Why student debt relief isn’t elitist

Embarrassing admission: I have been watching the TV show “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” I’m not, in general, a fan of the superhero genre; but after “Orphan Black” I’ll watch anything starring Tatiana Maslany.

A Texas federal judge makes an indefensible ruling

Mark Pittman, put on the federal bench in Fort Worth by Donald Trump, thinks that it’s just not constitutional to limit the sale of handguns to people age 21 and older. In an opinion issued Thursday agreeing with a gun group that sued to knock out Texas’ eminently sound prohibition on 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds from having pistols, Pittman writes that he can’t find an age cutoff in the sparse language of the Second Amendment.

Forgiving student loans is a costly mistake

With Wednesday’s long-awaited announcement forgiving the debts of certain student borrowers, President Joe Biden hopes to give Democrats a boost in this fall’s midterm elections. Whatever the short-term political gains, the decision is a costly mistake.

Which dog breeds are the least healthy? These eight might top the list

All caring guardians want the same thing for our dogs: a long, healthy, happy life. But even with excellent care, certain breeds are more likely to have you trekking to the vet’s office than to the dog park. While all “purebred” dogs are predisposed to genetic conditions that cause discomfort and disability, one group stands out from the rest.

Vaccines are safe. So why shouldn’t teens be able to get them on their own?

California teenagers should have the right to protect their health by receiving approved vaccines without parental consent or knowledge. But in many cases, they do not. State law allows minors ages 12 and older to consent to various reproductive and preventive health treatments, including abortions, vaccines for HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases and mental healthcare. But they are not allowed to consent to virtually all other vaccines, including for COVID-19, putting them at personal risk and adding another barrier to community disease prevention.

Pence highlights how abnormal his party has become

There was a time, not that long ago, when it wouldn’t have been major news for a top Republican to say the party should respect law enforcement and cooperate with a congressional investigation. In that sense, the buzz over former Vice President Mike Pence’s defense this week of the FBI, and his suggestion he might be willing to testify before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol, illustrates just how radical and lawless too many other Republicans have become in the Trump era.

Irwin: Reading is FUNdamental

Ever since my mother bought the book, “Teaching Your Baby to Read,” I was destined to be a reader. I was the girl who every week brought home a big stack of books from the town library. Today, piles of books surround me at work and at home.

A left-leaning 66-year-old searches for balance in unbalanced times

In the Orwellian universe in which we now marinate, that uncomfortable reality in which rumors seamlessly transform into facts, and disinformation invades our bloodstream like a mutant virus, I wonder what the proper balance is while cowering under the bed and wearing a helmet, face mask and noise-cancelling headphones.

Coming to the US shouldn’t be this hard

A Colombian family hoping to visit Disney World right now might have to wait more than two years to get their visas. The same goes for a Nigerian investor looking to close a funding round in Silicon Valley. Around the world, delays in visa processing are preventing scores of foreigners from coming to the U.S. — hurting the economy, sapping investment and undermining America’s image. Fixing the problem demands a more forceful and creative response than the U.S. government has mustered thus far.

With normal comments, Pence highlights how abnormal his party has become

There was a time, not that long ago, when it wouldn’t have been major news for a top Republican to say the party should respect law enforcement and cooperate with a congressional investigation. In that sense, the buzz over former Vice President Mike Pence’s defense this week of the FBI, and his suggestion he might be willing to testify before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol, illustrates just how radical and lawless too many other Republicans have become in the Trump era.