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More spying and lying

While most of us have been thinking about the end of summer and while the political class frets over the Democratic presidential debates and the aborted visit of two members of Congress to Israel, the Trump administration has quietly moved to extend and make permanent the government’s authority to spy on all persons in America. The president, never at a loss for words, must have been asked by the intelligence community he once reviled not to address these matters in public. These matters include the very means and the very secret court about which he complained loud and long during ...

Not alone in loneliness

Dear Annie: I am 68 years of age and actually very lonely. Most of my friends have either moved on or passed away. I don’t make close friends very often because I don’t trust too many people. I guess I expect a lot. Honesty, loyalty and caring. That’s hard to find. I can only remember maybe four friends I had through life that seemed to be open, honest and showed a sincere wish to share our thoughts/ fears/ cares and be supportive through thick and thin. I still work, but have no time at work to get to know anyone. I had what I thought were two good friends, but one always sets ...

Trump’s promise

President Donald Trump promised he’d get rid of bad rules. “Remove the anchor dragging us down!” he said when campaigning for president. “We’re going to cancel every needless job-killing regulation!” Trump was a developer, so he knew that the thicket of rules government imposes often makes it impossible to get things done. But would he keep his deregulation promise? I was skeptical. Republicans often talk deregulation but then add rules. People called President George W. Bush an “anti-regulator.” But once he was president, he hired 90,000 new regulators! ...

Change to River Float event Saturday

The Webster County Conservation Board is sponsoring a river float at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on the Des Moines River in Webster County. A limited number of boats are available. The use of the canoes, kayaks, paddles, and life jackets is free. The trip will take a couple hours. Bring your own snacks and drinks. Participants will meet at Deer Creek access north of Fort Dodge, off of Highway 169 on 130th Street, by 9:30 a.m. Shuttle service for the boats will be provided. The take-out location has been changed to Hydro-Electric Park. Pre-registration is required. Life jackets and shoes are ...

Friendship fears

Dear Annie: I’m heading to college next year and am scared of making new friends. While I have don’t have trouble talking to new people or getting along with most of them, I feel like none of them will understand my weirdness the same way my high school friends do. My parents and I moved here from a different country, and my current group feels like my family because they are the ones who taught me American mannerisms and accept me for my neuroticism and other quirks. I even talked about the fact that it took me a week to learn what “knock on wood” meant in my college essays! ...

No, there will be no big infrastructure plan

Democrats running for president are vowing to bring high-speed internet to rural America. President Donald Trump campaigned on the same promise. It was to be part of his big infrastructure plan. But no, there will be no big infrastructure plan. Responding to the Democratic candidates’ reminder of a broken pledge, Trump’s former infrastructure adviser, D.J. Gribbin, told Politico: “If I were in the White House right now, I would point to the fact that we had a plan. We took a big swing.” However, the one big swing that Trump actually connected with a ball was the giant 2017 ...