Opinion

Dear Annie: I am 42 and married to a woman who is 44. We have two small children, a 5-year-old girl and a 6-year-old boy, plus an older stepson, who is 28 and on his own.

In a world where economic decisions are mostly driven by short-term goals and political pressures, the need for a long-term, evidence-based approach is more pressing than at any time in memory. Enter the Copenhagen Consensus -- a beacon of analytical clarity conceived by Danish intellectual Bjorn Lomborg. It aims to reshape global discourse by prioritizing initiatives based on their cost-effectiveness. Imagine harnessing this model to direct fiscal policy!

In the nauseating demonstrations celebrating Hamas’ slaughter of Israelis, one hears repeated, again and again, the refrain that Israelis are “settlers” and “colonists” -- and therefore, in the catechism inculcated in universities in recent decades, oppressors not deserving of mercy or sympathy when tortured and murdered by those who deemed themselves the oppressed.

Dear Annie: I’ve been married for 11 years and together with my husband for 20. Around two years ago, we began experiencing loss after loss, and our marriage seemed just OK. We lost his father and a son to suicide. It was more than we’d ever lost before.

Lexington, Massachusetts, is a peaceful town, famous for being an ideal place to raise children. Young couples move there from everywhere so that their children can attend its public schools, which in disproportionate numbers send students to the finest universities in the land. Lexington has a robust library serving its hypereducated residents, and its own symphony. It is a community of bake sales and charity drives and backto- school nights.

Dear Annie: I’m 67 years old, and I’ve been married for over 40 years. My marriage has never been particularly happy. Even in the beginning, I felt pressured to get married. We now have two adult children, one 46 and the other 37.

Don’t you love those polls that have pundits racing to the news channels bucked up with hyper confidence? When you have one like the recent New York Times/ Siena College poll saying that Donald Trump was leading Joe Biden in 5 out of 6 battleground states, the click-baiting headlines virtually write themselves.

When President Barack Obama named retiring Republican Rep. Ray LaHood of Illinois to serve as his administration’s secretary of transportation, LaHood brought with him a vision for changing the way Americans moved from one place to another.

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together six years this December, married four. We grew closer when I had a miscarriage after only a few months of dating. He stood by my side and asked my dad for my hand. He knew then he wanted to stand with me and by me.

What’s That Check For? A couple weeks ago, a onetime check for $90 from the Social Security Administration showed up in my checking account. I wasn’t totally sure what that was all about, but I had a pretty good idea.