Author: Lance Garrison
Dec. 7, 2023 — No one planning holiday gatherings or travel wants to hear this, but the rise of a new COVID-19 variant, JN.1, is concerning experts, who say it may threaten those good times. The good news is recent research suggests the 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine appears to work against this newest variant. But so few people have gotten the latest vaccine — less than 16% of U.S. adults — that some experts suggest it’s time for the CDC to urge the public who haven’t it to do so now, so the antibodies can kick in before the festivities.“A significant wave…
To the Editor:Re “3 University Presidents Criticized for Remarks on Antisemitism” (news article, Dec. 7):The presidents of Harvard, Penn and M.I.T. all failed in their congressional testimony to state unequivocally that calling for the genocide of Jews would violate their campus policies, instead stating limply that it would depend on the “context.” Several legal scholars seem to agree that “context” is part of the balancing act for free speech.As an American Jew holding two degrees from Harvard (one from Harvard Law School), I disagree vehemently that “context” matters. The clear exception to “free speech” has always been falsely calling “Fire!”…
Dec. 7, 2023 – How worried should you be about outbreaks of “white lung syndrome” pneumonia in children reported in Ohio, Massachusetts, and several countries in Europe? WebMD asked experts this question, as well as if the cases are related to a similar outbreak in China, what symptoms are most common, and what advice they have for preventing infection in their families and for stopping further spread of this infection. White lung pneumonia is not an official medical condition. Instead, it’s a sign of pneumonia that shows up as white areas on a lung X-ray, and it might prompt more testing to…
As a part-time commentator on things economic, I’m often asked a seemingly straightforward question: If the economy is so good, why are Americans so grumpy?By many measures — unemployment, inflation, the stock market — the economy is strong. Yet only 23 percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the right direction, a strong headwind for President Biden’s approval ratings. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s formidable base of disgruntled voters endures.As I’ve engaged with my many interlocutors, I’ve concluded that voters have valid reasons for their negativity. In my view, blame two culprits: one immediate and impacting everybody, and another that…
Imagine you’ve fallen ill. There’s fever and pain, and it doesn’t go away. A trip to the doctor’s office lands you in the emergency room. Surgery follows, then several nights in the hospital. Weeks later, after more doctor’s appointments and loads of prescription medicine, you’re all well again, fit as a fiddle.And then they let you go on your merry way, without paying a penny. That’s right: $0.If you’re living in the United States, that is probably the stuff of fantasies. But not for our cousins in Britain, thanks to one of that country’s most noble creations: the National Health…
Of course, a shape-shifting, flip-flopping, over-promising, self-serving politician is nothing new. Where Mr. McCarthy truly distinguished himself was in his willingness and ability to debase himself in the service of Donald Trump — even as he occasionally pretended to still have a spine. “My Kevin,” as Mr. Trump so delighted in calling him, certainly did his part to aid Mr. Trump’s political revival after the Jan. 6 sacking of the Capitol. In a turnaround so dramatic it must have given him whiplash, Mr. McCarthy went from saying that Mr. Trump needed to “accept his share of responsibility” for his role…
Apocryphal stories about oil and eight days aside, the true miracle of Hanukkah has always been its adaptability. It’s the most modern of Jewish holidays, reliably shape-shifting to address whatever the most pressing needs or hopes or desires of the community have been in a particular moment. And it’s long had tremendous communal value, especially for those of us who might describe ourselves primarily as secular or cultural Jews.For Hanukkah in 2023, there are cold towns in Canada and wet boroughs in London that are removing menorahs from their city hall greens. Which means that, for Jews, this holiday is…
Columbia updated its mission statement in 2022 to say that its purpose is “to interrogate racism and other systems of oppression standing in the way of social equity and justice and to foster social work education, practice and research that strengthen and expand the opportunities, resources and capabilities of all persons to achieve their full potential and well-being.” What was once its central mission — to enhance the world of social work — now follows an emphatic political statement.Melissa Begg, the dean of the Columbia School of Social Work, said that while the school’s mission has always been about social…
Welcome to Opinion’s commentary for the fourth Republican presidential debate, held at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday night. In this special feature, Times Opinion writers and contributors rate the candidates on a scale of 0 to 10: 0 means the candidate didn’t belong on the stage and should have dropped out before the debate even started; 10 means the candidate can head to Iowa and New Hampshire with the wind at his or her back. Here’s what our columnists and contributors thought about the debate. Chris Christie Average: 6.6/10 Did better → 012345678910 …
And yet, for decades now, discussion about the Green Glacier has been largely relegated to the dusty confines of trade journals and agricultural conventions. Perhaps this is because the vast majority of our remaining grasslands are privately owned. Perhaps, as our forests burn and our levees break, there is little sympathy left for the livestock industry, responsible for roughly 15 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — never mind the many effects of tree encroachment that bleed far beyond the ranch. Or perhaps, as one of Cather’s New York critics once said, or so she claimed, “I simply don’t…