Opinion

Today is the 23rd day of 2024 and the 34th day of winter. TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1845, Congress passed an act designating that all presidential elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Dear Annie: My only sister, “Donna,” and her husband, “Otis,” moved out of state, leaving me as the sole caregiver to our 97-year-old father. Their adult daughter “Leah” did not move with them and stayed here locally not far from my father.

No question that a 30-point victory for Trump was not the ideal outcome of the Iowa caucuses. Voters have only two opportunities to prevent the return to power of a multiple felony indictee -- the primaries and the general.

Forty years ago, when Walter Mondale won 49% in Iowa’s Democratic caucuses, far ahead of Gary Hart’s 16%, the media spotlight nonetheless immediately focused. With the help of a brilliant spot by consultant Ray Strother showing him tossing a hatchet into a tree, Hart went on to win the New Hampshire primary eight days later, 37% to 28%, and he suddenly became the favorite.

Dear Annie: I have a good friend who constantly wants to talk about politics. The problem is that we are on opposite ends of the spectrum. She thinks she’s politically savvy. She is not educated or well informed, but she has an opinion on everything. How can I get her to stop talking about politics? -- Political Mess Dear Political Mess: This problem is incredibly common and, unfortunately, has caused the end of many friendships. So know that you are not alone.

This is a potentially perilous time for our economy and the security of the West. Trade policy with China sits at the center. China is no longer just a trading partner with whom we have differences. It’s become a global adversary using trade to dominate militarily as well as economically.

President Joe Biden -- wearing a brown leather jacket and a black baseball hat walked out onto the South Lawn of the White House on Saturday morning on his way to Marine One. He was flying to Camp David for the weekend.

Dear Annie: I am a 26-yearold woman and recently graduated college with my bachelor’s in May 2023. I searched for a long time before finding a job, and I ended up finding a position in a place I never expected to. Skills from my major do come into use regularly but it’s not what I went to college for.

WASHINGTON -- So have you seen the new movie musical, “Mean Girls”? Here in Washington, we see that show for free in the Capitol. House Republicans seem to attract adult versions of Mean Girls.

The rapid succession of bank failures last spring clearly spooked federal regulators at the FDIC, the Federal Reserve Board and bank depositors. The bad decision- making at Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and First Republic Bank caused the regulators to implement emergency life preserver measures to banks and conjured up memories of the 2008 financial crisis.