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Supreme Court Decision Grants Broad Power to the President Jul. 30, 2026

Crime and Conduct

The U.S. Supreme Court handed supporters of the Unitary Executive Theory a huge victory. For decades... Read More

Speaking Words of Wisdom, 'Let It Be' Jul. 01, 2026

The Word Guy

Q: Is "leave him be" an acceptable substitute for "let him be"? — J. K. via email A: To some e... Read More

Vincent, Melvin and I: Jun. 29, 2026

Slightly Off-Kilter Columns

Let's call him Melvin Downey and his show the Melvin Downey Drive Time Radio Extravaganza. It was 4:... Read More

In Days of Yore, Adrift on Waves of Chianti Jun. 27, 2026

Georgia Garvey

It's summer, the season of vacations, therefore the season of air travel and the season of people ge... Read More

Balancing the Equation of Intentions vs. Outcomes Jun. 26, 2026

The Language of Ethics

On Jan. 14, 2005, Harvard President Lawrence Summers ignited the firestorm that eventually cost him ... Read More

The French (and Italians) Have a Word for It Jun. 24, 2026

The Word Guy

Even if you're an eminence grise who has fashioned a piece de resistance and mastered the lingua fra... Read More

A Fallible Legal System Should Not Have a Death Penalty Jun. 23, 2026

Crime and Conduct

Next month will mark the 50th anniversary of the return of the death penalty. There was a period in ... Read More

PR for Nazis and Sudden Sniffing Death Jun. 22, 2026

Slightly Off-Kilter Columns

I'm not one of those people who always wanted to be a writer. As a child, I wanted to be a professio... Read More

General Time is Undefeated in Battle Jun. 20, 2026

Georgia Garvey

I am on a mudslide toward death. Well, we all are, really, when you think about it, but sometimes it... Read More

'Soc' It to Me, World Cup! Jun. 17, 2026

The Word Guy

As the World Cup tournament got underway last week, a reader asked me why this sport is called "socc... Read More

I Just Might Be the Rightful King of Ireland Jun. 16, 2026

Slightly Off-Kilter Columns

My father lived for 88 years. He was a man of sometimes limited patience who could spend years diggi... Read More

Trump Administration Continues Onslaught On Diversity Jun. 16, 2026

Crime and Conduct

The United States of America is facing a full-throttle assault on the underpinnings of democracy. Si... Read More

To be Human is to be Exceptional Jun. 12, 2026

The Language of Ethics

"Do you have any heroes?" I'm guessing that Peter Singer would answer with a hard "no," considering ... Read More

Word Fiends Have an 'Ax' To Grind Jun. 10, 2026

The Word Guy

I get by with a little help from my fiends — word fiends, that is. In a recent column about th... Read More

Time for Term Limits for Federal Judges Jun. 09, 2026

Crime and Conduct

In 1787, when the U.S. Constitution was being drafted in Philadelphia, the average life expectancy f... Read More

If You Get Where You're Going, You've Taken the Wrong Road Jun. 05, 2026

The Language of Ethics

The story isn't new. But it continues to fascinate as it becomes more relevant every day. Three deca... Read More

Do You Have a Knack for Nicknames? Jun. 03, 2026

The Word Guy

For 15th-century Florentine artist Paolo di Dono, the bird was the word. He loved feathered creature... Read More

Landmark Decision of Miranda v. Arizona Turns 60 Jun. 02, 2026

Crime and Conduct

Sixty years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Miranda v. Arizona that police officers ... Read More

Advanced Customer Disservice Jun. 01, 2026

Slightly Off-Kilter Columns

I needed to call Ally Bank. How long do you think it took me to get a customer service person? Wrong... Read More

Think Twice Before You Take Advice May. 29, 2026

The Language of Ethics

Legend has it that Apelles of Kos, court painter of Alexander the Great, displayed his paintings in ... Read More