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US more of a mess at bicentennial

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, America is in a pretty foul mood, and I understand why. For starters, Washington is broken, prices are high and rising, and AI is scaring the stuffing out of people. Understanding, however, is not synonymous with agreement. In other words, some complaints about America in 2026 have more empirical weight than others. Crime may be too high, but it’s been going down for a while. Actually, let’s start there because crime is a good example of how perceptions don’t necessarily reflect reality. Since 2000, ...

Fish-sitting favor ends up backfiring

Dear Annie: I am 22 and working at my first job out of college. My salary is low and just covers my rent, car payments and basic living expenses. I have no savings yet. Recently, my neighbor, whom I know only to wave at, asked me to feed her fish while she went out of town. I agreed, and she took me into her apartment where she showed me her aquarium. She switched on the tank light and demonstrated how to sprinkle fish food on the water. She didn’t give me her phone number. When I went into her apartment the next day to feed the fish, it was pitch dark, with all her curtains ...

Protecting babies from whooping cough during pregnancy with shot

Dear Dr. Roach: I’ve read that there’s a big increase in whooping cough. I am pregnant and want to know the best way to protect my baby. Is it exclusive breastfeeding? Getting the vaccine? Making sure that visitors are vaccinated or wear masks? — D.G. Answer: Whooping cough is caused by a species of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. This causes a respiratory infection that can be very serious in infants, with over 80% of the youngest babies needing hospitalization. You are right that there have been massive increases in the risk of this infection during the past two years. An ...

Horoscope: Thursday, June 11

Thursday, June 11 You conjure fuel from pure imagination. Aries (March 21-April 19) The project you have on deck will bring out the best in you, requiring you to be organized, forward-thinking and resourceful. You’ll have fun with it too, as long as you pace yourself well. Taurus (April 20-May 20) You’ll create change the easy way. You’ll focus less on “stopping” and more on “replacing.” Instead of wrestling an old pattern to the ground every hour, you move to a different environment and engage with different people and challenges. Gemini (May 21-June 21) Move ...

AP journalist David Briscoe dies

David Briscoe, a journalist for The Associated Press who chronicled the collapse of dictatorship and the rebirth of democracy during a dramatic period of upheaval in the Philippines, has died, his family said. He was 82. Briscoe died Sunday at an assisted living facility in Kapolei, Hawaii, said his wife, Leonor Briscoe. He was diagnosed in April with amyloidosis, a disorder in which protein buildup can lead to organ damage. In a career spanning decades and continents, Briscoe brought a reporter’s curiosity to his native Utah, to Washington and to Hawaii. But it was his perch in ...

Veteran Japanese politician Yohei Kono dies at 89

TOKYO (AP) — Yohei Kono, a veteran Japanese politician who as top government spokesperson offered a historic apology to Asian women over sexual abuses by Japan’s wartime military, has died, officials said. He was 89. Kono had placed great importance on promoting friendly ties with China, South Korea and other Asian countries that suffered Japanese atrocities before and during World War II. He died of old age Monday, according to the office of his son, former Foreign Minister Taro Kono. As chief Cabinet secretary in 1993, Yohei Kono apologized to tens of thousands of so-called ...