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‘You look great’ loses its meaning

Editorials

I was sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office last week when someone I hadn’t seen for many years came in. When he saw me, he said “Bob! How are you? You look great!” I don’t look great. Since I last saw him, my hair has turned from gray to white, and there’s far less of it. My skin has gone blotchy. The bags under my eyes have gone from brown to blue. And my wattle has become the size of a bullfrog. “You look great, too, George.” I lied. George looked about a hundred years older than I remembered him. Why do we feel compelled to say “You look great” ...

AI a challenge for neighboring state’s wiretap law

Editorials

Maryland state legislators are grappling with a difficult issue, trying to figure out how to update the state’s wiretap law to accommodate all of the changes created by widespread adoption of new technologies. That’s complicated enough, but at the same time, another issue is lurking behind the wiretap law. It is a dark, frightening presence with new, even more difficult challenges. Its initials are A.I. The Maryland House of Delegates Judiciary Committee recently had a briefing on the wiretapping law, as lawmakers consider amending it when the 2026 session convenes next ...

It’s time for cameras in Pa. courts

Editorials

Those who follow news reports of criminal cases have likely seen photographs and/or video captured during out-of-state court proceedings and wondered why they don’t see similar scenes from inside Pennsylvania’s courtrooms. The short answer is: Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal Procedure Rule 112 prohibits cameras in courtrooms. The longer answer begins: Pennsylvania is only one of five states in the nation with very rigid restrictions that need to be updated for the sake of transparency and accountability. During the recent preliminary hearing held in Manhattan for Luigi Mangione, ...

A holiday tree with a sports twist

Local Columns

At my house in Belleville, the Christmas tree is themed from top to bottom. It should come as no surprise that the theme is sports. I came up with the idea in my 30s — a Christmas tree dedicated to my five favorite teams. My mother, who lived to be 100 and died in 2021, didn’t think it was a very good idea. “It’s not very Christmassy,” she told me. Over time, she came around. In fact, she bought me an ornament almost every year after that. My five favorite teams are the San Francisco Giants (baseball), San Francisco 49ers (football), Utah Jazz (basketball), UCLA ...

Christmastime is full of opportunity

Editorials

Pope Francis’ appeal for peace in the world last Christmas fell on deaf ears. The world is no closer to peace now — Christmas 2024 — than it was then, and perhaps even farther away, judging from the scope, deaths and destruction of the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza and the long-running civil wars in Syria and Yemen. Whether there are any prospects for “constructing” a more peaceful world over the next 12 months is anyone’s guess. Perhaps the only one who knows is the Savior Jesus, whose birth on earth Christians around the world are celebrating today. For the Jewish ...

Remember veterans in December

Editorials

The holidays are a crowded time of year — with a lot of traditions, expectations and thoughts competing for our attention. We are truly grateful for the organizers of Wreaths Across America, whose wreath-placing events help make sure that the contributions of our veterans are not lost in the busy days of the season. As we often note, it is important to remember our veterans throughout the year. No matter how the stresses and strains of Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year’s Eve find us today, the strain on families who had a child, a sibling, a spouse or other loved one serving in ...