Death of hostages amplifies call for peace

The hearts of the commonwealth and of the nation are with the family of Hersh Goldberg-Polin today. The 23-year-old former resident of Richmond, Va., was among six hostages killed recently by Hamas terrorists, his body located in a tunnel underneath the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza.

We’re living under a flawed Constitution. Let’s start fresh and rewrite it

No matter the outcome of the November elections, it is urgent that there be a widespread recognition that American democracy is in danger and that reforms are essential. No form of government lasts forever, and it would be foolhardy to believe that the United States cannot fall prey to the forces that have ended democracies in many other countries.

The upcoming debate is a crucial test for Harris

Like Joe Biden last June, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris is the candidate with the most at stake when the two general election nominees appear together next week for the first time in the 2024 presidential race.

Details are not required in elections

There’s plenty of things to criticize Vice President Kamala Harris for, and she may not win the presidential election, but shaming her to release detailed policy proposals or suggesting that she might lose without them is silly.

Why the Fed shouldn’t stop worrying about inflation

At the recent central-bank symposium at Jackson Hole, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell delivered a widely expected message on interest rates: “The time has come for policy to adjust.” He all but confirmed that the Fed would cut rates by at least a quarter-point when its policymakers next meet in September.

Harris should reflect on what liberalism means

The U.S. has rarely seemed as divided by politics. The parties’ leaders and most energetic supporters see their opponents as enemies more than fellow citizens, and as a mortal threat to their hopes for the American project. Many Americans with lives beyond politics see this framing of what’s at stake — politics as a fight to the finish over the nation’s soul — as the real danger.

Atwell: Hawaii’s cloak-and-dagger lore

Who knew that studying espionage history is a thing? One can even make a career of it, as have a number of former spies, authors and Ph.Ds. Believe it or not, there is even a Society for Intelligence History (www.historyintelligence.org); I am a member.