ArcaMax

SAN DIEGO -- The fact that the United States is celebrating its 250th birthday has me feeling nostalgic for a long-forgotten time when Republicans were different people with a whole different set of beliefs.

I miss the good ol' days when self-described conservatives praised immigrants for their optimism and hard work, supported those with ...Read more

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree

I now understand my late mother’s quest for stress avoidance.

For years, she and Uncle Doug maintained a daily phone chat. Inevitably, they would broach subjects that got on their last nerve, necessitating a multi-day “time-out.”

Following in Mom’s footsteps, I recently decided to do a weekend detox from X (...Read more

Editor’s note: A version of this column was distributed in 2024.

I miss watching the spectacular fireworks display at Eddie Gabor’s house every Fourth of July.

Eddie was my grandmother’s companion the last 20 years of her life until she died in 1988.

Widowed in her late 40s, she struggled for years to pay the bills and raise her six ...Read more

Two weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that "an agreement not to appeal a sentence is unenforceable when it would result in a miscarriage of justice." This week, the court held that a government-ordered analysis of cellphone location data qualifies as a "search" under the Fourth Amendment.

In both cases, Justice Neil Gorsuch agreed with the ...Read more

“I’m confused, Grandpa. I thought July 4 was the day our country declared independence from King George III of Great Britain.”

“Actually, according to ConstitutionFacts.com, that's not so, Junior. The Continental Congress declared independence from Great Britain on July 2, 1776.”

“Then why do we celebrate our independence on the ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Never mind Kansas. What's the matter with JD Vance?

That's a question that I suspect many Americans are wrestling with right now. Just about every time the vice president opens his mouth, he can't help but stick both feet in.

Vance has no filter, empathy or tact. He spits out whatever pops into his head, and it usually lands ...Read more

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree

“Keep a-knockin’, but you can’t come in.” - Little Richard

Seemingly timed to coincide with the release of Steven Spielberg’s movie “Disclosure Day,” the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) has ratified updated protocols governing how scientists evaluate, verify and announce evidence of ...Read more

The Supreme Court has a history of facilitating the war on drugs by whittling away at civil liberties, to the point that critics have long perceived a "drug exception" to the Bill of Rights. But last week, when the justices unanimously upheld the gun rights of cannabis consumers, they made it clear that there is no drug exception to the Second...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- The Obama Presidential Center -- which bills itself as a "one-of-a-kind destination featuring exhibitions, gardens, and public spaces" -- is now welcoming visitors to its 19.3-acre campus on the South Side of Chicago.

Unlike other presidential libraries -- which display personal exhibits and store physical records -- the Obama ...Read more

His neck and underarms were swollen. His skin itched, particularly on his arms. Sleeping at night was impossible.

His symptoms started when he was 50. Though he had been fit and healthy all his life, he had contracted chronic lymphocytic leukemia, or CLL, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells...Read more

As I have begun my summer three-mile power-walking workouts on a commercial street in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, where I pass a Waffle House and a Tim Hortons, I noticed two large billboard signs taking aim at President Donald Trump and the economy. Both signs depict Trump in a petulant manner, with one asking why our vacations are so expensive this ...Read more

The approach of July 4 is making my heart hurt. Love of this country is deep-dyed in my soul, but pondering how or even whether to celebrate the semiquincentennial provokes a riot of mixed feelings.

The right -- and not just the MAGA right -- responds to any queasiness about this particular anniversary with knee-jerk vituperation. Matthew ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- There is a saying among Vietnam War veterans that goes something like this: If you were there, no one has to tell you what it was like. If you weren't there, there's nothing anyone can tell you to make you understand what it was like.

The same goes for losing your father. If you know, you know.

What you know is that the first ...Read more

Tyrades! by Danny Tyree

“The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” - George Burns

My son Gideon (the recent grad) hopes for some productive job interviews soon, so I couldn’t help noticing a Facebook “reel” from an outfit called Talk Right English.

“Smart Phrases That Make You Sound ...Read more

Editor's note: A version of this column was distributed in 2024.

In 1974, when I was 11, I flushed an apple core down the toilet.

My father had remodeled our basement into a wood-paneled family room with a powder room.

Always looking to save a buck — he had six kids to feed on one income — he bought the cheapest toilet he could find.

It ...Read more

Since illegal immigration is an "invasion," Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters in May 2025, the Trump administration was "actively looking" at suspending the writ of habeas corpus to facilitate its mass deportation campaign. It turns out that Miller was not just spitballing: According to recent reporting by The New...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- You remember that book you started but didn't finish? Or the home project you began but never wrapped up? You moved on. But there was this nagging sense of unfinished business.

That's how I felt when I read a devastating article in The New York Times on March 18 alleging that the late Cesar Chavez -- leader of the United Farm ...Read more

There was no way I was going to let a breakaway soccer opponent score on me while my dad was in the stands.

Memories of my experience as my high school’s starting goalie are coming back to me this week as the United States hosts the 2026 FIFA World Cup — something we have not done since 1994.

Back then, Americans had little interest in ...Read more

Is a glass of wine with dinner going to increase your chance of getting cancer or another serious illness? For the past few years, we've been deluged with studies and news accounts suggesting that the answer is yes. This week, the USDA reinstated a caution in its dietary guidelines about limiting alcohol.

Note: This is the Trump ...Read more

SAN DIEGO -- Commencement season transports me back two decades to a graduation speech I was honored to give at a university in my native Central California.

And, as the dad of three young humans -- ages 21, 19, and 16 -- this time of year also inspires me to think about the life skills I want my kids to have and show prospective employers in...Read more