Columns

Granted, it is on the early side to be thinking about gifts for St. Valentine's Day, but this very special gift requires a few days for the swelling to subside. According to a news release, the must-have for St. Valentine's Day this year is a trip...... Full story

A funny thing happened to Mitt Romney on the way to his coronation as the inevitable Republican candidate for president of the United States. Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado happened. Rick Santorum beat him in all three states on the same day...... Full story

Really? Seriously?In the history of pro sports, men have done all sorts of things to commemorate their feats on the field or the court. They have flopped like seals, walked like gorillas, head-butted like bighorn sheep. They have high-fived,...... Full story

Appearing alongside CIA Director David Petraeus before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last week, James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, said of Iran:“We don't believe they've actually made the decision to go ahead...... Full story

As a six-time undefeated middleweight world karate champion, I have a pretty good idea what makes a warrior. And there's presently one particular presidential candidate in the political ring who wears those gloves better than the others.It's one...... Full story

One of the hazards of being in an administrative position in a police agency, part of the executive branch of government, is that you have to deal with the elected officials who handle the legislative functions — in my case, Lima City Council....... Full story

Most Americans can hardly believe we're having a national debate about birth control in the 21st century — more than 50 years after The Pill became available and decades after condoms became as commonplace as, well, balloons. The reason for...... Full story

Through 11 presidential elections, beginning with the Democrats' nomination of George McGovern in 1972, Republicans have enjoyed a presumption of superiority regarding national security. This year, however, events and their rhetoric are dissipating...... Full story

Certainly the increase in usage of email, which traces its roots way back to 1971 when a guy named Ray Tomlinson first hit the send button, has dramatically impacted the U.S. Postal Service, once thought to be as indispensable as any service our...... Full story

Two of the top news stories last week have revolved around reproductive rights, though both raise far more troubling issues than a woman's right to contraception or abortion.The more compelling questions concern a person's or an institution's...... Full story

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is refreshingly frank, sometimes stunningly so. He outdid himself on a trip to Europe last week, making headlines on two sensitive topics.Panetta said U.S. forces in Afghanistan would end their combat role by the...... Full story

OK, now it's settled, right? I mean, it must be settled by now. Mitt Romney is going to be the nominee. Eat your peas, Republicans, and then fall in line, because Romney's the guy. Right? Probably. Even at this point, after Romney trounced Newt...... Full story

Pop quiz! Identify these political heavy hitters:Edward Conrad, Robert Mercer, John Paulson, Bob Perry, Julian Robertson, Paul Singer, Sheldon Adelson.Give up?They're very rich people who have inaugurated a brand new era of politics in America, the...... Full story

The nation's food stamp program is an essential part of the American safety net. Why? Because people can't be productive — in school, at work or looking for work — if they are hungry and fearful about not having enough food to feed their...... Full story

What excuse is given for denying some beings the protection afforded by the law? At various times in history, it has been race, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation or ethnicity. All these reasons boil down to essentially the same thing: Those...... Full story