THE WASHINGTON TIMES

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: What about boy power, Nancy?

Having spent my boyhood in San Francisco and San Rafael and camped and backpacked in much of the Sierras (before it became fashionable), I have to say that I love the area — at least the place it was when I was growing up. Today, however, things seem to be different.

June 28, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Drop ‘objective’ charade

When President Trump complained repeatedly that the media was biased and reported fake news, it sent repercussions throughout the press. Of course, not all news is fake news, as Mr. Trumps says, but there is extreme bias within the mainstream press, which distorts accurate reporting and sometimes leads to lies.

June 28, 2017

EDITORIAL: Upholding wrong-headed precedent

A judge doesn't have to be waiting for an appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court to set an example for what a conscientious president is looking for. With vacancies in 106 federal district courts and 19 in appeals courts, President Trump might look to Pensacola, Fla., for a living example of the kind of judges he's looking for.

June 28, 2017

EDITORIAL: A porcupine makes a difficult pet

If North Korea were a zoo and not a prison camp, appropriate signage would read: "Please don't pet the porcupine." When South Korea's new president arrives at the White House on Thursday, Donald Trump should remind his guest that predecessors who ignored the need for due diligence learned a lesson more painful than a mere porcupine prick. The smart approach to Pyongyang is to keep a healthy distance.

June 28, 2017

EDITORIAL: Saving Obamacare repeal, again

"Measure it twice and cut it once" is always better than "measure it once and cut it twice." That's Mitch McConnell's strategy for getting the health-care repeal and replace legislation through the U.S. Senate, and if it invites sneers from the Democrats and the pundits and other dealers in calumny, so what. Stitching together smart legislation is never easy. The Fourth of July is not a deadline.

June 27, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Taiwan still tops freedom lists

Before we blame governments or any other third parties for social-media-account shutdowns, it is worth noting that social-media companies make decisions to remove content or disable accounts based on their own policies. The various causes for suspension may include violations of laws or community standards, abusive content, harassment or other misconduct.

June 27, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: ‘Indirect costs’ hardly luxuries

In his June 19 op-ed on federal research spending ("The high overhead of scientific research"), House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith lays out reasonable premises but reaches faulty conclusions driven by questionable assertions. It's important to get this right because the health of the nation's research enterprise is at stake.

June 27, 2017

EDITORIAL: Obama’s loyal ladies

Once the bloodhounds are unleashed, there's no telling where the trail will lead. Sometimes the scent of scandal circles back to where it started. Democrats may regret the day they pointed a finger at Donald Trump, insisting that he must have cheated to beat Hillary Clinton. Now two staunch Obama administration loyalists, Loretta Lynch, the former attorney general, and Susan Rice, who was Barack Obama's national-security adviser, can hear the baying of the hounds. The baying is getting louder.

June 27, 2017

EDITORIAL: Mocking demands from Pyongyang

Learning to read social cues that say a red line has been crossed is a valuable skill, and some despots never learn it. Like the abrasive oaf with a reputation as an equal opportunity offender, North Korea has signaled it wants to strike a deal with the United States. Having just sent home a young American visitor with fatal injuries, the regime is in no position to approach the U.S. with anything but an abject apology — and the release of the other three Americans still being held hostage.

June 26, 2017

EDITORIAL: A limited victory for Trump

The U.S. Supreme Court didn't quite hit a home run Monday, but the justices hit a sharp double and a couple of singles that showed that there's life yet in the lineup. The president got a little help to protect the nation from terrorists, schoolyard safety was held to be as important for children in private schools as in public schools, and the court hinted that help might be on the way for a Colorado wedding-cake baker who doesn't want to join the celebration of same-sex weddings.

June 26, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: The left, not Trump, in bed with Russia

The Democratic National Committee computer system was easily hacked by the Russians. The personal email of the chairman of the Clinton presidential campaign was even more easily stolen by the Russians. The Obama administration apparently knew as early as last summer that the Russians were up to great mischief in trying to interfere in our presidential election -- but it was paralyzed into inaction.

June 26, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Keeping promises — to no fanfare

Did you know that President Trump has introduced themes for weeks past that emphasize his objectives and his efforts to move the country forward?

June 26, 2017

EDITORIAL: Another day, another investigation

Gone are the days when the losers went home after an election, to nurse their wounds, catalog their mistakes, and get ready for another round. Now an election is never over, and special prosecutors and their regiments of lawyers, egged on by the media, continue the campaign by "other means."

June 24, 2017

EDITORIAL: Angela Merkel’s welcome mat

Only the hard-hearted would slam the door against a refugee. Their stories are heart-breaking and their courage in seeking a better life in a new home is remarkable. Nevertheless, refugees in uncontrolled number are a headache for everyone. Germany, held up as a nation with a big heart, is learning the cost of Angela Merkel's big heart. More than a million refugees have arrived since 2015.

June 24, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Saudi Arabia moving in right direction

Saudi Arabia's King Salman recently issued a royal decree, changing the name of the Saudi Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution to the more concise Public Prosecution. He also relieved Prince Mohammed bin Nayef of his role as minister of the interior and overseer of criminal investigations. Public prosecution now reports directly to King Salman, which will have a huge impact on Saudi Arabia's legal system.

June 24, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Why no one trusts mainstream news

Last Wednesday I heard multiple radio commercials from the AARP hysterically attacking the Senate's health-care bill and urging West Virginia voters to call Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and pressure her to oppose the bill. This morning, as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was still on the floor of the Senate making his very first public statements about the bill, many mainstream-media outlets were publicizing a poll in which large numbers of Americans oppose the bill.

June 24, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Now they want to read

I find it laughable that the Democratic congressional members are claiming no one has had time to read or study the 1,000-page, Republican-sponsored Obamacare modification. Yet I seem to remember that in 2010, then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Congress to pass President Obama's 2,000-page health-care act so that Congress and all of America could "find out what's in it "

June 22, 2017

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: No one-party rule in Taiwan

Numerous social media accounts in Taiwan have been suspended for the 'crime' of criticizing Taiwan's government. The Taiwanese news media tend to self-regulate in order to avoid rejection of license renewal, and they hesitate to report protests or other anti-government-related events.

June 22, 2017

EDITORIAL: Upholding a media standard

Newspaper reporters aren't expected to be purer than Caesar's wife (not even the wife of a Julius Caesar passing as Donald Trump), but a reporter who doesn't measure up to his newspaper's established ethical standards can expect to pay for it.

June 22, 2017

EDITORIAL: Sunshine on the wall

Congressional Democrats love to spend money on solar power and infrastructure projects, and President Trump has given them something to think about -- using the sun to power and pay for his border wall.

June 22, 2017