Samuelson: Is this what the future of health care looks like?

WASHINGTON – The big news in health care last week was the disclosure that CVS Health Corp., owner of a vast network of drug stores, is considering buying Aetna Inc., one of the nation’s lar...

Rankin: Schools turning challenge into opportunity

Teacher shortage, continuing education, parent participation, technology and students unqualified to satisfy workforce needs. These are just some of the challenges our public sch...

High school: a time to learn, explore and grow

As I reflect on another year’s homecoming festivities with the parade, football game and dance, I can’t help but think about the important role that high school plays in our students’ lives....

James: On conflict resolution

Women. My favorite kind of people. I like the way they look, the way they talk, the way they think and, if memory serves me, the way they feel. I was raised the only boy in famili...

Samuelson: At budget time, let’s look at the important points

WASHINGTON – It’s that time of year again when Congress debates the federal budget. For most Americans, it’s a turnoff. The dollar amounts are monstrous – trillions, not billions...

Samuelson: North Korea growing more adept at cyber warfare

WASHINGTON – It turns out that North Korea isn’t just a nuclear threat. It’s also a cyberthreat, and in some ways, this may be more frightening. Launched largely anonymously, cyb...

The soul of Bluff: Visionary Gene Foushee built, restored desert town

After 60 years of marriage, Gene and Mary Foushee passed on this summer just nine days apart. The couple was 88 years old and had lived a rich, full life. They will be remembered...

A dearth of virtue and the death of hypocrisy

WASHINGTON – Hypocrisy, one of the most damnable sins, has been rendered obsolete. When everybody’s a skunk, nobody smells the stench. Today, hypocrisy is the smirk on Harvey Wei...

Sheek: Fall means budget time for Cortez City Council

It’s fall! There’s a crispness in the air, the trees and oak brush have assumed the spectacular colors of the season. Another harbinger of fall is that we now begin the review a...

Samuelson: Advance of the ‘spoils society’ is not welcome news

WASHINGTON – The “spoils society” advances. The spoils society is a phrase I coined some years ago to illustrate a basic problem of wealthy societies, including, of course, the United States...

Samuelson: How resilient is the typical American consumer?

WASHINGTON – The American consumer is the great engine of growth for the $19 trillion U.S. economy, representing nearly 70 percent of spending. If the consumer is confident and happy, chance...

Sheek: Libraries change lives and strengthen communities

I am a retired librarian so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that one of my favorite places in Cortez is our local library. The libraries of today are very different from the ones many of us ...