During the big health care fight, the right told older Americans that Obamacare was grabbing money from their Medicare and giving it to young people. Now it tells young workers that Medicare and … more

CHARLESTON, S.C. — As the reporter said to the novelist: Why bother to make stuff up?For stories and characters, one needs only a pair of walking shoes in this city, where recent attentions … more

Discrimination or religious freedom?Imagine Robert Ingersoll’s hurt and humiliation last month when his local florist refused to do the flower arrangements for his wedding to Curt Freed, his … more

WASHINGTON — America’s most interesting development since November is the Republican Party becoming more interesting. Consider the congressman from Grand Rapids, Mich., who occupies the … more

Even parts of government that look like a business never get run with the efficiency of a business. Just look at the post office.They buy commercials and tout their services the way private … more

WASHINGTON — Terrorism is speech — speech that gathers its audience by killing innocents as theatrically as possible. The 19th-century anarchist Paul Brousse called it “propaganda … more

Before he triumphed over prejudice, Jackie Robinson triumphed over himself.The signal achievements of the pioneering baseball star, whose story is recounted in the top-grossing biopic … more

WASHINGTON — The morning after the Boston Marathon bombings, Ben Cardin, the first speaker on the Senate floor after leaders opened the day’s session, marked the national crisis with some … more

I’m from Boston. Over the years, I lived in two apartments within a stone’s throw of Monday’s bombings. Over the years, I stood and cheered marathon runners countless times. I know … more

WASHINGTON — You know the feeling. You wake up filled with dread but, still groggy, you can’t put your finger on the reason.Possibilities flitter across the landscape of … more