuffle.

In New Hampshire last week Joe Biden accidentally on purpose revealed what Donald Trump and his supporters have long claimed, that the Justice Department’s prosecution of Trump is purely political.